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PENNSYLVANIA 



the country is under excellent cultivation, and great attention is paid to agricultural pursuits. 

 The farms in the State are generally large, and skilfully managed. There are about 2,000,000 

 sheep in the State. Wheat and maize are the most important products, and flour of the best 

 quality is sent to the Philadelphia and Baltimore markets. This region also produces abundance 

 of excellent fruit. The watermelons, which are raised here, are of the best quality, and pro- 

 duced in such abundance, as to be often sold in the cities for a cent a piece. Peaches, pears, 

 and apples are also raised in great quantities and in high perfection. In the interior and west- 

 ern parts, the grain already mentioned, with buckwheat, rye, oats, barley, hemp, and flax, are 

 much cultivated. 



6. Commerce. Philadelphia enjoys nearly all the foreign commerce of the State. This 

 chiefly consists in the export of the productions above mentioned. The coasting trade also of 

 this port is considerable. A great internal trade is carried on between Philadelphia and the 

 West, across the mountains. The most connnon routs are to Pittsburg and Wheeling.* 

 There is also a port at Presqu' Isle, on Lake Erie, which has some trade. The shipping of 

 the State amounts to 104,614 tons; the annual imports, to 12,000,000 dollars; the exports 

 to foreign countries, to 4,000,000 dollars. 



7. Jilanufacturcs. Pennsylvania is the first State in the Union for manufactures. Those 

 of Philadelphia have already been mentioned. At Pittsburg and in the neighborhood, are very 

 large establishments of various kinds. The glass manufactures of this place are particularly ce- 

 lebrated, and furnish cut-glass ware and window glass equal to any in the country. The glass 

 is white, clear, and excellent, both in texture and polish. The cotton manufacture is also ex- 

 tensive, and occupies several large establishments here and in the neighboring towns of Alle- 

 ghany and Birmingham. The manufactures of iron employ 9 founderies, S rolling-mills, and 9 

 nail factories, which make 18 tons of nails daily. There are also 7 manufactories of steam- 

 engines, and lately the manufacture of sugar-mills, and small steam machinery to drive them, 

 has become an important branch of business. There are two establishments in Pittsburg for 

 the manufacture of steel. There are great numbers of iron-works in various parts of the State. 

 At York, is a foundry for church bells, manufactures of cutlery, surgical instruments, &c. 

 Elegant carpeting is also made at the same place. At Manyaunk, on the Schuylkill, are large 

 cotton and woolen manufactories. At Chambersburg, besides other establishments, are exten- 

 sive manufactories of edge tools, axes, carpenters' tools, liatchets, chisels, &c., of a quality and 

 temper equal to any made in England. At Bush Hill, near Philadelphia, is a manufacture of 

 elegant floor-cloths from hemp and flax, and of table-cloths from cotton. At Bethany, in 

 Wayne county, is a glass manufactory, which produces 450,000 feet of window glass annually. 



In the western part, are large manufactures of salt from springs. The principal salt-works 

 are on the Conemaugh, a stream running into the Alleghany. The water is obtained by boring. 

 The strongest water is found 400 or 500 feet below the surface. Copper tubes are inserted in 

 the perforation, in which the salt water rises to a level with the river, accompanied by sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen gas, often in considerable quantity. Fresh water is seldom found below 100 

 feet. Veins of coal and slate are penetrated at various depths, and narrow beds of limestone, 

 lying deep, are passed through. In the process of manufacturing, salt water is pumped by 

 horse-power into large troughs, where the earthy particles not held in solution, mostly subside 

 It is then passed into a shallow boiling pan of cast-iron, and after boiling is drawn off into vats, 

 where the oxide of iron, which is abundant, and the earthy salts, subside, together with a por- 

 tion of muriate of soda. The clean brine is passed off into a boiler, in which the salt, in fine 

 crystals, is precipitated, and then removed to drain. No use is made of the sulphate of soda, 

 of which there is considerable in the water. The salt manufactured at Kiskiminetas and Cone- 

 maugh has in some years amounted to 1,000,000 bushels ; it is sold at from 20 to 25 cents per 

 bushel, at the works ; the expense of manufacturing does not exceed 1 0 cents a bushel. 



A large portion of the numerous salt-works are near the river, in the ravines of the Kiski- 

 minetas, and coal for fuel is procured from veins situated above the works, in the side of the 

 hill, and costs but a cent a bushel. Considerable salt is made near Pittsburg, from a fountain 



" A greiit part of the transportation betweon Philadel- horses, and these are, with few exceptions, of (he Hano 



phia and tlie western country is carried on liy means of verian breed. They aie larjre, and usually in good con- 



larg-e, heavy watjons, of a peculiar construction, allhoucrh dition, but they are much inferior to the New England 



the railroads and canals have monopolized most of this horses in spirit, strenffth, and bottom. A representation 



business. The bodies are lono-, and covered by cloth sup- of one of these wagons will be found in the vignette at the 



ported by bent posts. The.ie are higher before and behind head of the article on the Middle States. 

 than in the middle. They are usually drawn by 5 or t! 



