Physical Geography of the United States of America, as affecting Agriculture.
WITH SUGGESTIONS TO EUROPEAN EMIGRATION, AND HOW LARGELY TO INCREASE THE COTTON PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD, &c., &c.
I am one of the Commissioners appointed by President Fillmore, on behalf of the Louisville National Commercial Convention, to visit the Russian Fairs at St. Petersburg and Novgorod, and to represent that body before the chief mercantile cities of Europe, in showing the great inducements now offered in the South and West to immigration and capital.
I have also been honored with a like commission by the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Memphis, Tennessee: and but for the unfortunate war now agitating the Continent, it was my purpose to have visited Northern Europe, and to have aided, in my feeble way, towards directing attention to such portions of America as are most desirable to European emigration. I propose to speak of my country—the United States—mainly in reference to agriculture, and incidentally as to the precious metals. The matter submitted is designed to instruct emigrants where to go, and to give in general terms the features of that part of the United States which is eligible, as regards climate, temperature, and productions.
Western Half of the United States.
Except a narrow slip of California and Oregon, on the Pacific coast, the western half of the United States is a desert, and the whole country west of the ninety-eighth parallel of west longitude is comparatively worthless for agriculture, so far as value should be attached to it by those who take into consideration the constant expense and trouble of irrigation. I do not say there are no oases in this great desert. Saharah has its kingdom of Fez, and the great American Desert has its Utah of Mormon notoriety. Colorado
