The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Part 36

The following table of average weights indicates a capacity in the soil and climate to produce grain of a very superior quality:--

----------------+-------+--------+------+-----+-------+------- | | | | | Buck- | COUNTIES | Wheat | Barley | Oats | Rye | Wheat | Maize ----------------+-------+--------+------+-----+-------+------- Saint John |61 | -- |41 | -- | 50 | -- Westmoreland |60 | 48 |35 | -- | 48 | 59 Albert |58 | 50 |34 | 50 | 45 | -- Charlotte |59 | 45 |39 | -- | 57 | 59 King's |59 | 48 |37 | -- | 48 | 60 Queen's |58 | 50 |36 | 53 | 43 | 61 Sunbury |57 | 55 |38 | 53 | 47 | 57 York |63 | 50 |38 | -- | 51 | 60 Carleton |64 | -- |38 | -- | 52 | 65 Kent |63 | -- |37 | -- | 50 | -- Northumberland |62 | 53 |37 | -- | 45 | 57 Gloucester |63 | 51 |39 | -- | -- | -- Restigouche |63 | 48 |42 | -- | -- | -- ----------------+-------+--------+------+-----+-------+------

The general average weights for the whole Province are, for

Wheat 60 11-13 lbs.

Barley 50 "

Oats 38 "

Rye 52 "

Buckwheat 48 8-11 "

Indian Corn 59 "

Potatoes 63 "

Turnips 66 "

Carrots 63 "

The annexed statement shows not only the average yield per acre of each description of crop, but affords an opportunity of contrasting it with the like products in the State of New York:--

AVERAGE PRODUCE PER IMPERIAL ACRE.

New Brunswick State of New York Bushels Bushels Wheat 20 14 Barley 29 16 Oats 34 26 Rye 20 9 Buckwheat 33 14 Indian Corn 41 25 Potatoes 226 90 Turnips 460 88 Hay 1 --

A possibility of error in striking the averages is suggested in the report; and to guard against it the following statement of the averages derived from the minimum returns is given, viz.:--Wheat 17 bushels; Barley, 27; Oats, 33; Buckwheat, 28; Rye, 18; Indian Corn, 36; Potatoes, 204; Turnips, 389. The diminished averages scarcely affect the question of productiveness, as in every particular they exceed the averages for the favored Genesee Valley and the southern sh.o.r.es of Lake Ontario.

While the productiveness of the soil is thus proven by the statements of most experienced farmers, the average prices appear to be equally favorable to the Provincial growers. The following tables of averages set this in a clear point of view:--

AVERAGE PRICES OF GRAIN PER BUSHEL AND PER QUARTER.

Per Bushel Per Quarter Wheat 7s. 6d. 60s. 0d.

Barley 4 2 33 8 Oats 2 0 16 0 Rye 4 10 38 8 Buckwheat 3 9 30 0 Indian Corn 4 8 37 4

ROOT CROPS AND HAY.

Potatoes 1s. 11d. per bushel.

Turnips 1 2 "

Eng. Hay 49 0 per ton.

Carrots 2 5 per bushel.

Man. Wurtzel 2 1 "

Marsh Hay 20 0 per ton.

AVERAGE MONEY VALUE OF AN ACRE OF EACH CROP.

New Brunswick Canada West State of Ohio Wheat 6 13 0 2 4 7 2 19 0 Barley 5 13 7 1 19 4 2 4 0 Oats 6 3 6 1 11 0 1 13 9 Rye 4 7 0 1 5 10 1 12 4 Buckwheat 5 5 0 3 5 0 1 16 3 Indian Corn 8 10 4 2 14 4 2 15 0 Potatoes 19 11 0 6 6 0 6 9 4

On a review of the foregoing and other tables, Professor Johnston has drawn the following conclusions:--

"That grain and roots generally can be raised more cheaply in the Province of New Brunswick than in New York, Ohio, or Upper Canada; and that the Province ought to be able to compete with those countries and drive them from its home markets."

Such are the deductions of a skilful and scientific, practical and theoretical agriculturist, from the statements furnished by the most enterprising and successful of our colonists. Nevertheless, I cannot conceal a doubt whether all the elements of comparison have been duly weighed. The result, especially as regards wheat, is so contrary to pre-conceived opinions, that further investigations should be made. Is it not possible that, while an equality of expense in preparing the land for a wheat crop appears to have been a.s.sumed, the great care and expense necessary in New Brunswick to prepare the land, and an occasional succession of minimum returns would, to a very considerable extent, account for the supposed discrepancy?

Wheat has, from time immemorial, been a staple crop in the plains of Northern India, and especially in the Punjaub. The climate and soil are well fitted for this cereal, but owing to defects and carelessness in the agriculture and harvesting, the crops, though excellent, fall short of what most corn-growing countries produce. Further--owing to foul boats and granaries, and to the moist heat of the months immediately succeeding harvest, the wheat reaches England in a state too dirty and weevelled for market. The hard wheat is preferred by the natives in India to the soft, probably for no better cause than that the hardness of the grain more closely resembles their favorite food, rice.

BARLEY.

Oats, rye and barley, are the staple crops of northern and mountainous Europe and Asia. In England barley is grown princ.i.p.ally in the eastern and some of the midland counties, and chiefly for malting. It is most extensively cultivated in the Himalaya and Thibet, replacing in many districts the wheat, and producing an admirable flour.

Since the establishment of the studs at Buxar, Ghazepore, &c., oats have been extensively cultivated. It is a winter crop.

Although believed to have been indigenous to the countries bordering on the torrid zone, this grain possesses the remarkable flexibility of maturing in favorable seasons and situations on the eastern continent as far north as 70 deg., and flourishes well in lat. 42 deg. south.

Along the Atlantic side of the continent of America, its growth is restricted to the tract lying between the 30th and 50th parallels of north lat.i.tude, and between 30 and 40 deg. south. Near the westerly coast, its range lies princ.i.p.ally between lat.i.tude 20 and 62 deg.

north. The barley chiefly cultivated in the United States is the two-rowed variety which is generally preferred from the fulness of its grain and its freedom from s.m.u.t. Barley has never been much imported from that country, as the Americans have been rather consumers than producers. The consumption of barley there in 1850 in the manufacture of malt and spirituous liquors amounted to 3,780,000 bushels, and according to the census returns, the quant.i.ty of barley raised was 4,161,504 bushels in 1840, and 5,167,213 bushels in 1850. In this country barley is extensively used for malting, distilling, and making beer; large quant.i.ties are consumed in Scotland, or carried into England.

In Prussia, about ten and a half million hectolitres of barley are annually raised. In the Canary Isles, about 354,000 bushels are annually exported. In Van Diemen's Land in 1844, 174,405 bushels of barley were grown on 12,466 acres.

The quant.i.ty of barley made into malt in the United Kingdom in the year ending 10th October, 1850, was 5,183,617 quarters, of which about four million quarters were used by 8,500 maltsters. The quant.i.ty of malt charged with duty in the year ending 5th January, 1851, was 636,641 tons; the average price per quarter, 26s. 2d.

Barley is at present extensively cultivated in the temperate districts and islands of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. In Spain, Sicily, the Canaries, Azores and Madeira, two crops are produced in a year.

In North America its growth is princ.i.p.ally confined to Mexico, the middle, western, and northern States of the Union, and to the British North American provinces. The introduction of barley into the American colonies may be traced back to the period of their settlement. By the year 1648 it was raised in abundance in Virginia, but soon after its culture was suffered to decline, in consequence of the more profitable and increased production of tobacco. It has also been sparingly cultivated in the regions of the middle and northern States for malting and distillation, and has been employed, after being malted, as a subst.i.tute for rice.

Barley, like wheat, has been cultivated in Syria and Egypt for more than 3,000 years, and it was not until after the Romans adopted the use of wheaten bread, that they fed their stock with this grain. It is evidently a native of a warm climate, as it is known to be the most productive in a mild season, and will grow within the tropics at an elevation of 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the level of the sea. It is one of the staple crops of northern and mountainous Europe and Asia. It is the corn that, next to rice, gives the greatest weight of flour per acre, and it may be eaten with no other preparation than that of boiling. It requires little or no dressing when it is sent to the mill, having no husk, and consequently produces no bran. In this country barley is chiefly used for malting and distilling purposes. In the year 1850, 40,745,050 bushels of malt paid duty, the number of maltsters in the United Kingdom being from 8,000 to 9,000. About one and a half million quarters of barley were imported in 1849, and a little over a million quarters in 1850, princ.i.p.ally from Denmark and Prussia. The counties in England where this grain is chiefly cultivated are Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Bedford, Herts, Leicester, and Nottingham. The produce of barley on land well prepared, is from thirty to fifty bushels or more per statute acre, weighing from 45 to 55 lbs. per bushel, according to quality. It is said to contain 65 per cent. of nutritive matter, while wheat contains 78 per cent.

The estimated average produce of barley in this country may be stated as follows:--

Acres. Crop.

England 1,500,000 6,375,000 Ireland 320,000 1,120,000 Scotland 450,000 1,800,000 -------- ----------- 2,270,000 9,295,000

The average produce per acre, in the United Kingdom, is 4 quarters in England, 3 in Ireland, and 4 in Scotland. The prices of barley per quarter have ranged, in England, from 36s. 5d. in 1840, to 27s. 6d. in 1842. In 1847 barley reached 44s. 2d., and gradually declined to 23s.

5d, in 1850.

OATS.

Oats are princ.i.p.ally in demand for horses, and the extraordinary increase of the latter has occasioned a proportional increase in the culture of oats. They are grown more especially in the north and north-eastern counties; in the midland counties their culture is less extensive, but it is prevalent throughout most parts of Wales.

Nearly twice as much oats as wheat is raised in the United Kingdom, but the proportion grown in Scotland is not so large as is supposed.

The following is a fair estimate of the comparative production:--

Acres. Produce.

England 2,500,000 12,500,000 Ireland 2,300,000 11,600,000 Scotland 1,300,000 6,500,000 --------- --------- Total 6,100,000 30,500,000

We import annually about l million quarters from foreign countries and nearly three-fourths of a million quarters from Ireland. The average produce per acre throughout the kingdom is five quarters. The price within the last 10 years has ranged from 28s. 7d. per quarter (the famine year) to 17s. 6d.

The oat, when considered in connection with the artificial gra.s.ses, and the nourishment and improvement it affords to live stock, may be regarded as one of the most important crops produced. Its history is highly interesting, from the circ.u.mstance that in many portions of Europe it is formed into meal, and forms an important aliment for man; one sort, at least, has been cultivated from the days of Pliny, on account of its fitness as an article of diet for the sick. The country of its origin is somewhat uncertain, though the most common variety is said to be indigenous to the Island of Juan Fernandez. Another oat, resembling the cultivated variety, is also found growing wild in California.

This plant was introduced into the North American Colonies soon after their settlement by the English. It was sown by Gosnold on the Elizabeth Islands in 1602; cultivated in Newfoundland in 1622, and in Virginia, by Berkley, prior to 1648.

The oat is a hardy grain, and is suited to climates too hot and too cold either for wheat or rye. Indeed, its flexibility is so great, that it is cultivated with success in Bengal as low as lat.i.tude twenty-five degrees North, but refuses to yield profitable crops as we approach the equator. It flourishes remarkably well, when due regard is paid to the selection of varieties, throughout the inhabited parts of Europe, the northern and central portions of Asia, Australia, Southern and Northern Africa, the cultivated regions of nearly all North America, and a large portion of South America.