On the 1st of June, 1850, the population of the United States was 23,263,000, and the rate of increase during the preceding ten years, with an average immigration of 150,000 per annum, was shown to be about three and one-fifth per cent. annually. At this rate of progress, the inhabitants had increased to 25,237,000 on the 1st of January, 1853. But during the intervening time there had arrived from Europe 990,000 immigrants, which was 604,000 above the average for the same length of time during the previous decennial term. This excess being added to the natural increase, and to the number of immigrants who had arrived upon the average before mentioned, the result shows that the population of the United States on the 1st of January, 1853, was 25,841,000, representing an increase of 2,578,000, somewhat over eleven per cent., during the thirty-one months preceding. This increase of population is probably greater than the ratio which ought to be assumed in estimating the advance of the country in respect to its property, productions, and material resources in general. Ten per cent. may be adopted as a truer ratio, and upon this basis of computation and comparison the following tables have been prepared. Valuation of real and personal estate of the inhabitants of the United States for the years ending June 1, 1850, and December 31, 1852, together with the average amount to each inhabitant. In the preparation of the foregoing statement, the tables of the seventh census have been strictly followed, and the general rates of increase, both for population and property, found to have obtained throughout the country during the past thirty-one months, have been applied to each State, though, of course, some States have advanced much more rapidly than others. There is reason to believe that the real and personal property is considerably undervalued in the census report. This will be illustrated by the following comparison of prop erty and wealth among the urban and rural population. It appears from the census that 140 cities and towns, of more than 10,000 inhabitants each, contain a population of... 2,860,000 Towns and villages of over 200 inhabitants (estimated)... 1,140,000 Total population of cities, towns, and villages in the United Total rural population.. The four cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston, contain a population of.. Amount of real and personal property.. Average amount of real and personal property to each individual in the above cities.. Aggregate amount of real and personal property owned by residents in cities, towns, and villages. 4,000,000 19,263,000 23,263,000 1,214,000 $702,000,000 $578 $2,312,000,000 The average amount of personal property owned by each inhabitant of cities and towns appears to be $166. If the average among the rural free population be about the same, it follows that the aggre gate distributed among that class is $2,660,000,000. The total amount of real and personal property in the United States on the 1st June, 1850, therefore, may be thus stated: Value of farms, plantations, live stock, farming implements, materials, &c.... Personal estate, other than above, owned by the rural population Real and personal property owned in cities, towns, United States and State stocks owned in the United Total value of real and personal property of the Uni- Add 10 per cent. for increase of prices since June, 1850 Total value of real and personal property, January 1, $4,599,364,000 2,660,000,000 2,312,000,000 100,000,000 9,071,364,000 907,136,400 907,136,400 10,885,636,800 The subjoined table is designed to exhibit a general view of the agriculture of the United States. The aggregate quantity and value of crops are first presented, and next the several items which are supposed to constitute the fixed capital of the agricultural interest. It has been thought proper to assign one-fourth of the value of live stock to the column of annual production, as that is probably the rate of yearly increase. The remainder, together with the value of farms and farming implements and machinery, should obviously be reckoned as capital. In ascertaining the average price of crops, those of the New York Price Current for January, 1853, have been taken, and a deduction therefrom of fifteen per cent. has been made, to cover expenses of transportation and commercial charges. Where special circumstances require a departure from this rule, they are noticed in the remarks appended to the table. Table showing the amount and value of the productions of agriculture in the United States for the year 1852. Total value. Wheat Indian corn . bushels. 143, 000, 000 1,607, 000 $1 00 per bushel.. $143, 000, 00.) .... 652, 000, 000 60 Oats.. Rice... Tobacco .do. pounds. do... 161, 000, 000 Cotton... ...do... Wool do... 58,067, 000 974, 380 10 80 ...do..... 50 per gallon.. 20 per pound.. 12 50 per ton... 8,487,500 15, 420, 000 39, 675,000 Cane sugar. .do... 272, 339, 000 Molasses gallons. Beeswax and honey. pounds. 13, 970,000 Animals slaughtered. Poultry Feathers Milk and eggs Residuum of crops not consumed by stock Annual increase of live stock.... Total annual productions of agri culture.. Value of farms ... Three-fourths of the value of live stock.. Value of farm implements, &c. Total capital employed in agriculture..... *The price stated may be too high, and the quantity underrated. 13, 880, 230 391, 200, 000 70, 840,000 8,052, 662 16,980,000 *129, 000, 000 29,033, 500 8, 112, 800 73, 125, 000 33,668,000 3, 409, 800 4,950,000 10, 000, 000 500,000 50, 000, 000 68,918, 400 6, 964, 280 190, 275, 000 4,871,900 11,033, 750 719, 270 5,304, 000 925, 200 1,983, 750 10, 893, 000 3,442,500 3,750,000 133, 000, 000 20, 000, 000 2, 000, 000 25, 000, 000 110, 000, 000 167,750,000 1,752, 583, 042 $3,914, 864, 000 503, 250,000 181,250,000 4,599, 364, 000 REMARKS UPON THE AGRICULTURAL TABLE. 1. The crop year of 1849, to which the returns of the seventh census apply, was reported nearly all over the country as a season of "short crop." Investigations undertaken by State legislatures and agricultural societies prove that the aggregate production of wheat reported in the census tables was below the average by at least 30,000,000 of bushels. That amount has been added to form a basis of comparison for ascertaining the crop of the past year, as given in the foregoing table. 2. The quantity of tobacco assumed as the production of 1852, exhibits an increase of more than forty per cent. on that of 1849. This result is ascertained from commercial statements, and circulars, the accuracy of which there is no reason to question. 3. The cotton crop of 1852 is estimated at 3,225,000 bales of the average weight of 400 pounds, and the average price for the year is assumed at ten cents per pound. The quantity will probably exceed that given in the table. Able statistical writers have made calculations showing the probability of such an increase in the production of this great staple as will bring up the crop of 1860 to 1,720,000,000 pounds. 4. The census returns of 1850 showed a small decrease of the potato crop as compared with 1840. This was owing to the disease called the potato rot. That disease is said to be disappearing, and it is considered safe to assume the production of the past year as about equal to what it would have been, had no such cause of retrogression occurred during the course of the late decennial term. 5. The census tables undoubtedly present an estimate of the wine crop very far below the truth. In the State of Ohio, the vintage of 1849 yielded more than the whole quantity assigned to the United States. Since that year, numerous vineyards along the Ohio, in Missouri, and elsewhere some of them of large extent-have been brought into a con dition to add largely to the production of the country in this article California and New Mexico, also, reported as producing more than a quarter of all the wine of the United States, must become fertile wine districts. 6. The value of the produce of market gardens is much understated in the census returns. The class of produce coming under this designation includes the whole of some highly important crops, as beets, turmips, carrots, onions, parsnips, melons, tomatoes, besides numerous minor productions which are separately of small account, but collectively amount to a very large sum. The estimate in the table is a mod erate one. 7. The price of hay in New York at the end of the year 1852, was between twenty-five and thirty dollars per ton. But the quantity of this bulky article entering into the trade of the country is relatively so small, and the expense of its transportation to a market is so considerable in comparison with its original value, that the arbitrary sum of $12 50, or less than half the selling price in New York, has been assumed as the average in the country at large. 8. The item of the value of hides and peltries is a very important one, amounting doubtless to many millions of dollars; but it is presumed to be included in the value of animals slaughtered. |