Report of the Commissioner of Patents, for the Year 1850 - Part II: Agriculture

In 1849, Secretary of the Treasury, Robert J. Walker successfully lobbied for the creation of the Department of the Interior.  The Patent Office was moved from the Department of State to the newly formed Department of the Interior that same year. A year later, the Commissioner of Patents, Thomas Ewbank wrote a circular which was distributed to farmers around the United States and which requested that they write back with details about the agricultural activities that were taking place in their counties.  One of the specific crops upon which information was requested was hemp.  The responses to this circular were collected and published in Part II of a report to the House of Representatives called the “Report of the Commissioner of Patents, for the Year 1850” which was published in 1851.  Below, I have collected the hemp-related excerpts from all of the responses to that circular in order to start to build a picture of what was happening with hemp cultivation in the United States in 1850.

St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri

(note: St. Louis subsequently separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city.)

Hemp.

Receipts of hemp during the past year greatly exceed those of any year since 1847, when they reached over 72,222 bales; a circumstance, however, measurably owing to the non-reception during the preceding year of the crop due, the receipts of 1846 having been less than 34,000 bales. The market throughout 1849 was marked by more firmness than during the past year, and the rates were higher, having ranged between $1.20 and $1.26, varying a little, from January to December. At the close of 1849, the stock in store was 893 bales. The stock in store and on sale at the close of 1850 is about 2,000 bales. The market during January was inactive at the figures of the previous year, and declined in February to $90 to $105 per ton. The ruling rates for the balance of the year were $80 to $95.

(note: Here are the conversions from the dollar amounts above to inflation adjusted 2021 dollars:
$1.20 -> $43
$1.26 -> 45
$90 -> $3,191
$105 -> $3,723
$80 -> $2,836
$95 -> $3,368)

Total: 60,862
Receipts of 1849: 46,290
Increase of 1850 over 1849: 14,672

Receipts at this port for the principal articles of Produce for the last two years.

Hemp, bales:

1849 – 45,227

1850 – 60,862

(note: another report in the book lists the total imports of hemp in St. Louis for the year 1850 at 63,835 bales.)

Great Crossings, Scott County, Kentucky

“Hemp is next to corn in this part of Kentucky, as a crop; its culture is on the increase. It is a crop that requires good cultivation in order to obtain a good yield. The soil must be well pulverized by ploughing and harrowing before sowing the seed. Average yield, about 6cwt. per acre. Cost of production, about 3 ½ cents per pound. ” – Y.R. Pitts, December 26th, 1850

(note: 3.5 cents is about $1.40 in inflation-adjusted 2021 dollars)

Quality, Washington County, Oregon

“Hemp: Previous to the discovery of California gold, hemp was experimented upon by my neighbors who were acquainted with its culture in the western States; and they reported the growth to be better and of a firmer texture than any produced where they were acquainted. It has not been cultivated since.“ – William Geiger, Jr.

Floral Retreat (near Columbia), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

“Hemp.– Twenty years since, almost every farmer had his hemp patch, of one-fourth or one-half an acre; now there is none cultivated. The low price of cotton fabrics has superseded this article.” – J.B. Garber

Bloomfield, Somerset County, Maine

“Hemp. – This article has been tried, but did not succeed very well. Rather exhausting as a crop. It may come up again when we get railroads and have less lumber.” – Eusebius Weston, December 5th, 1850

Meadville, Franklin County, Mississippi

“We raise no tobacco or hemp.” – D.C. Graham, December 25th, 1850

Sweet Home, Bond County, Illinois

“Hemp and tobacco can be raised to any extent here, but are not.” – Samuel Colcord, January 1, 1851

Chestnut Grove, Chester District, South Carolina

“Sugar-cane, rice, tobacco, hemp, are not cultivated here.” – Wilmot S. Gibbs, December 16th, 1850

Quincy, Adams County, Illinois

“Little disposition exists to introduce new crops, such as flax, hemp, barley, hops, &c., though it is believed many may be grown to advantage.” – John C. Cox

Bloomfield, Somerset County, Maine

“Hemp. – This article has been tried, but did not succeed very well. Rather exhausting as a crop.  It may come up again when we get railroads and have less lumber.” – Eusebius Weston, December 5th, 1850

Sutton, Worcester County, Massachusetts

“Hemp is not cultivated, nor has it been for the last 25 years.” – Harvey Dodge, February 7th, 1851

Portland, Cumberland County, Maine

“Hemp is not cultivated in this county, nor so far as I am aware, in the State.” – S.B. Beckett, January, 16th, 1851

Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan

“Hemp. – Not raised.” – WM. L. Booth, December, 1850

Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan

“Cotton, sugar-cane, rice, tobacco, hemp, and darkies do not thrive well in this climate.” – William S. Maynard, November 25th, 1850

Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa

“Cotton, sugar-cane, rice, hemp, none raised.” – Edward Johnstone, December 17th, 1850

Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut

“Hemp not cultivated here.” J.L. Hendrick, December, 1850

Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio

“Hemp.– This article receives so little attention in this county, that I know nothing definite concerning it.” – Henry Miller, Jun., January, 1850

Springfield, Clark County, Ohio

“Cotton, Sugar-cane, Rice, Hemp, Tobacco, and Roots. – Some  of these are not raised at all – others very little.” – J. Hendershott, P.M., December 28th, 1850

Misc.

The Study of Soils

“[…] Unless one has a large supply of cheap manure at hand, it is doubtless sound policy to grow green crops, with a view to form a rich mould for the production of grain, cotton, hemp, tobacco, or sugar cane.” – Daniel Lee, M.D.

United States

The value of some of the principal articles of agriculture and manufactures exported, we compare with the exports of 1849:

Hemp:

1848 – N/A

1849 –$8,458 (about $299,877 in inflation-adjusted 2021 dollars)

Townsend, Huron County, Ohio

Urtica Whitlowi. – Substitute for Hemp.

Sir: - In looking over the Patent Office Report for 1847, I find, on page 168, under the article Hemp, an extract from Niles's, Register, vol. 3, page 188, referring to the plant Urtica Whitlowi, discovered by Charles Whitlow, of New York. The plant alluded to underwent, at the time of its discovery, a very critical examination as to it~ merits and adaptation to the purposes of hemp and flax, by the persons or committees appointed for the purpose, and whose investigations were in, accordance with the remarks contained in the Register.

Now, perhaps, some light may be thrown on this subject. I was well acquainted with Mr. Whitlow, and have seen the plant, together with a piece of the cloth manufactured from it, which was remarkable for its white and silk-like appearance, and also for its uncommon strength. Mr. Whitlow informed me, that General Macon, then a Representative in Congress, remarked that "the discovery was worth the whole contents of the Patent Office;" but this of course will go for just what it is worth.

The reason why no further experiments were made to test its utility was this: Mr. Whitlow was making preparations to fallow for following it up on an extensive scale, but unfortunately death put an end to any attempt on his part to bring about the anticipated result. The fact that Mr. W. was a foreigner, (a Scotchman by birth,) and that he had but few friends in this country, and none who felt an interest in the speculation, will account for the abandonment of the enterprise.

But I think a knowledge of the plant may be reclaimed, if it has been lost, which seems to be intimated in the Report. I will attempt to give a description of it; but it is merely from recollection, and may be erroneous. The plants have radical stems, or rather they may be said to be all radical, as there are many springing directly from the root. Smooth or glabrous, or dark purplish red, or dark mahogany color, the leaf lanceolate, serrate, acuminate, sessile; but I am not certain, nor am I botanist enough to determine whether it is necessary that a plant should be pubescent or hirsute in order to constitute it a species of urtica. Be this as it may, I think I should recognise the plant if I should see it again. Mr. Whitlow informed me that he discovered it a few miles from the city of New York, on some of the moist grounds so common on the island. I have troubled you with these remarks more for the purpose of eliciting further research than with any other design. Should I visit New York the present year, l intend to make inquiries in order to discover what was thought to be of such immense value. Should I succeed, information will be duly communicated. I will add that if you should think it necessary to ask any questions relative to the above facts, or that will throw any more light upon the subject, as far as I am able, they will be given with the greatest pleasure.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,
BENJAMIN BENSON.

Remarks. – A space is given to the above as a matter of some interest to the public.

The family of plants to which the Urtica Yucca referred to belongs, flourishes principally in the Southern States, where it has attracted some attention from its textile properties. Its fibre, however, is not so strong as that of hemp. -ED.

January 30th, 1850