Iff 



Here it will be seen that there is a deficien- 

 cy in everything, except corn ; that is, there is 

 less than there should have been in order to 

 make the amount correspond with the increase 

 of population. 



In regard to corn, at least 15,000,000 of 

 bushels of the increased product is used in 

 whiskey, which enters not at all into food 

 Deducting this, we have the following results : 



DEFICIENCY. 



Wheat, - - - 15,000,000 bushels. 



Rye, 11,000,000, " 



Oats, 20,000,000 " 



Total, - - - 46,000,000 " 



Increase of corn, - - 61,000,000 " 



Apparent gain, - - - 15,000,000 " 



But it must be observed that wheat is al- 

 most exclusively used among the white in- 

 habitants for bread ; and that of corn we are 

 now exporting (which we formerly did not) an 

 amount equal to the apparent gain. On the 

 whole, it is apparent that the increase of veg- 

 etable food, in the United States, has rather 

 fallen behind than kept up with the progress of 

 population. It is also apparent that, in future, 

 the great staple in breadstuffs for us, and for 

 the world, is the maize, or Indian corn. This* 

 is the only crop; even in our fertile country, 

 which keeps up and goe3 beyond the increase 

 of population It may be well to look for a 

 moment at the increase of this crop. We have 

 the following data for a calculation, viz : 



Corn crop of 1840, - - - 3 7 7,53^875 bushels. 

 " " 1850, - - - 5n2,071 J 104 " 



Annual increase, C par cent. » 

 Crop of 1355 calculated on 'this basis, 800,000,000 « 

 Probable crop of- 1856, - - 1,000,000,000 " 



This increase, however, will not take place 

 unless wo find a foreign market, which we snail 

 probably do. On this head we intend here- 

 after to give the data -for supposing that the 

 rapid increase of the corn crop will continue 



One of the most remarkable facts in relation 

 to the diminution of the agricultural produc- 

 tion, is that of the diminished relative increase 

 of animals. 



Take the following proportions : 



Increase of population, 36 per cent. 



Do horses, - - , „ 14 ,do 



Do cattle, - - , - 23 do 



. Do sheep, - - - - 13 do 



Do swiae, - - - - 15 do 



These are very instructive facts They 

 teach very distinctly some of the principles 

 which have been silently at work to raise the 

 prices of wheat, of beef, and pork ; nor do we 

 see from this state of things any remedy but 

 the increased application of labor to agricul- 

 ture, and, as there is no power to enforce this 

 but the presence of a real scarcity, so we can i 

 see no permanent diminution of prices; nor j 



indeed a probable cessation of the rise, till 

 high prices react in producing a renewed at- 

 tention to agricultural employments. 



There is another question connected with 

 , the production and consumption of vegetable 

 food, of great interest and importance. Other 

 parts of the world are even less fortunate 

 than ourselves. The result is that there ia 

 a pressure upon this country to supply the 

 wants of Europe. The export of breadstuffs 

 at this time, is beyond anything this country 

 has ever known. With high prices and a 

 good harvest, this demand will be supplied 

 for a time; but, as the facts above stated 

 prove that our surplus, especially of wheat 

 caunot be very large, it follows that this de- 

 mand, if continued, will so far exhaust the 

 country as to make prices still higher, and, 

 in fact, almost exhaust the home supply of 

 wheat Hour. If this be repeated from year to 

 year, where will it end ? Can we increase the 

 supply of wheat so as to meet a perpetual Eu- 

 ropean demand for grain ? or, must the people 

 of Europe come here in still greater numbers? 

 or, finally, as we just remarked, is not Indian 

 1 corn the last resource and hope of nations? 

 Our opinion on this subject is fixed; that, 

 as corn is the great staple of our country — is 

 easily raised, and may be indefinitely extend- 

 ed, that this crop will go on. increasing, at' a 

 veiry rapid rate, and it. will be exported to 

 Europe in immense quantities. In looking to 

 the increase of vegetable food in the United 

 ' States, we think it evident that the produc- 

 tions which are likely to increase most rapidly, 

 are those of corn, potatoes, sugar-cane, and 

 grapes. If we are right in this supposition, 

 the United States have yet before them a field 

 .of vast enterprise and profit in agriculture. 



Since the introduction of Texas, the lard 

 suitable for the cultivation of the cane has been 

 greatly increased. We suppose there can bo 

 no doubt of the capacity of Louisiana and Tex- 

 as to raise a million of hogsheads of sugar, 

 without any great effort. This is equal to a 

 thousand millions of pounds — quite a largo 

 item in the general provision of food. 



The vine is a recent and much smaller ad- 

 dition to our agricultural list. But large 

 parts of the United Stales, and especially the 

 valleys of the Ohio and the Missouri, are ad- 

 mirably adapted to the cultivation of the vino. 

 The time is not distant when millions of gal- 

 lons of wine will be made on the Ohio. 



The potato is a native of America, but has 

 been much less attended to in the United 

 States than it ought to be. At 100 bushels 

 per acre, which with suitable soil and culture 



