No mining in the world has ever been equal to mining in a fertile soil, and no treasury is so reliable as a granary of surplus products.

Indian corn and meal generally find a market in the West Indies, Newfoundland, Spain, and Portugal.  It commands a good price, and finds a ready sale in the ports which are open to its reception.

Deducting one-sixteenth for the amount exported, and one-tenth for seed, the quantity of maize annually consumed for food in the United States by a family of five persons is 85 bushels.

Maize may be considered as the great staple of the agricultural products of the States.  It is exported in large quantities, in a raw state, or when manufactured into meal.  Before it is manufactured into meal it is dried by a fire, in a kiln prepared for that purpose.  By this process the meal is much less liable to become sour on the voyage, and can be preserved much longer in a warm climate.  No inconsiderable quantities have likewise been consumed in distillation; and the article of kiln-dried meal for exportation is destined to be of no small account to the corn-growing sections of that country.

The improvement continually making in the quality of the seed augurs well for the productiveness of this indigenous crop, as it has been found that new varieties are susceptible of being used to great advantage.

The following was the produce of the different States in the years named, as given in the Official Census Returns:—­

-----------------+-------------+-------------+---------

----+-------------
|   1840      |   1841      |   1843      |   1850
|  Bushels.   |  Bushels.   |  Bushels.   |  Bushels.
-----------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

-------------
Maine            |     950,528 |     988,549 |   1,390,799 |
New Hampshire    |   1,162,572 |     191,275 |     330,925 |
Massachusetts    |   1,809,192 |   1,905,273 |   2,347,451 |
Rhode Island     |     450,498 |     471,022 |     578,720 |
Connecticut      |   1,500,441 |   1,521,191 |   1,926,458 |
Vermont          |   1,119,678 |   1,167,219 |   1,252,853 |
New York         |  10,972,286 |  11,441,256 |  15,574,590 |
New Jersey       |   4,361,975 |   5,134,366 |   5,805,121 |
Pennsylvania     |  14,240,022 |  14,969,472 |  15,857,431 |
Delaware         |   2,099,359 |   2,164,507 |   2,739,982 |
Maryland         |   8,233,086 |   6,998,124 |   6,205,282 |
Virginia         |  34,577,591 |  33,987,255 |  45,836,788 |
N. Carolina      |  23,893,763 |  24,116,253 |  27,916,077 |
S. Carolina      |  14,722,805 |  14,987,474 |  18,190,913 |
Georgia          |  20,905,122 |  21,749,227 |  26,960,687 |
Alabama          |  20,947,004 |  21,594,354 |  24,817,089 |
Mississippi      |  13,161,237 |   5,985,724 |   9,386,399 |
Louisiana        |   5,952,912 |   6,224,147 |   8,957,392 |
Tennessee        |  44,986,188 |  46,285,359 |  67,838,477 |  52,000,000
Kentucky         |  39,847,120 |  40,787,120 |  59,355,156 |  58,000,000