Imports, No. 2. Specie and Bullion in the United States. The New York Journal of Commerce gives a table showing the amount of specie and bullion imported into the United States, (through the Custom House,) and exported from the United States, 1821 to 1846, inclusive; the sum total being as follows: Balance, $59,458,826 "The returns (says the Journal) for the year ending June 30, 1847, are not yet made up, but it is known that the imports of specie were very heavy, and the exports very light. There must have been a considerable exportation of coin from New Orleans for the use of our army in Mexico. From the returns at New York, Boston and New Orleans, and other datas, we should judge that from the 30th June, 1846, to the 1st of the present month, the imports of specie into the United States, through the Custom House, were at least twenty millions over and above the exports. Since the first inst., and for a short time previous, the current has been running the other way, though not very strongly. $221,684,605 $162,425,779 AMOUNT OF SPECIE IN THE COUNTRY. It has been estimated that the amount of specie in the country on the 30th September, 1820, was Imported since, to June 30, '46, as above. $20,000,900 241,634,578 $241,684,578 162,425,779 Deduct exported to same date, as above Leaving on hand 30th of June, 1846 $79,258,799 Leaving on hand 1st instant $99,558,799 Or say in round numbers, $100,000,000. That the amount exceeds this, rather than falls below it, we fully believe. For if large numbers are constantly melted up for plate and jewelry, so on the other hand a vast aggregate is imported by emigrants, which does not pass through the Custom House, and of course is not included in the returns. The amount so imported is believed to exceed $5,000,000 per annum on an average of the last ten years; and this year, owing to the vast imcrease of emigration, and the further fact that a larger portion of the emigrants than usual possess some property, we estimate the amount of specie which they bring at $10,000,00. This would be about $40 each, on an average. The amount of specie in the country on the 30th of September, 1841, according to a calculation made by the then Register of the Treasury, was $63,503,898. The increase since is $40,000,000 or upwards. The following shows the amount of Gold and Silver Coinage of the United States Mints: Charlotte, N. C. Dahlonega, Ga. N. Orleans. Philadelphia. Total. 1793 to 1837 72,085,530 72,085,530 1838" 1841 507,025 517,990 1,850 693 10,429,664 72,085,530 1842 184,508 309,647 1,295,750 2,426,351 4,190,764 272,064 670,000 4,568,000 6,530,043 11,940,187 146,210 488,600 4,208,500 2,843,457 7,687,767 501,795 1,750,000 3,416,800 5,667,595 76,665 449,727 2,483,800 3,623,443 6,633,965 1843 1844 1845 1846 Total, 1,177,772 2,057,839 16,165,743 101,355,288 120,931,170 No. 3. The Manufacture of Flour at St. Louis. The following table will show what St. Louis is doing in the business of Flour Manufacturing. We have made up our table from the facts obtained from the several establishments. The amonnt was not, perhaps, in any case, given with perfect accuracy, but were nevertheless designed to approximate as near to the truth as practicable without a minute investigation into the Books of the several concerns. The commendable enterprise, and good judgement of the St. Louis Millers have established a reputation for the flour manufactured here which gives it an advantage of from 10 to 15 per cent. over the brands of any other part of the Mississippi Valley. The number of Mills and the enterprise of their owners not only ereate competition, but are calculated to give a steadiness to the wheat market, which could not exist were the producers entirely dependent upon those who are purchasers for foreign markets. If there existed competition here from the like cause for all our great staples it would place the prosperity of the West upon a more permanent basis, and thus protect the producers from the revulsions which frequently occur in prices. A Table showing the number of Mills-Number and size of Stones, and quantity of Flour produced in St. Louis, in the yenr 1847. Name of Mill. No. of Run of Stone. Size of Stone. No. of bls. of Flour. 8 3 66 4 1-2" 3 (6 3 (C Star Mill, Park Mill, Brick Mill, Washington Mill, Franklin Mill, Phoenix Mill, Nonantum Mill, Centre Mill, Chouteau's Mill, Paragon Mill, Mound Mill, Total number of barrels of Flour, 5 5 4 ft 9 in. 46" 4" 6." 4 " 3" 4" 4" 6" 5" 70,000 30,000 26,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 20,000 24,00 16,000 30,000 30,000 16,000 11,000 6,000 14,000 365,000 There are now being built two other mills in the city calculated for two run of stone each. We give the above facts as we get them from either the owners or agents, on the premises, and doubt not that the information approximates sufficiently near to the truth for all the purposes designed by our table. No. 4. Number of Steamboat arrivals each month at St. Louis,-Amount of Tonnage,-Also, the number of Keels and Flats. In order to give some idea, of the number of Steamboat arrivals and amount of tonnage, at different seasons of the year at the port of St. Louis, we give the following table, showing the number of arrivals each month, which will enable our readers to form an opinion as to what period of the year the heaviest portion of the commerce of St. Louis is carried on. No. 5. No. of S 2412 577.824 881 The month of December of course is not included in 1847. Keels Tonnage. & Flats. 64 12.32 27 67 19.550 24 231 48.804 81 119 181.536 192 245 56.537 30 351 75.085 26 238 42.408 74 242 41.229] 20 341 56.038 35 297 46.731 60 2995 558.186 558 To Prevent Wood Decaying. Take 12 ounces of rosin, and eight ounces of brimstone, each coarsely powdered, and three gallons of train oil.-Heat them slowly, gradually adding four ounces of Bees. wax, cut in small bits. Frequently stir the liquor, which as soon as the solid ingredients are dissolved, will be fit for use. What remains unused will become hard on cooling, and may be remelted on subsequent occasions. When it is fit for use, add as much Spanish brown, or red or yellow ochre, or any color you want, first ground fine in some of the oil, as will give the shade you want; then lay it on as hot and thick as you can with a brush; some days after the first coat is dried, give it a second. It will preserve plank for ages, and keep the weather from driving through brick work. Common white paint may be used on top of it, if required, for the sake of appearance. Two coats should always be given, and in compound machinery the separate parts should be varnished before they are put together, after which it will be prudent to give a third coating to the joints or to any other part which is peculiarly exposed to moisture, such as water- shoots, flood-gates, the beds of carts, the tops of posts, and all the timber which is near or within the ground. Each coat should be dry before the parts are joined, or the last coat applied. The composition should be applied when the wood is perfectly dry. It is necessary that compositions made of hot oil, should for the sake of security, be heated in metalic vessels, in the open air; for when the oil is brought to a boiling point, or Farenheit, the vapor catches fire, and though a lower temperature should be used in this process, it is not always possible to regulate the heat or to prevent the overflowing of the materials, in either of which cases, were the melting performed in a house, fatal accidents might happen.-Archives of Useful Knowledge. No. 6. Agricultural Chemistry. Agricultural Chemistry teaches us that there are essential ingredients in soils, which it is of the highest importance we should understand. It is incontrovertible that the salts existing in soils constitute but a very small portion of the whole mass of the soil-that they are not to be deemed accidental, but entirely indispensable to plants, which according to their respective nature admit one or another into their circulation, and perishing for want of the appropriate salt. By salts we must understand all those substances which consist of a base united with an acid. The principal bases are Potassa, Soda, |
