SEC. 7. That it shall also be their duty to superintend and enforce all laws of this State, and all laws of the city of New Orleans, for preventing and removing all nuisances whatsoever in or upon the levee of the city, within their respective districts. SEC. 8. That all laws contrary to the provisions of this act, and all laws on the same subject matter, except what is contained in the Civil Code and Code of Practice, be repealed. CUBAN COMMERCIAL DECREES. The following decrees of the Governor Captain-General, as Chief of the Treasury of the Island of Cuba-the first exempting vessels taking mineral coal to that island from the payment of certain port dues, and the second in favor of vessels leaving ports of Cuba completely laden with molasses-were communicated to the Department of State by William H. Robertson, Esq., acting United States Consul at Havana, and are published in the Merchants' Magazine for the information of those whom they may concern :-- NUMBER I. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CAPTAIN-GENERAL AND SUPERINTENDENT OF THE EXCHEQUER OF THE EVER FAITHFUL ISLAND of Cuba. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY. Having examined these documents, the object of which is to declare, if in accordance with the royal order of 24th December, 1853, and subsequent one of 16th November, 1854, the time granted by her majesty for the exemption from payment of duties to vessels that import coal into the island ; Having seen the reports of the Administration-General of Maritime Revenue, and of the Contaduria, the opinion of the Crown Attorney, the statements of the Intendency, and the consultation of the General Legal Adviser, I have resolved: 1. That the exemptions extended to vessels bringing mineral coal continue on⚫ the terms prescribed in the royal order of the 24th December, 1853, and the explanatory one of the 16th November, 1854; and 2. That this measure remain in force until her majesty, having before her the documents, shall communicate to this Superintendency her sovereign will on the subject. Lay the subject before her majesty's government; communicate what may be convenient to the General Intendency, and let due notice be taken by the Superior Tribunal of Accounts for this territory; publishing the same in the Official Gazette for general information. Signed, JOSE DE LA CONCHA. HAVANA, 18th November, 1855. NUMBER II. 1. That in the exemption from duties within the effects of the royal dispositions, (2d of May, 1846, 8th and 17th of August, 1854,) are included all vessels leaving the ports of this island completely laden with molasses. 2. That by completely laden with molasses is to be understood vessels that have filled their gravity, sinking to the navigation line, though they may not have occupied all their capacity. 3. That the fact is to be made evident by the certificate of a competent person, vised by the respective captain of the port, stating if the vessel is, by her construction, capable of receiving more cargo or not. 4. That the Administration of the Revenue shall be sure that the vessel has on board nothing but molasses. 5. That vessels not complying with the above requirements be considered as deprived of the privileges in question. Signed, HAVANA, 18th November, 1855. JOSE DE LA CONCHA. STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE, &c. AGRICULTURAL FAIRS AT PARIS. M. Rouher, the French Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works, has issued a decree, providing for the holding of two annual exhibitions of domestic animals, agricultural products, and machines, tools, and utensils, used in the cultivation of the earth. The exhibitions will be held at Paris in the months of May and June, 1856 and 1857, and will be open alike to natives and to foreigners, on equal terms. Liberal prizes in money, and medals, in gold, silver, and bronze, will be awarded to successful competitors, the sum of more than 150,000 francs having been appropriated to the payment of cash premiums alone, in each year. For animals the prizes range from 1,000 francs and a gold medal, for the best short-horn Durham bull, down to 25 francs for the fourth best pair of geese or ducks; and for machines, &c., from a gold medal and 500 francs for the best reaping or mowing machine, to 75 francs and a bronze medal for some of the less important agricultural instruments. The following is a list of the principal premiums offered in this latter department : For the best plow, for all kinds of work.. .francs 150 125 100 Best plow for heavy and tenacious soils. 100 Best harrow..... 125 Best seed sower for eowing broadcast, wheat, rye, &c., and as far as possible spreading the manure with the seed. 205 Best seed sower for beets, carrots, turnips, &c. 125 Best collection of farming tools 125 Best reaping machine 500 .... Best mowing machine... 400 Best steam-engine, of not more than six-horse power, capable of being 500 Best power threshing machine (for large farms) 250 Best power threshing-machine, (for small estates,) not requiring more Best balance for weighing animals, fodder, &c., (for small estates). Best machine for making draining tiles Best collection of draining tools.... Five medals of gold, ten of silver, and others of bronze will accompany the prizes for instruments. A sum of 1,000 francs and silver medals will also be dis tributed to the foremen and workmen employed in the manufacture of prize instruments. Articles intended for the exposition will be conveyed to Paris from the French frontier at the expense of the government. The first exhibition will continue from the 23d of May to the 7th of June, 1856. Written notice of intention to send any article to the exhibition must be given at least six weeks before the opening. In foreign countries this notice may be given to a French minister or consul, and should set forth: 1, the name and use of the instrument, the space it will occupy, and the price of sale or manufacture; 2, the name and residence of the exhibitor; 3, whether he has invented or improved the same, or has constructed it upon principles before known; 4, if possible, the name of the workman who made it should be given. If a power of attorney is given by the owner to another, for the purposes of the exhibition, it must be verified by a French minister or consul. AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. Agricultural resources of the Golden State are rapidly being developed. These show that gold is not the only valuable product. The figures are derived from the Assessors' returns for twenty-eight counties. This leaves out thirteen counties not yet heard from. One of the omitted counties is the most thickly populated in California. CEREALS. The twenty-eight countics heard from show a total yield for 1855 of wheat, 2,554,726 bushels; of barley, 3,343,453 bushels; and of oats, 1,028,357 bushels. Whole number of acres reported under cultivation, 484,498. Yolo is the banner county for wheat and barley, the product being of wheat, 600,000 bushels; barley, 800,000 bushels. Alameda County produced 481,840 bushels oats. LIVE STOCK. Cattle, 436,871; horses, 78,651; sheep, 128,315; hogs, 193,685; mules, 14,194. The greatest number of animals are set down for Los Angeles County, namely, cattle, 106,159; horses, 19,840; sheep, 28,538. FRUIT. Partial returns from twenty-nine counties give 220,611 grape vines; 191,210 peach trees; 91,817 apple trees; 11,873 pear trees; and 63,091 of other fruit trees. In Alameda County we find reported 55,480 grape vines; 89,449 peach trees; 49,670 apple trees; and 29,203 of other fruit trees. Napa County reports 57,500 grape vines; 66,962 peach trees; and 16,062 apple trees. The principal vine-growing counties are Napa, Alameda, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Mendocino, Yuba, Butte, and San Joaquin. Los Angeles County produced 44,004 cwt. of grapes; Sonoma and Mendocino, 50 tons; San Bernardino, 202,800 pounds; and Butte, 12 tons. Peach trees are found in great abundance in the counties of Alameda, 89,449 ; Napa, 66,962; Sacramento, 27,102; Shasta, 3,247; and San Joaquin, 3,000. Apple trees are mainly confined to the counties of Alameda, 49,670; Napa, 15,405; Sacramento, 15,505; and Santa Cruz, 3,000. According to the San Francisco Herald of January 5, 1856, to which we are indebted for most of the above statistics, the shipments during four months ending October 31, from the southern counties at the port of San Pedro, alone amounted to 31,095 boxes grapes, value. $155,475; 1,036 boxes other fruit, value, $8,288; 330,000 pounds salt, value, $5,775; 139,316 pounds beans, value, $6,966; 38,006 pounds wool, value, $4,750; 158 tons other produce, value, $21,000. Aggregate, 2,395 tons of merchandise, value, $202,254. In twenty-one counties there are 70 flouring-mills, having 115 run of stone. In twenty counties there are 251 saw-mills. In the counties of Amador, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sonoma and Mendocino, and Yuba, the saw-mills are estimated to be able to turn out 123,544,000 feet of lumber during the year. COMMERCIAL VALUE OF THE HAY CROP OF THE UNITED STATES. Among all the statistics with reference to the agricultural products of the United States, which have been given to the public, those setting forth the quantity of grass yearly cut and put into market, have been entirely overlooked. In attending to this omission, Governor Wright, of Indiana, says that our grass crop is not properly appreciated. "No crop," he says, "approaches so nearly a spontaneous yield, and none affords so large a profit." The hay crop of the United States in 1850 he estimates at 13,000,000 tons; that for 1855 he estimates at 15,000,000 tons, which is worth $150,000,000; while the whole cotton crop is valued at only $128,000,000. Of this crop more than half is produced by the four States, New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The grass crop, which is used for pasturage, is at least as valuable; so that single herb is worth annually over $300,000,000. In Pennsylvania the grass crop is set down in the census of 1850 as reaching in quantity 1,842,970 tons, which, at $20 per ton, would amount to $36,859,400. Of this quantity Berks County produced 33,257 tons; Butler, 95,842 tons; Chester, 96,315 tons; Crawford, 70,784 tons; Lancaster, 96,134 tons; Montgomery, 98,701 tons; York, 50,760 tons, and the balance is distributed in unequal quantities among the other counties of the State. Philadelphia County produced 28,288 tons, which is a large yield, considering the area devoted to the raising of this product. But small as this amount may seem to be, its value is not inconsiderable. When computed at $20 per ton, the grass crop of this county in 1850 reached in value $565,760. Without the figures it would not be supposed that the grass crop in one State is more valuable than that of wheat; yet such is the fact. In 1850 there was produced in all the counties of Pennsylvania 15,367,691 bushels of wheat. At $2 per bushel, which is a liberal allowance, this would amount to $30,735,332, leaving a balance of more than $6,000,000 in favor of the grass crop. This fact is worthy of attention. PHILADELPHIA CATTLE MARKET. The following tabular statement presents the number of cattle received in Philadelphia during each of the last eleven years, with the exception of the large number brought in by butchers, of which no account can be obtained :— AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF SCOTLAND. The Scottish agricultural statistics for the year 1855, voluntarily rendered and collected, for the second year, by the intelligent and public-spirited farmers of Scotland, show the following ascertained results, as contrasted with the estimates of M'Culloch and other writers : The potato crop in 1855 yielded 732,141 tons, against 529,915 tons in 1854. If the whole produce of the two last harvests in Scotland be reduced into tons weight, and potatoes be included, the result is found to be that there is very little difference between the two; the year 1854 having yielded 1,532,004 tons of food for man and beast, and the year 1855, 1,592,604 tons. NEW MEXICAN SUGAR. It is said that almost all grains and vegetables which grow in the clear dry climate of Mexico are remarkable for their extraordinary sweetness. The common corn-stalk abounds in saccharine matter to such an extent as to furnish the native population with molasses, which, although hardly as good as the inferior molasses of Louisiana, might doubtless be much improved by a more perfect mode of manufacture than that adopted by the Mexican population. The molasses is purchased there by those who do not supply their own wants at a rate of $1 50 per gallon. The beet of New Mexico contains so unusual a quantity of saccharine matter, that the manufacture of beet-sugar is said to offer strong inducements to gentlemen of enterprise and capital to embark in the business. The only sugar which is brought to Santa Fe now, is transported from the Valley of the Mississippi across a desert of nearly 900 miles in extent, and the cost of transportation increases its price about ten cents a pound, so that the most inferior kinds range from nineteen to twenty-five cents in value. PRODUCTION OF GRAIN IN ILLINOIS IN 1855. The Chicago Press says:— Upon the subject of the crop of 1855, we are in possession of direct information from some of the most intelligent men of the State, and from nearly every county in it, on which we venture the following estimate : This estimate we believe to be under rather than over the actual result. If any objection is urged against it, it will doubless be with respect to the corn crop, the figures for which are truly startling to those who have not duly considered the subject. An observation extended over a large portion of the State last summer, together with a large mass of information obtained from others, warrants us in saying that the breadth devoted to corn last year was about four times as great as that of all other grains. |