170 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS. 
which they are devoted ; the introduction of improved 
varieties into the United States; improved herds of 
animals ; markets, and modes of preparation for 
them ; and information statistical, economical, inte¬ 
resting and useful, fill up this voluminous Report. 
To give the table of contents alone, would occupy 
all the room we have to devote to it ; and we must 
limit ourselves to noticing some of those items, to 
which the attention of the public is not yet suffi¬ 
ciently awakened. 
Hemp .—The total of hemp and flax raised in the 
United States for 1844, is set down at 22,800 tons, 
of which Kentucky produces 12,000, and Missouri 
9,000. There is a discrepancy between this and for¬ 
mer Reports, which we do not understand, notwith¬ 
standing what is said by the Commissioner of the ex¬ 
clusion of Flax in the last year’s estimate. That for 
1841, prepared from corrected returns, taken with the 
census for the former year, is given at 101,181 tons; 
for 1842, 158,569 tons; for 1843, 161,007 pounds. 
(tons ?) As there are returns from only five States 
for the last year, while for each of the preceding, 
some of the States are credited with large amounts, 
we must conclude, the amount reported is short of 
the entire product of the Union. 
The cultivation of hemp is still in its infancy in 
this country, and we notice with regret, that our 
farmers are yet working with the short end of the 
lever. They produce an over supply of the dew- 
rotted, an inferior, low priced article, while of the 
water-rotted, which bears a high price, and is of 
almost unlimited demand, there is a large deficiency. 
This is manifest from the returns of the Secretary of 
the Treasury’s Department, Doc. 109, from which it 
appears that our total imports of hemp, and its 
manufactures, for the year ending September, 1838, 
were #1,453,960; for 1839, #1,697,221 ; for 1840, 
#1,715,649; for 1841, #2,371,141; for 1842, 
#1,292,592; for the nine months ending June 30, 
1843, #671,000. 
The demand in England, France, and other foreign 
countries, where hemp is not, nor will probably ever 
be cultivated to any extent, renders this an article of 
great and growing consequence to this country. We 
hope to see the ingenuity, energy, and intelligence of 
our citizens, in the hemp-producing regions of the 
south and west, given to this subject, by the intro¬ 
duction of new and improved methods and machinery 
for preparing it for market, and its increased produc¬ 
tion, not only to the full supply of the wants of 
this country, but to its exportation abroad to a large 
amount. Price of dew-rotted, #75 to #100 ; water- 
rotted $150 to #170 per ton. 
Flax .—This is another important product, hitherto 
but little cultivated in the United States, in compari¬ 
son with what might be profitably raised. Within 
the last few years, the application of machinery to 
the manufacture of this article, has reduced the ex¬ 
penses of preparing its fabrics so as to become a pro¬ 
fitable object of attention, jit is quite an object of 
cultivation, independent of it’s value for manufactur¬ 
ing. An acre will yield in seed from 8 to 15 bush¬ 
els, worth from #1 to #1.50 per bushel. The yield 
of a bushel in oil (linseed), is about two gallons; 
after this is expressed, the residuum, knovt n as oil¬ 
cake, is of the highest value as food for fattening 
.animals. 
The mode of preparing flax for market in this 
country, is, like that of hemp, the worst that coul l 
be adopted ; being universally dew-rotted, while it; 
value would be nearly doubled by water-rotting, at 
the same expense. Thus, while last year’s price for 
Flemish flax, was 14 cents per lb.,. Irish 12jj, and 
Russian 10, American was worth but 6£ to 7£ cts. 
Silk .—This important branch of our agricultural 
and manufacturing industry, is gradually advancing. 
The production of silk cocoons in 1842, was estimat¬ 
ed at 244,124 lbs. ; in 1843, at 315,965 lbs.; and in 
1844 at 396,790 lbs. The details of flax and silk are 
quite meagre in the Report; yet enough is given to 
show the steady progress in the former interests, and 
a considerable advance in the latter, which is destined, 
at no future day, to become one of the most import¬ 
ant of the industrial occupations in North America. 
Our soil and climate are eminently adapted to the 
silk-worm, and the foliage which furnishes the mate¬ 
rial from which to spin its silken fibre ; and we have 
unoccupied labor, land, skill, and capital sufficient to 
supply the millions we annually pay to foreign coun¬ 
tries for this luxury. When we take into considera¬ 
tion, that the labor required through nearly the entire 
range of production and preparation for market in 
the finished fabric, may be furnished from that por¬ 
tion of our citizens, women and children, whose time 
would otherwise be wasted, or less profitably em¬ 
ployed, it affords matter of astonishment that we 
are not approximating supply to demand more ra¬ 
pidly than at present. Throughout the entire region 
of the Alleganias, till they dip into the Gulf of 
Mexico, our climate and soil are eminently adapted 
to growing silk with profit. If this could take the 
place of cotton, to the extent of furnishing our own 
consumption, and the millions annually iequired in 
Europe, a great accession to the wealth of this coun¬ 
try would be realized. Not one serious impediment 
exists to its unlimited extension. With the increase 
of supply at home, increased demand will inevitably 
follow. An article we can easily produce, which is 
every way suited to extensive use, will certainly be 
more generally demanded among ourselves, especially 
as the price paid for it goes to the enriching of our 
own citizens, and thus being kept within the country, 
will enable us to indulge in this luxury to an extent 
which wftuld otherwise be beyond our reach. 
Madder is another agricultural product we have 
hitherto raised to an extent altogether insufficient to 
meet the growing demands of our own manufactures. 
This root yields a dye indispensable to our woollen 
and other manufactures, and is a highly profitable 
crop for sale, besides its great value as feed for stock. 
It requires three or four years to mature, which is, 
perhaps, one reason for the slow progress its cultiva¬ 
tion has thus far made in this country. Yet, when 
fully matured for harvesting, it gives a return suffi¬ 
ciently large to satisfy the most grasping aspirations 
of. our farmers. Land devoted to this purpose in 
Ohio, has yielded a nett profit of #200 per acre in 
four years ; and the cultivator thinks, with the expe¬ 
rience acquired from his first attempt, he could easily 
increase it 50 per cent. But we have given such full 
and minute information on this subject in our pre¬ 
ceding volumes, that we shall refer the curious reader 
to them for further information. 
Indigo has thus far been neglected, since the early 
and successful efforts of the colonists in producing it. 
The consumption is annually extending in this coud- 
