THE 



SOUTHERN 




Devoted to. Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Household Arts. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. 
— Xenophon. 



Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of 
the State. — Sully. 



FRANK. G. RUFFIN, Editor. 



F. G. RUFFIN & N. AUGUST, Prop'rs. 



Vol. XVI. 



RICHMOND, JUNE, 1856. 



No. 6. 



I Communications to the Virginia State Agri- 
cultural Society. 
ESSAY ON IRRIGATION. 

BY "WELLINGTON GORDON, OP LOUISA. 

\A premium of Fifty Dollars.] 
Our agriculture has arrived to the insurpassable 
I state of imperfection of applying its best soil to 
' the removal of the worst farther from market. 

Arator. 

Nothing has yet been done to wipe from 
our agriculture the reproach of Arator. 

The alluvial treasure, annually washed 

1 from our forests and badly cultivated soils, 

'and floated down our rivers, continues to 

' serve no other purpose but to obstruct our 

navigation and poison our atmosphere. Not 

one scientific effort has been made to arrest 

it, in its progress to tide-water, and none to 

appropriate it below. 

Of the amount of agricultural wealth, 
thus neglected, no accurate estimate can be 
ijmade ;* but if the intelligent people of Vir- 
ginia would understand and practice Irriga- 
tion, as, for centuries, it has been under- 
: stood and practiced by the ignorant peasants 
'of China, Egypt, and of Lombardy, they 
would discover floating through their lands 
a treasure more valuable than the Chinchae 
Islands, and requiring only a skilful use of 
i the shovel and the spade, to be distributed 

* The Mississippi has been estimated to deposit 
|i eight millions of solid feet per hour. Estimating 
'itbe deposits of all the rivers of Virginia to be one 
hundredth part of that of the Mississippi, and 
phat six inches of this deposit is equivalent to a 
Icoat of stable manure, the annual loss will be 
gfound to exceed 30,000 acres of fertilizing ma- 
terial. 






over their hungry and thirsty soils. They 
would also learn where Providence with- 
holds from them the early and the latter 
rains, that there are summer showers in the 
running brooks. 

In dry and arid countries, Irrigation has 
been coeval with the cultivation of the soil. 
Famine, to whom more than to science, ag- 
riculture is indebted for its discoveries, has 
been its schoolmaster there. It is not a ne- 
cessity in Virginia, and is therefore sup- 
posed io be unsuited to our climate. It is 
also believed to require a skill that we do 
not possess, and an amount of labour, which 
we cannot spare. The purpose of this pa- 
per, in part, is to point out the fallacy of the 
two last named objections. That of climate 
might be disposed of, in a more summary 
manner, but in its consideration an oppor- 
tunity is presented of portraying the mar- 
vellous results of irrigation, wherever prac- 
ticed, and some tediousness will therefore 
be bestowed upon it. Premising that, in 
climate and soil, Lombardy, and especially 
Venetian Lombardy, very nearly resemble 
Eastern Virginia, the following extract from 
the reports of the British Board of agricul- 
ture is worthy of attention. 

" The waters of the chief rivers of the north 
of Italy, such as the Po, the Adige, Jhe Tagli- 
mento and of all the minor streams, are employed 
in irrigation. There is no other country which 
possesses an extent of rich water meadows equal 
to that of the Lombards. The entire country 
from Venice to Turin, may be said to be formed 
into one great water meadow, yet the irrigating 
system is not confined to grass lands ; the water 
is conveyed into the hollows between the ridges 
in corn lands, into the low lands where rice is 
cultivated, and around the roots of the vines. 
From Italy the practice extended into the South 



162 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



of France, into Spain and then into Britain. In 
the States of Lombardy the waters of all the 
rivers belong to the State; in that of Venice the 
government extends its claims to that of the 
smallest springs and even to collection of rain 
water, so highly, for the use of the cultivator, is 
water of every kind valued in the north of Italy. 
It is necessary therefore in Lombardy, to pur- 
chase from the State the water taken from the 
river. This may be taken ljy means, of a canal 
through any person's grounds, the government 
merely requiring the payment of the value of the 
land to the proprietor, and restraining him from 
carrying his channel through a garden, or within 
a certain distance from the mansion. The water 
is sold by the Government at a certain rate, which 
is regulated by the size of the sluice and the time 
of the run of water — this is either by the hour, 
half hour, o? quarter, or by so many days at cer- 
tain periods of the year. The right to these runs 
of water is regularly sold like other property. 
Arthur Young gives an account of the sale of an 
hour's run through a sluice near Turin which 
produced, in 1778, 1500 livres. 

The rent of the irrigated lands in the north of 
Italy is, upon an average, more than one third 
greater than the same description of land not 
watered." 

The climate of Great Britain, on account 
of its humidity, would of all others seem, 
least suited to irrigation, but, under an im- 
proved practice, its triumphs there have: 
been most complete. A description of[ 
some of the most perfect water-meadows, of i 
England will be found in " Coleman's Eu-, 
ropean Agriculture " from which the follow- 
ing facts are gathered : 

" The water-meadows of His Grace the Duke 
of Portland at Walbeck at first embraced 300 
acres. The value of the land has been raised 
from the annual sum of §400 (£80) to that of 
$18,300* (£3660.) The work was undertaken 
with no view to profit, and was executed in a 
Princely style of extravagance. The expendi- 
ture from the commencement to the completion 
has been §200,000 (£40,000). The profits upon 
each acre after defraying all expenses are com- 
puted at nearly $60 (£12) per annum, without 
taking into consideration the great benefit they 
are to the adjoining arable land. The land be- 
fore the improvement was commenced, was in 
part, a thin, gravelly and barren soil, and in; 
part a peajt bog or swamp, and full of rushes 
and aquatic plants. It is now clothed with the 
most luxuriant verdure, and requires no manure ' 
beyond the water with which it is supplied. 

Every acre of this irrigated laud, in its pro-i 
duce consumed by cattle on the farm, supples 

* The English pound Sterling is here estimated I 
at $5 instead of 4 83-lOOths. The same mode of | 
calculating will be pursued hereafter. 



manure for five acres of other land. The water 
here is peculiarly rich in fertilizing matter." 

" The water-meadows at Audly End, the resi- 
dence of Lord Braybrook, are on a comparative- 
ly small scale, but extremely productive. 

The average produce yielded the last three 
years has been about thirty-one tons of grass or 
eight tons of hay per acre. A patch of rye 
grass measured three feet two inches in height 
on the 30th April 1844." * 

The high authority of Phillip Pusey, Esq., 
is cited in the same work for the follow- 



" I have known Mr. Roals' farm for many 
years. It stands alone on the summit of the 
wild Exmoor range of mountain land. If any 
one asserted that, for a trifling outlay, he could 
enable heath-covered steeps to rival in produce 
or value, the old grazing grounds of Northamp- 
tonshire, he would be regarded as a dreamer, 
but if any owners of moors will visit Somerset or 
North Devon, he will ascertain the literal truth 
of the statement, as I did five years ago. All 
that is required is a streamlet trickling down 
the mountain side, or a torrent descending rapid- 
ly along the bottom of the glen. The profits 
of under-draining old arable land appears tri- 
fling when compared with the profits of thus 
forming catch-water meadows, which, according 
to Mr. Roals, is more than one pound interest 
for two pounds invested. The two pages of this 
report, which state no more than Mr. Roals has 
himself done, contain a talisman by which a 
mantle of luxuriant verdure might be spread 
over the mountain moors of Wales and Scotland, 
of Kerry and Cannemara." 

In the third volume of Ruffin's Farmer's 
Register will be found a re-print of George 
Stevens' practical treatise on irrigation, 
from which, out of many instances, are 
cited at random the following evidences of 
the beneficial effects of irrigation in Scot- 
land and Sweden : 

" Kirkhouse meadow, in the parish of Traqui- 
ar, contains nine Scotch acres, and was the first 
scientifically formed irrigated meadow in Scot- 
land. The land, in its original state, was valued 
at 5 shillings per acre of yearly rent. The for- 
mation cost £4 ($20) per acre ; but the hay crop 
for the last twenty years has averaged two hun- 
dred and sixty stone (5720 pounds) per acre,* 
and the after-grass 12 shillings ($3) per acre, 
making upwards of £7 ($35) per acre grass pro- 
duce. About the same time an irrigated mea- 

* A Stone weight of hay is 22 pounds, and 
ranges in price from 12 cents to 24 cents, or from 
55 cents to $1,00 per hundred (very much the 
same in Virginia.) 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



163 



dow was made at Kirkhope on the Ettrick, and 
another at Mount Benger Burn, on the Yarrow, 
which, according to the tenant's own account, 
pays them better than any piece of land of the 
same extent on their farms, although the land in 
its natural state was worth little or nothing." 
" The late Sir George Montgomery, Bart of 
Magleiehill, in Peeblephire, commenced irriga- 
ting in.1798 by forming about one acre into wa- 
ter-meadows. This little experimental meadow 
turned out so productive that the baronet con- 
tinued operations on a larger scale, by collecting 
the small streams that ran through his property 
to aid him in procuring as much natural hay as 
possible by irrigation. He, therefore, in the 
year 1815 converted the low-lands at the Plew 
lands into irrigated meadows. They contain 9 

acres, and consist partly of boggy and partly of cr0 P s ' but has sometimes resulted in disap- 
dry soil, worth £2 ($10 per acre in their original | pointment and loss. Ihe exceptions are 
state. The effect of this improvement, for seve- rare, and have been generally ascribed to 
ral years past, has been 300 Stone (6G00 pounds) I want of skill or attention, or the presence 
of very superior hay per acre, averaging 8 pence of some mineral in the water injurious to 
per Stone, and the after-grass 20 shillings per] ve( r e tation. They nevertheless inculcate a 
acre which makes the gross produce of the land ]esson of prudence aml deliberation. The 

quantity of water, furnished by the stream, 
should be measured, and its fertilizing quali- 



Northern countries is so very much against the 
practice, yet the improvement is one of the grea- 
test that has'been introduced in a district, where 
it is impossible to procure manure for making 
improvements in any other way, and that wherc- 
ever water can be brought to rim over grass land, the 
benefit will richly reimburse any person for the 
money laid out. Since the formation of this 
meadow, several others have been made in dif- 
ferent parts of Sweden with greater success, they 
being made on better land." 

Although the instances cited are not par- 
ticularly remarkable in their results, it is 
nevertheless proper to state, that Irrigation 
has not always succeeded in increasing the 



worth £11 (§55). These meadows have been 
sometimes cut twice a year, but, owing to the 
high climate, he found it more advantageous 
only to cut them once, and commence feeding 
off the after-grass earlier in the Autumn. The 
expense of making those meadows was £5 per 
acre. By this simple method of improvement, 
fifteen acres of common sheep pasture-land has 
given the proprietor from three thousand five 
hundred (77,000 pounds) to four thousand Stone 
(88,000 pounds) of hay per annum, averaging 
6 pence per Stone." 

" In the year 1808, I was employed, to sur- 
vey, with regard to draining, a large tract of 
boggy land, belonging to Mrs. Grill of Soderfors 
Iron Manufactory, in the province of Upland in 
Sweden. After having taken a general view of 
upwards of three hundred acres, I found about 
80, lying nearest the large River Dal, well situa- 
ted for irrigation ; and although there was no- 



ties ascertained, by observing its effect on 
inundated spots before the commencement 
of any extensive enterprise. 

Irrigation has long been practised in cer- 
tain localities of the Valley of Virginia. 
The plan, pursued, is represented to be rude 
and primitive, and yet, on reliable authority 
the writer is assured that the results have been 
very satisfactory, that the crop of hay is gen- 
erally doubled by it, and that the value of a 
farm is much enhanced by the considera- 
tion of having upon it, a water-meadow ; or 
land capable of being irrigated. A minute 
description of the practice, there pur- 
sued, and results obtained, would do much 
n attracting to the subject the attention, 



thing of the kind in the country previously to 

that time, the proprietress determined to have, at | and awakening in its behalf the interest of 



any expense, an Irrigated meadow formed com 
plete in all its parts, for she was confident, that 



the Agricultural community. 

In the fall of 1852, on a farm in Fauquier 



connected with thorough drainage, it would form County, the writer constructed a water- 
one of the greatest improvements to a country meadow ol 14 acres in the manner recorn- 
where the Summers are so generally dry, and 1(Jed b Stevens, and in accordance 

V.,.t- . .- r.s.~~~r. T~ loin +l,~ L„~ A .. A ~ „„ Af\ J 



hav very scarce. In 1810 the hay crop on 40 
acres was 4000 Stone (88,000 pounds.) With- 
in that year the other 40 acres were 
formed into water-meadow, and in 1811, 
the hay crop on the whole was 11250 Stone 
(247,500 pounds.) In 1812 the crop was 
damaged by the frost and reduced to 4550 Stone. 
In 1813 the crop was 11250 Stone, and but for 
heavy frosts on the 21st, 22d and 23d of June 
would have been one third more. The hay, 
since the commencement of the Irrigation is 



with the best English practice. Attached 
to it are four acres of dry medow formed of 
rich red clay, subject to inundation, and ca- 
pable, without manure, of yielding a good 
crop of timothy hay. The 14 acres, previ- 
ous to the improvement, yielded only herds 
grass hay, and in very scant quantities. Ex- 
cept in watering, both portions of the mea- 
dow have received the same treatment. 
About seven acres were watered in the 



twice as good in quality. The expense of form 

ing this meadow was neVly £4 ($20) per acre, by 1 spring of 1854. In the opinion of the men 

which it appears that, although the climate of who mowed the hay, the crop on the irriga- 



164 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ted land doubled per acre that of the dry 
meadow. It exceeded two tons per acre. 
The difference in color and growth was ob- 
servable at a distance of 300 yards. The 
whole 14 acres were irrigated in the Spring 
of 1855, though, on account of a drought 
extending through the previous winter, 
with an insufficient supply of water. On 
the fir?t of June, when all the other mea- 
dows of the neighborhood seemed parched 
and withered up, this meadow presented a 
coat of luxuriant verdure beautiful to be 
hold, and promised a most abundant crop, 
which however was reduced more than 
one half by a violent hail-storm on the 20th 
of the same month. The watered portion, 
nevertheless, doubled in product the dry 
portion of the meadow, and yielded over 
one ton of timothy hay per acre. The 
result of the experiment is so satisfactory, 
that 18 acres additional are now being pre 



! pared for irrigation, and the improvement 
[will be extended to every piece of land on 
I the farm accessible to water. In its 
construction, forty dollars have been ex- 
pended for hired labour. The remainder 
j of the work was performed by the farm 
I force, at idle periods, which, if charged at 
'it full value, would have increased the ex- 
penditure some $80 or $90. The whole 
cost of construction has certainly not ex- 
ceeded $150. It should however be stated 
that the position of the land was unusually 
favourable for irrigation. The Improve- 
ment is believed to have added $75 per 
acre to the value of the meadow. The crop 
of hay of 1854 could have been sold on the 
farm for $300. A sketch of this meadow is 
annexed. If referred to, it will serve to ex- 
plain any obscurity- in the practical part of 
this paper. 



■:sr-*ssg 



Beferences. 
1). M. drymeadow subject to inundation, 
H. M. high meadow too high for irrigation, 
B. R- Brown's Run, 
m. c- main conductor, 
b. c. branch conductor, 
s. d. slice ditch; 
d. d. d. d. discharging ditch, 
a. c. feeder, 
•vr. f. water furrow, 

S. 8. Stops, 

n. n. notches. 



. 




■f 


<f 




w 




* \\ 


s 




9 


1 L. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



165 



Irrigation benefits vegetation in three 
ways. It supplies in dry seasons the defi- 
cient moisture. It warms the soil in win- 
ter. The Dutch farmers of the valley have 
a proverb that a sheet of ice on a meadow 
is a coat of manure. The earliest vegeta- 
tion will always be found on spots which 
during the winter have been irrigated by an 
adjacent spring or stream. It wrests from 
our streams their mineral and alluvial treas- 
ure, and for that consideration, more than 
for any other, will prove of the utmost ser- 
vice to our Agriculture. A limpid spring 
will warm the soil and supply the deficient 
moisture, but if it hold no fertilizing mine- 
ral in solution will require the aid of guano^ 
or other manure, or at least a good soil to 
be acted upon. A stream, which in its 
course has received the washings of the 
forest or of cultivated lands, will perform all 
the conditions of Irrigation, and should be 
suffered to pass through no farm without 
leaving some of its plunder behind. 

A farmer intending to construct a water- 
meadow, should provide hims-elf with a 
spirit level and levelling rod and learn to 
use them. The rude instruments, some- 
times recommended as substitutes, will en- 
tail confusion and loss. The art of levelling 
may be learned, in one-half hour, from any 
one familiar with the use of the instrument. 

It will be more convenient here to define 
the meaning of certain terms hereafter to 
be used. 

The Meadow is the land intended to be 
irrigated. 

The Discharging Ditches are deep ditches 
"which serve the purpose of thoroughly drain- 
ing the land and rapidly discharging the ir- 
rigating water. They should never be less 
than three feet deep. 

The Main Conductor is a small mill race, 
which receives the water from the stream 
and conducts it to a position from whence 
it may be delivered on the whole or a part 
of the meadow. 

Branch Conductors receive the water from 
the main conductor and place it in a posi- 
tion to be delivered on parts of the meadow 
not convenient to the main conductor, they 
should never be constructed until the mea- 
dow has been grader and well set in 
grass. 

Beds are subdivisions of the meadow, gen- 
erally 30 feet wide. They always start 
From a conductor and terminate at a point 
convenient for the delivery of the water 
nto a discharging ditch or stream. 



Feeders are narrow channels cut through 
the combs or highest points of the beds. 
They serve the purpose of supplying the 
beds with water and of equally distributing 
it. 

Jfotches are small openings in the banks 
of the conductors, through which the feed- 
ers are supplied with water. Notches are 
also sometimes cut through the sides of feed- 
ers to distribute the water over the beds. 

Sluices are large notches in the banks of 
the main conductors, through which the 
branch conductors are supplied with water. 

Puuale or Puddling, is any kind of pure 
earth moistened and worked to a stiff batter. 

There are three kinds of Irrigation. 1st. 
Irrigation by passing a current of water 
over the meadow termed Current Irrigation. 
2nd. Irrigation by wetting the land, termed 
Irrigation by Absorption. 3rd. Iirigation 
by Flooding. 

Current Irrigation 

Is the most profitable in its results of all 
kinds of Irrigation. It also requires more 
skill and care in its execution. A know- 
ledge of Current Irrigation embraces every 
thing necessary to be learned, to enable 
the farmer to practice either of the other 
branches, and will therefore be more par- 
ticularly the subject matter of this paper. 
Precautions. 

Having ascertained, with a spirit-level, 
that the water may be drawn from the 
stream, at an elevation of at least one foot 
above the highest point of the meadow, 
and having traced off the conductors and 
ditches, the farmer should prepare a careful 
estimate of the probable cost of the enter- 
prise before he incurs any other expendi- 
ture. If, after much reflection, he is satis- 
fied that the outlay will not exceed 50 dol- 
lars per acre, he may safely make the ad- 
venture. The ditching follows next in 
order. 

Ditching. 

The discharging ditches should be located 
upon the lowest points of the meadow. 
They should be 2 feet wide at bottom, at 
least 3 feet deep and have a fall sufficient 
to discharge the water with rapidity. All 
springs or wet places must be drained by 
secret ditches, terminating in the discharg- 
ing ditch or stream. Broken stone, or cedar 
branches, or pine poles, are the best mate- 
rials for secret drains in Virginia. Pipe or 
tile require a nicety of foundation seldom 
attainable under our slovenly system of 
agriculture. In filling up the secret drains, 



166 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



six inches of straw should be placed over 
the drain, then pure earth, worked fine with 
the spade, to within 18 inches of the sur- 
face, then one foot of puddle, well worked 
in with the spade, and the remainder of 
rich soil. If puddle be not used, as above 
directed, the water of Irrigation will sink 
through the secret drains and destroy them. 
Water meadows require the most thorough 
drainage. Without it. the grasses become 
sour and coarse. It is important that the 
water be not only rapidly delivered on the 
meadow, but also that it be rapidly dis- 
charged from it. 

The Main Conductor. 

To find its connecting point with the 
stream, proceed as follows. Start from the 
highest part of the meadow, and continue 
the level up stream until a point, in its bed, 
is reached one foot higher than the point of 
departure. Run this level at least twice, 
for an error here may be • incurable. The 
water should be drawn from the bottom or 
bed of the stream, because it can in no 
other manner be effectually husbanded. 

If a sufficient head of water cannot be 
had without a drain, it will be advisable in 
most instances to abandon the undertaking. 

If the large area to be watered will jus- 
tify the expense of a dam, it should be lo- 
cated and constructed under the supervi- 
sion of a canal engineer. 

Start the main conductor from the point 
above designated and continue it on the 
same level until it reaches a position from 
N which it may readily deliver the water upon 
the whole or a part of the meadow. It 
should, if possible, be laid parallel with the 
meadow and on ground one foot above it. 
(See p. 164 ante.) 

Though a fall of one foot in every 200 yards 
is usually recommended, it will neverthe- 
less be found better economy to increase 
the width of the conductor, and thus avoid 
the necessity of a current, and of waste 
wiers, and sluice gates. In England 
much expense is incurred in sluice gates 
and masonry, which, by keeping the con- 
ductor on a level and observing the follow- 
ing precautions may be all avoided : — The 
bottom of the conductor should be one foot 
lower than the bottom of the stream, and 
at least two feet lower than its surface. It 
should also be not less than two feet wide 
at boitom and six feet wide at the surface 
level of the water. If of the above dimen- 
sions, it will pass a sufficient supply of wa- 
ter for 15 acres of flat bed meadow, but the 



conductor cannot well be made too large, 
for, during a freshet, too much water cannot 
be delivered on the land. 

It should, when practicable, be located, 
for its whole length, through cutting, that 
is to say, its sides should be formed of nat- 
ural earth, and not of embankment, which 
is liable to leakage and injury by muskrats 
and freshets. Locate the conductor in such 
a manner that on its lower side the natural 
earth will be at least one foot higher than 
the usual level of the water, and be diverted 
from this purpose, neither by the temptation 
of straightness, economy, or any other con- 
sideration. Shovel back, as far as conve- 
nient, all loose earth from that part of the 
conductor not adjacent to the meadow. 
The lower side of the conductor will then, 
during freshets, act as a waste and effectu- 
ally guard the embankments from injury. 

Where embankment is unavoidable, use 
the following precautions. 

The width of its base should be four times 
its height. If, for instance, the embank- 
ment be two feet high, its width at base 
should be 8 feet Scrape from the base 
every particle of vegetable matter, and spade 
up the soil to a depth of one foot, then 
build on the foundation ; thus prepared, the 
embankment, which must be made of pure 
earth, well worked with the spade and mois- 
tened, if water be convenient. The sides 
to have a very gentle slope, and the top to 
be nt least 2 feet higher than the surface 
level of the water. The main conductor 
serves a similar purpose, and resembles, in 
every particular, a canal or mill race, and 
requires the same care in its construction. 
The precautions above stated cannot there- 
fore be safely neglected. On account of 
its small dimensions, its cost rarely exceeds 
that of a laro-e ditch, for the particular care 
demanded in its construction, involves no 
great expenditure of money. A small 
wooden o-uard crate is sometimes placed at 

DO * 

the head of a conductor- but, except there 
be a dam, it will seldom be needed. A 
good substitute for a waste, or sluice gate, 
will be found in a ditch starting from a con- 
ductor at the point of its connection with the 
meadow and terminating in the dischar- 
ging ditch or stream. (Seep. 164, ante,) The 
opening from the conductor into the ditch 
(termed a sluice ditch,) is closed with earth, 
except where the meadow is laid dry or 
during high freshets. 

Branch Conductors. 
Are intended to furnish a supply of water 
to parts of the meadow not adjacent or 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



I67 



convenient lo the main conductor. If there 
be a ravine or ditch between the main con- 
ductor and any portion of the meadow, a 
branch conductor will be thrown across 
them. Wooden trunks are placed in them 
and embankment over the trunk. The con- 
ductor is thus guided over without obstruc- 
tion to the drainage. Embankment is una- 
voidable in the construction of branch con- 
ductors, and requires the care and precau- 
tions before stated. Branch conductors 
should be constructed after the meadow has 
been graded and seeded with grass, for their 
proper position cannot sooner be ascer- 
tained. 

The connection between the main con- 
ductor and the branch conductors, is closed 
by embankment and opened with the spade, 
according as it is intended to let on or shut 
off the water — (See sketch, p. 164 ante.) 
Beds. 

No meadow is ever, by the hand of na- 
ture, shaped and graded for current irriga- 
tion. 'In the most favored cases there are 
elevations to be shaved off and depressions 
to be elevated. The land is laid off in sec- 
tions about 30 feet wide, and as long as the 
position of the surface will permit. 

Each of those sections, termed Beds, is 
a perfect water meadow in itself, and except 
in having a common conductor and a water 
furrow in common with its adjacent bed, has 
no connection with the other beds. It is 
provided with its conductor notch, its feeder 
stops, and feeder notches may be watered 
when the rest of the meadow is laid dry and 
laid dry when the rest of the meadow is 
watered. It may be on the same, or on a 
different plan, from the other beds and also 
of larger or smaller dimensions. They must 
all start from a conductor, have a continu- 
ous, though not necessarily an uniform in- 
clination, in the line of their direction and 
terminate in a discharging ditch, or a de- 
pression leading to a discharging ditch or 
stream. The plan of shaping and grading 
them, as recommended by Stevens, and 
generally adopted in England, will be first 
described. An important modification, the 
merit of which has been tested by careful 
experiments, will then be proposed. 

The following extract from " Steven's 
will explain his plan. 

'• The earth excavated from the drains and 
conductors is used for filling up low places. The 
next part of the process is to divide the portion 
of land of the meadow, which is assigned to each 
conductor, into regular beds. Where the soil 



is naturally dry and the supply of water plent 1 " 
ful, they might be made 40 feet wide, but whe n 
the subsoil is cold and impervious, their breat^ 
should never exceed 30 feet, and be even less i n 
deep mossy soils The feeders are made in th e 
middle of the beds, (always branching out a* 
right angles from the conductors,) except in cases 
where the ground falls two ways, when it will 
be necessary to make the feeders a few feet near- 
er the one side of the bed than the other. The 
feeder should always be placed on the highest 
on the highest part of the bed. A bed 200 yards 
long will require a feeder, where it leaves a con- 
ductor, twenty inches wide, gradually decreasing 
in width to 12 inches at the farthest extremity, 
for the quantity of water becomes less and less 
by overflowing over its sides. The earth taken 
out in forming the feeders is to be placed on each 
side, in such a regular manner, as to form small 
banks with a gradual descent towards the drains. 
In forming the feeders, care should be taken to 
leave stops or small portions of solid earth in 
them, about 6 inches wide, at regular distances 
from each other, or, according to the fall of the 
ground, to obstruct and keep up the water to a 
proper height, so that the whole length of the 
bed may be regularly watered without the assist- 
ance of notches ; as recommended by Wright and 
others. Indeed, the contraction in the width of 
the feeders serves to raise the water over their 
sides, but this is not sufficient when the descent 
is considerable. 

Stops and notches have been thought indis- 
pensably necessary in the formation of Water 
meadows, therefore several writers on the subject 
have recommended stakes to be driven into the 
conductors and feeders, to retard the velocity of 
the water, but, if a water meadow is properly 
laid out, few stops will be necessary, and, in sit- 
i uations where they cannot be avoided, the last 
I method is to put in a few stones or sods. Where- 
ever notches are found in a water meadow, it is 
a sure sign of an imperfect formation. Having 
completed all the feeders which are necessary to 
introduce and spread the water, a drain or water 
furrow must be made between every two beds 
parallel to the feeders. Tho drains are made in 
an order the reverse of the feeder, being nar- 
rowest 'at the upper parts of the meadow and 
gradually increasing in width until they descend 
into the main drain. 

The depth of these water furrows in all soils 
should be so regulated, that they free the sur- 
face from the stagnated water, but in moist 
soils, with retentive subsoils, the depth at the 
upper end should be never less than 6 inches 
and increasing to nearly the depth of the main 
drain, when they discharge their waters, and 
the width exactly the reverse of the feeders. 
Having thus completed the formation of the va- 
rio.us conductors, drains and feeders, let in the 
water and after giving each part its due quantity 
and regulated the stops in the feeders, (begin- 
ning with the one next the head or upper part 
of the meadow and continuing the same way 
over the whole until the water runs an equal 
depth over the sides or banks of the feeders), 



168 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



it would very soon show such places as are too 
high or hollows necessary to fill up. The stuff 
taken out in forming the water furrows, drains 
and conductors with what is gained by reducing 
high places, is generally enough for levelling 
the beds to keep the water in constant motion, 
but the nearer the beds are brought to an in- 
clined plain, the better fur the purpose of irriga- 
tion. When the land is very unlevel with a 
thin sward on it, I would recommend every pro- 
prietor to plough the whole and take a crop of 
oats before forming it into water meadow. If 
tne sward or grass is strong enough to be lifted, 
to lift the turf, and form the subsoil with the 
plough or spade and lay the turf down again. 
In either of these cases the beds should be raited 
12 inches in the centre. "Whenever the whole 
surface of a piece of the ground is broken to be 
constructed into an irrigated meadow, the for- 
mation should be done with the greatest nicety, 
for the greater the pains that are taken at the 
first forming, the easier the management will be 
ever after." 



The directions given by Stevens for sha- 
ping and grading the beds have been ver- 
batim, that, if they should seem better than 
the substitute about to be proposed, they 
may be adopted by the farmer. The beds, 
recommended by him, and here termed for 
distinction "Elevated beds" (being one. 
foot higher attheir centre than sides) are in 
many respects objectionable. They are very 
difficult to water if over 200 feet long and 
of rapid descent. They consume an im- 
mense quantity of water, (of which at cer- 
tain seasons there is a scarcity) and, conse- 
quently, require an expensive conductor. 
They must pursue a straight line, (what- 
ever b^ the shape of the ground) for a 
crook in the feeder will prevent a sufficient- 
ly free. passage of water through. They re- 
quire feeders, stops and feeder notches, 
which are but imperfect devices to remedy 
an imperfect plan. They will not work on 
a side hill at all, and will prove next to use- 
less where the descent exceeds one foot in 
ten feet. 

These objections to elevated bed irrigation 
in England are of mach less importance 
than with us. The streams there are but 
little affected by drought, and consequent- 
ly a scarcitv of'water is seldom experi- 
enced. Feeders and stops are defective not 
because they cannot distribute the water, 
but because they require constant supervis- 
ion. For side hills or steep descents, a sub- 
stitute is found in a plan termed " catch-water 
Irrigation" hereafter to be described. It 



is not claimed for fiat bed irrigation, that it 
will accomplish more than elevated bed Ir-. 
rigation, but that it will perform as much 
with less water, less labour and less super- 
intendence. 
.If an elevated bed be 30 feet wide, the 
fall from the feeder to the water furrow will 
be one foot in fifteen feet. There is there- 
fore a strong tendency of the water to es- 
cape at once into the furrow, where it is 
lost for the purpose of Irrigation. If the 
longitudinal inclination of the bed be con- 
siderable, this tendency is much diminished, 
but the same object may be attained, by di- 
minishing the lateral inclination. If a bed 
be elevated at the centre 6 instead of 12 
inches, the lateral inclination will be re- 
duced one half, and if it be not elevated at 
the centre at all, or in other words, if it be re- 
duced to a perfect level laterally, the whole 
tendency of the water will be in the line of 
the length of the bed. A drop of water de- 
livered upon the upper extremity of the bed 
will pass to its lower extremity without the 
aid of a feeder or any other device. This 
is the purpose of flat bed Irrigation. 

Flat Beds 

are designed to prevent any waste of water 
into the furrows. They must therefore be 
perfectly flat or level laterally or in the line 
across them. In the line of their length, 
or longitudinally, they must, like elevated 
beds, have a continuous inclination. They 
must also have, on either side, deep water- 
furrows to receive the water absorbed by 
them and to dry them when the water of 
Irrigation is cut off. In theory they must be 
made perfectly flat laterally, but in practise 
a perfect level would be made difficult to 
obtain, and more difficult to maintain. It 
may be disturbed by the slightest settlement 
in the land, or by the hoof of cattle, and 
when once lost, the water will further in- 
crease the .irregularity. A remedy for this 
inconvenience will be found in a small 
bank 6 inches high raised on both sides of 
the bed and adjoining the water-furrow. 
The earth from the water furrow will be 
sufficient to build the bank, which should 
be sodded at the time of its construction, 
though the precaution is not absolutely ne- 
cessary. This bank, running on either side 
of the beds for their whole length, confines 
all water received from the conductor, and 
compels it to follow the course of the bed. 
It also serves to correct all inequalities in 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



169 



l he beds not exceeding six inches, and 
therefore dispenses with the necessity of a 
perfectly flat bed. Nevertheless the beds 
should be laterally as nearly flat as they can 



be made, by the eye, and constructed as if 
no side-banks were contemplated. The 
banks should then be attached, as if grading 
had been performed in a slovenly manner. 



PLAN OF THE FLAT BEDS. 




> 



> 



i 



a- a. flat beds, 

"W. f. water furrows, 

s. b. side banks, 

d. d. end section of flat beds. 



PLAN OF TWO ELEVATED BEDS. 




c. c — c. c. two elevated beds, 

f. f. feeder, 

w. f. water furrows, 

h. h. end section of elevated beds 



170 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



It has been before remarked, that elevated 
beds must pursue a straight course, be- 
cause a bend in the feeders would prevent 
a free passage of water through them. Flat 
beds, for obvious reasons, are cramped by 
no such necessity. They may be either 
straight, zig-zag or circular. The advan- 
tage, of thus twisting the bed to fit the ir- 
regularities of the surface, will in practise 
be found of the utmost importance. 

If the meadow have an inclination only 
one way, flat beds are easily constructed, 
for all that is necessary is to run them in 
the direction of the fall, but if there be an 
inclination two ways, the grading becomes 



a nice and sometimes a laborious operation. 
Much may be accomplished by giving a 
proper direction to the bed. It must take 
the course by which the lateral inclination 
will be most reduced. If, for instance, the 
slope of the ground from North to South be 
one in fifteen and the slope from East to 
West be the same, the course of the bed 
should be exactly South-West. The same 
rule applied in other cases will determine 
the course of the bed. The width of flat 
beds is not a matter of choice, but is de- 
termined by the lateral inclination of the 
the surface.* 



SECTION OF FIVE FLAT BEDS ON A SURFACE HAYING A LATERAL INCLINATION OF 6 INCHES 10 FEET. 



T 2 — V 



Vb 



\ ft-~- '••A r _.e 



s. s. natural surface of meadow, 
The rule (from which it 



is never 
to depart) is, to lay off at least 
bed for every six inches of lateral fall ; 
and the reason is obvious enough. One 
half of the bed must be reduced and the 
other half elevated. The upper half must 
be skimmed of its soil to elevate the lower 
half. If the rule be observed, the upper 
half will loose only an average of one and 
a half inches of soil, which in most cases 
can be borne ; but, if in an effort to widen 
the bed, the skimming process be more 
deeply pursued, the result will be a very 
thin sod or no sod at all or one of its sides of 
the bed. Even where only one and a half 
inches of soil has been removed a dressing 
of manure should be applied. If there be 
no lateral inclination, flat beds may be 
made 30 feet wide except in the case of re- 
tentive sub-soils, when they should be re- 
duced to 20 feet. 

Preparation for Grass. 
The discharging ditches and the part of the 
conductor adjacent to the meadow, should 
be excavated before the land is ploughed, 
and the earth, furnished by them, used to 
remove or reduce longitudinal irregularities. 
The land must then be flushed (not bedded) 



a., a. flat beds 

safe 
one 



f. f. feeders. 



b. b. side banks, 
ted by the middle of March. Seed it then 
with 2£ bushels of Oats per acre, and make 
a liberal application of guano whether the 
soil be rich or poor. The crop of Oats is 
intended to smother up and destroy the na- 
tural grasses. It must therefore be as thick 
and luxuriant as it can be made. As soon 
as the crop is gathered, the land should be 
deeply flushed, sub-soiled, rolled and har- 
rowed, and reduced to the finest tilth. The 
finer the tilth, the lighter will be the subse- 
quent labour. On the first of August, the 
shaping and grading the beds will be com- 
menced. This work is done with the 
shovel and the spade. It requires great 
care, but no greater labour, provided the 
eye and head of the master is employed 
upon it. As soon as any one bed is gra- 
ded, it should be seeded in timothy at the 
rate of one-half bushel of seed per acre and 
the seed carefully covered with a rake. 
Two hundred pounds of guano per acre 
should be covered in the July ploughing, 
and all stable or farm yard manure that can be 
spared, applied on the surface during the 
winter.. If the soil be naturally rich, the 
quantity of guano and manure may be re- 
duced, but it is all important that the sod of 



and drained by as few "furrows as practica- [the following year should be strong and 
ble. This work is supposed to be comple-l thick, and no expense must be avoided to 

* "Where a meadow has a lateral inclination, each bed will be on a different plan, (See plan 
above.) 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



171 



obtain it. Guano acts on timothy as favour- 
ably as on wheat. Of course no small grain 
should be seeded with the timothy. Ir- 
rigation will not create a sod, for water can 
only be applied to a sod already formed, 
but will strengthen, thicken, and preserve 
it. As soon as a good sod is formed, and 
by the above directions, it can be obtained 
in 12 months, the water may be applied to 
the meadow. 

application of Water. 
From the 1st of June to stacking time, 
every water meadow should be laid dry. 
From the middle of July to the 15th of Oc- 
tober, an application of water may be made 
once a week, and oftener if the stream be 
muddy or swollen .by a rain. From Octo- 
ber to March the meadow may be almost 
constantly under water. It will be suffi- 
cient if it be laid dry two days in every four- 
teen, but this always in mild and never in 
freezing weather. A sheet of ice is as 
warm a covering as a bed of snow. If the 
soil be cold or retentive of moisture, the 
water should be applied only one day in 
fourteen from March to June. If it be san- 
dy, the application during that period may 
be once a week. 

Soils suited to Irrigation. 
The best are porous soils based on porous 
sub-soils. Such is the character of the lands 
in Lombardy and of some of the best water 
meadows in England. The more water a 
soil will absorb and digest, the better for 
irrigation. It is doubtful whether a thin 
glady soil based on a tenacious sub-soil will 
be much benefitted by irrigation, except so 
far as it deposits alluvial matter upon the 
surface. All other soils will be more or 



less benefitted according to their capacity 
of absorbing and filtrating water. 

Value of meadow and grass lands. 
A meadow on tide water yielding, without 
manure, 2 tons per acre would nett $26, 
and should rent for $20 per acre. So also 
at any other point accessible to market. 
From no other crop can the like annual 
profit be realized. The highest priced lands 
in Virginia are the grass lands, and this 
without regard to their distance from mar- 
ket. The b'est arable lands in England sel- 
dom rent for more than $25 per acre. The 
best dry meadows for $40, and the best 
water meadows often range over $65 per 
acre. The meadows ne.ar Edingburg (irri- 
gated with sewer water,) yield an average 
rent of $150 per acre, and in years of scar- 
city have risen to the high figure of $285 
per acre per annum. 

Catch- Water Irrigation 
Is substituted for elevated bed Irrigation, 
where the meadow is located on a side hill, 
or on a plane of a greater inclination than 
one foot in ten. The conductoi here is 
planted immediately above the meadow, and 
in a position to command every part of it. 
The water furrows are the feeders. They 
are wound around the hill and graded to a 
perfect level from one extremity to the other, 
or where they are divided into sections, 
from one stop to another. They are gene- 
rally separated by a bed 40 feet wide. The 
water is first delivered from the conductor 
into a water furrow or feeder, over the sides 
of which it flows and is equally distributed 
over a bed, from which it is again received 
into a feeder, again distributed over a bed, 
and so on to the bottom of the hill. 



PLAN OF A SIDE HILL OR CATCH-WATEK MEADOW. 




c. c. conductor. a. a. a. a. feeders. 

s. s. s. stops. 



172 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Catch-water Irrigation, though easy of 
construction, requires constant supervision, 
for if the water find for itself the smallest 
channel, it will soon convert it into a gulley 
or ravine. Flat bed Irrigation is as appli- 
cable on a side hill as on a plane of mode- 
rate inclination. Care, however, must be 
taken to bend and wind the bed to as mod- 
erate a lateral inclination as the surface will 
permit, to execute the lateral grading and 
side banks with much nicety, and to apply 
the water in very limited quantities. No 
sod on a steep side hill can long withstand 
a strong current of water. 

Irrigation by Absorption 
Is designed to supply the soil with the defi- 
cient moisture. It is seldom practiced ex- 
cept on land under cultivation and recently 
pulverized. It is very much followed in 
Italy in the cultivation of rice and grain 
crops and could no doubt be advantageously 
introduced in the cultivation of corn upon 
the sandy flats of tide water. In Egypt it 
is of more ancient date than the Pyramids 
and is still there of common usage, as also 
in Persia and India. From a passage in 
Isaiah, the Jews seem to have regarded "a 
garden that hath no water" as a picture of 
desolation.* If introduced in our garden 
culture, vegetable famines like that of 1854 
might be avoided. The practice is very 
simple. The conductor, (which in garden 
culture need be not much larger than a 
water furrow,) is constructed as before di- 
rected. The land is laid off in beds 5 or 
10 feet wide, the water furrows graded to a 
continuous but gentle inclination and stops 
placed in them 10 or 20 leet apart, according 
to their rapid or gentle descent. The water 
is passed from the conductor into the water 
fnrrows, and absorption and capilliary attrac- 
tion do the rest. 

The beds require no grading, but should 
not at centre be more than one foot higher 
than at their sides. Irrigation by absorption 
will not on the same surface consume one- 
tenth of the water required in Current Irri- 
gation. The main conductor need not, 
therefore, be of half the size. 

Irrigation by Flooding 
Is practiced only on dead levels, or planes, 
of very gentle inclination. It is an indif- 
ferent substitute for Current Irrigation and 
should never be performed when that may 
be adopted. The whole art consists in sur- 
rounding the meadow by tight and carefully 

* In the book of Genesis we read, " A river 
went out of Eden, to water the garden." 



built embankments, and providing sluice 
gates through which the water may be de- 
livered 6n or discharged from it, according 
as it is intended to flood or lay it dry. It 
may at some future day be found useful in 
the cultivation of rice, or grass, on our tide 
water swamps if the problem of reclaiming 
them, or of appropriating our alluvial wealth 
below tide water, shall ever be solved. 
Legislation needed. 
Irrigation can never be extensively prac- 
ticed in Virginia, ulitil the privileges, now 
enjoyed by parties proposing to drain their 
lands, shall be extended to those intending 
to construct a water meadow. The head of 
a conductor, like the tail of a ditch, must 
be often located in the la.nd of a neighbor- 
ing proprietor, whose voluntary assent to 
the entry and appropriation will rarely be 
obtained. The privileges conferred by chap- 
ter 124, page 528, Code of Virginia, would 
seem as necessary in the one case as in the 
other. The writer would, therefore, in con- 
clusion, respectfully call to this branch of 
the subject, the attention ofthe Agricultural 
Society of Virginia. 



GAPES IN CHICKENS. 

My experience in raising chickens teaches 
me to keep the hen house clean and regularly 
swept ; to visit the yard and keep that swept 
out also for the space of five or six yards around 
the house, taking care that neither grass or 
weeds grow there during the year, and to smoke 
the hen house repeatedly during the summer. 
As soon as my chickens are hatched in the 
spring of the year, say March, I begin to smoke 
my young chickens every morning with strong 
tobacco smoke until they are almost large enough 
to fry. My mode of smoking is to have hovels 
large enough for one or two hens and their 
broods, not more ; I have a trap door at one end 
of each hovel, and make the smoke close enough 
to the door 'just so as not to burn the hovel, then 
you will have room in the other part of the 
hovel not to burn the chickens. So treated, they 
will never have the gapes. 

Your obedient servant, 

Robert Kent. 
Fluvanna Co. April 2, 1856. 

The above remedy of our correspondent may 
be a very good one ; we have never tried it. We 
have recently heard of another which is said by 
a lady who raises more chickens than any one 
we ever heard of to be completely^ efficacious. 
It is simply to mix onions or garlick, or wild 
onions, if the other cannot be had, copiously 
with their feed. The onions to be finely chopped 
up. 



MH^ 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



Fig. 1. 



173 




**™«ra«33ai5E^^ 1, 



CIRCULAR SELF-ACTING GATE. 

PATENTED TO WILLIAM THOMPSON, OF NASHVILLE, 
TENN., JUNE 19, 1855. 

The above engraving is a perspective view of 
the gate. The invention relates to gates for 
farms, parks, and enclosures of any kind. A 
is the gate closed. It is perfectly circular in 
form, and may be made of any proper material, 
and of any size desired. B and C are the gate- 
posts, secured firmly in the ground, or to°any 
proper supports. The left-hand post, B, has a 
channel, d, entirely through it, from the cap- 
piece to the bottom. The right-hand post, C, 
has a channel in it, but not entirely through it, 
to receive a part of one side of the gate, and re- 
tain it when the gate is closed. The gate A. 
re3ts upon a rail, D, sunk in a platform, a little 
below the road-way, in the middle of the track, 
but elevated on one side and extending some 
distance to the left. The platform rests upon a 
lever, and extends both in front and back of the 
gate. On the rail, 1», which is firmly fastened 
to the platform, the gate operates: the fulcrum 
on which the platform rests is next to the short 
end of the rail upon which the gate rolls, and 
the platform has a weight, G, at its edge, suffi- 
ciently heavy to keep the short end of the rail 
upon the ground, and consequently the long end, 
D, in an inclined position, as shown in the above 
engraving. When a person or carriage shall be 
on the platform, approaching the gate, the 



weight will depress the left edge of the platform 
and the now elevated end of the rail, D, fastened 
to it, and the gate will roll into the position 
shown in the dotted lines, A 1 , giving way for the 
person or carriage to pass ; and when the car- 
riage or person shall have passed off the plat- 
form ott the other side, the weight, G, at the 
edge of the platform, next to the short end of 
the rail, causes that end to be depressed, and 
the gate rolls back and shuts itself. It is. seen 
that the gate, when rolling out of the way, 
passes between the double fence, F. E is a rail- 
ing on the side of the platform, which can be 
used or dispensed with at pleasure. 

The inside corners of the posts, at the ground, 
may be extended as close to the gate as possible, 
so as to fill up the space between the gate and 
the posts, to prevent hogs, etc., from passing 
through. These spaces can be readily and neat- 
ly filled up. 




Fig. 2. 
Figure 2 is a catch, or fastening, placed on 



174 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



*op, or near the top, of the gate-posts, to be used I gate would roll out of the way ; a 
in case stock casually open the gate. The string I ^ate shall have passed off the platfo: 
would have only to be pulled by the carriage 
driver, or any one else passing, which could 
easily be done ; and the catch being raised, as 
soon as the weight pressed upon the platform the 



and after the 
passed oil the platform, in rolling 
back to its position it will lift the catch, which 
falling in its place as the gate is closed, keeps it 
shufr, till a passing weight and pull of the string 
shall again cause it to open. 



Fig. 3. 




The operation of the gate, as illustrated in 
Figure 2. will be at once understood on inspec : 
tion. It operates in a groove in the beam or 
platform, D, which is deepest in the centre, C, 
where the gate rests when it is shut, and rises 
to both the right and left. It is rolled out of the 
way by hand, and, when let loose, returns to its 
position, and shuts itself. It rolls between the 



double fence, to keep it in plane. Instead of 
the difficulty of keeping a yard-gate shut, this 
gate, with fair play, would never remain open. 
To let the rail and platform be made firm and 
immovable, the gate, as represented in Figure 1, 
may be made to operate, when opened by the 
hand, as does Figure 3. 



PREPARING FOOD FOR FARM STOCK. 

In the January number of the Valley Fanner 
we gave an article under this head, in which we 
incidentally alluded to one of the most improved 
mills for grinding corn and cob meal that we have 
seen ; this has called forth in reply several articles 
on the subject, from the advocates of, and dealers 
in other mills. In these articles, .opinions upon 
the subject of digestion are advanced at variance 
with science and the natural laws of animal phy- 
siology. 

Mr. L. Bollman, editor of the agricultural de- 
partment of the Indiana Journal, takes the sub- 
ject up, and in proof of his own opinions quotes 
Mr. Youatt, and says: "Our authority is best," 
&c. If our friend of the Journal quotes Youatt 
correctly, he (Youatt) is certainly in error, as we 
shall attempt to show ; nor is this the only error 
Mr, Y., has published, in. his various works on 
domestic animals. In proof of our argument we 
will give authority which the scientific world will 
admit is still better — Dr. Carpenter and Flourens. 

As the preparation of food for economical feed- 
ing of farm animals is becoming a matter of great 
importance to our Western farmers, we will give 



Mr. Bollman's article in full, and in order to dis- 
pose of the question in controversy, we shall an- 
swer at length, although it will occupy more space 
in our columns than we should feel willing to de- 
vote to a subject of less importance. The follow- 
ing is what Mr. B. says on the subject : 

" The idea here advanced is that corn and meal 
when eaten by ruminants pass directly to the 
fourth stomach, unless mixed with coarser food. 
Will the Fanner give us its authority for this 
opinion ? But conceding its correctness, we ask 
whether the gastric juice of the fourth stomach 
is not a sufficient solvent to digest the coarse meal 
of the crushers. We know it cannot act upon the 
whole grain, because it has no power over the sili- 
cious coating of the unbroken grain. 

If the corn is ground into "fine meal," can it 
be chewed any finer ? If not, why the necessity 
of mixing it with cut and moistened hay ? 

The process of digestion in ruminating animals 
as stated in these extracts, did not accord with our 
recollection, but having killed a beef a short time 
since, to which we had fed com in the ear, we 
examined the paunch or first stomach, and found 
the corn, both the broken and unbroken grains, 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



175 



and the cob, both in pieces and finely chewed, 
everywhere mixed with the hay and grass which 
the animal had eaten. If, then, the corn and 
cob, after being crushed by the jaws and teeth 
pass into the first stomach, why will it no£ after 
being crashed by the iron teeth of a mill ? 

We proceed to state what is the true digestive 
process of ruminants, as the ox, sheep, &c, and 
our authority is the best, Mr. Youatt. 

The throat or gullet, or as it is technically 
called, the esophagus, forms a canal from the 
mouth to the entrance of the fourth stomach. 
Along the base of this canal are openings into 
the first and second stomachs. Immediately 
under the first opening, is the rumen or first 
stomach. "All the fjod," says Mr. Youatt, 
"when first swallowed, goes there to be preserved 
for the act of rumination, and a portion, and oc- 
casionally the greatest portion, of the fluids that 
pass down the gullet, enter the rumen." In the 
calf, this opening "instinctively closes by an 
act of organic life," when it swallows the milk ; 
and it is not the form of the aliment or food, or 
the force with which it descends the gullet, that 
causes it to pass into the rumen of the older an- 
imals. 

After being received into the first stomach, the 
food traverses every portion of it, without being 
changed; except softened and covered with some 
mucous, and as it approaches the opening 
through which it passed into it, it is forced 
through another opening into the reticulum or 
second stomach. The Valley Farmer says that 
it does not enter this stomach until it is chewed 
the second time, upon what authority we do not 
know. The office of the second stomach is to 
force the food back through the opening into it, 
into the gullet, which carries it back to the mouth, 
to undergo the second chewing, or as it is called, 
chewing the cud. In the process, it is thor- 
oughly masticated, and being again swallowed, 
it passes into the many-plus or third stomach. 
The business of this stomach is to reduce the 
food to a pulp, in which form it passes into the 
abomasum or fourth stomach. This last one se- 
cretes the gastric juice, which digests the food by 



the feeders, wtio used crushers, have seen the de- 
leterious efi'ect of the sharp cornered meal. 

The only grinder which the Editors of the 
Farmer have seen, that will grind corn and cob 
meal fine enough, is that of Mr. Straub of Cin- 
cinnati. They qualify this expression with the 
phase " at one operation," but what it means we 
cannot tell — whether at one handling or but one 
grinding. Have they seen Fetlon's Portable 
Millf It grinds superfine flour, and superfine 
meal too ; so fine that a dozen mastications could 
not make it finer. So we challenge you, Mr. Far- 
mer, with a Felton against your Straub ; the 
contest to come off at our next State Fair, which 
as it has thrown open the premiums to be con- 
tested by every body, will be an inducement for 
Mr. Straub " to be and appear." 

The writer after conceding our first proposi- 
tion, asks: "whether the gastric issue of the 
fourth stomach is not a sufficient solvent to digest 
the course meal of the crusher." To this ques- 
tion we would first reply, that experience and ob- 
servation around the barnyard where this meal 
has been fed, emphatically answers No. But a 
more conclusive answer is found in the wisdom 
displayed by the Divine artist in providing the 
animal with that complicated and beautifully ar- 
ranged digestive apparatus, no part of which has 
been formed in vain. Gross food when given to 
a ruminant in a form that prevents it from pass- 
ing through all the various processes of digestion 
cannot be fully prepared for perfect assimilation. 
The changes which the fluid secreted by the va- 
rious departments of the digestive apparatus 
produce on alimentary matter, is by solution and 
chemical action. Now digestion cannot be per- 
fect unless the food is given in such a form as to 
force it to take that course in its downward pas- 
sage as will cause it to pass through all the va- 
rious forms of digestion, each of which contri- 
bute their proper fluids to prepare it for the per- 
fect action of the next. 

The first process towards digestion, is mastica- 
tion; this is not merely to crush the food and 
reduce it to a pulpy state, but also to imbrue it 
intimately with saliva. Saliva, so abundantly 



its chemical action, and converts it into chyme, secreted by ruminants while chewing the cud, 



The gastric juice, as. we have observed, does, not 
act on the thin outer covering of the grain of 
corn. Hence if it reaches the fourth stomach 
whole, it will not be digested, but must be eva- 
cuated whole. If it is broken, it will be digested, 
unless taken in such large quantities that there 
is not enough of gastric juice to dissolve it. 
Every feeder knows that many grains are not 
broken in process ; hence the use of mills to aid 
mastication. If these mills leave the meal with 
"sharp and flinty corners," so does the crushing 
operation of the teeth. This we know from what 



performs an essential part in the process of di- 
gestion, being in fact the chief agent in the con- 
version of starch into sugar, or in other words, 
its digestion. Modern researches have shown, 
as fully set forth by Dr. Carpenter in his Human 
Physiology, that it is by this fluid, aud not the 
gastric juice, that the amylaceous elements of 
food are prepared for assimilation. The change 
which commences in the mouth, is in a great 
degree suspended in the stomach, to be renewed 
when the food passes into the duodenum, ('or first 
bowel) where it is mingled with the pancreatic 



we observed in the paunch we examined. But juice, a fluid closely resembling saliva in its 



these sharp corners are softened, they are cov- 
ered with mucous and are dissolved by the gas- 
tric juice, and cannot, therefore produce that in- 
testinal derangement spoken of by the Valley 



properties. Hence the necessity for thorough 
mastication ; hence the advantage of mixing the 
meal with the hay or straw, which secures ita 
passage into the paunch, or first stomach, aud its 



Farmer. Improper feeding, colds, or other cau- I consequent rumination. When the corn and cob 
ses, produce them— if not, then long since would . is merely crushed in the iron mills, referred to 



176 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



by us in our former article, it is too coarse and 
heavy to adhere to the wet hay or straw to be 
swallowed with it. And when fed unmixed in 
this form, -or when ground into fine meal and fed 
either dry or in water in the form of slop, it is 
not of the mechanical consistence which will cause 
it to open the passage into the first stomach, but 
passes directly along to the fourth or true stom- 
ach unprepared for the final act of digestion and 
assimilation, just as the milk does in the case 
of the calf, which comes from the mother al- 
ready prepared for the final action of the stom- 
ach. What are the circumstances which deter- 
mine the direction of the food ? Dr. Carpenter, 
(Princp. Physiol. Gen. and Comp.) thus describes 
them : " When the food is first swallowed, it has 
undergone but very little mastication, it is conse- 
quently firm in its consistence, and is brought 
down to the termination of the esophagus in dry, 
bulky masses. These separate the lips of the 
groove or demi-canal and pass into the first or 
second stomachs. After they have been macera- 
ted in the fluids of these cavities, they are re- 
turned to the mouth by a reverse peristalic action, 
the food being shaped into globular pellets by 
compression within a sort of mould formed by 
the ends of the demi-canal, drawn together. Af- 
ter its second mastication, it is again swallowed 
in a pulpy semi-fluid state ; and it now passes 
along the groove which forms the continuation of 
the esophagus, without opening its lips, and is 
thus conveyed into the third stomach, whence it 
passes into the fourth. Now that the condition of 
the food, as to bulk and solidity, is the circumstance, 
which determines the opening or closure of the 
lips of the groove, and which consequently regu- 
lates its passage into the frst and second stomachs, 
or into the third and fourth, appears from the ex- 
periments of Flourens, who found that when the 
food, the first time of being swallowed, was artifi- 
cially reduced to a soft and pidvy condition, it { 
passed for the most part along the demi-canal into 
the third stomach, as if it had been ruminated — 
only a small portion finding its way into the first 
and second stomachs." 

Now, as we have before intimated, if the amy- 
laceous food passes without mastication into the 
true stomach, it lacks, not only the condition, but 
an important element necessary to its digestion, 
the saliva, and consequently the digestive pro- 
cess cannot be so perfect. In all probability, the 
fluids secreted by the paunch, which permeate 
the alimentary mass, also takes some part in the 
changes requisite to its assimilation. That there 
is a necessity in the case of the cow and other 
ruminants, for the food being temporarily lodged 
in this great receptacle, is sufficiently proved by 
the fact that the provision for it exists. The calf 
requires no such provision, because its food being 
of a different character, is digested by the gas- 
tric juice, and not by the saliva. 

Our friend further asks : " If the corn is ground 
into fine meal can it be chewed any finer ? If 
no't, why the necessity (if mixing it with cut and 
moistened hay?" Wo think in what we have al- 
ready said, these questions are, or should be very 
satisfactorily answered. But we will give a 



further reason ■ The finer the grain is ground the 
greater surface is presented to the immediate ac- 
tion of the fluids of the digestive apparatus. Any 
soluble substance is more readily, acted on when 
finely pulverized, than when in a solid mass. 
We have now given our authority for the state- 
ments made in our former article, and have an- 
swered, we think, satisfactorily, the question why 
it is necessary to mix "fine meal with cut and 
moistened hay." ' No doubt some portion of the 
corn when fed in the ear will pass into the first 
stomach for the same reason that other coarse 
food does. An error of our frjend of the Journal 
has led us to detect an inadvertence in our ac- 
count of the digestive organs of the ruminants. 
The office of the "second stomach," is not, as he 
states, to force the food back "into the gullet." 
but to hold the water necessary to macerate the 
food. " The liquid swallowed," says Dr. Car- 
penter, "seems to be specially directed into the 
second cavity, the reticulum. It is here that the 
peculiar provision of 'water cells' is found, for 
which the camel has long been so celebrated, but 
which exists in a greater or less degree in all ru- 
minants. These cells are bounded by muscular 
fasciculi, by the contraction of one set of which 
their orifices may be closed and their contents 
retained ; whilst by that of another set, the fluid 
they contain may be expelled iute the general 
cavity of the stomach." 

It is said that "necessity is the mother of in- 
vention." We happen to know that Mr. Straub 
run for a long time, a corn and cob crusher by 
the steam power used in his establishment, the 
meal was fed to cattle and horses, but it was as- 
certained that the irritation and disease to which 
we referred, became quite common among the 
animals fed upon it. He then run the crushed 
corn and cob through the burr mill, and reduced 
it to " fine meal ;" but this required extra labor, 
to save which, Mr. Straub directed his inventive 
powers and produced the mill which does the 
work at one operation ; and as our friend of the 
Journal desires light on this subject, we will 
briefly state that there are two heavy circular 
plates of steel, encased within an iron covering, 
around the spindle ; one plate is stationary and 
the other revolves with the spindle ; they are so 
adjusted that they act like a pair of shears and 
cut and break the cob into short pieces as the 
ears are passed into an opening like that of an 
ordinary corn sheller, these pieces fall directly 
between the stones and are ground fine. 

In the May number of the Michigan Farmer 
for 1855, we learn that one of the editors of that 
paper, after feeding corn and cob meal for two 
months to his cattle and horses, discovered the 
irritating effects of the food upon one of his 
horses, and writes to Dr. Dadd, and alludes to 
the case as follows : 

" For the purpose of testing by actual trial, 
the value of corn and cob meal, after removing 
upon our farm, we procured a supply at once. 
Commenced with a full feeding the first of Jan- 
uary last, and continued two months, giving to 
horses and cattle. After a month's feeding, feb- 
rile symptoms were occasionally observed in one 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER- 



177 



I 



of the horses, such as short and quick breathing, 
fall pulse, inflame 1 feet, fatigue from light exer- 
tion and sweating at the breast. At the end of 
two months, nearly, these symptoms were 
greatly aggravated ; the appetite failed, and the 
animal lost flesh. Though well satisfied as to 
the irritating cause, a note was dispatched, con- 
taining a short account of things, to our very ob- 
liging "friend, Dr. Dadd, of Boston, and request- 
ing his opinion on the feeding qualities of corn 
and cob meal." 

In conclusion we will state that we have no 
ecuniary interest in the manufacture or sale of 
Jr. Straub's or any mill, but we deem it not only 
Dur province, but o"ur duty, to recommend to the 
farmers the best machines and implements that 
are offered to the public, as well as to give the 
best modes of cultivation, &c. This we shall aim 
to do independently, candidly and honestly, and 
at the same time, when we deem it proper, ex- 
pose humbuggery and fraud wherever it exists. 
We must therefore decline the challenge of our 
Indianapolis friend to take part in the contest 
•■with a Felton against a Straub." If we have 
seen the Felton mill, it was but for a moment, 
and we know nothing of its construction or its 
merits. If its grinding surfaces are of metal, 
when new it may grind as fast as the burr or 
Straub mill, but we are quite sure it is not as 
durable, nor can it be as readily sharpened by an 
ordinary farm hand as the bnrr stones can. But 
we are for improvement, whether in a Straub or 
a Felton, and we shall be ever 1 eady to chronicle 
it wherever it is found. Improvement is our 
motto. 



I3P Subscribers a requested to remit the amount of 
their Subscription as soon as the same shall become 
due. 

If Subscribers neglect or refuse to take their papers 
from the Office or place to which they are sent, they 
will be held responsible until they settle their account 
and give notice to discontinue. 

55^ If Subscribers remove, change their offices, or 
permit their paper to be sent to an office that has been 
discontinued, without directing a change of their paper, 
and the paper is sent to the former direction, they will 
be held responsible. 

All Payments to the Southern Planter will be ac- 
knowledged in the first paper issued after the same shall 
have been received. 

EE^" All money remitted to us will be considered at 
our risk only when the letter containing the same shall 
have been registered. 

E^ 3 It is indispen sably eucessary that subscribers 
remitting their Subscription, should name the Office to 
which their papers are sent ; and those ordering a 
change should say from what to what post office they 
wish the alteration made. A strict observance of this 
rule will save much time to us and lose none to them 
besides insuring attention to their wishes. 

Postmasters are requested to notify us in writing- as 
the law requires, when papers are not taken from their 
Offices by Subscribers. , 

RUFFIN & AUGUST, Proprietors. 



Office : No. 153, Corner Main and Twelfth Streets. 




ADVERTISEMENTS. 
Will be inserted at the following rates ; For each 
square of ten lines, first insertion, One Dollar; each 
continuance Seventy-five Cents. 

Advertisements out of the City must be accompanied 
with the money, to insure their insertion, 

Postage on the Southern Planter, 
(when paid in advance,) to any part of the United States, 
one cent and a half per quarter, or six cents per annum. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 

RICHMOND, JUNE, 1856. 

TERMS. 

One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents per annum 
or One Dollar only if paid in advance. Six copies 
for Five Dollars ; Thirteen copies forTts Dollars — 
to be paid invariably in advance. 

No subscription received for a less time than one year. 

Subscriptions may begin witli any Number, but it is 
detirable that they should be made to the end of a vol- 
ume. 

IzST' Subscribers who do not give express notice to 
the contrary on or before the expiration of their yearly 
Subscription, will be considered as wishing to continue 
the "ame ; and the paper will be sent accordingly. 

%3r" No paper will be discontinued until all arreara- 
ges are paid, except at our option. 



TO SUBSCRIBERS. 

We earnestly request that you will read our 
" Terms" at least once a year, and always before 
writing us upon any subject connected with 
your paper. We frequently receive letters con- 
taining remittances, and others requesting dis- 
continuances or directing a change to other 
post-offices when the office to which the paper is 
sent is not named. Such omissions occasion us 
a great deal of trouble, and it not unfrequently 
happens that your wishes cannot be attended 
to in consequence of your neglect to conform to 
this standing request. 

Jpgf" Remember always to name your post of- 
fice when writing about your paper. 

to delinquent' subscribers. 

There are subscribers to the Planter, who owe 
for some years and cannot be induced to pay. 



178 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



There are some who owe for three years, and 
though applied to, they have neglected to pay. 
We feel that it is but justice to ourselves to no- 
tify such delinquents that if they do not settle 
by the first of July, we shall be compelled to 
strike their names from our lists. Though we 
shall continue to send their bills out periodically. 
We mean no offence to these delinquents, and 
beg that none may be taken. We doubt not there 
are many very excellent gentlemen in the list, 
and possibly some personal friends, whom we 
should, beyond all things, regret to displease. — ■ 
We know that nearly all of them intend to pay, 
but the putting it off is a serious matter to us ; 
and the rule we have determined to adopt, and 
hereby give notice of, is a financial measure — 
one intended to save our money — and not spring- 
ing from any feeling of irritation against anyone. 
In adopting the foregoing rule it may happen 
that we may discontinue the paper of some of 
our subscribers who have made payment to 
agents, who have failed to make any return of 
their agency to us. Should this occur, we will 
promptly make the necessary amend when noti- 
fied of the fact. 



Sale of Deion Cattle, South-Devon Sheep and 
Berkshire Hoys. 
It will be seen by reference to our advertising 
columns, last page, that Lewis G. Morris, Esq., 
of Mount Fordham, New York, intends to dis- 
pose of his whole stock of the above animals at 
auction and without reserve. His stock are all 
excellent, and he is no jockey. Gentlemen who 
wish to jjurchase may be assured that his stock 
are, in point of pedigree, what he represents 
them to be, and in point of form and style what 
he thinks they ought to be. He has spared no 
expense in his importations and selections. At 
least that is our opinion from what we have 
heard of Mr. Morris. For catalogues contain- 
ing description, &c, address Mr. Morris, as per 
advertisement. 



THE GUANO CONVENTION. 

If we do not agree with poor Edgar, that " the 
Prince of Darkness is a gentleman," we yet have 
very good authority for saying that he is not al- 
together so black as he is sometimes painted. 

For somewhat the same reason, we suppose 
that Mr. Rarreda, that dog with a bad name, 
ought not to be hung outright, nor even execra- 
ted as heartily as is the fashion just now with a 
good many very excellent gentlemen. His ad- 
ministration as agent of the Peruvian Govern- 
ment for the sale of the guano of which it holds 
the monopoly has been more and more censured 



as the price has risen, until at last a convention ■ 
of Guano-using farmers is called for the purpose 
of memorializing Congress to lay a sliding duty 
on that article, which shall amount to prohibi- 
tion, when its price shall exceed a certain maxi- 
mum — we think forty six dollars per ton. 

We shall not undertake, in objecting to the 
proposed action of this convention, to defend Mr. 
Barred a from all the charges that have been 
brought against him ; nor to hold him up as a 
model in manners, ethics, or commercial trans- 
actions. We doubt not he is a bear; not re- 
markably scrupulous in his dealings ; and with 
as little of the true spirit of commercial liberal- 
ity as any other Spaniard. But we shall try 
and deal him some measure of justice by way of 
inducing our friends to look at their own inter- 
ests through a somewhat clearer medium than 
their present prejudices afford. 

Of one ground of complaint against this agent, 
his alleged breach of faith with Mr. Sands of 
the American Farmer, we think an erroneous 
view has been taken. The facts of that transac- 
tion are no doubt candidly and truly stated by 
Mr. Sands, to whom we would by no means im- 
pute impropriety. But the policy of such bar- 
gains, and the interest of farmers in resenting a 
non-compliancowith them, are altogether different 
questions. If we understand the case, Mr. Sands 
agreed with Mr. Barreda to take from himacertain 
number of tons of Guano, which he in turn was 
to sell to cash customers at less than the ruling 
retail rates, and on terms which would allow him 
less than the usual merchants' profit.. Now we 
know that the commission merchants who deal 
in this article advance money to its purchase 
and extend credit to its sale, no great number of 
farmers paying cash for it. But this arrange- 
ment of Mr. Sand's assumes, against the proba- 
bilities, as the facts present them, that the mer- 
chant's profit on this venture is exorbitant, and 
that he can stop it by an arrangement, whose ef- 
fect, so far as it goes, is to deprive the merchant 
of his cash customers, and of course to raise the 
price on time payments ; or drive him from the 
trade, and deprive the credit dealer of his guano. 
From this would result a double inj ury : first to 
the productiveness of our own country, and se- 
cond, to the Peruvian government through Mr. 
Barreda ; who, if he could make such a bargain 
with his eyes open, would thereby prove sense- 
less to his own interests, and faithless to the gov- 
ernment he professes to serve. It was an inva- 



THE SOUTHERN" PLANTER. 



179 



sion of the regular course of trade, and if per- 
mitted to continue, which it was impossible it 
should have done, would not have enured even 
to the benefit of Mr. Sands's purchasers, who 
would have been supplied by Barreda with the 
worst guano he had. 

The complainants about the high price of gua- 
no seem to lose sight of some important facts. 
Granting that the article is monopolized, and 
that every advantage will be taken of that fact 
that can be, it does not follow that there will be 
no limit to exorbitancy. Except in the case of 
monopoly of articles of paramount necessity — as 
quicksilver for instance, which was monopolized 
by the vRothschilds until more recent discoveries 
of that mineral have liberated the trade — the 
monopolist has to consider what is the highest 
price, it will be safe to charge ; since if he ex- 
ceed that limit, as he easily may, either from 
mistake or greed, he fails to sell. Here then is 
a motive to reduction in price; and superadded 
to this there was in Barreda's case an uncertain 
tenure of office, which rendered it his interest to 
sell as largely as possible. That he has not 
greatly exceeded proper limits may be inferred 
from the fact that the sales were large even at 
sixty dollars per ton; larger, in fact, than they 
ought to have been, as some commercial men 
now say the price of wheat was last fall. 

But the rise in price was certainly indepen- 
dent to some extent of the monopoly, and of the 
enhanced price of wheat. Until within little 
more than a year past guano has been brought 
into the United States mainly as a return cargo 
in bottoms trading to California. Going out 
freighted, but for the opportunity that guano af- 
forded, many of them would have had to return 
empty or to make a still larger circuit to obtain 
a back load. Hence moderate freight charges. 
But since California has come to produce for 
herself most of the articles that in her infancy 
she took from the Atlantic, very few ships, com- 
paratively, trade thither, and as a consequence 
most of those that go for guano now go out in 
ballast and charge much heavier freights. Be- 
sides this special reason, guano, like every other 
article, must feel the fluctuations in freights; 
and if from any cause there is a general advance 
in them, such as the carrying trade experienced 
in the late European war, it will cost more to 
transport it from Peru to the United States. To 
this effect, then, must be attributed a good deal 
of the rise in price. Another cause no doubt is 



the general depreciation of the precious metals, 
and the consequent rise in the level of prices. 
And a third may be a disposition to extort more 
from those who were thought able to pay more. 
But the facts in this latter attributed cause 
would seem to acquit Mr. Barreda of any unu- 
sual amount of extortion ; for when wheat had 
risen from one to two dollars per bushel, guano 
in the same time had risen from forty five to, 
saysixty d ollars per ton, so that he, with the 
above causes to justify him as far as they may be 
allowed to go, has only advanced 33 per cent, in 
the face of an advance in wheat of 100 per cent., 
or in the ratio of one third only. In fact it is 
less than that ; and strictly speaking guano i^ not 
so high now as it was several years ago. 

Assuming, for the sake of illustration, that a 
ton of guano wil! make 70 bushels of wheat, 
in a good season, then at forty five dollars per 
ton, and one dollar for the wheat, the profit on 
the outlay is 55 per cent. But at sixty dollars 
per ton, and two dallors for the wheat, the profit 
is 133 per cent. It is true that sixty dollars is 
too high for guano on account of the fluctuations 
in the price of wheat, and the uncertainty of the 
crop, and the price must fall. 

Whether the proposed guano convention can 
reduce it to the desired limit by imposing re- 
strictions, any better than individuals can by 
consulting their own separate interests, is very 
questionable ; and the policy -of the effort 
therefore debateable. So also is the propriety of 
Virginia's going into that convention. The use 
of guano, as is well known, is most profitable on 
the least fertile lands, the benefits diminishing 
in proportion to fertility. Of such infertile 
lands, Virginia has a larger share than any other 
state likely to be represented in that convention. 
In many sections of this State guano is the main 
reliance for the wheat crop; in other more cir- 
cumscribed districts, and in other states, as also 
in Great Britain, it is used only as an adjunct to 
other manures, or as a means of giving the wheat 
a good start. The relative necessities of the 
sections then, are very different; and the sacri- 
fices to be exacted are by no means equal. The 
region which increases to crop by four or five 
bushels per acre, and ensures a stand of grass 
perhaps in addition, cannot pay as much for 
guano as the region which could make little or 
no wheat without it, nor will it lose as much by 
a failure to obtain a supply. Supposing that 
prohibition may be the effect of the requested 



180 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



legislation, one section will thus have given up 
much more than the other. 

But it is not intended that prohibition shall 
be the consequence of the law, and we very much 
doubt if the convention would have half a dozen 
members in attendance if it were thought that 
would be the effect. But it may have that ef- 
fect, and hoist the engineers with their own pe- 
tard. 

The game of restriction is always hazardous, 
and should never he played by gentlemen in a 
passion. Bluff itself is not more dangerous. 
Suppose Congress shall unwisely throw this tub 
to the whale, and grant the law. Where may 
we stand? British farmers use a great deal of 
guano, perhaps as much as we do ; and they pay 
for it, grudgingly, to be sure, but still they pay 
it, more than we pay. If the effect of the pro- 
hibitory duty shall be to reduce the price of 
guano to $47 per ton, to the British wheat grower 
when we cannot buy at less than $46, or if Peru, 
in exasperation, places Great Britain on the foot- 
ing of themost favored nation, and sells guano to 
her at $40 per ton, but none to us at any price, 
can we doubt that the whole of her annual sales 
will be made to trie English wheat grower ? And 
how great would be the impetus thus given to 
our greatest competitors, who in buying all that 
we now get would kill two birds with one stone : 
increase • their own product, and cripple ours. 
But suppose we shall bring Peru to terms. The 
same of course will be granted to all other na- 
tions, and thus we shall stand precisely where 
we were before if the price of wheat abroad de" 
pends on the relative production of the wheat 
zone. 

But again: As Peru stands by treaty stipula- 
tion on the footing of the most favoured nation, 
we shall be obliged to impose the same restric- 
tions on the guanoes of all other countries except 
our own, if we have them, and so strengthen their 
competition against ourselves all over the world. 

And still again : Supposing that none of the 
above objections apply, as Peruvian guano is the 
best in the world and outsells any other, it can 
be taken from Peru to other countries and change 
hands without let or hindrance ; thence it can be 
shipped hither, aud will be, with all the charges 
of this roundabout transaction superadded to the 
price. 

So that turn which way he may, the position 
of the restrictionist bristles with dilemmas. 

We hear it contended that public opinion is 



in favour of the Convention and its measure. 
Perhaps so ; and if inconsiderate declarations 
be accepted, of course so. But by their acts' ye 
shall know them. Persons very frequently, and 
very honestly too, commit themselves to one 
opinion where their conduct really exhibits 
another : for what hut opinion steers the course 
of men in the daily business of life. And what 
is public opinion but an aggregate of private 
opinion. Now last fall, every body who could 
not get guano at less, bought it at $60 per ton, if 
they thought they could afford it, and the large 
number who bought at that price shews that 
they then thought they could. Their aggregate, 
or public opinion was then, that though guano 
might be high, it was not too high, at that price. 
If they shall have been mistaken, as if wheat 
bringsless than two dollars they certainly willhave 
been, they will not buy again; and asthePeruvian 
Government must meet its liabilities by sales of 
Guano, the price will fall. If it does, the fall 
will have resulted from "public opinion pri- 
vately expressed," so to speak; which spring- 
ing from the great truth that in the ordinary 
transactions of life each man is a better judge 
for himself than Government can be for him, 
will be much more influential on trade, and more 
salutary to all parties, than a memorial to Con- 
gress, asking that body to say, in effect, by law 
that no man can afford to give more than 46 dol- 
lars per ton for guano, when the fact is directly 
the reverse. 

We have heard it gravely contended that that 
is as much as could be afforded for the article. 
Why then do people buy it at higher rates ? Are 
all the farmers demented '? And how can a con- 
vention of mad men cure the Lunacy ? What 
people think they can "afford" to give is the 
measure of price whether under the influence 
of competition or monopoly: and for a conven- 
tion of farmers to attempt to regulate the price of 
any article monopolized or not on any other prin- 
ciple than-that of individual opinion, will be about 
as hopeful an effort as for a man to regulate his 
own breathing, which whoso attempts will find 
himself short-winded in some ten minutes or 
less. 

The talk that we have heard about the neces- 
sity of combining against monopoly, and claiming 
this legislative concession to a great interest is 
like that we hear too often about the necessity of 
having agriculture represented in the cabinet at 
Washington, and setting up a department for the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



181 



special benefit of the farming class. "We have al- 
ready extended this article too far, and must 
pass by a branch of the subject -which has too 
little force to make it -worthy of refutation. "We 
may at some other time, and in some other con- 
nection, attempt to shew that this policy of class 
legislation finds its best development and ripest 
fruit among the barbarous people of India; and 
that -wherever else it has had even a partial ex- 
istence and recognition it has been the teeming 
mother of factions and discords. 

How desirable it may be to get Peruvian guano 
at lower rates, and in greater quantity than we 
now have it, is a complex question, and cannot 
yet be stated with confidence. On the whole we 
incline to the affirmative side of it. But the 
plan which we should advise to accomplish the 
object would be very different from angry re- 
monstrance or petulant petition. It would be 
one whereby the above question would be solved 
by the experience of those most interested. "We 
would ask the Government to send an able man, 
as minister or commissioner to Peru to make a 
commercial treaty with that country. As we get 
coffee from Rio in return for the flour we send 
her, so we could send to Peru the very product 
her guano makes. The country is barren, and 
means of subsistence are imported from Chili. 
Equally destitute is it of manufactures ; and 
these we could supply in profusion. Here lies 
the foundation of a new trade, which would 
grow as the wants of the people expanded, and 
impel the government to terms of liberality. Once 
let the people see that their subsistence and de- 
velopment depended on those three little islands 
at Pisco, and that by the time they were exhaus- 
ted, if ever that time shall be, they will have 
strengthened themselves again for the wrestle 
with Potosi, and there be no fear of a failure 
to get guano on fair terms. 

The true policy of Peru is to sell guano until 
she is rich enough to resume her natural busi- 
ness of mining. And it should be our work, 
our contribution towards her recovery, to con- 
vince her of that fact; to give her government 
some great object for the employment of intel- 
lect which is now frittered away in intrigues, 
and of energies which are now wssted in Revo- 
1 u t ". >ns. This is an enterprize worthy of farmers, 
broad, generous, national, philanthropic, and far 
more glorious than railing at a foreign govern- 
ment. If we thought the convention would give 



that turn to its deliberations we should hail its 
meeting with pleasure. 



USE OF KELP AS MANURE. 

The Boston Cultivator contains a very inter- 
esting account of the farm of Mr. Ephraim 
Brown of Marblehead, Massachusetts, the great 
fertility of which is chiefly referable to the use 
of Kelp. The farm contains 240 acres with over 
a mile of sea beach. The sales of 1854 amount 
to $7000 ; the sales of 1855 are expected to 
reach $10,000, at an outlay in production of 
$3000. The leading crop is onions. But there 
are only about 8 acres in this vegetable, avera- 
ging about 625 bushels, and running up as high 
as at the rate of 1000 bushels. The manure 
chiefly decomposed kelp at the rate of 8-10, 12 
cords per acre with a small quantity of compost 
manure. Five acres are in squashes, one mea- 
sured acre of which produced- ten tons. Be- 
sides these crops are cranberries, hay, potatoes, 
and some minor productions, 35 acres only are 
under hoe and plough. Labour ten to twelve 
men in summer, fewer in winter, boarded on the 
farm, and paid at the -rate of §90 to §130 per. 
annum. 

Have none of our sea-shore farmers availed 
themselves of sea weed ? "We should be pleased 
to hear from some of our subscribers in Accomac 
and North Hampton on this matter. 



THE NEW ESCULENT ROOT. 

THE CHINESE OR JAPAN POTATOES. 

Sometime ago one of our friends sent us a 
long article in praise of the above root, which 
was published in the New York Tribune by Wm i 
R. Prince of Flushing, Long Island. 

Before publishing it, we applied to our friend 
Dr. D. S. Green, of Culpeper, now stationed at 
Portsmouth, who was surgeon in the Japan ex- 
pedition, to know the value of the thing. He is 
an enthusiastic farmer, and we were sure would 
not let anything of Agricultural value escape 
him. It is unnecessary to publish his letter in re- 
ply : its substance was condemnatory of the value 
of the root to the extent stated by Mr. Prince. He 
thought it might prove valuable as a root for 
stock, but if it supplanted the Irish Potato, it 
would do more here than it had done in China, 
where he had seen two measures of it offered to 
purchasers in lieu of one of potatoes, and re- 
fused. 

Other and independent testimony of competent 



182 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



judges who have lftiown the root in China satisfy 
" us that it is of but little value, and does not 
promise to prove profitable to any body but 
Mr. Prince, who is a well known nurseryman 
and speculator in " garden truck." 



PRINCESS ALICE MAUD STRAWBER- 
RIES. 

Mr. James Guest, Hollywood Nursery, has 
sent us a specimen of these mammoth strawber- 
ries. They a^e the largest and finest variety 
now in cultivation, and are remarkaby fine for 
■the season. 

Mr. G. will have plants of this variety for sale 
in the fall, and his advertisement will be found 
in our columns at the proper season. 



GUANO ATTACHMENT TO THE WHEAT 
DRILL. 



We publish below an extract in regard to the 
disputed claim of Mr. T. P. Nelson of Clarke as 
the inventor of what is known as the guano at- 
tachment. So far as our belief goes we freely 
give the benefit of it to Mr. Nelson. We know 
him well and respect him highly; he is an hon- 
ourable gentleman, and for him to assert a posi- 
tive claim to anything is prima facie evidence 
with us that he is right. In this particular mat- 
ter of the guano attachment we are perfectly 
certain that he is the inventor of it. Not only 
are we assured of it by himself, but gentlemen 
from his neighbourhood cognizant of all the 
facts, and worthy of utmost credit assure, us that 
there is no doubt of the genuineness of his 
claim. 

As there are conflicting claims to the honor of 
inventing and introducing into Virginia, this val- 
uable addition to the catalogue of Agricultural 
machinery, we render but an act of simple jus- 
tice to a citizen of Virginia, by setting before 
the Virginia public, the following extract from 
the report of a committee of the Virginia State 
Agricultural Society, ascribing to him the honor 
of having originated this important and valuable 
implement. 

The State Agricultural Society in its schedule 
of premiums for 1855, proposed to award " hon- 
orary testimonials, to each individual of Virginia, 
who, previous to 1854, has discovered, or intro- 
duced, or brought into use any principle, pro- 
cess or facility, or generally any improvement, 
by which important value has been gained for 
the agricultural interests of Virginia." 

The chairman of the committee of award un- 
der the %th branch of the society's schedule, N. 
Francis Cabell, Esq., of Nelson county, Va., re- 
ported, 1st: That the Rev. Jessee S. Armistead, 
of Cumberland, is entitled to such honorary dis- 
tinction for having "originally prepared" a 



"specific manure for tobacco, &c," an account 
of which is detailed in the report and will ap- 
pear in the transactions of the society. Refer- 
ence is also made to a further account of it in 
the Southern Planter for April and June, 1853. 
The report then proceeds to award a similar dis- 
tinction to Mr. Thomas F. Nelson, of Clarke, 
for his guano attachment, as the following ex- 
tract will show: 

"2. On the first introduction of guano, and 
for some time afterwards, it was the general im- 
pression that this manure was so highly stimu- 
lating in its properties, as to destroy the germ of 
any seed-grain with which it might come in con- 
tact, when both were deposited in the earth. 
Mr. Thomas F. Nelson, a citizen of Clarke 
county, by experiment, so early as 1849- — and 
which was continued in subsequent years — satis- . 
fied himself that this was a vulgar error. As 
guano was also highly volatile, a further deduc- 
tion was, that in the usual mode of its applica- 
tion there was a great loss of useful effect, much 
of it escaping without having contributed any 
thing to the growth of the plant; and that a less 
amount than was commonly used could be made 
to answer the end if placed in immediate prox- 
imity to the seed. With this view, he set about 
devising an implement which should effect this 
purpose. He invented what he calls a guano at- 
tachment, which in conjunction with any one of 
several drills that are now used for seeding 
wheat, may be made to deposit both guano and 
seed in regulated quantities and at the required 
depth — being the snme which he has heretofore 
exhibited on the Fair Ground of this society. 
Whatever claims others may have to the inven- 
tion of a similar implement, the undersigned' 
has had evidence laid before him. abundantly 
sufficient to convince him, that Mr. Nelson was 
the first in that region, and perhaps in the 
whole State, to prove and expound the principle 
above mentioned, and that he was the indepen- 
dent inventor of an implement, such as we have 
described; and that its employment for the pur- 
pose suggested, has resulted in the more econom- 
ical use of that costly article and with equal ef- 
fect." 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 

We have received the above book, by Saxton. 
New York, from Mr. Woodhouse, Bookseller, 
Richmond. 

It treats of the kitchen and fruit garden, with 
hints on landscape and flower gardening. 

Not having time to read this book, we submit- 
ted it to a lady friend of ours, who is one of the 
best judges of such things that we know. She 
says it is the best Gardening Book for our region 
she ever saw. And we feel no hesitation in en- 
dorsing her opinion, and recommending the. 
work to every one who has a garden. 

Price, §1 25. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



183 



MR. WILLIAM G. CRENSHAW'S LAND 
FOR SALE. 

We rarely " call attention" to advertisements, 
and never without a very good reason. We are 
impelled to do so in the case of Mr. Crenshaw's 
advertisement, because his farm presents a case 
in point to the argument and exhortations we 
have so frequently employed in favour of fine 
wooled sheep. As he is going out of the busi- 
ness, we have applied to him for his experience 
and now give it, premising that he is a merchant 
and speaks from his books. 

He began with 325 sheep in October, 1851, in 
February, 1852, he purchased in New York, 120 
more. He has ever since been steadily increasing 
his flock by retaining all his lambs, and has not 
sold off any of h.s old ewes. Last summer at 
shearing time his whole number reached about 
1000 head. A good many of his lambs died du- 
ring the fall, and the past winter, which was an 
extraordinary one, killed a considerable number. 
After selling off one hundred and fifty this spring, 
many of them mutton, at §5,00, his flock con- 
taines about 800 head. 

His actual sales to this time 

amount to' $4 500 

His clip this spring will certainly 

reach, 1 500 



say it has improved very rapidly, and it is now 
beautifully grassed. 

Those who think wool growing will net pay, 
may here see that it will ; tkose who have been 
discouraged by failures, may go and see where 
the fault was. 

We wish all could see it, for sooner or later 
the farmers of Middle Virginia must go into fine 
wool. It may not be for a generation, but soon- 
er or later it must be. Guano can never take the 
place of animal manures. 

Why sell so fine a farm ? Because the own- 
er is a merchant, residing in Richmond, and up 
to his chin in business ! 



• Gross sales, 

Deduct cost of purchases and ex- 
penses from New York, 

Nett 

Add estimated value of 900 sheep 
at average 'cost of his purchases, S4, 



G 000 
1 700 



U 300 
3 600 



Nett profits, $7 900 

Every thing fed to them has been raised at 
home. This shews an average profit of $2 000 
per annum from an average number of 600 
head of sheep, including old sheep yielding but 
little wool, and allowing for variation in value 
of wool, and depressed prices at one time. 
With 600 picked sheep, it is not unreasonable to 
say that the profit can be pushed up to $4 per 
head. This certainly compares well with the 
profit.-s of wheat for an average of five years. 
But Mr. Crenshaw also raises # wheat, and now 
has seeded a large crop, which we are told is very 
fine. 

We think a statement of this sort, based on 
actual sales for four years, shews that wool grow- 
ing is profitable in Virginia. Several of our 
friends who have seen the farm, (we never have,) 



THE WHEAT CROP. 

From what we leara, the wheat crop in Vir- 
ginia is not as good as the crop of last year. — 
We have seen or heard from a great many farms 
in various parts of the State, and whilst in par- 
ticular localities, as Orange and Albemarle for 
example, the crop is better than they have had 
for several years, and whilst in particular neigh- 
bourhoods there are prospects of good returns, 
yet on the whole, the fly, the joint worm, and 
chinch bug, one or more, and the hard winter, 
have made sad havoc with the wheat. The 
drought, too, which at this time prevails in some 
considerable districts, makes the prospect criti- 
cal. But we should not forget that all the wheat 
last year was made after the first of June. Nor 
should we forget in our speculations that nothing 
is more uncertain than the yield of wheat, ex- 
cept the price of it. 

HARVEST DRINK, DIET AND MEDI- 
CINE. 

We cannot do better at this approaching sea- 
son of hard work, than republish the following, 
with slight additions, which we first published 
in the Planter for June, 1854. 

" Mr. Blair Burwell, of Powhatan, called at 
our office this morning, and gave us the follow- 
ing recipe for a harvest drink : 
Water, - 

Sharp Vinegar, 
Molasses, - 
Ground Ginger, 
" This will last thirty hands until dinnertime, 
when as much more may be mixed up to serve 
until night. It is carried to the field daily in a 
cart and moved about after the hands, each one 
of whom is limited to a cocoa-nut full at a time, 
always without ice — (they drink nothing else). 



33 gallons 
1 
l\ " 

1 lb. 



184 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



He says that the Yankees fought on this mixture 
at Bunker's Hill, and he agrees if it kills a man 
to be indicted for murder. 

" For our part we see no harm in ice. "We 
have used it regularly for fourteen years with- 
out any bad result, but on the contrary, we think, 
with benefit." 

We know persons who have used it beneficial- 
ly for a still longer period. A venerable friend 
of ours, recently deceased, assured us that he 
had used it for thirty years or more, and never 
without advantage. His plan was to carry out 
a barrel of ice in a cart, and -keep the water 
tubs nearly filled with it. His theory, and we 
believe the true one, was that the ice acted as a 
tonic ; and the hands could never overload their 
stomachs with it, because the water was kept so 
cold that they could never drink to distension 

Strong coffee should always be given at break- 
fast and at night. 

No form of spirituous liquors should ever be 
used; and we who say it are not a " temperance 
man." 

"Well cooked black-eye peas, fried onions and 
rice, the latter cooked in puddings, or in as many 
forms as you please, are the best vegetables." 

Raw onions are also said to be an excellent 
food with those they agree with, and a friend 
recently mentioned to us a case of a negro who 
had never been able to stand the heat and fa- 
tigue of harvest, until he thought of supplying 
him liberally with raw onions, upon which he 
went through his work like a well trained four 
miler. 

" Salted meats and fish, never fresh, and a 
plenty of red pepper, in everything that it suits, 
boiled in the pod. 

" For physic, the pills recommended two years 
ago by our friend Charles B. Williams, as fol- 
lows: 

Pulverised Opium, 18 grains) 

Red Pepper, 18 " > 

Gum Cumphor, 12 " j 

To be taken when the first symptoms of cramp 

or diarrhoea appear — one then, and an additional 

one afterwards if necessary, according to the 

exigency of the case." 

We have proved thcefficacy of this repeatedly, 

and would as soon think of going into the harvest 

without a basket of tools. 



•See advertisement of "Board in the Coun- 
try wanted." 



HAY COVERS. 

We insert the following, which we solicited 
in lieu of an Editorial which we had intended 
to write to the same effect. 

Northampton, April 25, 1856. 
Dear Sir: — 

I was much pleased to receive your note of the 
21st instant enquiring about the hay covers and 
I now enclose two receipts which I wrote for our 
village papers. 

The receipt for hay covers is intended for the 
million — to bring the cost within the means of 
the poorest farmers ; but, for those who are able 
to pay a small additional price, I should advise 
them to use cloth that is a little wider and to cut 
the covers about 45 inches long. I consider 40 
by 45 inches as the most desirable size. 

I should suppose a small farmer would require 
about 50, and extensive farmers from 100 to 200, 
without regard to the number of acres. 

My men think that they can make hay two 
hours sooner with the use of hay caps than with- 
out them, even if there should be no rain — they 
protect the hay against heavy dews. 

The size of a hay cock is in this region, on the 
first day of raking up, Avhen the hay is nearly 
green, about 5£ to 3 feet in height an'd about 
the same in diameter at the bottom — on the sec- 
ond day nearly double the size. 

It is now questionable whether any composi- 
tion is necessary, as the hay cover is not intend- 
ed to hold water, but to hern it. 

We know that a cotton umbrella is a very use- 
ful protection against rain, and such farmers as 
do not like the trouble of painting the cloth over, 
might supply themselves with a good brown c6t- 
ton sheeting and merely sew stones into the cor- 
ners, which would cost only about 8 cents each. 

When it was stated that the county of Wor- 
cester in this State would have saved. §20,000 
last year if the farmers had been supplied with 
the hay covers, it was not understood to what 
extent their hay crop was — they would have 
saved, I think, $150,000, as in very many instan- 
ces their hay was sold at half price and was 
only fit for bedding for their stock. 
Resj>ectfully yours, 

Edward Clarke. 

Northampton, Mass., Apl.. 25. 

Hay Covers. — Every Farmer Ms own Manu- 
facturer. Take a piece or more of yard wide 
unbleached cotton sheeting that can be bought 
for 7 or 8 cents per yard and tack it up on the 
sunny side of the barn or board fence. Then 
prepare the following mixture, namely: — For 
one gallon of linseed oil add about two pounds 
of beeswax, to be simmered together and when 
taken from the fire add about a quart of Japan. 
When it is cold, it should be about the thickness 
of paint. If too thin add more wax, and if too 
thick add more oil, — then paint the cloth over, 
on one side only, with a common paintbrush, 
and after drying a day or two take it down and 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



185 



cut it into squares, then pick up stones of about 
6 or 8 ounces each and get the females of the 
family to sew one into each corner and the thing 
is completed. It -would be an improvement to 
enclose the stones in a small bag and suspend 
them a few inches, which would be thought very 
little more trouble in so good a cause. No hem- 
ming the selvages is necessary. Cast-iron weights 
of 6 ounces each would cost about one cent 
apiece, but it is doubtful whether they would 
answer a better purpose than stones. Every far- 
mer should supply himself with these covers at 
once, as by and by, he will be too busy to attend 
to this matter. The immense losses sustained 
last year, by wet weather, should admonish him 
of its utmost importance. There is the best au- 
thority for stating thatthe county of Worcester 
alone, which produces upwards of 145,000 tons 
of hay annually, would have saved 20,000 dol- 
lars last year if the farmers had been supplied 
witn these hay covers. 

Hampshire Gazette. 

HALF-BRED SOUTH DOWNS. 

We have a few half-bred South-Down Buck 
Lambs for sale at §12.50 each, delivered in Rich- 
mond. We advise all persons to buy thorough 
bred stock in preference to half breeds ; and we 
would rather pay four times the difference. 

But many persons will not do it, or think they 
cannot afford it. To all such we offer the above 
lambs, which will be delivered in Richmond, at 
the basin, wharf, or any of the depots. 

WHAT PENNSYLVANIA FARMERS PAY 
ANNUALLY FOR THEIR HORSES. 

Messrs. Editors: — I note with much satis- 
faction that some of your correspondents have 
commenced a discussion in regard to the availa- 
bility of steam for agricultural purposes ; and 
trust it will be continued, as good only can re- 
sult from its agitation. Of it3 availability for all 
the in-door operations of the farm, such as 
grinding and shelling corn, cutting fodder, saw- 
ing timber, threshing, &c, we have abundant 
evidence of the most convincing character ; and 
it is only a few months since the agricultural 
world was startled by the announcement that 
Mr. Obed Hussey, of Baltimore, (the inventor of 
the first successful reaping machine,) had made 
an effectual application of it to plowing. How 
the cost of Mr. H's experiment compares with 
the same amount of labor performed by horses 
or oxen, we have not been informed, but the 
mere fact of such an experiment having been 
made, and having succeeded, at once demands an 
investigation on this important point — an inves- 
tigation which it is to be hoped some of your 
correspondents at yeiirselves will proceed to 
make. In the meantime allow me to present 
gome hasty estimates of the amount which Penn- 
sylvania pays annually for the support of her 
horse flesh. 

From some recently published statistics, I 



learn that there are in Pennsylvania 352,657 
horses and mules. Of this number, perhaps 52, 
658 are employed in cities and towns for other 
than agricultural purposes, leaving 300,000 for 
the use of the farmer. At the present price of 
horse provender, the average daily cost of feed- 
ing a working horse would- be fully 33J cents. 
Assuming this to be correct, the daily expendi- 
ture for horse feed in Pennsylvania is $100,000, 
or $36,500,000 per annum. 

The average lifetime of the horse is about 
nine years, and the average cost of his keeping 
for that time $1094,94. Shoeing, medical at- 
tendance, grooming, &c, not included. 

The average first cost of the 300,000 horses 
used in Pennsylvania for agricultural purposes 
is not less than $50 each, making an aggregate 
of $15,000,000, dividing which by nine, -(the 
average term of horse life,) and we have $1,666, 
660f , principal and interest, as the annual out- 
lay for horse flesh in our State, the whole of 
which is to be charged to the expense account of 
our agricultural operations. Let us now recap- 
itulate : 
Cost of feeding 300,000 horses one 

year, $36,500,000 

Average annual purchases, 1,666,666 

Average annual cost of shoeing, 

grooming, medicine, &c, $20 each, 6,000,000 



Making an aggregate of $44,166,666 

as the sum total of the amount which the people 
of this Commonwealth pay annually for horse 
flesh alone. At even the present high rates of 
produce, it is equal to more than the entire value 
of the wheat and oats of the State. 

From the above statements we find that more 
than 33',000 horses die annually, the average 
weight of which may be set down at 500 pounds 
each, or 26,400,000 pounds of flesh, bones, &c. 
abounding in nitrogen, the phosphates, &c It 
is asserted upon authority, that the body of a 
dead horse, cut to pieces, and mixed with ten 
loads of muck, becomes, in a single season, com- 
post of the most valuable character. If this be 
correct, and I believe it is, we ought to have 
from the carcases of the 33,000 dead horses, 
330,000 loads of compost, or sufficient to manure 
30,000 acres annually. 

Now, if the carcases of all the horses that die 
were taken care of as above suggested, what a 
vast addition to the fertilizing material of the 
State would they afford. Enough manure would 
be produced by them to add 600,000 bushels to 
the wheat yield of the State — an item certainly 
worth looking at. But it is more than probaljle, 
that not one carcase out of a hundred is ever cut 
up and mixed with muck, or even buried. Gen- 
erally, they are dragged to some out of the way 
place to furnish a banquet for the corn-thieving 
crows, are more than worthless dogs. 

These estimates are not presented as being ac- 
curately correct, but they are sufficiently so to 
render the enquiry whether steam or horse 
power is most economical, peculiarly interest- 
ing. — From the Farm Journal. 



186 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Commnication to the Virginia State Agricultural Society. 

TIDEGATE. 

[The following is the description of a Tidegate, subniitted to the committee of awards on that 
subject, at the Society's third annual exhibition, on which was awarded the premium of twenty 
dollars.] 




DESCRIPTION OF TIDEGATE. 



In the drawing, (b. b. b. b.) represents 
the embankment, which excludes the tide 
or other back-water, (a.) is the trunk, pro- 
jecting several feet on the outside of the 
embankment, and closed by a sliding gate, 
(c.) is a box attached to the gate, designed 
to be filled with rocks, so as to regulate its 
weight and make it sink more readily into 
the water, (e.) is a horizontal beam, freely 
vibrating upon the top of the post (d.) by 
the pivot (h.), and is connected at one ex- 
tremity, to the shaft of the gate, and at 
the other extremity, to a float (f.) of light 
wood. The weight of the float should be 
considerably greater than that of the gate, 
so as to overbalance the gate, and make it 
ascend as the float descends. The float is 
kept in its place by smoothe stakes (g. g. g.) 
driven into the ground around it, with suffi- 
cient play so as to allow it to move up and 
down readily when moved by the tides or 
back water. 

The " modus operandi" of the apparatus 
will be seen at a glance. The float being 
suspended at the lowest convenient point, 
and immediately at the edge of the stream, 
will rise with the tide or freshet, and the 
gate, thus gradually losing its counterpoise, 
will begin to descend by reason of it's own 
weight, and the weight of the box of stones 



attached to it. The improvement in this 
tidegate consists in a long smooth shaft at- 
tached to the gate, and a horizontal cross 
bar, just above the gate, through which bar 
the shaft works, thus giving steadiness to 
the gate and causing it to descend with pre- 
cision. In the original, exhibited last year, 
the gate would lean to one side or the other 
and its lower corners would thus wedge 
against the sides of the trunk, thus inter- 
rupting its free descent. But the improve- 
ment entirely obviates this defect, for the 
cross bar and shaft will always keep the gate 
perpendicular, and necessarily make its 
motion smooth and regular. 

The recommendations of this tidegate, 
are its cheapness, its simplicity of construc- 
tion, its long lasting, and the ease with 
which it is kept .in repair. There is only 
one moveable joint (h.) and this is above the 
reach of the salt water which would soon 
render useless all working joints with which 
it came into contact. This improved gate 
is believed to be much superior to the ori- 
ginal, and to be fully adapted to all the pur- 
poses for which it was designed, and in this 
belief, is most respectfully submitted to the 
committee of award by their humble ser- 
vant, the designer, James T. Redd. 

Henrico County, October 25, 1855. 



187 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



HOLLOW HORN. 

jMessrs. Editors. — The good example set 
me by J. W. M., in the Planter of this 
month, prompts me to write an article on 
the disease, here called " Hollow-horn," 
which, in my opinion, is much more appro- 
priate than "Horn-ail;" for, it at once de- 
clares the condition of the horn, and all 
will understand what is meant when it is 
mentioned. It is not generally considered 
a disease in itself? but the result of a dis- 
ease. Let that be as it may, animals often 
die for the want of attention to — and 
skill in the treatment of the horn directly. 

From experience in several cases among 
my own stock, and particular enquiry made 
of my neighbors who have had experience 
in the matter also, I do not hesitate in en- 
dorsing J. W. M.'s theory ; but must plead 
for the animal — to save the horns if possi- 
ble, for several reasons, such, as the excru- 
ciating pain it inflicts, if a portion of the 
bone, or pith, of the horn remains ; which, 
is hard to determine by having only a gim- 
let hole through which to examine. I have 
had them thrown into convulsions by saw- 
ing off horns which were partially hollow ; 
and, as they are often poor and weak, they 
cannot well endure the pain, nor spare the 
great amount of blood that will escape after 
such an operation ; also, the deformity ; 
together with an open horn to receive 
rains, snows, and frosts the remainder of 
its life, are sufficient, I think, to save the 
horn if possible. Therefore, I recommend 
boreing first with an ordinary shingle gimlet 
into the lower side of the horn about two 
or three inches from the head ; and if it is 
found (by using a crooked wire) that the 
horn is hollow, empty, and dry, let there be 
a table spoonful or more of finely ground 
black pepper, and as much fine salt blown 
into it through a quill. But, if the horn 
contains matter that cannot escape through 
so small a hole, enlarge it, even to three 
fourths »)f an inch in diameter, so the clots 
can escape, after the horn is emptied of 
all loose matter, blow in the pepper and 
salt. 

If after this treatment the animal does 
not very speedily improve, remove one 
horn ; and, if that fails, remove the other 
in a day or two, or sooner if absolutely ne- 
cessary. 

If the blood flows very freely after saw- 
ing off the horn apply dry horse manure, 



(first filling up with pepper and salt) which 
keep to the place by the application of sev- 
eral thicknesses of cotton cloth well tarred. 

The horn may be warm, and yet dis- 
eased ; but, if the horn be cold, and upon 
tapping it with a hard substance, it sounds 
hollow, be assured that boreingis necessary. 

I have always found accompanying the 
hollow-horn, a soft place in the tail some 
six inches or a foot from the lower end, a 
perfect decaying of the bone — it is called 
here "the wolf in the tail," it should be 
attended to at the same time with the horn. 

It is treated in different ways ; one, by 
cutting off the tail above the diseased por- 
tion and filling it with pepper and salt and 
bandaging it — the disease can be detected 
by squeazing the tail between the finger 
and thumb. 

These diseases are not confined to any 
condition ; fat cattle suffer from them as 
well as poor. 

Before I close I would suggest that it is 
very important to raise all cattle that can- 
not get up themselves, as soon as possi- 
ble ; because, the longer they lay, the 
more discouraged they become, and will 
lose the use of their limbs. The best sim- 
ple contrivance that I am acquainted with 
for the purpose is to procure a piece of 
strong iinnen as wide as from the fore legs 
to the hind ones — (the length of the belly,) 
and twice as long as from midway on one 
side, to midway on the other side, mea- 
suring underneath: then, sew the ends to- 
gether (as a hoop), and place it under the 
animal, it will be double ; through each end 
pass a pole front twelve to fifteen feet in 
length ; immediately in front of, and about 
three feet from the animal plant a strong 
stake about four feet high, and then raise 
the ends of the poles and secure them to 
the stake, as high, as midway the sides of 
the animal when standing; then plant a 
similar stake at the hind end of each pole ; 
then, raise one pole at a time; or, both to- 
gether, as the force may be ; and secure 
each pole to its own stake as a proper 
height to elevate the invalid so it can stand. 
It is well to apply a leather strap around 
the breast from pole to pole ; and, one also 
behind, from pitching forward or backward. 

While it is all important not to let it lay 
too long, it is also necessary to let it down 
occasionally to relieve its limbs, &c. 

J. M. B. 



188 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



A HERD OF HEAVY CATTLE. 

For a year or two past there has been a 
spirited competition between some of the 
great stock farmers of Illinois. The object 
being to produce the heaviest herd of cattle 
of 100 head. 

In the spring of 1855, B. F. Harris, of 
Champaign County, sold one hundred head 
of cattle, the average weight of which was 
1,865 pounds. 

Determined to improve on these weights, 
but in the generous an manly spirit of com- 
petition which is always productive of great 
results, Mr. Rufus Calef and Henry Jaco- 
by, both neighbors of Mr. Harris, and 
large and opulent stock farms, joined forces, 
and shipped in the spring of 1855, one hun- 
dred fat cattle, the average weight of which 
was 2,090 pounds, thus leading Harris 125 
pounds to the bullock. 

This put Harris on his mettle, and about 
the middle of last March, Dr. Johns, the 
President of the Illinois State Agricultural 
Society, was called upon to attend the 
weighing of another herd of 100 head, be- 
longing to Mr. Harris. The aggregate 
weight of the herd was 118 3-5 tons, or 2,- 
372 pounds each ! Twenty-five of the best 
and fattest averaged 2,662 pounds each. 
"The Baby" of the twenty-five kicked the 
beam at 2876 pounds. They were so fat 
that three days were required to drive them 
to the station, 14 miles distant. 

The average of the 100 is less than five 
years. Not one has ever been hou ed a day 
in his life ; a half dozen pairs only have 
been yoked, and a less number worked. 
They have been pastured and herded on the 
prairies in the summer, and in the winter 
fed on corn in the shock and sound timothy, 
and yarded along the skirts of the Sanga- 
mon timber. 

It is said that Mr. Harris is likely to rale- 
ize from $18,000 to $20,000 for the lot. 



[For the Southern Planter. ~\ 
Number of Members of the State Ag- 
ricultural Society in the several 
counties and towns in virginia. 
The Secretary has completed from the 
records of his office a transcript of the 
names of the Life and Annual members of 
the Virginia State Agricultural Society for 
each of the counties and towns in the State. 
These lists are necessarily imperfect, not 
only on account of omissions, but of the 
changes which are constantly occurring by 



reason of deaths, removals and withdrawals. 
But they are to be submitted to Commis- 
sioners appointed to superintend elections 
to the Farmers Assembly in order to obtain 
and have reported by the 1st of July such 
corrections and additions thereto as will be 
at least an approximation to general accu- 
racy and serve the purpose of a practical 
and equal adjustment of representation ac- 
cording to the scale of apportionment con- 
tained in the amended constitution. Coun- 
ties or towns having fifty members, will 
separately constitute an 'electoral district 
and be entitled to elect one delegate — those 
having one hundred and fifty ; — two dele- 
gates ; — and an additional one for every ad- 
ditional hundred members listed. Other 
counties and towns having less than fifty 
members will be united as compactly as 
may be, so as to form other electoral dis- 
tricts out of two, or as many more as may 
be necessary to furnish collectively an ag- 
gregate of at least fifty members, to entitle 
such district to elect one representative. 
Many counties and several towns falling 
below the number necessary to constitute 
a separate district, may yet desire to aug- 
ment their membership to the number re- 
quired to ensure that privilege, and others 
having numbers sufficient for the election 
of one, two or more representatives with a 
large fractional excess, may desire to obtain 
the complement of another hundred, by the 
addition of new members, thereby entitling 
themselves to an additional representative. 
To enable all who desire to make such ef- 
forts, to do it with a correct knowledge of 
their numerical standing, the following ab- 
stract of numbers from the general lists, is 
subjoined, showing first, such counties and 
towns as constitute separately an electoral 
district and also the number of delegates 
to which each is entitled, and secondly, the 
counties and towns which fall below the 
number of resident members, necessary to 
constitute an independent district. It will 
be seen by reference to this abstract that a 
little effort only on the part of commission- 
ers or other zealous friends of the society, 
will be required to secure the complement 
of numbers necessary to erect many coun- 
ties into separate districts which must oth- 
erwise form but an integral part of one com- 
posed of two or more counties or towns. It 
will be also observed that other counties 
and towns having one or more representa- 
tives, with a large fraction still unrepre- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



189 



sented, may by corresponding exertion in- 
crease their membership so as to gain an 
additional representative. But let it be dis- 
tinctly understood and remembered that these 
changes must be reported to the Secretary by 
or before the first day in July next, because 
at that time he is required to conclude the 
arrangement of districts with reference to 
then existing numbers and no new mem- 
bers enlisted thereafter can change the ba- 
sis of representation for the present year, 
although all such, who up to the close of 
the elections, shall join the Society, will 
have equal right with older members to 
vote for as many representatives to the 
Farmers Assembly as may be assigned to 
his district in the apportionment to be then 
fixed and determined. 

Abstract of members taken from the lists of 
members of the Virginia State Agricultu- 
ral Society. 



Albemarle 


495 5 


Alexaudria (county 




and town) 


107 1 


Amelia 


212 2 


Au nsta 


50.5 5 


Bedford 


117 1 


Botetourt 


65 1 


Brunswick 


100 1 


Buckingham 


132 1 


Campbell, (exclusive 


of Lvnchburg) 


77 1 


Caroline 


150 2 


Charles City 


55 I 


Charlotte 


315 3 


Clarke 


51 1 


Chesterfi.dd 


292 3 


Culpeper 


85 1 


Cumberland 


149 1 


Dinwiddie, (exclusive 


ol Petersburg) 


66 1 


Fauquier 


87 1 


Frederick 


04 1 


Fluvanna 


841 


Greene 


77 1 


Goochland 


91 1 


Halilax 


236 2 


Hanover, 


246 2 



Counties in which the me 
and as yet too few to make 
Countie*. Member*. 

Accomac 3 

Alleghany 8 

Amherst 41 

Appomattox 31 



Henrico, (exclusive 

of Richmond city) 466 5 
Jefferson 67 1 
King William 79 1 
King and Queen 75 1 
Lvnchburg 144 1 
Louisa 297 3 
Lunenberg 189 2 
Madison 104 1 
Mecklenberg 146 1 
Montgomery 64 1 
New-Kent 50 1 
Nottovay 190 2 
Norfolk city 79 1 
Orange 146 1 
Petersburg 374 4 
Pittsylvania 118 1 
Prince Edward 273 3 
Prince George 78 1 
Powhatan 167 2 
Richmond City 1569 16 
Roanoke 78 1 
Rockbridge 139 1 
Rockingham 106 1 
Spotsylvania, (inclu- 
ding Fredericks- 
burg) 102 1 
Wythe 69 1 
inbers under 50 in number, 
eparate electoral districts : 
Counties. Members. 
Monroe 10 
Morgan 2 
Nanscmond 3 
Nelson 45 



Barbour 1 Norfolk County, exclu- 

Bath 19 sive of city and inclu- 

Berkeley 2 ding Portsmouth) 4 

Boone Nicholas 

Braxton Northampton l3 

Brooke Northumberland 2 

Cabell 1 Ohio, (including Wheel- 

Craig 6 ing) 3 

Carroll 5 Page 15 

DoddriJge Patrick 4 

Elizabeth City 19 Pendleton 

Essex 45 Pleasants 

Fairfax 28 Pocahontas 

Fayette Preston 

Flovd 6 Princess Anne 16 

Franklin 22 Prince William 14 

Giles 12 Pulaski 19 

Gilmer Putnam 1 

Gloucester 33 Raleigh 1 

Grayson 3 Randolph 

Greenbrier' 18 Rappahannock 14 

Greensville 26 Richmond County 3 

Hampshire 4 Ritchie 

Hancock Russell 

Hardy I Scott 

Harrison 1 Shenandoah -25 

Henry 18 Smyth 9 

Highiand 18 Southampton 10 

Isle of Wight 7 Surry 21 

Jackson 7 Sussex , 9 

James Citv 17 Stafford 21 

Kanawha" 7 Taylor 1 

King George 14 Tazewell 4 

Lancaster 6 Tyler 

Lee Upshur - 

Lewis Warwick 1 

Logan Warren 9 

Loudoun 44 Wayne 

Marion Wetzel 

Marshall Washington 19 

Mason 5 Wood 1 

Mathews 4 Wyoming 

Middlesex 6 Westmoreland 35 

Mercer 5 Wirt 

Monongalia 1 Williamsburg 9 

York 6 

Life members 1,465 

Non-resident membeis.. 224 

Total members of society 10,103 

CHEAP OIL FOR KITCHEN LAMPS. 

"We find the following, says the New England 
Farmer, in an old almanac, and think that if it 
will operate as stated, it would be of some con- 
sequence in our domestic economy. To keep a 
good light at the present high price of oil is 
quite an item of expense, any suggestion that 
will put us in the way of reducing that expense, 
and of obtaining a good light at the same time, 
is worthy of consideration. Oil that could be 
purchased five years ago for §1-25 per gallon, 
now sells at §5, and the dirty whale oil that was 
then considered unfit for the most common use, 
is selling now at eighty or ninety cents, and 
even one dollar a gallon : 

"Let all scraps of fat (including even what- 
ever bits are on the dinner plates) and all drip- 
pings, be set in a cold place. When the crock 
is full, transfer .the fat to an iron pot filling it 
half way up with fat, and pour in sufficient cold 
water to reach the top. Set it over the fire, and 
boil and skim, till the impurities are removed. 
Next pour the melted fat into a large broad pan 
of cold water, and set it away to cool. It will 
harden into a cake. Then take out the cake, and 



190 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



put it away in a cool place. When -wanted for 
use, cut off a sufficient quantity, melt by the fire 
till it becomes liquid, and then till the lamp with 
it, as with lard. It will give a clear bright 
light, quite equal to that of lard, and better than 
whale oil, and it costs nothing but the trouble of 
preparing the fat. We highly recommend this 
piece of economy." 



PEA WEVILS. 
Few persons (says Dr. Harris,) while indul 
ging in early green peas, are aware how many of 
these insects they swallow. When these pods 
are examined, small discolored spots may be seen 
within each corresponding with a similar spot on 
the opposite pea. If this spot on the pea be 
opened, a minute whitish grub, without feet, 
will be found therein. It is thewevil in its larvo 
form lives upon the marrow of the pea, and ar- 
rives at its full size by the time the pea is dry. 
The larva then bores a round hole, from the hol- 
low in the centre of the pea, quite to the hull, 
but leaves the germ of the future sprout un- 
touched. This insect is limited to a certain pe- 
riod for depositing its eggs. Late sown peas es- 
cape its attacks. Those sown after the 10th of 
June are generally safe. 



WOOL— CLEANING AND CARDING. 

The manufacturing of rolls is a very different 
business now, from what it was in the days of 
our grandmothers. Then every farmer made 
his. own cloth, and carding-machines were as 
plenty as grist-mills. Now they are scarce and 
every day diminishes the number. Then, clean 
wool was an object, now, heft and fineness of 
fleece is sought. A machine could then card 
from two to three pounds of rolls per day — now 
from 40 to 60 is the extent of the capacity of 
even larger and better machines. 

The difference is in the fineness and gum of 
the wool. No Merino wool can be carded into 
good rolls without cleansing. It is idle to ex- 
pect it, and be it known that ninety nine cases 
in every one hundred, bad carding is the result 
of improperly preparing the wool. Wool is not 
always clean when it is washed white. Clean- 
sing wool, is, by far, a more difficult operation 
than carding. Those who have wool to card had 
better take it to the machine to be cleaned and 
carded, when they have conveniences for doing 
it properly, The charge for cleaning will not 
exceed a penny per pound. Never grease wool 
till the day it is carded. Carry the grease to the 
machine with the wool. Grease on wool soon 
becomes rancid and then it is as bad as the gum 
and dirt on the fleece. 

As some will cleanse, or attempt to cleanse 
their own wool, it may not be amiss to give some 
directions upon the subject. Ten years expe- 
rience qualify me to say, that the following re- 
cipe will work well, with proper care. To four 
pails water, add four quarts of salt; heat the 
solution as hot as you can bear the hand in it ; 



put in the wool loosely, say 2 lbs at once ; in ten 
minutes it will be cleansed ; squeeze out the 
liquid, (which is better than before for the sec- 
ond use,) and while the wool is warm rinse in 
plenty of water. 

Many use soap, pound the wool, or rub it on 
a wash-board ; this is all wrong, as such a course 
fulls the wool like a felt hat, and fails to remove 
the gum. It is difficult to convince such a prac- 
titioner that cle msing wool is a chemical pro- 
cess not mechanical. Soap renders wool sticky. 
No one need fear having his wool " dropped" if 
it be well cleansed. Clean wool is perfectly 
white and free from gum. Again, wool must 
not be left in a pile while wet, till it musts or 
mildews, if so, no machine I ever saw will card 
it well. I say again, pick out all burs, sort your 
wool as you want it, and take it together with 
the grease to the machine, and say to the carder 
a cleanse and card." If you do so, the chances 
"are you will have good rolls. Perhaps others 
may know of a better recipe than the above. 

G.'.T 



Hamptox, April 29, 1856. 

Mr. Editor, — As the time is at hand for bugs 
to make their attack on Melon, Pumpkin, and 
Cymblin vines, permit me to make known, 
through your valuable paper, a remedy, a single 
application of which, put an immediate stop to 
the ravages, a host of them were committing on 
my vines, last Spring. The vines were sprinkled 
with water, well impregnated with the oder of 
coal tar. The bugs instantly rose from them, 
like a flock of black birds, and never returned. 
I had my Rutobaga plants, as soon as they came 
up, treated in like manner, and no insect at- 
tacked them. 

Very Respectfully, Yrs. &c. 

G. W. Semple. 



Three Tracts of Land for Sale- 

I WILL SELL AT PRIVATE SALE THREE 
TRACTS OF LAND, in the county of Bucking- 
lam; in the lower end of the county, and immediately 
in the neighborhood of the Female Institute, containing 
Five Hundred Acres, two hundred of which is in origi- 
nal forest growth, lies well, well watered, and in an 
agreeable neighborhood ; one Tract in the upper end 
ot the county containing Thiee Hundred Acres, about 
fifty acres of creek low grounds upon the same, nearly 
all in original forest growth, and well timbered, and un- 
commonly well watered and abounding in springs of 
the very best order; one other Tract, containing Seven 
Hundred and Filty Acres, heavily timbered, well wa- 
tered, and nearly all in original forest growth.. 

Presuming that no person would like to purchase 
without fust viewing the land, I decline giving a de- 
tailed description of the same — inviiing all persona 
wishing to purchase to call upon me and judge for 
themselves, as I am determined to sell, and will sell a 
great bargain in the above lands. 

June 1—4: • ROBERT MOORE. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



191 



All persons who have made pay-/J P Wilcox, Sept 1856 
meats early enough to be entered,? T VV L Fauntleroy, Jan 1857 
and whose names do not appear imByrd Rogers, May 1857 
the following receipt list, are request-jjas Woodfin, Jan 1857 
ed to give immediate notice of the)VV A VVinfree, Jan 1857 
omission, in order that the correction'E Boyden, Jan 1857 
may be made in the next issue : (T G Peachy, Jan 1859 
LIST OF PAYMENTS. VV D Leake, Jan 1858 

From 22„ d April to 23* of May ^^VY^oA! 1^7 
Jno G Carr, Jan 1860 5 00)j no l Lipscomb, Jan 1857 

2 25 <J A F Randolph, June 1856 
1 °°<Ro M Whalev, Jan 1857, 
1 00 ;C Breckenridge, Jan 1857 
6 °°W Smith, Jan 1S57 
1 °0 Dr \V Selden, Jan 1857 
1 33 (Geo Hocker, Jan 1857 
6 00(j acoo Baylor, Jan 1858 

3 °°}Dr J H Parrish, Jan 1857 
1 00 J Overbv, Nov 1856 
1 00|j \v Allen, Jan 1858 

1 00 Thos Patterson, Sept 1857 

4 75<\Vm M Miller, Jan 1856 

2 0(K Geo w Kvle, Jan 1857 

1 On Dr J Michaux, Jan 1857 

2 00 E F Baugh, Jan 1857 

3 00 w B Blanton, Jan 1857 

1 0° M Clarke, Jan 1857 

2 2o U p s tran ge, Julv 1857 

3 50 w J Robertson, Sept 1858 

1 00/\Vm Hall, Julv 1856 

2 00^a B Davidson, Jan 1856 

1 00<x J Massie, Jan 1857 

2 5U;R M Nimmo, Jan 1857 
1 00, w A Sweet, Jan 1857 

1 00;W G Harman, Jan 1856 

2 00; j b Breckenridge, Julv 1856 
2 00<.j Kinney, Jan 1856 
1 00;p Powers, April 1856 
1 00,3 B Brown, Jan 1856 
1«00<R Guy, Sep 1.856 

1 OOtGeo Poage, Aug 1856 

2 25JVV B Cochran, Aug 1856 
2 00/J A Cochran, Jan 1855 
1 58 (A D Wren, Sep 1856 
1 33;T. J. Michie, April 1856 

1 00' W Smith, Jan 1856 

2 50:J VV Bell, July 1856 
33 ( WB Johnson, Julv 1856 

2 00 ( J D Brown. Jan 1856 
1 50;r Hanger, July 1856 
1 33'R B Brown, Aug 1856 
1 00;B B Acord, June 1853 

3 10,J M Morson, July 1559 
1 00 : Tho3 Young, Jan 1857 

1 OO^B W Finnev, May 1857 

2 OOjJosiah Collins, July 1S59 

3 00!J F McGeorge, Jan 1856 
3 Olljj M NicoUoii, Jan 1857 
2 00'A Leyburn, Jan 1857 
1 00> S Dandridge, Julv 1856 



J T Redd, Jan 185? 
H M Baker, March, 1S57 
Jno A Payne, Nov. 1856 
A W Robbins, Jan 1857 
W. L. Pannell, Jan 1857 
Jas M Adams, Jau 1857 
Jas Spindle, Jan 1857 
Jno Tarrant, Jan 1857 
Thos B Payne, Jan 1857 
V Bargamin, Jan 1857 
J G Cabell, May 1857 
Jno E Jones, Jan 1857 
Lem Turner, Jan 1857 
Jos T Henlev, Jan 1857 
E C Wiugfiefd, July 1857 
R D Simms, July 1856 
D B Harris, Jan 1857 
F Burns, Aug 1857 
T C Law, Jan 1857 
Geo Taylor, Jan 1857 
E Wortham, Jan 1857 
H C France, Jan 1857 
Jno Keen, Jan 1857 
R W Tunstall, March 1857 
Thos Cook Jan 1856 
J M Stout, July 1857 
W Sandidge, Jan 1857 
Ja3 W Conway, Jan 1856 
W J Barrow, Jan 1857 
Jas C Roy, Jan 1857 
G Depp, Jan 1857 
W H Goodwin, Jan 1857 
T C foster, Jan 1857 
J R Fleet, May 1856 
Wm M Shepherd, Jan 1857 
Thomas S Martin, Oct 1856 
Boiling Jones, Jan 1856 
J N Faulcon. Jan 1856 
Lem. Martin, Jan 1857 
S B Finley, Jan 1857 
W A Scott, Jan 1857 
Ja* L Milts, Jan 1857 
H J B Clarke, May 1856 
M T Campbell, Jan 1*57 
R T Jones, May 1857 
R Harrison, Jan 1853 
Jno W Watkins, Jan 1857 
Jno H Watkins, Juu 1857 
W Gibson, Jan 1857 
W Murray. Jan 1857 



Mrs R J Washington, July '56 1 00;VV Hayward,Yan 1856 



T J Sorsbv, Jan 1857 

T H Walthall, Jan 1857 

Jno Ruff, June 1857 

F L Taylor, Jan 1861 

J D Turpin, Jan 1856 

H Harrison, July 1856 

W P Braxton, Jan 1857 

Dr. G- P. Holernan, Jan 1857 

C P Moncure, . " 

W H Cosby, June 1856 

Dr E A Solmond, Jan 1857 

T J Ancrurn, Jan 1857 

W A Ancram, Jan 1857 

T E Graves, Jan 1857 

J H Steger, Jan 1857 

N Burnley, July 1856 

T J McClintock, May 1857 

Jno H Winston, April 1859 

T T Pettoa, Jan 1857 

W Peachy, March 1857 



6 00JL J Chappell, Jan 1857 

1 00(A H Ferguson, Jan 1857 

2 OOtt A B Thornton, Jan 1857 
10 00'J A Thomson, Julv 1856 

6 00' J S Nicholas, Jan 1857 

1 25/Powhatan Jones, Sept 1856 

1 0U 7 G C Scott, Jan 1857 

2 00'J W Backhouse, Jan 1857 

1 OO^W C Terry, April 1856 

3 2-VR Sayers, Jan 1856 

2 0WV O Witcher, May 1857 

2 0O/P St, Geo Cocke, Jan 1857 
2 00'Jno W Talbott, Jan 1857 
2 25 ; 3aml Holernan, Jan 1857 

1 OO^Andw Maxwell, Jan 1857 

2 50CJo9 B Traylor, Jan 1857 
1 OOYB B Saunders, Jan 1857 
5 OU'Jas H Buckley, Jan 1857 
1 00'R D Powell, Jun 1857 

4 00' J C Crutchfield, Jan 1857 



3 75>W Mitchell, Jan 1857 
1 00 >Jno Jeter, Jan 1857 

1 00 ( Jas D Scott, Jan 1857 

2 08 \B B Keesee, Jan 1857 
2 50 Jas File. Jan 1858. 

2 25<Jas Davis, Julv 1856 

3 00 : Ben Hoover, "" 1857 

3 50 IJanies Jones, Sept 1856- 
1 00 SD J Hartsook, " " 
1 00 ;P H Steenbeigen, Jan 1856 
1 00 ;Geo R Goldsborougb, " 1857 
3 00 ;G W Semple, 

1 00 T B Davis, 

2 25 IM P Sledge, 
1 00 !P B Sledge, 
1 00 J J Deal, 
1 00 ;Geo A Bailey, " 

3 50 Jos W Booth, " 
5 00 A J Bishop, " 

1 25: Geo W Harris, July 1856 

2 OOiHenry Duerson, Jan 1856 

3 50 :H M Nelson, •• 1857 
1 25 VV B Irbv, 

1 00 W A Dearing, Nov '• 

2 25 >VV Old, Jan 1858 

2 25 'Jno Aldridge, July 1857 

3 00 JJ T Britt, April 

1 00 (Jas Hobson. Nov 1856 

4 00 Is O Perkins, Jan 1857 

5 00 (Sam] M Petlit, Sept 1856 
1 00 JA Branch, Jan 1857 

1 00|VV B Murray, " 

2 00 R VV Griswold, " 

1 40 (Joshua Cannon, " " 

1 00 P Harrison, 

2 25 j L Davis, " « 

2 25 N Walton, Sept 1856 

6 00 JMaj J Paxton, May 1857, 

3 50)WGMaddox,Jan " 

4 75 Thos Walker, " •' 
2 25 E B Hunter, " « 
4 75 >L Blanton, Dec 1856 

4 75 p La Prade, Jan 1857 

1 25 JG J Gardner, " " 

2 25 Geo E Naff, June 1856 

1 00 N F Cabell, Jan 1857 
4 75 V Phillips, 

3 50 jW C Marrow, 

4 75 (A A McPheters, '• 

3 50'CH McConnick " 

4 75 L VV Cabell, " 1S56 
3 50 J A Robertson, " 

2 00 P Fowlkes, " 1857 

5 00 L Osburne, " " 
1 00 B Osburne, 

1 00 fW D McGuire, « 

3 00 B F Garnett. 

1 25 B VV Bailey, 

2 OOJJordan Harris, Jan 1857 

3 50; W C Johnson, Mav " 
3 75;WS Jones, Jan 

1 25; WH Tunstall, " « 

3 50 JO P Gray, « 

4 00 (Dr J Trent, « 

2 00 iN Qnesenberry, " 

2 25 JE J Bates, Dec 1856 

3 50 ;B I, Barrow, Jan 1857 

1 25 C Wingfield, July 1856 

1 OOlWT Blair, J an 1857 

2 25 SW Waiden. 

2 50 E J Harrison, " 

1 25;Wm Henderson, " " 

1 00 jT VV White, 

!T J Boyd, « « 

(A K Fulton, " '< 

WO Eubank, « 1858 
M Pitzer, « 1356 

,8 00 AT M Rust, July 

P J Fowlkes, Jan " 

W P Dickinson, Nov " 
Thos Whitworth, Jan 1857 
R N Neblett, '• 1858 



00 

00 
00 
00 
^5 
50 
00 
00 
75 
00 
uu 
d0 
00 
uo 

00 



2 00 



2 00 
2 00 
2 00 
2 50 
2 50 
2 00 

i oo 

2 00 
4 00 

3 00 
3 50 

2 50 
1 00 
6 25 
1 00 

3 25 
1 00 
1 00 



75 
00 
50 
00 
00 

00 

00 

2 00 

1 25 

1 00 

2 87 

3 50 
1 00 
1 00 

1 00 

4 75 

2 50 



1 00 

1 00 

2 75 

2 25 

3 00 
2 00 
1 00 
1 00 

1 00 

2 25 
2 25 

2 25 

3 50 
1 00 
1 00 

1 00 

2 50 
1 00 

1 00 

2 25 
2 00 

11 00 
2 00 
2 00 
1 00 
1 25 
1 25 
6 00 

1 00 

2 25 
2 Oo 



192 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



T L Preston, Jan 1856 
J R Quarles, Jan 1857 
J S Perkins, Mav 
J Ruffner, June '1856 



2 50\Vm Kinney, June 
1 OOCjno B Avres.Sep 
1 00\Hill Carter, Jan 
1 50<\Vm Gough, " 



1855, 2 50 C S Gay, Jan 1556 1 00 

1856 5 00 iB Wiggenton, Jan 1857 2 00 

1857 3 00 )T Evans, Oct 1856 1 00 
1 00\Wm Hughes, July " 1 25 



WEBSTER'S DICTIONARIES. 

WEBSTER'S QUARTO DICTIONARY, 

WEBSTER'S ACADEMIC DICTIONARY, 

WEBSTER'S HIGH SCHOOL DICTIONARY, 

WEBSTER'S PRIMARY SCHOOL DICTIONARY, 

WEBSTER'S POCKET DICTIONARY. 

Affording, in thrir various sizes, all that is desirable 

in a Dictionary for the Library, the Counting Room, 

the Family, the School or Private Student. 

The estimation, in which Dr. Webster's Dictionaries 
are held, .as authority in Definitions, Orthography and 
Pronunciation, will be apparent from the following 
among other facts : 

1. Nine-tenths of the School Books issued in this 
country recognize Webster as their general standard, 
and of the rest very few recognize any particular 
standard. 

2. Ten times as mahy copies are sold of Webster's 
Dictionaries in the United States, as of any other simi- 
lar work compiled in this country. 

3. Where present good usage sanctions more than 
one mode of orthography. Dr Webster's works now 
present usually both forms, thus obviating any honest 
objection on that score. 

4. Nearly every State Superintendent of Public In- 
struction in the Union, or corresponding officer, where 
such an one exists, has recommended Webster's Dic- 
tionaries in the strongest -terms. Among these are 
those of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu- 
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jer- 
sey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama 
Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Mich- 
igan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, and inclu- 
ding Canada, twenty-three in all. These gentlemen, 
occupying this high educational position, can of course 
exert a very commanding influence in securing that 
uniformity in the use of language, and in the orthogra- 
phy and pronunciation of words, so greatly to be de- 
sired, and to such a great degree already secured bv 
Dr Webster's Dictionaries. His conceded pre-eminence 
as a definer, the convenience, simplicity, and symmetry 
of his system of orthography, and his scheme oi pronun- 
ciation, alike free from the extremes of affectation and 
vulgarity, present the strongest claims for the adoption 
and general use of his Dictionaries, as well by the 
scholar and the man of business as the pupils in our 
common schools and higher seminaries of learning. 

jjg^ We have the pleasure of appending two or 
three official State recognitions of Webster, received, as 
will be noticed by the dates, during the present month. 
The universality of an uniform usage thns being at- 
tained, can but be gratifying to every intelligent edu- 
cator who appreciates the advantage of such uniformity. 
From the State Superintendent of 'Alabama, 

Win F. Perry. 
" Montgomery, Ala., April 10, 1856 } 

" Office of State Sup. Pub. Instruction. \ 
"The high opinion entertained by me of Webster's 
Dictionaries, has induced me to recommend their intro- 
duction to all the public schools of Alabama. 

WM. F. PERRY. 
State Superintendent." 

From the Slate Superintendent of North Carolina, 
lion C. H. Wiley. 
'Greensboro,' N. C, April 14.1856. 
'The Unabridged Dictionary of Noah Webster, re- 
vised and enlarged by Dr. Goodrich, should be among 
the first standard literary works bought. It is invalua- 
ble to the student ; and to all who wish to become good 
scholars, it is the most important work on the English 
Language now extant. I find that Webster's smaller 
works of the kind are much more extensively used, 
* * * while his Spelling Book is on my list of works 



recommended, and his Unabridged Dictionary is also my 
preference among the higher works of this kind. A 
new aud more convenient abridgement of Webster's 
large work called the High School and Pronouncing 
Dictionary, has made its appearance, and hence, there 
is not now the necessity for recommending a work not 
so well known to our people as those of Noah Webster. 

C. H. WILEY. 
State Superintendent." 
NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
The New Hampshire State Board of Education, at 
its recent meeting in Concord, March 28, 1856, 

•' Voted, unanimously, that we do recommend * * * * 
Webster's Series of Dictionaries, as standard text- 
books in the schools of this State, to the exclusion of 
all others. JONA TENNER. 

Sec'y N. H. Board of Education." 

G. & C. MERIAM, Springfield. 

HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 

MASON & BROTHERS, New York. 

D. APPLETON & CO , New York. 

J.B. LIPP1NCOTT & CO., Philadelphia. 
Sold by J.W.RANDOLPH. 

June 9— It Richmond, Va. 

GRAIN CRADLEST 

Cosbys, Grants Wire Brace, and Saunders Superior 
Grain Cradles, Grass Scythes, and a general assort- 
ment of Agriculture implements to suit the season. 
Agricultural Peas of several kinds for sale by 
June 1— It WM. PALMER. 

CONTENTS OF SO. VI. 

Essay on Irrigation, Page 161 

Gapes in Chickens, - «.172 

Circular Self- Acting Gate, 173 

Preparing Food for Farm Stock, 174 

To Delinquent Subscribers, „ 177 

Sale of Devon Cattle, 178 

The Guano Convention, 178 

Use of Kelp as Manure, 181 

TheNFew Esculent Root, 181 

Princess Alice Maud Strawberries, 182 

Guano Attachment to the Wheat Drill, 182 

Gardening for the South, 182 

Mr. Crenshaw's Land for Sale, 183 

The Wheat Crop, 183 

Harvest, Drink, Diet and Medicine, 183 

Hay Covers, 184 

Half-Bred South Downs, 185 

What Pennsylvania Farmers Pay Annually 

for their Horses, 185 

Tidegate, ■ 186 

Hollow Horn, 187 

A Herd of Heavy Cattle, 188 

Number of Members of the Agricultural 

Society of Virginia, 188 

Cheap Oil for Kitchen Lamps, 189 

Pea Wevils, 190 

Wool — Cleaning and Carding, 190