VARIETY OF CLIMATE, SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

The United States poffefs in this refpect an advantage over most of the European kingdoms, for they are not only fubject to the gradations from almost extreme heat to extreme cold, but feem capable of fupplying almost all the productions of the earth. Situated in the northern division of that extenfive portion of the globe, between the thirty-first and forty-fixth degrees of northern latitude; the extreme length of their territory is about one thousand two hundred and fifty miles, the breadth about one thousand and forty. The fuperficies are computed to be fix hundred and forty million acres of land and water after deducting the space occupied by the capacious lakes and mighty rivers, which fertilize and accommodate this country, and occupy above a feventh part of its furface, there remain about five hundred and ninety millions of acres of fast land.

In fo very extended a scene as might be naturally expected, the fruits of the earth are many and various we find even in the present half-tried state of the capacities of the different foils and climates, a lift of invaluable productions, fome found by the first discoverers of the country, others introduced by mere accident, and others tranfported from Europe, during the fimple state of agriculture in the last century. In the fouthern latitudes, particularly the States of Georgia, South-Carolina, and North-Carolina, rice, much fuperior to that of Italy or the Levant, is raifed in very great quantities. The comparative value of this grain is twenty-five per cent. in the English markets for the American, more than the Italian or Levant rice and from the ample quantity and goodness of American rice, it appears that little, if any, Mediterranean rice is now imported into England, as it has for fome time been omitted in the general account of prices. The South-Carolina crop alone, of 1789, appears to have been above one hundred thousand tierces, weighing fixty millions of pounds. It is expected that Virginia will add this article to her lift of exports, as it is fuppofed a large body of fwamp in her most eastern counties is capable of producing it; and mountain rice has been raised by way of experiment in the new country near the head of the Ohio.

Tobacco is a staple article of all the Sates, from Georgia as far north as Maryland, including both. Virginia alone, generally exported before the revolution, fifty-five thoufand hogfheads, weighing fifty-five millions of pounds; Maryland thirty thousand hogfheads. The Carolinas and Georgia, which raised but little of this article be

fore the revolution, have, of late years, produced very large quantities and as Virginia and Maryland are turning more of their attention to the cultivation of wheat, Indian corn, flax, and hemp, the Carolinas and Georgia will probably extend the cultivation of this plant, to which their foil and climate are well fuited. The foil of Kentucky and the Cumberland and Tenneffee country seems alfo to be eminently calculated for the culture of this plant.

Indigo, of an excellent quality, is produced by North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia. Of this valuable commodity, one million three hundred thousand pounds weight have been shipped from the city of Charleston alone in one year: but this, and the other two articles before mentioned, are raised in much lefs proportions in North-Carolina than in South-Carolina and Georgia. The uniform of the national troops has been heretofore of blue cloth, as also of the militia in general. Their clergy alfo by their customs wear this colour, and it is generally liked among the most frugal and most expenfive people. These circumstances will no doubt be duly attended to in future laws and regulations, and will operate very favourably for the indigo planters, without any expenfe to the country.

Cotton has been lately adopted as an article of culture in the fouthern States; and as the prices of rice, tobacco, and indigo decline, it must be very beneficial to the owners and purchafers of lands in that part of the Union. This article is raised with ease in Spain, every part of which kingdom lies further north than the Carolinas, and in the fame latitudes as Virginia, Maryland, and the Delaware States. It is alfo raised in that part of Afiatic Turkey which lies between Scanderoon and Smyrna, which are in the latitudes of the three laft States. As the inhabitants increase very rapidly by emigration and the course of nature, it is certain they cannot. procure wool from their own internal refources in fufficient quantities. The owners of cotton plantations may therefore expect a conftant and great demand for this article, as a fubftitute for wool, befides its ordinary ufes for light goods.

Tar, pitch, and turpentine are produced in immenfe quantities in North-Carolina, which State fhips more of thefe articles, particu larly the laft, than all the reft of the Union. Tar and pitch are also produced in the fouthern parts of Jerfey, and more or less in all the States fouthward of that.

Befides thefe, myrtle wax, and those two invaluable timbers, the live oak and red cedar, are peculiar to the Carolinas and Georgia ; and

and they have Indian corn, hemp, flax, boards, ftaves, fhingles, leather, beef, pork, butter, minerals, foffils, and many other articles in common with the middle, or eastern States; alfo fkins, furs, and ginseng from their Indian country.

The wheat country of the United States lies in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennfylvania, New-Jerfey, and New-York, and the westerninoft parts of Connecticut, as alfo the western parts of the two Carolinas, and probably of Georgia, for their own ufe. The character of the American flour is fo well known, that it is unneceffary to say any thing in commendation of it here. Virginia exported before the war eight hundred thousand bushels of wheat; Maryland above half that quantity. The exports of flour from Pennsylvania with the wheat was equivalent to one million two hundred thousand bufhels in 1788, and about two millions of bufhels in 1789, which, however, was a very favourable year. New York exports in flour and wheat equivalent to one million of bufhels. In the wheat States are also produced great quantities of Indian corn or maize. Virginia formerly exported half a million of bushels per ann. Maryland fhips a great deal of this article, and confiderable quantities raifed in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New-Jerfey, New-York, and Connecticut, are exported; as are the wheat and flour of thofe five States, from Philadelphia and New-York, there being little foreign trade from Delaware or Jersey; and the western parts of Connecticut shipping with less expense from the ports on Hudfon's river than those of their own State.

Hemp and flax are raised in very large quantities throughout the United States. And though South-Carolina and Georgia produce less than any other States of these two articles, they are capable of raising immenfe quantities. Georgia, from the advantage she has in the river Savannah, could produce hemp with the greatest profit. Large portions of the new lands of all the States are well fuited ta hemp and flax.

Though fheep are bred in all parts of America, yet the moft populous parts of the middle States, and the eaftern States, which have been long fettled, and particularly the latter, are the places where they thrive beft. In the four eaftern or New-England States, they form one of the greateft objects of the farmer's attention, and one of his furest sources of profit. The demand for wool, which has of late increased exceedingly with the growth of manufactures, will add confiderably to the former handfome profits of beep; and the VOL. III.

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confumption of meat by the manufacturers will render them still more beneficial.

Horned or neat cattle are alfo bred in every part of the United States. In the western counties of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, where they have an extenfive range, and mild winters without fnows of any duration, they run at large, and multiply very faft. In the middle States, cattle require more of the care and atten. tion they ufually receive in Europe, and they are generally good, often very fine. But in the eastern States, whofe principal objects on the land have until lately been pafturage and grazing, cattle are very numerous indeed, and univerfally fine; chcefe is, of course, most abundant in thofe States. No European country can excel the United States in the valuable article of falt provifions. Their exports of this kind are every day increafing; as the raifing of cattle is peculiarly profitable to farmers, the greater part of whom have more land than they can cultivate even with the plough. Barley and oats are the productions of every State, though least cultivated to the fouthward. Virginia, however, is turning her attention to barley, as alfo Maryland, and can raise great quantities.

Mafts, fpars, ftaves, heading, boards, plank, fcantling, and fquare timber, are found in almost all the States: but New-Hampshire, and the adjoining province of Maine, which is connected with Maffachusetts, are the two most plentiful fcenes: the stock there feems almoft inexhaustible. In New-York they abound; and in North-Carolina and Georgia, the pitch-pine plank, and scantling, and oak staves, are excellent, especially in the former. The stock of thefe articles on the Chesapeak and Delaware bays is more exhaufted; but yet there is a great deal on the rivers of both for exportation, besides abundance for home confumption. Confiderable quantities are also brought to the Charleston market, but a large part of them is from the adjacent States of Georgia and North-Carolina. When their internal navigation fhall be improved, SouthCarolina will open new fources of these articles.

lot and pearl afhes, have become very valuable articles to the land-holders and merchants of the United States; but their importance was unknown twenty years ago. A fingle fact will illustrate the wealth that may be acquired by this manufacture. The State of Maffachusetts, which has been fettled twice as long as the other States on a medium, which contains about a fiftieth part of the territory of the United States, which is among the most populous of them, and

Confequently muft have far lefs wood to fpare than many other parts of the Union, has nevertheless shipped two hundred thousand dollars worth of these two articles in a year. New-England and New-York have derived great advantage from their attention to pot and pearl afhes; but it has hitherto been made in very inconfiderable quantities in the States to the fouthward of them: in most of them it has been entirely overlooked. New-Jersey and Delaware have more forests than Maffachusetts; and as there is no part of either of those States that lies twenty-five miles from navigable water, they may venture to expend their wood, and to depend upon coal. In the other fix States, which lie fouth of Hudson's river, the materials for pot afh are immenfe, as alfo in the State of New-York.

A grand dependence of the eastern States is their valuabie fifheries a detail of these is unneceffary. It is fufficient to fay, that with a fmall exception in favour of New-York, the whole great fea fishery of the United States is carried on by New-England; and it is in a variety of ways highly beneficial to their landed and manufacturing interests.

Iron is abundant throughout the Union, excepting New-England and the Delaware State, though the former are not destitute of it, and the latter can draw it as conveniently from the other States on the Delaware river, as if it were in her own bowels. Virginia is the State moft pregnant with minerals and foffils of any in the Union.

Deer skins and a variety of furs are obtained by all the States from the Indian country, either directly or through the medium of their neighbours. Hitherto they have been exported in large quantities; but from the rapid progrefs of American manufactures, that exportation muft diminish.

The article of pork, fo important in navigation and trade, merits particular notice. The plenty of maft or nuts of the oak and beech, in fome places, and of Indian corn every where, occasions it to be very fine and abundant. Two names among them are pre-eminent, Burlington and Connecticut; the first of which is generally given to the pork of Pennsylvania, and the middle and northern parts of Jerfey; the fecond is the quality of all the pork north of Jeriey. It may be fafely affirmed, that they are fully equal to the pork of Ireland and Britany, and much cheaper.

Cider can be produced with eafe in confiderable quantities, from Virginia inclufive, to the moft northern States, as alfo in the weftern