Our oat crop was 406,514 bushels in 1840; 11,059,270 in 1860. The increase from 1850 to 1860 was 7,644,598 bushels; from 1840 to 1860 10,652,756. The ratio of increase in this crop has been exceeded since 1850 in but five States-Minnesota, Kansas, Oregon, California, and Texas. Wisconsin is the fifth oat producing State in the Union.

Our rye crop increased from 1,963, bushels in 1840 to 888,584 in 1860. But six States grow more rye than we do. Barley from 11,062 bushels in 1840 to 678,992 bushels in 1860. But five States grow more barley than ours. We grew but 419,608 bushels potatoes in 1840; 3,848,505 bushels

in 1860.

Our hay crop, which was but 30,938 tons in 1840, was 853,799 tons in 1860. There are but six States in the Union whose hay crop exceeds that of Wisconsin.

The value of our live stock in 1840 was $2,019.000; in 1850, $4,807,385, and in 1860, $17,807,366- -a gain in our live stock, since 1850, of $12,909,981; and since 1840, of $15,788,366.

We grew but 6,777 pounds of wool in 1840; in 1860 we grew 1,011,915 pounds-an increase of over 1,000,000 pounds in twenty years. We had but 3,462 sheep in 1840; 332,454 in 1860. Our sheep growth has increased 207,558 head since 1850, and our wool crop 757,952 pounds.

We made 13,651,053 pounds of butter in 1860-an increase of 10,017,303 pounds since 1850, and over 13,000,000 pounds since 1840. Our butter product is greater than that of the great State of Virginia; 50 per cent greater than that of Massachusetts; and more than double that of New Hampshire.

The entire product of our industrial pursuits in 1840, from our mines, fisheries, and manufacturers, (aside from our agricultural interests,) including the cost of constructing our houses, was, according to the census report of that year, but $1,409,987; in 1860, according to the same authority, it was $28,500,000-a gain of over $27,000,000 in twenty years; an increase by no means discreditable, when we consider that ours is a new State of comparatively limited means, and whose people are mainly devoted to the culture of the soil.

I will speak of the growth of but a few of the interests included under this head, and then pass on.

In 1840 we had but four flouring mills, turning out 900 barrels of flour annually, besides 29 wind and water grist mills, yielding an annual income of but a few thousand dollars only.

In 1860 we had 371 establishments, turning out 2,250,954 barrels of flour, and yielding an annual income of $11,073,586-a gain in the product of this interest, over that of 1850, of $7,537,293, and since 1840 of over $11,000,000.

In 1840 we had but one tannery, with a capital of $2,000, employing three men and turning out 300 sides of leather annually, valued at less than $1,000; in 1850, the product of our tanneries was $181.010; and in 1860 $498,268-a gain since 1850, of $317,258, and since 1840 of $497,268.

The coming season, the product of two alone of the tanneries of our State, owned and carried on by enterprising merchants of this city, fellow members of this Board, will fall very little, if any, short of $600,000, so

that by the close of 1863, the product of this interest will reach very nearly, or quite to, $1,000,000.

In 1840 we had six distilleries and breweries, producing 8,300 gallons whisky and 14,200 gallons beer, valued at $12,000; in 1860 we had 136 distilleries and breweries, producing 4,000,000 gallons beer and 531,000 gallons whisky, (the first instance on record where whisky ever got laid out,) valued at $804,158-an increase in the yield of this interest, since 1840, of over 4,500,000 gallons and of $792,000.

The value of the product of our lumber establishments in 1840 was but $351,000; in 1850, $1,218,516; in 1860, $4,836,159; showing a growth in this very important branch of our industry of $3,617,643 in ten years, and of $4,485,159 in twenty years.

We had but one furnace in the State in 1840, turning out three tons of castings, valued at less than $500. The product of our furnaces in 1850 was $115,214; and in 1860, $377,301-an increase of $263,087 since 1850, and over $375,000 since 1840.

We had no woolen factories as early as 1840; in 1860, we had 16, whose product was $167,600.

Our manufacture of agricultural implements, in 1850, was $187,335; in 1860, $563,855-a gain in our manufacture of agricultural implements, in 10 years, of $376,520.

The manufacture of boots and shoes in our State is not a bootless one by any means. The product of this branch of manufacture, in 1860, was $902,000—a gain over that of 1850 of $612,000, and over that of 1840 of almost $900,000.

The first manufacturing enterprise of note instituted in this section of the country, was in the shape of a saw mill, erected within, what is now, the city limits, in the year 1835, by a Mr. DARLING, better known in the community at that time by the not very euphonious, though perhaps more appropriate, name of " Old Fixings." This mill was located on the Milwaukee River, a short distance above the present dam, and is reported to have done a very flourishing and successful business for the times. To-day, we have no less than nine large flour manufacturing establishments in this city alone, with a capacity for turning out not less than 1,200 barrels of flour daily, valued at over $6,000.

These figures give a very good idea of the growth of the resources of Wisconsin during the past twenty years.

PHOTOTYPES-SOMETHING NEW.

THE style of the engraving which we give of Mr. EDMONDS is a recent discovery, the work being done by the phototypic process. Although it may be true that there is really nothing new under the sun, yet by means of the sun we are continually working out new and wonderful results. Thus we are indebted to its rays for this new style of engraving. A matrix, the reverse of the desired plate, is made, and then copper is deposited upon that matrix in a galvanic battery. The process by which this is done is the invention of LEOPOLD EIDLITZ, the celebrated architect and designer; and there is now on the corner of Bleecker and Mercer Streets an establishment called the American Phototype Company, where engravings of this kind are made. It takes three or four days to furnish an ordinary plate. The company have a room from which the light of day is carefully excluded, and in which a single small jet of gas is burning. Upon a table in this room is a photographic printing frame, a stout wooden frame, with a thick glass in front, and a moveable cover back of it. When the matrix is to be made, the glass is placed towards the table, the negative immedi ately upon that, next comes the matrix plate, and the cover fastened down tight with a brass spring. The frame is now removed from the dark room into the light of the sun, and there left for about ten minutes. It is then returned to the dark room, when the frame is opened, the matrix plate taken out, and the desired picture is found upon it, but otherwise it will be perfectly smooth, and hard to the touch. The next step in the process is to lay this plate in a flat dish containing a colorless fluid for about half an hour. When again examined it is found to be a bas relief. A fluid solution of gold is now poured over it, so as to cover the entire plate. After the lapse of a minute or two this is poured off, and the plate placed in a dark box where it remains for nearly an hour. When taken out, it is covered with a film of bright metal, looking in fact as if it were made of solid gold, which, however, on examination will be found to be illusion, and what was gold before being converted into a thin blue bas relief. The matrix is then hung in a galvanic battery. The next day the plate is taken out of the battery, the glass removed, and the copper shell backed up with type metal, aud then it is ready for the printer.

In the way above described plates are made from engravings, or where they are desired to be made from original designs, negatives are taken from pen and ink sketches. Sometimes the artist sketches his design upon glass plates prepared for the purpose, (as was done in the case of the engraving of Mr. EDMONDS,) the plates being like white porcelain, and can be worked on with a steel point with great facility.

The beauty and excellence of many of the pictures made by this process, which we have seen, is really wonderful. Some of them we should pronounce superior (on account of the soft photographic tint they possess) to the fine steel engravings of which they are copies. The phototype company have, in connection with and as a part of their establishment, an apartment hung all around with these pictures of their own production. They have there heads of every size, from the imperial down to the cartes de visite, all exquisite, the half and middle tints as well preserved as the bolder lights and shadows. There also one sees some fine copies of the choicest engravings, all rendered with the utmost fidelity to the originals.

COMMERCIAL CHRONICLE AND REVIEW.

GOLD MOVEMENT-SPECULATION-COUNTER SPECULATION-RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSACTIONS-NEW YORK BILL-CHANGE IN DEALING-INSECURITY OF PROPERTY-VIEWS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL REVIEW-CURRENCY-FREE USE OF PROPERTY-EVILS OF THE FLUCTUATION-EVASIONS OF THE LAW-BORROWING ON STOCK-GOLD MOVEMENT-DECLINE IN BANK-CLAIMS OF CREDITORSARREARS OF THE TREASURY-DEMAND NOTES - DUTIES ON GOLD-GOVERNMENT SECURITIES-DRPOSITS-INTEREST INCREASED-EXCHANGE-RUINOUS EFFECT ON IMPORTS-CHECK TO EXPORTSGREAT FLUCTUATIONS-IMPORTS AT NEW YORK-EXPORTS.

THE general markets have been greatly influenced during the month by the decline in the value of gold, and the uncertainty which attends the movements of the Secretary of the Treasury. The rapid rise in gold, or what is the same thing, the rapid depreciation of the government paper, elicited counter speculation. Thus in California, where gold continued to be the currency, the paper sold at a discount greater or less, according to the supply. The quotation was 64 cents per dollar. In New York, the paper being the currency, gold fluctuated, and when it reached 172, paper was, in fact, 58 cents to the dollar. This would give a profit of 6 per cent to one who should buy the notes here and send them to San Francisco. But a larger sphere of operations was sought and found by speculators. Large buyers of paper appeared, some it was stated held $1,000,000, anticipating a rise in its value. A great combination of this kind, having the assurance that the departments* would put out no more paper within a given time, could within that time draw a large amount out of the market. They therefore did so. A charge of disloyalty, too, against gold speculators, accompanied by restrictive laws of Congress and our Legislature, (which we notice below,) with prompt sales of considerable amounts of gold for cash, at any price, would break the market. This plan was therefore carried out, and the holders of $15,000,000 “greenbacks" were able to realize a profit of $1,000,000 in a fall from 72 to 52 in gold, or, in other words, a rise of paper from 58 cents to 65 cents per dollar. For instance, at the former rate, 72 per cent, the value of the $15,000,000 would be $8,700,000

The idea that the fall in the price of gold was brought about by government influence, receives confirmation in the following from the Tribune's money article of March 27th:

"It is currently reported that the object of Mr. CHASE's visit to this city had more connection with the decline in gold than in raising money for the war. He is reported to have borrowed ten millions of specie of certain of our banks, repayable from the customs, with which he has broken the back of the gold speculation, and will continue to hammer it until he has forced the premium back to a legitimate point. We give this report as we hear it. Several circumstances of the last ten days are explained by it, if true. We know that such a scheme was proposed to him more than a month ago, through a member of the Committee of Ways and Means, by one of the shrewdest operators in Wall-street."

Upon this the World comments thus:

We do not know how this is, but we do know that gentlemen in Wall-street, reported to be Mr. CHASE's friends, have had other than patriotio motives for wishing a heavy decline in gold. They were large short sellers of that metal. Can it be that it was for them Mr. CHASE has become the great gold bear?"

in gold, but with gold forced down to 52, would give as the value of the paper would reach $9,850,000. By this combination the profit would be $1,150,000 in gold, or $1,740,000 in paper. Of course the reissuing of the paper bought up for the rise, the resumed payments of the government, and the renewed course of the market, would make the rise in gold higher than But then that forseen event only affords an opportunity for a profitable operation in the opposite direction.

ever.

This decline in gold was also assisted by the large sales that were made early in March, accompanied, as we have stated, by the operation of the bill which passed Congress restricting the banks and others from loaning on gold, and taxing such transactions, and a bill introduced into the New York Legislature to the following effect:

"Any and all bauks, insurance companies. trust companies, savings institutions, and other moneyed corporatious shall be and are hereby prohibited from making or continuing any loan or loans in money or otherwise upon gold coin or bullion, or any paper representations of these or either of them, or upon any foreign bill or bills of exchange whatsoever, under the penalty of a forfeiture of their charter or articles of association, as the case may be; and any such loan or loans so made or continued to be made, shall be absolutely void, and no action for the recovery thereof shall lie in or be entertained by any court of justice of this State." Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.

The act of Congress above referred to, changed the mode of doing business in gold, and caused a decline while this change in the mode of dealing was going on. It is seldom that the aid of law has been invoked so directly to aid speculation. But the most mischievous effect of this and similar laws, is to chill public confidence in the security of property and the rights of proprietors. The effects of paper money cannot be legislated away, and are by no means new or untried. The banks, the merchants, and the public comprehend the inevitable results. Indeed, Mr. CHASE himself, in his annual report, 1861, stated them as follows: (Page 18.)

The plan (paper money) is not without its hazards; the risks of a depreciated, depreciating, and finally worthless paper money; the immeasurable evils of dishonest public faith and national bankruptcy. These possible disasters so far outweigh the probable benefits of the plan, that he feels himself constrained to forbear recommending its adoption."

There was no doubt in the mind of any thinking man but that paper would depreciate, and that that depreciation would show itself in the rise of gold as compared with currency, should the paper be adopted as the currency. In California it was not adopted, but gold continues to be used, and paper is quoted at a discount greater or smaller as the supply comes upon the market from the Treasury. But Congress and our Legislature have refused to accept the lessons taught by experience, and are enacting the same laws that failed in the last century, when applied to the same state of affairs. The act above quoted, in its attempts to do an impossibility, takes away the right of the free use of property, and deranges the usual course of business. Thus the soundest and safest business for bankers at all times is to discount bills of exchange, on the facility of converting which depends the whole export business of the country-in fact, the market for every kind of farming produce depends upon the value of the exchange it The above bill, however, seeks to make that paper unavailable. The Federal Government has passed a law which allows the Treasury to take gold on deposit, and issue certificates for it. The above act makes

creates.