Notes on the State of Virginia (1802)/Query 20
QUERY XX.
A NOTICE of the commerce productions
particular to the ſtate, and of thoſe objects
which the inhabitants are obliged to get from
Europe and from other parts of the world?
Before the preſent war we exported, communibus annis, according to the beſt information I can get, nearly as follows:
| Articles. | Quantity. | Price in dollars. | Am. in dollars. |
| Tobacco | 55,000 hhds. of 1000 lb. | at 30 d. per hhd. | 1,650,000 |
| Wheat | 800,000 buſhels | at 56 d. per buſhel. | 666,666⅔ |
| Indian corn | 600,000 buſhels | at ⅓. d. per buſhel. | 200,000 |
| Shipping | —— | —— | 100,000 |
| Masts, planks, ſcantling, ſhingles, ſtaves | —— | —— | 66,666⅔ |
| Tar, pitch, turpentine, | 30,000 barrels | at 1⅓ d. per bar. | 40,000 |
| Peltry,[1] | 180 hhds. of 600 lb. | at 512 d. per lb. | 42,000 |
| Pork | 4,000 barrels | at 10 d. per bar. | 40,000 |
| Flaxſeed, hemp, cotton | —— | —— | 8,000 |
| Pit-coal, pig-iron | —— | —— | 6,666⅔ |
| Peas | 5,000 buſhels | at |
3,333⅓ |
| Beef | 1,000 barrels | at 3⅓ d. per bar. | 3,333⅓ |
| Sturgeon, white ſhad, herring | —— | —— | 3,333⅓ |
| Brandy[2] & whiskey | —— | —— | 1,666⅔ |
| Horſes | —— | —— | 1,666⅔ |
| This ſum is equal to 850,000l. Virginia money, 607,142 guineas. | 2,833,333⅓ Dols. | ||
In the year 1758 we exported ſeventy thouſand hogſheads of tobacco, which was the greateſt quantity ever produced in this country in one year. But its culture was faſt declining at the comencement of this war and that of wheat taken its place, and it muſt continue to decline on the return of peace. I ſuſpect that the change in the temperature of our climate has become ſenſible to that plant, which, to be good requires an extraordinary degree of heat. But it requires ſtill more indiſpenſibly an uncommon fertility of ſoil: and the price which it commands at market will not enable the planter to produce this by manure. Was the ſupply ſtill to depend on Virginia and Maryland alone, as its culture becomes more difficult, the price would riſe, ſo as to enable the planter to ſurmount thoſe difficulties and to live. But the weſtern country on the Miſſiſippi, and the midlands of Georgia, having freſh and fertile lands in abundance, and a hotter ſun, will be able to underſell theſe two ſtates, and will oblige them to abandon the raiſing tobacco altogether. And a happy obligation for them it will be. It is a culture productive of infinite wretchedneſs. Thoſe employed in it are in a continual ſtate of exertion beyond the power of nature to ſupport. Little food of any kind is raiſed by them; ſo that the men and animals on theſe farms are badly fed, and the earth is rapidly impoveriſhed. The cultivation of wheat is the reverſe in every circumſtance. Beſides cloathing the earth with herbage, and preſerving its fertility, it feeds the laborers plentifully, requires from them only a moderate toil, except in the ſeaſon of harveſt, raiſes great numbers of animals for food and ſervice, and diffuſes plenty and happineſs among the whole. We find it eaſier to make an hundred buſhels of wheat than a thouſand weight of tobacco, and they are worth more when made. The weavil indeed is a formidable obſtacle to the cultivation of this grain with us. But principles are already known which muſt lead to a remedy. Thus a certain degree of heat, to wit, that of common air in ſummer, is neceſſary to hatch the egg. If ſubterranean granaries, or others, therefore, can be contrived below that temperature, the evil will be cured by cold. A degree of heat beyond that which hatchis the egg we know will kill it. But in aiming at this we eaſily run into that which produces putrefaction. To produce putrefaction, however, three agents are requiſite, heat, moiſture, and the external air. If the abſence of any one of theſe be ſecured, the other two may ſafely be admitted. Heat is the one we want. Moiſture then, or external air, muſt be excluded. The former has been done by expoſing the grain in kilns to the action of fire, which produces heat, and extracts moiſture at the ſame time: the latter, by putting the grain into hogſheads covering it with a coat of lime, and heading it up. In this ſituation its bulk produced a heat ſufficient to kill the egg; the moiſture is ſuffered to remain indeed, but the external air is excluded. A nicer operation yet has been attempted; that is, to produce an intermediate temperature of heat between that which kills the egg, and that which produces putrefaction. The threſhing the grain as ſoon as it is cut, and laying it in its chaff in large heaps, has been found very near to hit this temperature, though not perfectly, nor always. The heap generates heat ſufficient to kill moſt of the eggs, whilſt the chaff commonly reſtrains it from riſing into putrefaction. But all theſe methods abridge too much the quantity which the farmer can manage, and enable other countries to underſell him which are not infeſted with this inſect.—There is ſtill a deſideratum then to give with us deciſive triumph to this branch of agriculture over that of tobacco. The culture of wheat, by enlarging our paſture, will render the Arabian horſe an article of very conſiderable profit. Experience has ſhewn that ours is the particular climate of America where he may be raiſed without degeneracy. Southwardly the heat of the ſun occaſions a deficiency of paſture, and northwardly the winters are too cold for the ſhort and fine hair, the particular ſenſibility and conſtitution of that race. Animals tranſplanted into unfriendly climates, either change their nature and acquire new fences againſt the new difficulties in which they are placed, or they multiply poorly and become extinct. A good foundation is laid for their propagation here by our poſſeſſing already great numbers of horſes of that blood, and by a decided taſte and preference for them eſtabliſhed among the people. Their patience of heat without injury, their ſuperior wind, fit them better in this and the more ſouthern climates even for the drudgeries of the plough and waggon. Northwardly they will become an object only to perſons of taſte and fortune, for the ſaddle and light carriages. To thoſe, and for theſe uſes, their fleetneſs and beauty will recommend them.—Beſides theſe there will be other valuable ſubſtitutes when the cultivation of tobacco ſhall be diſcontinued, ſuch as cotton in the eaſtern parts of the ſtate, and hemp and flax in the weſtern.
It is not eaſy to ſay what are the articles either of neceſity, comfort, or luxury, which we cannot raiſe, and which we therefore ſhall be under a neceſſity of importing from abroad, as every thing hardier than the olive, and as hardy as the fig, may be raiſed here in the open air. Sugar, coffee and tea, indeed, are not between theſe limits; and habit having placed them among the neceſſaries of life with the wealthy part of our citizens, as long as theſe habits remain we muſt go for them to thoſe countries which are able to furniſh them.