■ THE 



SOUTHERN 




Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Household Arts. 

Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. I Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of 
— Xmoiphon. • the State. — Sxdly. 



FRANK. G. RUFFIN, Editof.. 



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



Vol. XVI. 



RICHMOND, AUGUST, 1856. 



No. 8. 



TO CHRISTOPHER QUANDARY. 

Dear Christopher: — I have to acknowledge 
the receipt of your letter asking my advice 
about overseers — the management of your farm, 
and the best course to pursue, to enable you to 
pay your present debts. You also desire to 
know whether I think it wise or unwise for the 
agricultural class to purchase goods, &c, upon 
credit, and in anticipation of large crops and 
high prices. 

Rochefoucault has truly said "there is nothing 
"f which we are so liberal as of advice" and 
that we may ''give advice,but we cannot give con- 
duct." My advice is not gratuitous, but offered 
at your request. Your father and myself were 
old friends. He died in 1850, (about the time 
you graduated at the University,) and through 
him you inherited a good estate. I learn from 
you that you. reside upon this farm and that for 
the last five years you have been engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. I have live 1 longer than 
you, and as I sincerely desire the prosperity of 
all the agricultural community, I shall comply 
with your wishes. Educated young gentlemen 
cannot expect to become good managers iv.atan- 
ter. Their ignorance of practical agriculture, 
and their want of experience have more fre- 
quently attracted my sympathy than excited 
my surprise. If aDy of the suggestions which 
I design to present, should prove of any service 
to you. I shall be fully compensated for address- 
ing you. 

If you have read the excellent editorial arti- 
cles in recent numbers of the Southern Planter 
upon the duties and qualifications of overseers, 
you will not care much to read my views on 
the same subject. Referring you to those 
essays, I content myself with only afew observa- 
tions on this topic. The supply of really good 
overseers is not adequate to the demand, and 
hence it often happens, that farmers are induced 
to employ, as overseers, men wholly incompe 
tent to discharge the duties ordinarily required. 
An overseer should possess discrimination and 
judgment, a strong constitution and good 
health, industry, integrity, patience and perse- 



verance. To these let him add sobriety and 
self-command. He should not delude himself 
with the notion that the political affairs of the 
country and the salvation of the confederacy 
imperatively require him to become a political 
partisan, or that the municipal affairs of his 
county will be entirely mismanaged unless he 
neglects the business of his employer and rides 
to every monthly, quarterly and circuit court 
to ''hear the news" and "to see and be seen." 
He is paid for his time and services, and to the 
diligent performance of those services he should 
devote himself. He should push his business 
and not allow his business to push him. He 
should love and speak the truth, and remember 
that if he does not, his employer will soon de- 
tect and cease to respect him. He should main- 
tain a proper discipline, but always ohserve 
justice and humanity. He should require fair 
and reasonable work, but carefully abstain 
from excessive labor, or improper exposure of 
his laborers during bad weather. He should 
strive to make good crops and at the same time 
improve the soil — attend faithfully and regu- 
larly to the horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, &c. 
Between him and his employer there should be 
courtesy always — consultation occasionally — 
familiarity at no time. It is the duty of the 
overseer to respect the wishes and execute the 
orders of his employer, whether the overseer ap- 
proves of the orders and plans of said employer 
or otherwise. 

But few overseers have sufficient maturity of 
judgment or requisite experience, before they 
are thirty years old, to be qualified to manage a 
large farm or superintend many hands ; and 
after attaining the age of 45 to 50, their physi- 
cal powers are impaired, and they are less fit 
for the energetic and prompt discharge of their 
duties. After deciding upon your plans, give 
orders, not to your negroes, but give directions 
to your overseer. Respect for him enjoins this 
course, and by its observance you will prevent 
conflict of orders and misunderstanding between 
yourself and overseer, as well as negroes Re- 
gard with some distrust the flattering certiti- 



230 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



cates and recommendations handed to you by 
those who are candidates for employment as 
overseers. . Some farmers of very kind hearts 
and generous feelings have erred in recommend- 
ing overseers t who, upon trial, have been 
found sadly deficient. Contracts with over- 
seers are generally made in May or June, and 
overseers move 15th November. The farmers 
and planters should consult together and reso- 
lutely determine to postpone making contracts 
with overseers until August or September. 
The present practice is injurious to the farmers 
and planters, and beneficial only to such over- 
seers as have really but little merit. If a new 
overseer moves to your farm cm the 15th Nov. 
you ought to have by general acquiescence and 
established usage, until August Or September 
to decide whether his management is such as to 
entitle him to a continuance for the next year. 
No overseer who wishes and intends to do his 
duty, and who is conscious of possessing proper 
qualifications need apprehend any difficulty in 
getting a good situation and reasonable com- 
pensation, by a postponement of the period for 
making contracts as is here suggested. 

Half a century ago, a majority of the wealthy 
planters of Virginia relied almost entirely upon 
the management of their overseers, and seemed 
to regard agriculture as a pursuit unworthy of 
the regular attention of a gentleman. Hence 
many of them were impoverished. Withi.i the 
last thirty years a great change in public senti- 
ment has taken place, and now the farmer 
or planter, who is too proud or too indo- 
lent to superintend his overseer and control the 
affairs of the farm, is more likely to excite ridi- 
cule than win approbation. Do you not know, 
Christopher, that "the eye of the master will do 
more work than both his hands" — that "want of j 
care does us more damage than the want of 
knowledge," and that "not to superintend 
workmen is to leave them your purse open 1" 
Remember that in many of the affairs of this 
world, men are not saved by faith, but by the 
want of it. 

You tell me that you are in debt, that you 
are anxious, uneasy and unhappy ; that you 
know not which to do, whether to sell half of 
your negroes and thus pay your debts, or sell 
your land, pay jour debts with the proceeds, 
and then move with your wife, children and 
negroes to Texas; or whether it would be best 
to remain in Virginia, hold your property, and 
try, by diligence and frugality, to discharge 
your pecuniary obligations. You say that the 
estimated value of your land when you obtained 
possession was thirty thousand dollars, that 
although the family mansion was comfortable 
and in good order, you thought it deficient in 
elegance and taste, that you took it down and 
built a new house which cost you ten thousand 
dollars and that when this house was completed, 
you and your wife went to New York and 
bought furniture to the amount often thousand 
dollars for your charming residence, that you 
have paid only five thousand dollars in fact 



for said house and furniture, the other fif- 
teen thousand having been borrowed of two 
or three friends, who require you to pay the 
annual interest punctually, &c, &c. I regret 
your perplexity as well as its cause. You are 
well acquainted with the Latin and Greek, the 
French and Spanish languages — with ancient 
and modern history — with chemistry and mathe- 
matics, with natural and moral philosophy ; in 
short, your head is a perfect storehouse of learn- 
ing, yet cousin Christopher, excuse me for say- 
ing that after all "you are a bit of a goose." 
The comfortable house in which you were born 
and raised, and in which your father died, 
might, you thought, do very well for an "old 
fogy" like him, but was wholly unfit, as you 
believed, for "Young America." You have 
certainly made considerable " progress," but 
whether or not in the right road is exceed- 
ingly questionable. No wonder that you are 
found complaining because the last Legislature 
doubled the State taxes. Men, when much 
involved in debt, are prone to find fault with all 
kind of legislation — except the passage of a 
bankrupt law. Our taxes have been doubled, 
and very justly and properly doubled. The 
taxes imposed by government are not the only 
taxes we submit to. Many persons (perhaps 
you among the number) are taxed twice as 
much by their idleness, three times as much by 
their pride, and four times as much by their 
folly. Dismiss from your mind the thought of 
selling your inheritance and moving off to 
Texas, remain where you are, reform your 
habits, reduce your expenditures, apply your- 
self with augmented industry and zeal to the 
management of your farm and endeavor by all 
honest exertions to pay your debts as soon as 
practicable. Take care of your estate and your 
estate will take care of you. Oh ! that every 
young man in Virginia would bear in remem- 
brance this simple truth. Remember that " he 
who sells an acre of land sells an ounce of his 
credit." Debts are paid, not by despair, but 
by industry. Like many others, you have not 
learned to appreciate the value of time. What 
we call time enough, always proves little 
enough. "Then plough deep while sluggards 
sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to 
keep." If you love life, then do not squander 
time, "for that is the stuff life is made of," as 
poor Richard says. Rise early and devote seve- 
ral hours of every day (Sundays excepted) to 
your farming operations. Your overseer and 
negroes seeing this improvement in your habits, 
will be encouraged and stimulated to perform 
their respective duties with greater fidelty and 
zeal Inform your wife frankly and fully of 
the extent of your debts, and your anxious de- 
sire to pay them as soon as you can, and ask 
her in a kind manner, to abstain henceforward 
from buying so many costly sdks, &c, from 
Stewart's fashionable store in New York and 
certain stores in Philadelphia and Baltimore* 
You will, I am sure, find her willing to co-ope- 
rate with you in your laudable efforts to pay 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



2._>1 



your debt* without selling your land or negroes. 
"Besides this, you must abandon your love of lo- 
comotion, and cease your visits to Cape May, 
Saratoga, Niagara, and the Lakes. Your resi- 
dence is entirely healthy throughout the year, 
and being in debt, you can urge no good reason 
why you should apply the proceeds of your 
crops to trips of recreation instead of to the 
payment of your just debts. If compelled by 
bad health to leave home during the summer, 
go to Old Point Comfort or to some of the Vir- 
ginia Springs. No state in the Union surpasses 
Virginia in beauty and variety of scenery or in 
the number and efficacy of its mineral waters. 
Unless required by bad health to leave your 
home and business, remain at home. With 
farmers, summer is an important and busy 
season, while the reverse is true in regard to 
the inhabitants of cities. It costs city people 
not much more to travel in summer than to live 
in town, as they always have to pay for their 
meats and vegetables, milk, butter, &c. Not 
so however with the farmer. But I am digress- 
ing and must return to my subject. Remem- 
ber that there are no gains without pains, and 
that he who "rises late must trot all day, and 
and shall scarce overtake his business at 
night, " as poor Richard says, and truly. To 
industry y >u must add common sense, if 
you wish to avoid shipwreck. Your father 
had a good share of common sense, but if I 
were to judge you by your §10,000 dwelling 
and your $10,000 worth of furniture, I should 
say, Christopher, that you had not an ounce, 
yea a grain of common sense. Do then try and 
acquire this essential kind of -ense. Instead of 
acting like Don Quixote, follow the good exam- 
ple of your father. Be your income what it 
may, never allow your expenditures to exceed 
your income. Unless you learn to save as well 
as how to make money, you will keep your nose 
all you l^fe to the grindstone and die not worth 
a groat at last. You must learn how to make 
large crops, you must exhibit your industry in 
making and saving them, your sagacity as to 
the time for selling them, and your economy in 
using the proceeds. Some verdant youths 
speak of economy as synonymous with parsi- 
mony. This absurdity may pass among juve- 
niles and also among some extravagant young 
men. Economy is, in truth, as far removed 
from parsimony as from extravagance — the two 
last being extremes, and economy occupying 
middle and mutual ground. The prudent 
man likes economy — the miser delights in par- 
simony and the spendthrift in extravagance. 

There are probahly not more than fifty farm- 
ers in Virginia who would be justifiable — in 
consequence of their wealth — in spending $20,- 
000 in building and furnishing a country house. 
Your mean-* certainly did not authorise such an 
expenditure. Have you forgotten that 

"Vessels large may venture more, 

But little boats ehould kec-j> neur shore." 



Not content with the dimensions of a large 
frog you have nearly exploded in your abortive 
effort to rival the ox. You now find, as Poor 
Richard says, that "creditors have better memo- 
ries than debtors." * TJnless you abandon your 
extravagant habits, you will find as poor Dick 
says, that "it is hard for an empty bag Jo stand 
upright" and that "Lying rides upon Debt's 
back." I will not however despair of you.. 
You have a large share of pride but not of the 
rightkind. Your prideis of the fashionable kind, 
and savors of the New York "cod-fish aristocra- 
cy" — a love of fine houses and costly furni- 
ture—fine clothes, new carriages, dear horses, 
diamonds, &c. These things have not brought 
happiness to you, and your last letter contains 
your acknowledgement of the fact. To keep 
up appearances and delude the public, you con- 
tracted debts and have been annoyed by duns. 
By reforming your habits and paying your 
debts, you will recover your former independ- 
ence and cheerfulness. Duns will not then 
annoy, or debts disturb you. You will then 
feel better, breathe more freely and sleep 
sounder. The farmers and planters living 
around you will be gratified to see this change 
in your conduct, and will respect you more 
highly. 

Two pair of carriage horses, a buggy horse 
and a riding horse, making six in all, kept for 
the benefit of yourself, wife and two children, 
is a larger number of pleasure horses than you 
ought to keep. I suggest that you sell at least 
three of these horses, and thereby lessen the 
tax upon your corn-house, and at the same time 
discharge a part of your liabilities. One pair 
of carriage horses and a riding horse besides, 
ought to suffice for you and family, and I doubt 
whether you would have had more than this 
number if you had not built a costly house and 
desired every thing to correspond. Retrench- 
ment should be your motto. Don't forget, 
Christopher, that "a ploughman on his legs is 
higher than a gentleman on his knees," and 
when you think of little expenses, reflect, that 
" a small leak will sink a great ship." Your 
wife knows, or ought to know, that "always 
taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting 
in, soon comes to the bottom." If she, good 
soul, hints to you, that she would like for you 
to order five or six silk dresses for her, remind 
her that "silks and satins, scarlets and velvets 
put out the kitchen fire." Both of you have 
found out that "prideis as loud a beggar as 
want, and a great deal more saucy." 

You ought to keep a journal of all your re- 
ceipts and expenditures. This can be done 
easily, and you will soon derive benefit from 
the habit. I have followed the practice for 
more than twenty years, and would respectfully 
recommend it to you and all other farmers. No 
man who will try the plan for one year will 
ever willingly abandon it. I beg you to ad. pt 
it without delay. D i not misunderstand me, 
Christopher. While I condemn your extrava- 



232 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



gance and deplore your past follies, do not sup- 
pose for a moment that I wish you now to be- 
come a sordid miser and close your heart to ev- 
ery feeling of charity and generosity. Far* very 
far from it. I wish to see you avoid the char- 
acter of a miser as well as that of spendthrift — 
to convince you that without economy, as well as 
industry, you cannot pay your debts — to urge 
you to remain in Virginia, and exert your pow- 
ers in elevating her agriculture — to induce you 
to cherish a proper self-respect, and seek an 
honest independence. 

You ask me whether I think farmers ought 
to buy goods, &c. upon credit, and in anticipa- 
tion of large crop* and high prices. The prac- 
tice is, I think, very reprehensible. As a gen- 
eral principle, farmers and planters ought not 
to buy upon credit, but adhere to the cash sys- 
tem. Young and inexperienced farmers, and 
especially those of a sanguine temperament, 
sometimes make ludicrous blunders, besides 
contracting very large debts upon the faith of 
large crops which they certainly intended to 
make, and high prices which they resolved to 
obtain. The last few months have afforded 
many illustrations of the latter. Some farmers 
who were offered $2 30 for their wheat, refused 
the offer, demanded i?3 per bushel, and finally 
accepted $1 50. The amount of the crop is 
dependent upon many contingences, and varies 
from year ti year, as well as the price. Hence 
the hazard and impropriety of contracting debts 
in anticipation of large crops and high prices. 
Some farmers make large crops by arith- 
metic, but are nevertheless surpassed by others 
who never like to cipher until after their crops 
are sold and the money paid. Whenever you 
see a man convince himself by arithmetical cal- 
culations that he will make large crops and sell 
them at high prices, be assured that he is par- 
tially deranged. The' credit system has at dif- 
ferent periods inflicted immense injury. For 
some time past, agricultural products have com- 
manded good prices, and there are, no doubt, 
more farmers now dealing upon the cash sys- 
tem than formerly. Ere long, I trust, it will 
prevail almost universally. When that time 
arrives, we shall hear less sail about "hard 
times" and going to Texas, Kansas, Missouri 
or the Moon. 

I am sorry to say, Christopher, that there are 
several other farmers who have "progressed" 
in extravagance and fashionable follies nearly 
or quite as much as yourself. The sun has its 
dark spots, and it can excite no wonder, that 
the great agricultural class should exhibit a few 
peculiar specimens of humanity. Some few 
farmers refuse to expend their money to accom- 
plish purposes plainly useful, in order that they 
may indulge their imaginary wants, or servile- 
ly obey the behests of fashion. A few illustra- 
tions may be given. 

Mr. A. makes very good Tobacco, and is an 
excessive smoker, but thinks a pipe is not gen- 
ted. He spends $300 annually in Havana ci- 



gars, h?s draw-bars instead of gates to the sev- 
eral fields of his plantation ; acknowledges the 
superiority of gates, but says he cannot afford 
to pay for them. 

. Mr. B. canuot tell one tune from another, but 
professes intense love for fashionable music. — 
So soon as Jenny Lind arrived in New York, 
Mr. B., his wife and daughters took the cars 
and soon reached the Astor House. Of course, 
they were enraptured by Jenny's unsurpassed 
aud heavenly music. The ladies did not find 
any book-store in New York, but were compen- 
sated by the China stores and jewelry shops 
which they pronounced to be equally charming 
and splendid. The young ladies helped them- 
selves freely to jewelry, but their considerate 
mother determined to spend her money usefully, 
so she bought a fine set of dinner China at one 
thousand dollars. This trip of pleasure cost 
Mr. B. only three thousand, five hundred dollars. 
Mr. B. has no apple trees or peach trees upon 
his farm, laments this,- but says he will not sub- 
mit to imposition and stoutly refuses to give 25 
cents each for young trees. He and his family 
are fond of fruit, and in addition to all the fruit 
they beg from their poor neighbours, Mr. B. 
sends to town every winter and purchases ten 
barrels of Northern apples. 

Mr. C. built a large dwelling-house five years 
ago, but it has no shutters and has never been 
painted, merely because he "has no money to 
spare." Last year he said he was resolved to 
have the finest equipage in his neighbourhood. 
Accordingly he went to Philadelphia where he 
bought a carriage for §1,000, and then to New 
Jersey where he purchased a pair of fine trot- 
ters for another SI, 000. When he went North 
he saw so many painted houses along the route, 
that he thinks his house looks best without any 
paint at all, and that he will save his money 
for some better purpose. 

Mr. D. is unwilling to give S30 for a corn- 
sheller, although his negroes consume thirty 
bushels of fc meal a week. But he is willing- 
enough and able enough to spend, and has ac- 
tually paid five thousand dollars for the educa- 
tion and clothing of his two daughters during 
the three years these fashionable and accom- 
plished young ladies attended a celebrated fe- 
male school in Philadelphia. While there they 
attended the theatre and opera, acquired a su- 
perficial knowledge of French and Italian, 
learned to dance most beautifully and to play 
admirably upon the piano, guitar and harp. — 
Unfortunately their knowledge of books is not 
extraordinary. The one says that the history 
of Robinson Crusoe, by the historian, David 
Hume, is the most interesting and valuable his- 
tory recently published : the other maintains 
that the " Children of the Abbey" was never 
published until 1855, and is by far the most 
powerful novel ever written by the pious Wm. 
Cobbett of England ! With the history of Vir- 
ginia, they are as thoroughly acquainted as 
with the interior of Japan. Their mother is 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



233 



in delicate health and would like to be relieved 
of the cares of housekeeping, but these charm- 
ing girls are unwilling to submit to such low 
drudgery. They are too proud — think too 
highly of their social position — to condescend 
to learn how bacon is cured or cooked, or milk 
is churned. Of course, their dresses are all 
made in Philadelphia, and cost a large sum an- 
nually. Their father has a piece of flat land, 
which by an expenditure of fifty dollars, might 
be made fine meadow land. He makes no hay, 
buys several tons of Northern hay every spring 
for his horses, and declares that ditching is so 
expensive he cannot afford to pay his money for 
such work. Unwilling to be so extravagant as 
to give his cows anything more than straw du 
ring the winter, he goes without cream and 
milk during cold weather, and sends to the 
North for his butter. His cows gives him no 
milk, and he makes no butter from the 1st De- 
cember to 15th April annually. 

Mr. E. cannot spare any money to buy clover 
seed and plaster, although anxious to improve 
his land and appreciating clover and plaster 
very highly. He has, however, resolved to ed- 
ucate his son thoroughly, and therefore sent 
him to the University. He is allowed four hun- 
dred dollars a session to pay for books, board 
and tuition, and the kind-hearted father being 
solicitous that the son should avoid vulgar com- 
pany, and move in the firot circles, gives him 
S40u fur clothing and S400 more for pocket mo- 
ney. The promising youth keeps a fine buggy 
and horse, flirts with the young ladies, gives 
nice sappers and entertains hi * numerous friends 
with excellent wine and cigars of the best fla- 
vor. He is quite popular and universally spo- 
ken of as a noble and generous fellow. Al- 
though his circulars are by no means flattering, 
his father (like Mr. Macawber) hopes something 
favorable will turn up, and that if his son fails 
to be President, he will, at least, become a Sen- 
ator of the U. S. 

Mr. F. avows himself to be an ardent friend 
of agricultural improvement, talks fluently and 
praises lime, bone dust and guano as absolutely 
indispensable for all farmers. For five years 
pa.-t. he lias intended to buy freely of each, but 
he could not well aff'jrd it. His farm is in full 
view of the Blue Ridge, and his residence unu- 
sually healthy. His fortune was at one time 
large, but has been impaired by his inattention 
to business and by fondness for card playing, 
good dinners and good wines. He walks a lit> 
tie about his yard and garden daily, and rides 
over his farm once a week to see the overseer 
and enquire what has been done the preceding 
week. In June he is resolved to buy 20 tons 
of guano to sow with his wheat in October, but 
in July he borrows money of his commission 
merchant upon the faith of his new crop of 
wheat, and by the 1st of August he and his 
family start for the White Sulphur. His fre- 
quent trip3 to the Springs in pursuit of recrea- 
tion and pure air have probably cost him not 



less than §10,000. He admires no other form of 
government so much as what he calls a paren- 
tal government, and vigorously maintains that 
as all the sons of Virginia belong to Virginia, 
it is the duty of the Commonwealth to educate 
all of the white boys of the State. He advo- 
cates the largest liberty upon this subject, while 
avowing aristocratic and exclusive preferences 
generally. Denying his obligation to educate 
and provide for .his children, he proposes to 
send three of his sons to the Military Institute 
and the other three to the University, provided 
he can enter them as State students. 

Your family, Christopher, is small at present, 
but it is your duty to look to and provide for the 
future. You too may have six sons. Have you 
I any moral right to squander your money in 
j selfish and superfluous gratifications, and then 
j call upon the State to educate your children at 
j the expense of your fellow- citizens? 

Some years ago, Mr. G. was induced to sub- 
scribe to a northern paper, which zealously ad- 
vised the farmers to plant the Morus Multicau- 
| lis and to raise silk worms. Intent upon money 
making, he resolved to acquire a fortune by 
raising and then selling the Mulberry. He in- 
vested $1,000 in little Mulberry slips at 4 cents 
each, and planted them in a lot. A few months 
after, his delightful visions took wing. The 
Morus Maltieaulis mania — like the Tulip mania 
which once prevailed in Holland — had a brief 
existence. Mr. G. had demonstrated his ardent 
desire to advance agricultural improvement by 
subscribing to the agricultural paper just men- 
tioned. The result was unfortunate. Ever 
since that time, he has abhorred and denounced 
all agricultural papers and agricultural books, 
as the mere instruments of deception and the 
organs of villainous imposture. If you were 
to suggest to him the propriety of subscribing 
for the Southern Planter, he would probably 
knock you down. He threatens to disinherit 
any son of his, who in disregard of his orders, 
shall venture to look at any agricultural journal, 
or quote before him an agricultural book. By 
his stubborn refusal to profit by the agricultu- 
ral information which he might easily have ac- 
quired within the last fifteen years, he has lost 
more than he expended upon his Morus Multi- 
caulis speculation. 

Mr. II. cherishes old customs and abhors 
nearly every innovation, and is "too old a bird 
to be caught with chaff." His neighbours may 
throw away their money in buying all kinds of 
new machines, but being a prudent and saga- 
cious man, he waits until he can profit by their 
experience. Many years back, they abandoned 
the absurd practice of treading out their wheat 
crops with their horses and upon the barnyard, 
threshing machines were introduced and proved 
entirely successful. After cogitating, hesitating 
and reflecting upon the subject from time to. 
time, for five years or more, Mr. II. concluded 
that he would purchase a wheat machine the 
next year. In the interim, he had a visitor who 



234 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



hailed from Vermont, and who had for sale ma- 
chines for washing clothes more elegantly, eco- 
nomically and expeditiously, than clothes ever 
had been washed before. Mrs. H. begged her 
husband to relieve her of vexation and trouble, 
by buying one of these admirable machines, the 
utility of which was so apparent, and the price 
so very moderate — only $20. While Mr. H. 
loved his mono} 7 , he loved his wife, and as this 
was the first time she had ever asked him to in- 
dulge her, he bought a machine and paid the 
money without a sigh or a tear. The machine 
soon proved to be utterly worthless and ergo, 
argues the logical Mr. H., all wheat machines, 
&c. recommended for agricultural purposes are 
no better. He congratulated himself, that he 
only paid $20 for his experience, declares that 
but for that little enterprise of his dear wife, 
he would, by this time, have sunk at least $500 
in buying wheat machines, boasts publicly, that 
although he has made wheat for nearly forty 
years, he has never bought or hired a wheat 
machine, and swears that he never will to the 
day of judgment. His neighbours confidently 
assert that he has lost hundreds of dollars for 
the want of a wheat machine, while he declares 
that his Vermont friend is the most consum- 
mate and magnificent swindler in the Union, 
though indirectly a great benefactor to him as a 
teacher. 

Mr. I. says that he suffers considerably from 
the depredations of rats, which he thinks de- 
stroy annually at least twenty barrels of his 
corn, besides eating wheat, &c. Being a rigid 
economist, he peremptorily refuses to buv any 
rat traps, or any thing else to protect his corn 
or meat house. He has never lost a pig or lamb 
by foxes, to the best of his recollection, and 
huntsmen contend that foxes are rarely ever 
heard of in his neighbourhood. Mr. I., how- 
ever, asserts, that these circumstances do not 
prove that his lambs and pigs are not in some 
danger. He had several hounds, but they hav- 
ing gone off and killed thirty fine Cotswold 
sheep belonging to a neighbouring farmer, the 
law of retaliation was promptly enforced upon 
the aggressors. Determined to protect his lambs 
and pigs, and having by the way, a slight pen- 
chant for fox-hunting, Mr. I. shortly after pur- 
chased six fine hounds which cost him only the 
small sum of two hundred and fifty dollars. He 
is proud of his bargain and declares he would 
not sell them for $500. He spends a great deal 
of time in fox-hunting, but has never caught a 
fox. When I last saw him, he swore, that un- 
less the rascally rats would emigrate, he would 
sell his premises and move to Texas before the 
end of the year. 

But enough. The rain is over, the sun is 
shining, and I must go out and attend to my 
crops. Wishing you, Christopher, and all of 
my agricultural brethren, health and prosperi- 
ty, I remain 

Your kinsman and friend, 

LEWIS LIVINGSTON. 

June 10, 1856. 



DISEASE AMONG FOWLS. 

Spottsylvania, July 12th, 1856. 
Mr. Editor:— Will you or some of your nu- 
merous subscribers inform me of a remedy for 
a disease which has prevailed amongst my 
fowls of all kinds since 1848. During that year 
we lost from two to three hundred of different 
kinds of fowls, viz: Turkeys, ducks, (both 
kinds,) dunghill and guinea fowls. This year my 
wife has lost all the goslings she raised, and the 
disease bids fair to be as fatal as it was in 1848. 
The first symptoms are a partial loss of the use 
of their legs, and in some cases, particularly 
with ducks, there is a watery fluid running from 
the mouth. In a short time they are deprived of 
all use of their legs, and in a short time die, of- 
ten the first day of the attack, rarely living be- 
yond the third day. The disease seems to be 
confined to my premises, as I have not heard of 
anyof my neighbours having lost any. If you, or 
any of your subscribers know anything about the 
disease you will please inform me through 
your valuable paper. 

A Subscriber. 



OXEN VS. HORSES. 
The "Wool Grower" says that "the 
plowing matches throughout the country 
have established the fact, that oxen can 
plow a given space of ground as- quick and 
as well as horses." We do not know how 
this may be, but we do know a gentleman 
who puts a yoke of Devon oxen to a plow, 
immediately behind a team of three good 
horses, and they do the same days work of 
plowing that the horses do. They are sta- 
bled and curried and fed like horses, and 
do all the work required of them with as 
much spirit. 



SMUT IN WHEAT. 
Should there be smut this harvest, will 
the observer be kind enough to examine 
the smutted heads carefully, it may be he 
will find all the smut grains punctured 
through the chaff by some small insect, 
(several species perhaps), when in the milk 
state; the atmosphere being thus admitted 
into the grain, fermentation may be found 
to have taken place, and the smut pro- 
duced. This would account for sound and 
smutted grains in the same head, and per- 
haps the only rational way of doing so. 
Don't Forget. 



WET LANDS. 

If any of your fields are wet make ar- 
rangements to have them thoroughly drained, 
and take our word for it, that the expense 
the draining may cost you, will be returned 



/ 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



235 



with compound interest in a few years. 
Your soil once relieved of excess of water, 
their textures will become greatly improved, 
their earliness will be increased fully three 
weeks, and to that extent you may be able 
to work ihem earlier in the spring ; their 
productive capacity will be increased at 
least one-third ; they will produce crops of 
better quality, and withal the health of 
your place will be meliorated. 



CLOVER SEED— GATHERING AND 
CLEANING. 

In the May number of the Valley Far- 
mer we promised to give some information 
in regard to the proper machinery for gath- 
ering and hullino- Clover seed, the manner 
of 



fathering, &c 



When it is intended to save the seed 
from a crop of clover, the spring growth 
should be cut for hay. or it may be pas- 
tured. When eaten quite close, the stock 
should be turned off till the seed is ripe 
and harvested. 

The most common method of saving 
clover seed, is to mow it at a time when 
the largest quantity of seed is ripe, and 
before it .begins to fall off from the heads. 
The heads, when fully dry, are threshed 
off by hand or with a thresher, or trod out 
on a barn floor, or in the field. The straw 
is then separated from the chaff and the 
seed is ready to be hulled and cleaned. 
Wfth Manny's Combined Reaper and 
Mower, which is adjustable to cut any 
height, the heads can be cut off and re- 
ceived upon the apron until full, and then 
cast off in heaps upon the field. 

There are also a number of Patent Clover 
Seed Gatherers. These we have never 
seen in operation, but understand some of 
them perform well. The best that we have 
seen is patented by Mr. John S. Gage, of 
Michigan. We expect to see these fully 
tried the present season and will then pub- 
lish the result. We once made and used 
for many years, a very simple machine for 
gathering clover heads, with which a man 
and horse can go over and gather the seed 
from double the quantity of land in a day 
that he can cut over with a scythe ; and 
when the heads only are gathered, they re- 
quire no other labor, except drying, to pre- 
pare them to run through the hulling and 
cleaning machine. Any tolerable workman' 



can make one of these machines in two 
days. It is upon the following plan : Make 
an ordinary sled with the sides or runners 
14 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches long. 
These may be placed 5 or 6 feet apart, and 
secured together with two cross pieces 
only at the back end, leaving the forward 
part open to the length of 3£ or 4 feet ; 
then a box is made to nearly fill the width 
between the runners. The box is 4 feet 
long and 15 inches deep, with the forward 
end open. To the cross pieces at the bot- 
tom of the box, at the forward end, teeth 
of hard wood are secured so as to project 
about 12 inches ; they should be f of an 
inch thick and 1 inch wide on top and 
made a quarter of an inch narrower or 
beveling on the underside. These teeth 
are placed three- sixteenths of an inch apart, 
so as to form a comb. If the upper sides 
of the teeth were capped with hoop-iron, 
neatly fitted, it would be better. This box 
is hung between the sides of the sled upon 
two gudgeons or pins two inches in diam- 
eter, just as a cannon is hung in its car- 
riage. With two handles, four feet long, 
secured to the box and projecting behind, 
the box may be moved on the pins so as 
to raise or lower the teeth to adapt them 
to clover of any height. A man with a 
horse can strip the heads from four or five 
acres of clover in a day with this machine, 
and collect it in the box. With one of 
these machines a farmer can gather as 
much seed in a day as would be required 
to seed forty or fifty acres. It needs no 
hulling or cleaning unless it is designed 
for market. Some prefer to sow the seed 
in the chaff to that which is cleaned. 

For market, the seed must be hulled and 
cleaned. For this purpose a great variety 
of machines have been invented, nearly 
all, however, upon the same general prin- 
ciple. Those in most common use in the 
clover growing counties of Ohio, are Mans- 
field's patent, manufactured by Mansfield 
&, Whiting, Ashland, Ohio, and Crawford's 
patent, by other manufacturers. A speci- 
men of these machines may be seen at 
the Reaper Warehouse of H. B. Howard, 
in Louisville, Ky. Others may be seen at 
the Agricultural Warehouse of Wm. M. 
Plant & Co., St. Louis, Mo. 

We have received from a gentleman in 
M ssouri the following letter, which was 
sent him by a gentleman in Ohio, upon the 
subject of clover seed. It contains infor- 



236 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



mation of so much importance that we 
publish it in this connection. The Syra- 
cuse machine referred to, is the Endless 
Cham or Railroad Horse Power and Thresh- 
er, manufactured by Emery & Co., and 
Wheeler, Melick & Co., in Albany, N. Y. 
In order to make the subject of cleaning 
with the Thresher, as referred to, a little 
more clear, we will state that the teeth in 
the Thresher are placed spirally around 
the cylinder, the front of the cylinder being 
cased up with iron or wood. The seed is 
filled in rather compact at one end, and 
by the spiral action of the teeth it is hulled 
as it is forced forward and discharged at 
the other end of the cylinder. The meth- 
od of hulling will answer where a farmer 
has the Thresher on hand, but a regular 
Huller which hulls and cleans the se ,j d at 
one operation, is to be preferred. These 
are run by any of the ordinary horse pow- 
ers, the same as a common wheat thresher 
is run. 



Bucyrus, Ohio. 

Dear Sir, — Yours of the 4th inst. was 
received last evening. It is with pleasure 
that I furnish you with all the information 
within my reach, on the subject mentioned 
in your letter, to wit : the Raising of Clo- 
ver and Clover Seed. 

I have consulted a Mr. Ludwig, who is 
a farmer of much practical experience and 
observation. I have also consulted some 
other farmers whom I knew had raised 
considerable clover seed, and I find their 
statements all substantially agree. I there- 
fore give you the information as derived 
from Mr. Ludwig, believing his to be as 
reliable as any to be obtained on the sub- 
ject. I drew up a series of questions 
which I supposed would, when answered, 
embrace the information you desired, and 
obtained his answers thereto in the follow- 
ing order : 

1st. What is the best soil for the culti- 
vation of clover? 

Ans. — Clay soil, decidedly, for clover 
or wheat. Lime should be an ingredient 
of the soil. 

2d. The best method of preparing the 
ground ? 

Ans. — I have found it best to prepare 
the ground well for wheat, and if it has 
not been done in the last three years, the 
subsoil plow, or Michigan Double Plow 
should be used. Sow the wheat in the 



fall, and on the same sow clover in the 
spring. 

3d. The best time to sow clover? 

Ans. — Generally about the first of April, 
if pure seed is used — if in chaff, earlier. 

4th. The quantity of seed to acre ? 

Ans. — About eight quarts of pure seed 
to the acre. You can scarcely use too 
much. 

5th. The best time to cut clovej for 
seed ? 

Ans. 
is ripe 



When the largest quantity of seed 
When more is falling off from 
over ripeness than is getting ripe, it is high 
time to cut. 

6th. In what manner should the grass 
be treated when cut for seed ? 

Ans Get it dry as fast as possible, and 

with the least handling. Get it into barn 
(not stack, it will not turn rain). It was 
formerly the plan to let it lay to bleech. 
That is wrong; it should not get wet if it 
can be avoided. It causes a great loss of 
seed. 

7th. What is the best method of getting 
out the seed ? 

Ans. — I have used and seen used a num- 
ber of Clover Hullers, but have found a 
good Syracuse threshing machine (for 
wheat) to answer the best, by adding 
thereto a concave of sheet iron, to be placet: 
on the outside of the cylinder; the clover 
heads let in at one end and passing out at 
the other. Mr Ludwig constiucted this 
improvement for his own use, and also a 
revolving screen, through which it was first 
run and under which was a. fan, — these 
separated the stems, leaves and light or 
seedless heads from the valuable portion, 
which being by this process much reduced 
in quantity and bulk, was then run through 
the threshing machine or huller, arranged 
as before mentioned. He however says, 
that it would be difficult to so describe the 
arrangement as to enable anyone at a dis- 
tance to arrange it. He informs me that 
by his plan he could, with three hands and 
two horses, clean forty bushels of seed per 
day. Twelve to fifteen bushels is a good 
business with a clover huller.^ 

8th. What clover machine or huller is 
esteemed the best? 

Ans. — Those invented and made by M. 
H. Mansfield, of Ashland, Ohio. 

9th. What quantity is usually raised per 
acre in Crawford county, Ohio? 

Ans. — It is a very uncertain crop. From 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



237 



seven bushels to a total failure. Average, 
two and a half bushels per acre. 

10th. The price per bushel. 

Ans. — Very fluctuating, owing to crops, 
here and in other clover raising districts. 
Varying from $3 to $6 50. 

I have given vou what I believe to be the 

O ,Tl 

best information I could obtain, and as it 
comes from those whom I know to be suc- 
cessful cultivators and those who have 
raised from one to four hundred bushels of 
seed in one year, I presume it is to be re- 
lied on as correct. This county, a few 
years since, sold for export, over 20,000 
bushels of clover seed, which I believe is 
more than what has been produced by any 
other county in the Union. 

The time is fast approaching when farm- 
ing, to be successful and profitable, must 
be done on scientific principles. Our old 
guess work and chance operations will not 
compete with scientific knowledge 

With the hope that the above imperfect 

information may be of some service. I am 

Very resp'y yours, J. B. Larwill. 

Valley Farmer- 



HARVESTING WHEAT. 

Messrs. Editors: — Having observed 
for several } - ears a great difference in the 
mode of harvesting wheat in upper and 
lower Virginia, I am induced to give you 
the cutting of my hands, who harvest as 
they do in the' Valley, the great wheat 
growing section of the State. I commenced 
on the 16th of June. 

Acres. Roods 
June 16, Monday, worked 8| 

hours and cut 12 

June 17, Tuesday, worked 9£ 

hours and cut 13 3 

June 18 and 19, helped a friend 

in his harvest. 
June 20, Friday, worked, lOf 

hours, and cut 16 

June 21, Saturday, worked 11 

hours and cut 11 

June 23, Monday, worked 1\ 

hours and cut 10 

June 24, Teusday, worked 10 

hours and cut, 16 



Worked 6 days, only cut du- 
ring 57£ hours, and cut a- 
cres, 78 3 

Fifty-seven and a half hours reduced to 

days of 10 working hours, give 5 days and 



about %, which would bring the average fo 
about 13 acres to 3 scythemen, or 4| acres 
to each scytheman per day. This wc rk 
was done without a word of hurry during 
the harvest. On Saturday three cutters 
worked in the forenoon and only two in 
the afternoon, yet I have made no deduc- 
tion in the table of time and quantity. 

My mode is this; I use a light .cradle 
with only 4 fingers, which, with the blade, 
weighs Q\ lbs. We cut the grain and lay 
it, or cradle it; a lad (a half hand) follows 
with a long handle rake, and rakes the cut 
wheat into bundles; a woman, or three 
quarter hand, follows next, who also car- 
ries a long handle rake ; this hand binds 
the wheat with a double band, throws the 
bundle behind, rakes the butt of the bun- 
dle, rakes up trash wheat and places upon 
the next bundle, and binds the whole to- 
gether. This operation, if well done, gets 
nearly every straw and head. 

I worked only 4 takers up after 3 scythe- 
men. I should have had 6; if so, I could 
have cut a great deal more grain in the 
same time. I cut only what the hands 
could take up. My force consists of 4 men 
under 22 years old, 1 lad about 14. years, 
and 2 boys 9 years each. I hired the first 
two days a Prince George cutter, but he 
soon gave out, and was too trifling to work. 
I also hired during these two days and af- 
ter, 1 young man, a very poor binder, a 
boy who could neither rake nor bind well, 
and an old man, who was a good, but a 
very slow hand at shocking. My harvest 
expenses were $17, and my hands earned 
for themselves in the two days they cut 
from home $10, This, of course, was mine, 
and had I retained it, my harvest expenses 
would have amounted to $7. 

Some of my neighbors say my mode of 
cutting (never walking back with the 
scythe o;i the shoulder, if the wheat does 
not compel you to do so by leaning very 
much,) would prevent their getting hire- 
lings. What an idea ! Judge H. St. 
George Tucker, used to say that rye and 
sheep were more abused than any two 
things he knew of — that you would be told 
any time to sow rye, and any place for 
sheep. Let me add the farmer to these : 
must he alone of professions or trades, 
pay a man for working half of the working 
day ? It will take a man nearly as long to 
walk back with the cradle on the shoulder, 
and then whet, as it did to cut the swath. 



238 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Are the farmers of Prince George more 
dependent on the free negroes than the 
negroes are on them ? If so, I have got- 
ten into the " wrong pew." 

My hands cut twenty strokes in one min- 
ute, when going at their ease, and in ma- 
king twenty strokes they pass over 22 
yards. They, in such wheat as I had, 
averaged 9 feet or 3 yards, to the swath. 
In sixty minutes, or one hour, they would 
cut 1320 yards, which multiplied hy the 
breadth 3 yards, and the product divided 
by 4840, gives about 3 roods and 10 perch- 
es. Ten hours would therefore cut 8 acres, 
roods, 20 perches. My hands only aver- 
aged 4J acres, and I therefore lost by 
whetting, drinking and stopping, 3^ acres 
Is not this enough to lose? I am informed 
that 2^ acres per day to the scytheman is 
thought a fair day's work. I pity the farm- 
er, for he is certainly very thoroughly and 
systematically abused. I have known 7 
acres to the scythemen to be averaged 
throughout the harvest in heavy wheat. 
This was done by putting 3 good hands on 
each swath. They cut fast and saved all, 
which is economy in the end. 

Cutting and catching, or gripping the 
wheat, is a piece of old fogyism that should 
at once be abandoned in lower Virginia. 
Very Respectfully, 

THOS. G. BAYLOR. 
Arrow Wood, Pr. Geo., June 25th, 1856. 

Southern Farmer. 

WHAT MAY BE'dONE WITH A 
POOR ORCHARD. 

We condense from the experience of a 
friend, whose whole statement would oc- 
cupy more space than we can give. The 
following may be relied on as entirely ac- 
curate : — Five years ago, he purchased an 
orchard containing 23 years. They had 
never borne much, having been planted 
but a few years. Their treatment had been 
miserable. Cows and horses had been 
pastured in the orchard. More than one 
quarter of the trees had been bruised or 
bent, so that it seemed that they must die. 
The rest had been left unpruned, the suck- 
ers were growing from their roots, and 
large scars where the bark had been torn 
off by the horn'" of cattle, disfigured many 
of them. The insects, too, had held car- 
nival among them. Apple borers had 
pierced their trunks; caterpillars had spun 
tliaLr webs from year to year in their branch- 
es ; and ants, whose hills had multiplied 



around, were swarming^on the trees or 
fruit, during all the warm months. 

Such was the condition of the trees. 
When our friend considered the case, he 
seriously thought of cutting them all down, 
and beginning anew. But the entreaties 
of his wife, who thought that some fruit 
might be grown on some of the trees, 
while a younger orchard would be coming 
on, induced him to try what could be done 
with these ragged, hopeless subjects. 

His plan was a simple one. He turned 
out all animals. He pruned the tress 
carefully, covering all the wounds with 
grafting wax or shellac. He propped up 
the trees that were bent almost to the 
ground, and covered the large scars with 
cotton' ploth that had been spread with 
grafting wax. He removed all the sbrouts 
from the roots, and kept them cut off as 
fast as they re-appeared. He battled the 
insects as best he could. The borers he 
dug out of the trees, with a knife. The 
eater-pillars he burned up, cutting off the 
limbs where their nests were, and putting 
then into the kitchen stove. The ants he 
destroyed by pouring hot water after the 
Monday's washing, into their hills. And 
he destroyed the moss, and numberless 
eorors, and grubs, by removing the rough 
bark, on the trunks and limbs, and washing 
the trees generously with old soap. He 
enriched the ground by spading under ma- 
dure mixed with lime, and a little salt. 
Thi > course he has kept up, as he thought 
needful, every year since. 

But what are the resuits ? We will state 
them. Fvery tree has lived. The most 
I hopeless ones have borne generously. The 
! trees have quadrupled the size of their tops 
in the last five years. Thd orchard attracts 
I the attention of every passer by. All ex- 
I claim : " What fine apples you have Mr. 

! !" The insects, above mentioned, 

I have almost entirely disappeared. Last 
'year, (1855,) these 23 trees bore between 
1 100 and i50 bushels of apples, and when 
this statement was made to us, more than 
half of them was just blooming, as if for 
another generous yield in 1856. Such are 
the resuls thus far. 

Our readers will not wonder that our 
friend is greatly encouraged by his experi- 
ment. He adds at the end, this applica- 
tion : — 1. Consult your wife before cutting 
down your apple trees. 3. Take good care 
of your trees if you have any. 3. Don't be 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



239 



encouraged in view of some rather hope- 
less prospects. 4. Take the Ohio Farmer, 
for it was from this, (he says), and from 
other less valuable papers, that he gained 
the knowledge to which enabled him to 
save his orchard — Ohio Farmer. 



BROADCAST CORN. 
As your pastures will be giving out in 
August and September, it would be well to 
put a few acres in Indian corn sown broad- 
cast, in order th?t you may have provender 
to soil your stock upon. An acre will grow 
food enough for 10 head of stock. In the 
preparation of the ground, manure liberal- 
ly, plough deep, and harrow and roll till 
you get a perfectly fine tilth ; then sow on 
each, acre 3 bushels of corn, harrow and 
cross-harrow that in, and then roll. 



from solution, but the filtered liquid would 
contain sulphuric acid in abundance — not 
in the free or combined form, but united 
to lime ; instead of sulphate of ammonia 
we should find sulphate of lime in the so- 
lution ; and this result was obtained, what- 
ever the acid of the salt experimented 
upon might be. It was found, moreover, 
that the process of filtration was by no 
means necessary ; by the mere mixing of 
an alkaline solution with a proper quanti- 
ty of soil, as by shaking them together in 
a bottle, and allowing the soil 1o subside, 
the same result was obtained. The action, 
therefore, was in no way referrable to any 
physical law brought into operation by the 
process of filtration. 

It was also found that the combination 
between the soil and the alkaline substance 
was rapid, if not instantaneous, partaking 
therefore of the nature of the ordinary 
union between an acid and an alkali. 

In the course ctf the experiments, seve- 
ral difFerent soils were operated upon, and 
it was found that all soils capable of pro- 
profitable cultivation possessed the proper- 
ty in question in a greater or less degree. 



THE APPLICATION OF LIME. 

A well-known Virginia farmer, who is 
generally '■' down " on everything having 
any affinity to agricultural chemistry, 
writes us as follows : 

" I respect your science more than I do 
that of most agricultural editors, and am 

about to prove my sincerity by asking! Pure sand, it was found, did not possess 
you, without alluding to me, however, to; this property. The organic matter of the 
write an editorial, giving the views of j soil, it was proved, had nothing to do with 
Prof. Way on the application of lime — I jit. The addition of carbonate of lime to a 
have no access to them myself — and their! soil did not increase its absorptive power, 
adaptability to stiff clay flats, wet, but rich 1 and indeed it was found that a soil in 
when drained and limed — diluvium which carbonate of lime did not exist pos- 

''The question of applying lime to suchsessed in a high degree the power of re- 
soils is one of much interest to me, as I; moving ammonia or potash from solution, 
have several hundred acres of just such! To what, then, is the power of soils to 
land in cultivation to which I should be arrest ammonia, potash, magnesia, phos- 
happy to introduce you if you can trust phoric acid, &,c, owing? The above ex- 
yourself among slave owners." periments lead to the conclusion that it is 

The views of Prof. Way, (Chemist to due to the clay which they contain. In 
the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng- the language of Prof. Way, however, 
land,) referred to, we presume are those I "It still remained to be considered, 
contained in a lecture of his delivered j whether the whole clay took any active 
some three years ago, portions of which part in these changes, or whether there 
were pretty extensively copied into our existed in clay some chemical compound 
agricultural papers at that time. I in small quantity to which the action was 

Prof. Way had made a series of investi-' due. This question was to be decided by 
gations on the " absorbtive properties " of! the extent to which clay was able to unite 
soils. He found that ordinary soils pos- j with ammonia, or other alkaline bases; 
sessed the power of separating from solu-!and it soon became evident that the idea 
tion in water the different earthy and al- ! of the clay as a whole being the cause of 
kaline substances presented to them in the absorbtive property, was inconsistent 
manure; thus, when solutions of salts of, with all the ascertained laws of chemical 
ammonia, of potash, magnesia, &c, were: combination." 

made to filter slowly through a bed of dry j After a series of experiments, Prof, 
soil, five or six inches deep, arranged in aj Way came to the conclusion that there is 



240 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



flower-pot, or other suitable vessel, it was 
observed that the liquid which ran through, 
no longer contained any of the ammonia 
or other salt employed. The soil had in 
some form or other, retained the alkaline 
substance while the water in which it pre- 
viously dissolved passed through. 

Further, this power of the soil was 
found not to extend lo the whole salt of 
ammonia or potash, but only to the alkali 
itself. If, for instance, sulphate of ammo- 
nia were the compound used in the expe- 
riments, the ammonia would be removed 
in clays, a peculiar class of double silicate 
to which the absorptive properties of soils 
are due. He found that the double sili- 
cate of alumina and lime, or soda, whether 
found naturally in soils or produced artifi- 
cially, would be decomposed when a salt 
of ammonia, or potash, &c, was mixed 
with it, the ammonia or potash taking the 
place of the lime or soda. 

Prof. Way's " discovery, " then, is not 
that soils have "absorptive properties" — 
that has been long known — but that they 
absorb ammonia, potash, phosphoric acid, 
&c, by virtue of the double silicate of 
alumina and soda, or lime, &c, which they 
contain. 

Soils are also found to have the power 
of absorbing ammonia, or rather carbonate 
of ammonia, from the air. 

" It has long been known," says Prof. 
Way, " that soils acquire fertility by ex- 
posure to the influence of the atmos- 
phere — Hence one of the uses of fallows. 
* * I find that cln}' is so greedy of am- 
monia, that if air, charged with carbonate 
of ammonia, so as to be highly pungent, is 
passed through a tube filled with small 
fragments of dry clay, every particle of the 
gas is arrested." 

This power of the soil to absorb ammo- 
nia is also due to the double silicates. 
But there is this remarkable difference, 
that either the lime, soda, or potash, sili- 
cate is capable of removing the ammonia 
from solu'ion, the lime silicate alone has 
the power of absorbing it from the air. 

It is on this fact, that the views of Prof. 
Way, to which our correspondent refers, 
are based. Lime may act beneficially on 
many or most soils, by converting the 
soda silicate into a lime silicate, or in 
other words, converting a salt that will not 
absorb carbonate of ammonia from the air, 
into a salt' that has this important proper- 



ty. There is no manure that has been so 
extensively used and with such general 
success as lime, and yet " who among us," 
says Prof. Way, "can say that he perfect- 
ly understands the mode in which lime 
acts?" We are told that lime sweetens 
the soil, by neutralizing any acid character 
that it may possess; that it assists the de- 
composition of inert organic matters, and 
therefore increases the supply of vegeta- 
ble food to plants ; that it decomposes the 
remains of ancient rocks containing potash, 
soda, magnesia, &.C., occurring in most 
soils, and that at the same time it liberates 
silica from these rocks : and lastly that 
lime is one of the substances found uni- 
formly and in considerable quantity in the 
ashes of plants, that therefore its applica- 
tion may be beneficial simply as furnish- 
ing a material indispensable to the sub- 
tance of a plant. 

These explanations are no doubt good 
as far as they go, but experience fur- 
nishes many facts which cannot be ex- 
plained by any one. or all of these supposi- 
tions. Lime, we all know, does much 
good on soils abounding in organic matter, 
and so it frequently does on soils almost 
destitute of it. It may liberate potash, 
soda, silica, &c, from clay soils, but the 
application of potash, soda and silica has 
little beneficial effect on the soil, and 
therefore we cannot account for the action 
of lime on the supposition that it renders 
the potash, soda, &c, of the soil available 
to plants. Furthermore, lime effects great 
good on soils abounding in salts of lime, 
and therefore it cannot' be as a source of 
lime for the structure of the plant that it 
operates. 

None of the existing theories, therefore, 
satisfactorily account for the action of lime. 
Prof. Way's views are more consistent 
with the facts of practical experience ; but 
they are confessedly hypothetical ; and 
his more recent investigations do not con- 
firm the idea that lime acts beneficially by 
converting the soda silicate into the lirne 
silicate. 

Thus, six soils were treated with lime 
water till they had absorbed from one and 
a half to two per cent, of their weight of 
lime. This, supposing the soil to be six 
inches deep, would be at the rate of about 
300 bushels of lime per acre. The 
amount of ammonia in the soil was de- 
termined in the soil before liming, after 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



241 



liming, and then after being exposed to 
the fumes of carbonate ammonia till it had 
absorbed as much as it would. The fol- 
lowing: table exhibits the results : 



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It is evident that lime neither assisted 
nor interferred with the absorption of am- 
monia, and hence the beneficial effect of 
liming on such soils must be accounted for 
on some- other supposition. This negative 
result, however, does not disprove the 
truth of Prof. Way's hypothesis, for it may 
be that the silicate salt in the natural soils 
was that of lime and not that of soda. In- 
deed, the extent to which the natural soils 
absorbed ammonia — equal, in No. 3, to 
about 7,000 lbs. of ammonia per acre, 
equivalent to trie quantity contained in 
700 tons of barn-yard manure — shows this 
to have been the case. 

The lime liberated one-half the ammonia 
contained in the soil. 

"This result," says Prof. Way, " is so 
nearly the same in all cases, that we are 
justified in believing it to be due to some 



special cause, and probably it arises from 
the existence of some compound silicates 
containing ammonia, of which lime under 
the circumstances can replace one-half — 
forming, for instance, a double, silicate of 
alumina, with half lime and half ammo- 
nia — such compounds are not unusual or 
new to the chemist." • 

This loss of ammonia from a heavy 
dressing of lime is very great. A soil five 
inches deep weighs in round numbers 500 
tons, or 1,000,000 lbs. The soil, No. 1, 
contained 0393 per cent, of ammonia, or 
in an acre, five inches deep, 293 lbs. 
After liming it contained 0169 per cent., 
or in an acre five inches deep, 169 lbs. 
The loss by liming is 124 lbs. of ammonia 
per acre. This is equal to the quantity 
contained in S00 lbs. of good Peruvian 
guano, or 12^ tons of barn-yard manure. 

In commenting on this great loss of am- 
monia from liming, Prof. Way observes : 

" Is it not possible, that for the profita- 
ble agricultural use, the ammonia is too 
highly locked up in it? Can we suppose 
that the very powers of the soil to unite 
with and preseve the elements of manure 
are, however excellent a provision of na- 
ture, yet in some degree opposed to the 
growth of the abnormal crops which it is 
the business of the farmer to cultivate? 
There is no absolute reason why such 
should not be the case. A provision of 
nature must relate to natural circumstan- 
ces ; for instance, compounds of ammonia 
may be found in the soil capable of giving 
out to the agencies of water and air quite 
enough of ammonia for the growth of ordi- 
nary plants and the preservation of their 
species ; but this supply may be totally in- 
adequate to the necessities of man. * 
* Now it is not impossible that the laws 
which preserve the supply of vegetable 
nutrition in the soil, are too stringent for 
the requirements of an unusual and exces- 
sive vegetation, such as the cultivator 
must promote." 

"In the case of ammonia locked up in 
the soil, lime may be the remedy at the 
command of the farmer — his means of ren- 
dering immediately available stores of 
wealth, which can otherwise only slowly 
be brought into use." 

"In this view, lime would well deserve 
the somewhat vague name that has been 
given it, namely, that of a ' stimulant ;' for 
its application would be in some sort an 



242 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



application of ammonia, while its exces- 
sive application, by driving off ammonia, 
would lead to all the disastrous effects 
which are so justly attributed to it." 

" I do not wish to push this assumption 
too far," says Prof. Wat, in conclusion, 
"but if there be any truth in it.it points 
out the importance of employing lime in 
small quantities at short intervals, rather 
than large doses once in many years, [as 
is the general practice in England." 

Genesee Farmer. 

— 4 » • • » *- 

I For the Southern Planter.] 
RAISING HORSES— LETTER FROM 

THE LATE WM. R. JOHNSON OF 

CHESTERFIELD. 

Gloucester Co., July 5th, 1856. 
Gentlemen : 

As the author of the accompanying let- 
ter addressed to me, in answer to mine, 
written about the s^me time, will no 
doubt be considered high authority for the 
opinion expressed on the subject of raising 
horses, I take leave to forward a copy for 
pulication, in order tiiat the information it 
contains may be generally disseminated 
by means of your valuable and useful pa- 
per. 

I omit that portion of Mr. Johnson's let- 
ter on business of a private nature. 
Should you deem the letter of sufficient 
importance to occupy a space in the 
Southern Planter, you are at liberty to 
publish it as a contribution from a 

SUBSCRIBER. 



Petersburg, 14th Aug. 1830. 
My Dear Sir : 

My absence from this place has pre- 
vented me from receiving your esteemed 
letter of the 24th ult. until now. 

With iegard tp the questions in your 
letter, I will with the greatest pleasure 
answer them. 

I do not believe that mares in foal 
should be housed too much when they 
are advanced in age, they should be put up 
in bad weather ; if the pasture is good they 
require no feeding — if it is such a one only 
as reduces them, they ought to be fed 
witli corn or oats — coin is best in the win- 
ter and oats in the summer — mares ought 
to be kept in snug saddle horse order, 
never made too fat or overloaded with 
flesh — gentle exercise either in harness or 



otherwise is not injurious but rather bene- 
ficial, unless the mares are very- old, then 
they ought to do nothing but breed — but 
until they are 12 or 14 years of age they 
can be moderately used and safely too till 
within a month of the time of foaling. 

After the mares have coalts they ought 
to be fed with oats for two weeks and then 
be governed by circumstances. If the 
mare and coalt do well upon pasture it is 
unnecessary to feed, and the condition of 
the mare and coalt will show. 

Clover when young is good grazing, but 
only when young ordinary pasture. Short 
grass is far preferable, and if not sufficient, 
feed them night and morning. 

Colts should be weaned at about six 
months old, generally as soon you have 
gathered fdder ; if you have two coalts 
turn them in the corn field — if but one put 
it in a stable and feed it with meal and 
oats three times a day, only giving it a lit- 
tle at a time, not more than it will eat. 
feed ought to lay by a coalt ; after your 
coalts are weaned turn them out in all 
good weather, and so trot them as to keep 
them growing, but never too fat; if pro- 
mising and large don't force its growth — 
if small push it and so continue until two 
years old, then break it gently and by de- 
grees afterwards it ought to be trained, and 
by the coalt its management must be 
governed. 

If this sketch is not sufficient for you or 
any of your friends, I will wilh the grea- 
test pleasure answer any inquiry you may 
make of me. . 

I am in heart, most respectfully, 

W. R. JOHNSON. 



GREAT SALE OF LIVE STOCK. 

Col. Lewis G. Morris's sale of live stock 
took place at his residence, Mount Ford- 
ham, N. Y., on the 24th and 25th of last 
month. All circumstances relating to the 
occasion were highly favorable, and the 
result was entirely satisfactory. The 
weather was as fine and balmy as leafy June 
ever brings, which not only favored the 
attendance of purchasers, but induced 
many residents of the great Metropolis to 
take the opportunity of visiting one of the 
pleasantest places in the suburbs, and 
many gentleman and ladies went out in 
carriages. For several hours on the first 
day of the sale, the avenue leading to the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



243 



mansion was literally thronged — the as- 
semblage comprising some of the finest 
" turn outs " of the city and neighborhood. 
A company amounting to 1200-or 1500 per- 
sons was collected. Yet so' ample and com- 
plete were the arrangements, that every- 
body was perfectly accommodated — every- 
body was pleased and determined to please 
everybody else. 

After a few hours given to the inspec- 
tion of the stock, which had been conve- 
niently placed for that purpose, the com- 
pany were invited to refreshments. The 
ladies numbering upwards of 300 — and the 
gentlemen whose principal duty for the 
day was to attend them, were entertained 
at the mansion, under the charge of Miss 
Morris. Col. M.'s niece. The larger and 
more strictly business portion of the com- 
pany, lunched at the barn, where exten- 
I sive tables were set with everything es- 
f sential to the comfort of the inner man. 
A little before three o'clock, the auc- 
tioneer, Col. James M. Miller, announced 
that he was about to commence the sale. 
The stand was the same which was occu- 
pied at Col. M.'s previous sales — in an 
open field, beneath the shade of " tall ances- 
tral trees." The animals to be sold on the 
first day were secured in temporary stalls, 
over which canvass was spread. Some of 
the cattle. — including the finest of the re- 
served Short-horns, and the entire flock of 
South Down ewes — were in the meantime 
disposed on the broad lawn in front ol the 
mansion, and thus formed a most attractive 
rural scene. After ihe ladies had parta- 
ken of refreshments, a large number of 
them collected under the trees* on the 
lawn, and for their gratification the shep- 
herd with his very sagacious and well dis- 
ciplined dog, collected the flock at a point 
convenient for observation — a very inter- 
esting and beautiful performance, with 
which the numerous spectators appeared 
delighted. 

The stock sold consisted of Short-horn 
bulls — no cows or heifers of this breed 
being offered — Devon bulls, and cows 
and heifers, South Down sheep, and Essex 
and Berkshire swine. For future relerence, 
we shall publish an authentic list of the 
sale. Some general remarks, however, 
will not be out of place in this connection. 
We have already said that the sale was 
generally satisfactory. But the most grati- 
fying feature in connection with it, so far 



as the public is concerned, was the dis- 
crimination generally shown in reference 
to the stock. We have never before at- 
tended a sale where the relative merits of 
the animals was so correctly appreciated — 
an important fact, as showing the progress 
which has been made in the knowledge of 
points by which stock should be judged. 
The bidding for all the good animals — ex- 
cept in a few instances where age was 
against them — was very spirited, and they 
were quickly knocked off at good prices. 

The Short-horn bulls were first sold. 
Romeo, six years old and very heavy, 
was bought by Reber and Kuts of Lancas- 
ter, Ohio, fo. - $600. They were prepared 
to give double this sum. Orpheus, seven 
months old, by Duke of Gloucester, out of 
Songstress, was bought by J. B. Crippen, 
of Coldwater, Mich , for $675. Marmion, 
eight months old, was bought by B. and C. 
S. Haynes, of Elizabethtown, N. J., for 
$500. 

The Devons sold well. Frank Quarter- 
ly, five years old, was bid off by Col. B. 
P. Johnson, of Albany (for what destina- 
tion we are not advii-ed) at $350. Master 
Birthday, four months old, was bought by 
Richard Peters, of Atlanta, Ga., for $340 ; 
a higher price than we have ever before 
known obtained for a Devon of this age in 
this country. Birthday, an imported cow 
twelve years old, sold to L. H. Colby, of 
Groton Village, Tompkins County, N. Y., 
for $450. Virtue, seven years old, sold to 
Francis Morris, of Throgg's Neck, N. Y., 
for $440. Princess, nine years old, sold- 
to the same for $340. Birthday, 4th, to 
the same for $350. 

Upwards of 100 South Down sheep were 
sold at prices averaging higher than have 
ever before been obtained for a similar 
number. The celebrated ram, Youflg 
York, brought $400. He was bought by 
Samuel Thorne, of Washington Hollow, 
Dutchess County, N. Y., who was also the 
purchaser of thirteen ewe's at an average 
of upwards of $150 per head. Other ewes 
and lambs sold high, as will be seen b} r 
the list, the publication of which we are 
obliged to defer till next week. 

The Essex and Berkshire swine sold 
well, with the exception of old boars, 
wnich are less saleable on account of the 
cost and difficulty of transportation. Im- 
ported Essex boar Fisher Hobbs, sold for 
$27 50. Essex sows brought from $50 



244 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



to $75 each. Imported Berkshire boar 
Master Berk, brought $25 ; Sir Robert, 
same breed', $35. Berkshire sows from 
$45 to $80. 

The aggregate amount of the sale is 
about $22,000. Its effects on the agricul- 
tural public will be salutary. The value 
of good stock will be embraced by it, and 
it will tend to induce a more just distinc- 
tion between good and indifferent or bad 
animals. On the whole, there have been 
few occasions of the kind which have 
passed off more happily for all parties, 
than Col. Morris's sale of 1856. 



GUANO CONVENTION. 

The National Intelligencer contains a 
very full report of the proceedings of the 
Convention which assembled in Washing- 
ton on the 10th instant to consider the 
most eligible course for the farming inter- 
est to pursue to relieve itself from the re- 
strictions of the guano trade. About sixty 
or seventy gentlemen, farmers and plan- 
ters from several of the adjoining states, 
were in attendance. Several propositions 
were submitted to the convention, one of 
which was that such a duty should be laid 
upon guano as to prohibit its importation, 
unless the Peruvian government would 
supply it on more reasonable terms. An- 
other was that the farmers should enter in- 
to a voluntary combination to suspend or 
discontinue its use. These propositions, 
however, appeared to meet with but little 
favor. Some gentlemen advocated the 
purchase 'by our government of one or all 
of the Chincha Islands, in the event that 
every other resource failed. We are grati- 
fied to perceive that these measures re- 
ceived the support of but a small number 
of the Convention. Finally, the Conven- 
tion adopted the following resolution offer- 
ed by Mr. Burgwyn of North Carolina : 

" Resolved, That a committee of five 
be appointed by the chair to continue ne- 
gotiations with the government of Peru for 
the introduction of guano in our country 
on the most reasonable terms." 

The following resolution was advocated 
as a matter both of expediency and econo- 
my, and adopted by the Convention : 

" Resolved that this Convention respect- 
fully recommend to the farmers in the 
habit, of using Peruvian guano exclusively, 



to substitute a mixture of Peruvian and 
Columbian guano in proper proportions, as 
recommended by Mr. Booth of Philadel- 
phia, and Dr. Stewart of Baltimore, dis- 
tinguished chemists, as the most effectual 
means to reduce the present high price of 
Peruvian guano." 

During the afternoon session of the Con- 
vention, it was proposed that the members 
should report the state of the wheat crop 
in their respective districts. In only a. 
few localities was the crop represented to 
be an average one, while the destruction 
from the Hessian fly was thought to have 
been greater than at any time for the last 
fifteen years. The expression mf the sense 
of the Convention is embodied in the fol- 
lowing resolution : 

"Resolved, That from the best infor- 
mation in possession of this Convention, 
they are of opinion that the present grow- 
ing wheat crop is less than an average by 
one third in North Carolina, Virginia, Ma- 
ryland, Delaware and the adjoining coun- 
ties of Pennsylvania." 

"Country Gentleman." 



CULTIVATION OF BUCKWHEAT. 

It seems unnecessary to regard any 
thing in regard to the cultivation of buck- 
wheat. 

Throughout the Eastern, Middle and 
Western States and the Canadas, it grows 
almost spontaneously, and it would seem 
that the only thmg requisite to secure a 
crop is to scatter the seed. It sometimes 
receives.injury from early frosts, but as a. 
general rule, no crop is better adapted to 
the short, hot summers of the Northern 
States. Botanically it is not a cereal, but 
its natural character and composition close- 
ly resemble this useful order of plants. Ex- 
cept millet, nopiant used as food for man 
can be sown so late in the season ; and this 
to the farmer is one of its most valuable 
qualities. It is frequently sown after a 
crop of rye has been taken off the ground, 
and thus even in the comparatively short 
seasons of the Northern States and the 
Canadas, two crops used as footl for man 
can be obtained from the land the same 
year — a result seldom or never obtained in 
the long, damp seasons of the British 
Isles. 

Buckwheat is a plant known in almost 
every part of the world. It is supposed 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



245 



to have been first grown in Europe about 
the time of the Crusaders, and the French 
called it ble Sarrazin. In China, Japan 
and Russia, it forms a large portion of the 
food of the inhabitants, and in Switzer- 
land, the South of France, and Flanders, 
it is cultivated to a considerable extent. 
It has been grown in England for upwards 
of three hundred years, but the cool cli- 
mate of England is not well adapted to its 
perfect elaboration, and hence it is not 
very extensively cultivated. In no coun- 
try does it flourish better than in the Uni- 
ted States — no where else do we find the 
luxury of hot buckwheat cakes so fre- 
quently upon the breakfast table. 

Buckwheat will grow on the poorest of 
sandy soils, and it has been extensively 
cultivated for the purpose of plowing in as 
a manure. Nevertheless, \ve are inclined 
to consider buckwheat as an exhausting 
crop. Emerson, in the Farmers' Ency 



long as can be done before sowing, and 
plow but once." The time of sowing va- 
ries in this State from the 20th of June to 
the 4th of July. It is sometimes sown as 
early as the 10th of June, and as late as 
the 15'. h of July. If sown too early it is 
liable to blast, and if too late it is frequent- 
ly injured by the frost. 

When grown for the grain, a bushel of 
seed to the acre is usually sufficient, and 
if the ground is rich, it is not safe to sow 
much, or it will run too much to straw. It 
flourishes best in a mellow, dry, loose 
sandy soil. "No crop," says G. W. Du- 
rant, in the Jllbany Cultivator, " will feel 
manure of any kind, or in any state so 
quick as buckwheat. Barn-yard manure, 
whether green or rotted, ashes, lime, plas- 
ter, all seem to produce a wonderful effect 
when applied to this crop. Guano, as far 
as my knowledge extends, has not been 
tried, but I have no doubt the effect would 



clopedia says : " It is generally thought to I be a considerable per cent, above any 
be a severe crop upon land, and for this! other manure, barn-yard manure not ex- 
reason it is seldom sown upon highly im-jcepted." We have seen Peruvian guano 
proved ground. Rough and hilly districts applied to buckwheat, with the most as- 
are considered peculiarly favorable to the tonishing effect. One hundred pounds 
culture of buckwheat, which is admirably per acre doubling the crop, 
adapted to subdue new or wild lands." The flowers of buckwheat are particu- 

Mr. Balligal, in the Transactions o/"!larly attractive to bees, and where bees 
the Highland Society, has given an account are kept in considerable numbers, at least 
of his experiment with it upon a clay loam a small patch of buckwheat should always 
recently limed ; from the results of which 'be sown. 

he warned his brother farmers that it is [ Buckwheat is an excellent food for poul- 
" needless to attempt to grow it upon damp Itiy. Pigs thrive upon and are fond of it, 
soils, or to expect full crops upon lands and when bruised it is good food for hor- 
exhausted by over cropping." We cer- ses, two bushels being equal (for this pur- 
tainly cannot recommend the cultivation pose, it is said,) to three of oats. Cows, 
of buckwheat for plowing under as a fer-iwhen fed with it, yield a large increase 
tilizer. Clover is by far a better crop for of milk. Sheep, when fed upon the plant 
this purpose. If the soil is too poor to when in blossom, stagger and tumble 



grow clover, we should expect better re- 
sults (in the Middle States, at least,) from 
the white lupine, or some other legumi- 
nous plant. 

'•The mode of culture," says an expe- 
rienced writer, " has varied considerably 
since my recollection. It was formerly 
the custom to reserve the poorest land for 



about as if drunk. 

We throw out these hints with the hope 
of eliciting the experience of some of our 
practical readers. — Genesee Farmer. 



MANGEL WURZEL. 



A correspondent says : " I -never drop 
buckwheat. It was considered a great re«[but one Mangel Wurzel seed in a place, 
proach to land to say it would produce I This one seed brings two or three plants 
only buckwheat. The practice was to ! which I transplant — the transplanted grow 
br<-ak up sward land early in the spring, 'as large as the others.' Is not our friend 
and let it lie until about seeding time, and mistaken in regard to getting two or three 
then cross plow and seed. The practice more plants from one seed? 
now among good farmers generally, is to' He adds: "I dont believe superphos* 
sheep the fields intended for the crop as phate of lime would help my beets, o r 



246 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



plaster ^either." Superphosphate would 
certainly help them during the first stages 
of their growth, but it is necessary to- 
supply considerable quantity of organic 
matter — say farm-yard dung — in order to 
obtain a large crop. They are gross feed- 
ers. — Genesee Farmer. 



THE CULTIVATION OF ROOT 
CROPS. 

At a recent Legislative Agricultural 
Meeting in Boston, the subject of " Root 
Crops" was discussed, and we condense 
from the New England Farmer such por 
tions of the discussion as we think may 
be interesting and useful to our readers at 
this season : 

Simon Brown, Esq., of the JVew Eng- 
land Farmer, said he thought we did not 
yet folly understand the value of root 
crops. In England they are highly val- 
ued, because more can be obtained from 
the same surface for the support of cattle, 
by their cultivation, than by the cultiva- 
tion of grain, and because they are valua- 
ble in producing beef and mutton, which 
are in great demand (here. They are a fa- 
vorite diet for sheep. With us, there is a 
prejudice against the cultivation of roots, 
perhaps on account of the amount of labor 
required. They need a deep soil, and 
most farmers have not got into the habit of 
cultivating deeply. Not more than one 
farmer in a hundred, in Massachusetts, 
had made any fair experiments in trench- 
ing. There are sandy loams, and in some 
cases, clay loams, that are well suited to 
raising roots. If well cultivated, from six 
hundred to twelve hundred bushels may 
be obtained from an acre. He had raised 
parsnips at the rate of twelve hundred 
bushels to the acre. The mangel wurzel 
is very easily raised ; it grows large, and 
is always. an excellent root for stock. It 
grows much out of the ground, and there- 
fore seems to require a different kind of 
cultivation from some other roots. In cul- 
tivating, it is necessary to have the ground 
well pulverized, and then two furrows are 
turned together, and upon the top of the 
ridge thus formed, the seed is sown ; the 
ridge being first flattened a little. The la- 
bor of harvesting them is less than that of 
turnips or ruta bagas. Cattle are very 
fond of them, and they are highly nutri- 
tious. He had not succeeded so well with 
beets as with other roots ; but he had no 



doubt they could be raised at a handsome 
profit. 

Round turnips may be cultivated easily 
by sowing them upon the land which is 
designed for grass, the ground being first 
plowed in July, and thoroughly prepared 
for grass, and the turnip seed being sown 
along with the grass seed. From three 
hundred to seven hundred bushels per 
acre may be obtained without any extra 
labor except that of gathering them. This 
method impoverishes the soil very liltle. 

The advantages of feeding roots to stock 
were next referred to. He had been told 
that milk could not be made for market 
unless the cows were fed on meal of some 
kind ; but he had found it too expensive 
to feed wholly with meal and hay. Hav- 
ing determined to try roots, after an expe- 
riment of feeding six cows with meal one 
season, he fed the same six cows with the 
same kind of hay, and with roots, the next 
season. The roots were of various kinds, 
the mangel wurzel, beet, ruta baga, round 
turnip, parsnip, and carrot, and these were 
mixed in feeding. After being milked in 
the morning, each cow was fed with half a 
bushel of mixed roots, which they ate 
greedily. There was no complaint of the 
turnip taste in the milk, and his milk man 
returned him cash for twice as many cans 
of milk as he did the year before, when 
they were fed on grain. That experiment 
h id satisfied him that more milk could be 
obtained by the use of roots, than by feed- 
ing a certain amount of meal a day, say 
three quarts a day, as he fed his cows the 
first winter. The milk from roots is per- 
haps of a poorer quality, but milk sellers 
rarely have any qualms of conscience 
about that, if they get a greatly increased 
quantity. Mr. Webster was a careful 
observer, and rarely talked about farming, 
anywhere, without bringing in the root 
crops. He saw that their cultivation would 
be of great benefit to New England farm- 
ers. In closing, Mr. Brown expressed 
the opinion that more could be made from 
a given number of acres by the cultivation 
of roots, than by the cultivation of grasses 
and grains. 

Mr. Williams, of Hadley, was of opin- 
ion, that root crop might be raised with 
great advantage, not only in his vicinity, 
but throughout the State. 

Mr. Brown stated the result of feeding 
round turnips to a cow for fattening, to 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



247 



which he fed thirty bushels, with hay, and [sugar beet's near, and he would make a 



made her very fat indeed, so that she was 
sought by the butchers at a high price. In 
preparing the land for turnips, he pulver- 
ized it well, and levelled with brush har- 
row. The seed was sown in drills, marked 
out with a machine prepared by himself. 
The labor of sowing in that way was very 
little, and they were weeded principally 
with a wheel hoe. He had recently seen 
a. plan of a cultivator which weeded both 
sides of a row at once, but he had not seen 
it tried. 

Mr. J. L. Lovering, of Vermont, said 
that though root crops were perhaps less 
cultivated in Vermont than Massachusetts, 
there are few farmers who do not raise 
more or less. They raise many sheep, 
and it is becoming an axiom that no farm- 
er can have a good flock of merino sheep 
who does not feed them with roots as of- 
ten as twice a week. The green food 
seems to prevent some of the diseases to 
which they are subject when not thus fed. 
Ruta bagas are raised principally for feed- 
ing stock. He had not succeeded well 
with getting his carrots to germinate, as 
for some cause or other the seed failed ; 
but when they came up well, he had no 
difficulty in obtaining a large crop. He 
had raised at the rate of twelve hundred 
bushels to the acre, add he thought them 
better than ruta bagas. Potatoes are still 
fed to stock a good deal in Vermont. Many 
are raised, and if they will not bring in 
market about twenty-five cents a bushel, 
they are considered worth that to feed out. 
Some farmers cook ruta bagas before feed- 
ing, and one gentleman had recently fat- 
tened a pair of old cattle with ruta bagas 
worth twice as much when cooked as when 
fed raw. Turnips are fed to sheep, and 
are thought to he better for them than 
carrots, or other roots, producing a better 
quality of milk for the lambs. 

Gen. Towne, of Worcester county, had 
a very high opinion of the importance of 
roots for feeding stock ; the sugar beet, 
for beef and for stock generally > was in 
his opinion, decidedly the best root that 
grows. One great advantage in raising 
teem is, that the tops are very good indeed 
for young hogd. He always meant to 
have some pigs about the first of Septem- 
ber, so that about the first of October the 
milk of the mother would hardly be suffi- 
cient for them. Then he had a yard of 



little hole in the fence so that the pigs 
might understand they were getting into 
mischief by getting among the beets, and 
they will eat off all the leaves, which are 
as good as green corn for them, and the 
eating of them off does not injure the 
crop at all. He thought the leaves more 
than paid for the labor of raising those 
which were near the hog pen. 

Genesee Farmer. 




THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 

RICHMOND, AUGUST, 1856. 



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248 



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A TAX ON FEMALE DOGS. 

Holding sheep as a necessary of life to the 
Farmer, and viewing dogs as the greatest ene- 
mies the sheep has to contend against — worse 
than foxes or wolves — it is not surprising that 
we should anxiously desire the death of at least 
nine out of every ten dogs in Virginia. We 
Tiew nearly the whole canine race as a pest, 
only endurable because we have grown up 
under it ; and we subscribe fully to the opinion 
of a deceased friend of ours, one of the worth- 



It is said, with what truth we cannot pro- 
nounce, that a law for taxing dogs can never 
pass in the Virginia Legislature ; that two many 
voters who own nothing but a dog would resent W 
such a tax as an infringement of their imme- 
morial rights ; and that rival candidates would 
use so potent a besom to sweep the offending 
Solon from his place. We shall not bring so 
degrading a charge against those whom the 
theory of our government supposes elected pri- 
marily, for their " virtue and intelligence," and 
therefore superior to the sordid notions which 
the charge implies. Nor shall we presume that 
any election in Virginia can be influenced by a 
question about dogs. But to satisfy those who 
believe, as many do, that such is the impediment 
to a necessary law, we shall offer a plan which 
will, if adopted, accomplish the purpose of those 
who side with us on the dog question, and can- 
not involve, very seriously, the popularity of 
the " ayes" who shall pass the law. 

It is simply a proposition to tax every bitch 
in the State. The number of them is not large 
and yet they are the source of the evil. If by 
putting them under the ban we can stop the 
breed, the whole object will have been obtained 
in reasonable time without doing violence to the 
feelings of that large and respectable class called 
"many voters." 

We are perfectly serious, though the proposi- 
tion may not appear so. We believe that if pe- 
titions, properly signed, were sent to the Assem- 
bly, that we might stand a good chance to lay 
the axe to the root of an evil much more serious 
than it is thought to be, by those who have 
never suffered under it, or have never thought 
of it. 

As some one must lead in the matter, at least 
so far as to show how it ought to be undertaken, 
we offer the following form of petition, which, 
with such alteration as he may choose, any one 
may copy and circulate for signature. 

To the Honourable, the General Assembly of 

Virginia. 
The undersigned, farmers of the county of 
, respectfully represent, that the num- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



249 



>er of dogs now in Virginia, is a serious disad- 
antage to the Agricultural interest of the State ; 
hat the number of sheep might be vastly in" 
ireased but for the losses, either actual or antie- 
pated, occasioned by the incursions of dogs into 
;very flock ; that the present laws upon the sub- 
ect are insufficient to protect either the sheep 
)r the owners of them, owing to the difficulty of 
proving the act, or the invidiousness of applying 
:he remedy. 

The undersigned are aware, at the same timet 
;hat it is difficult to adopt an instant remedy in 
;hf existing state of prejudice on the subject. 
rhey would therefore most respectfully petition 
pour honourable body to adopt such legislation 
n this regard as will interfere as little as possi- 

ile with supposed existing immunities, and will 
ot operate a burden or grievance on the pres- 
nt rights of dogs and owners ; and they would 
uggest that a tax of not less than five dollars 
>e laid on every bitch within this Commonwealth, 
harging every animal of that description in 
he possession of a negro to his or her owner or 
wners. 



IMPROVED BREEDS OF ANIMALS. 

Why shall I buy a good Bull," we have 
eard several times said in reply to our exhor- 
itions to various individuals to purchase im- 
proved animals; "why should I buy a good 
all, or boar, or ram? My neighbours still 
eep the common stock of each, they permit them 
go at large, as the law allows them to do. 
ley jump, or tear down, my fences, get into my 
(closures; and a runt, a "land pike," or a 
shabby sheep," is the consequence." 
This is most true, and it is a reflection on the 
rmers, that they have never made an effort to 
rrect an evil of more magnitude than they 
ippose it to be. 

The remedy is simple if it is only applied, 

id can be had, one would hope, for the asking, 

is merely to affix a penalty to " wilfully," or 

negligently" permiting such animals to go at 

ge. There is nothing new in this. It is now 

e law with respect to stallions, and has been 

r a great length of time, not as may be thought 

: account of their superior power to do mis- 

ief, but for the purpose of improving the 

eed. In Henning's Statutes at Large, vol. 3, 

35, we find the following •. 

ACT FOR THE BETTER IMPROVING THE BREED 
OF HORSES. 

Forasmuch as the breed of large and strong 



horses in this country, will not only extend to 
the great help and defence of the same, but also 
prove of great use and advantage to the inhabi- 
tants thereof, which is now much decayed and 
impaired by reason that small-stoned horses of 
low statute aud value, be not only suffered to 
pasture and feed in our woods and other waste 
grounds, but also to cover and leap mares feed- - 
ing there; whereof cometh a numereus breed to 
the little profit, but great damage of this coun- 
try, and will further increase to the detriment 
thereof, unless some effectual remedy be speedily 
provided te prevent the same. For prevention 
therefore of so great an evil, and for the increase 
and breed of better and stronger horses hereaf- 
ter to be had in this colony. 

Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and 
Burgesses of the General Assembly, and by the 
authoritie thereof, it is hereby enacted, That no 
person or persons whatsoever, after the last day 
of July, which shall be in the year of our Lord 
1687, shall have or put to feed into or upon any 
woodland grounds, marshes or other waste 
grounds, not haveing a sufficient fense about the 
same, any stoned horse or horses, being of the 
age of two yeares, and not being of the height 
of thirteen hand full and an halfe, to be mea- 
sured from the lowest part of the hoofe of the 
forefoot, unto the highest part of the withers , 
and every hand full to contain four inches of 
the standard, upon the penalty and forfeiture of 
such horse or horses, or four hundred pounds of 
tobacco," &c 

Under this law, dating back one hundred and 
sixty-nine years, and steadily continued to the 
present day, the breed of horses steadily im- 
proved until about the time of the Revolution, 
when they were about at their best. 

There is no reason why it should not have 
the same effect on other kinds of stock, at least 
in Eastern Virgiina, and no doubt that many 
are deterred from making efforts to improve for 
want of such a law. How many for instance, 
are willing to purchase such splendid cows as 
our friend, Mr. Mathews, of Wythe, exhibited 
at the Fair, when the chances are in favour of a 
progeny by a "ticky Bull?" 

There is one defect in the law as applied to 
stallions which should be corrected in enact- 
ments with regard to other stock. It makes the 
offence punishable by a fine of twenty dollars ; 
see Code of Virginia, p. 455 ; one half to the in- 
former, and holds the.offender harmless for the 
first offence. This is wrong ; how many gentle- 
men would be willing to go before a magistrate 
at a warrant trying and present a neighbour for 
a nuisance of this sort, and pocket a part of the 
forfeiture ? And how many would be found will- 
ing to appropriate an animal so found going at 



250 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



large, as any one may do now under this law af- 
ter a second conviction. It is absurd to think 
of it. 

Let the offence be made a misdemeanor, pre- 
sentable by a grand jury, and let the penalty be 
graded to the proportion of the damage done, 
and if, as in the case of overseer of roads, and 
other minor offences, let it go to the literary 
fund. Then there will be less difficulty in hav- 
ing the law enforced. 

As in the case above we append the form of 
petition. 

To the Honourable, the General Assembly of 

Virginia. 
The undersigned, farmers of the county of 
respectfully represent that the prac- 



of the Legislature next winter, we invoke our 
friends, if they mean to do anything in either 
or both of the above measures, to do it at once. 
We engage to see all petitions presented that are 
sent to us. 



tice of permitting Bulls, Boars and Rams to go 
at large is very injurious to the agriculture of 
the State, in discouraging the improvement of 
cattle, hogs and sheep in this State ; that many 
persons would purchase superior animals of 
each of the above kinds, but for the knowledge 
that they would be contaminated by the worth- 
less brutes that are now turned loose to roam 
over the country. The undersigned, therefore, 
most respectfully petition your honourable body 
to pass a law which shall make it a misdemeanor 
to permit any one of the above described ani- 
mals to go at large out of the enclosed grounds 
of the owner," and that on conviction thereof, 
before a court of record, the offending party 
shall pay a certain penalty for each offence, set: 
in the case of a bull, fifteen dollars for the first, 
and every subsequent offence: In the case of a 
boar, five dollars for the first and each subse- 
quent offence : In the case of a ram, seven dol- 
lars and fifty cents for the first and each subse- 
quent offence. 

If such a law is adopted, the community will 
then have a means of protecting itself. 

If this petition, and the one we have suggest- 
ed about taxing bitches, can be actively circula- 
ted, we are sure they will obtain the signatures 
of a great many, and may be the means of ob- 
taining something at the hands of the Legisla- 
ture, which has heretofore seemed to look with 
a cold and indifferent, if aot jealous eye, upon 
various petitions which have been proffered to it 
in regard to the agricultural wants of the 
State. 

As we feel very certain that there will be a 
called, and, we earnestly hope, a lengthy session 



CROSSKILL'S CLOD-CRUSHER. 

We have had this important English imple- 
ment in use for nearly two years, and can testify 
experimentally to its great utility, and, economi- 
cally considered, to its necessity to many far- 
mers in Virginia. But we fear its cost will be 
a bar to its general introduction. This ought 
not to be the case. The practice, too common 
with most of our farmers, of judging of the ap- 
propriateness of particular implements rather 
by their prime cost than by their capacity for 
executing given processes, is the falsest econo- 
my. If the principle were universal, agricul- 
ture would have made scarcely a stride in the 
last hundred years — the period of its greatest 
improvements. For instance, a good hand with 
a flail can thresh out, on an average, about 
seven bushels of wheat per day, and the flail 
costs nothing. But a wheat machine, of modern 
construction, can thresh out and chaff from 300 
to 850 bushels in the same time, and will cost 
from say $225 to $400, according to capacity. 
Not counting the delivery of the wheat at the 
barn or stack yard, as that has to be done both 
for flail and wheat machine, nor, for a like 
reason, the removal of the straw, and estimating 
the power of the machine at from four to eigh 
horses — equal to from twenty to forty hands 
with from five to eight hands to tend it, w< 
have from 12 to 18 bushels as the average wort 
of the hands, or an excess of work by machinery 
of from 70 to upwards of 170 per cent., to sai 
nothing of the saving in wear and tear o 
laborers, of the substitution of a cheaper kim 
of labor, of the advantage in time ' gained fo 
working other crops, of the diminished risk frou 
weather, and numerous other incidental ad| 
vantages. These items of calculation are neve 
considered, but are assumed as true, their accu 
racy having been tested by long and establish© 
usage, and being acquiesced in rather tha: 
understood. A farmer would now as soon thin! 
of grinding his corn with "two women at th 
mill" as of threshing his wheat without 
machine. But it was not always so ; the whea 
machine fought its way to general acceptanc 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



251 



against an opposition, which, in the case of the 
laborers, was exasperated to incendiarism. 

The same principle of economy, in the true 
sense of the term, applies in greater or less de- 
gree to all other agricultural implements; and 
the mere cost of a machine is but a little matter, 
provided it accomplishes what it proposes. True, 
one machine may be cheaper or dearer than an- 
other of the same class ; and particular ma- 
chines — as reapers, all of which are patented 
at present, and bear a high price to remunerate 
the inventor — may be higher than the cost of 
construction, which is one element of compe- 
tition in such cases, will justify; but as econo- 
mizing labor very few good implements can be 
rated too high. In exigencies this is admitted 
by the practice of all farmers. Hence the 
popularity of these same reapers, which have 
brought enormous profit to their several makers 
or inventors. The necessity of cutting the 
wheat crop in a given time, like the necessity 
of threshing it, compels the presence of the 
most expeditious means for the purpose. 

But it can hardly fail to strike one that the 
necessity of sowing a crop in good time, and on 
the most suitably prepared seed bed, is not less 
necessary to the great end of cropping than the 
need of proper means to sever the crop from the 
ground, or to prepare it for market. 

Among implements of this class, which may 
be called really great inventions, Crosskill's 
Clod-Crusher is entitled to a high place. Its 
name is its best description, as its performance 
is its highest eulogy. It does not pulverize 
clods, though there is as much resulting dust 
and fine soil as from the action of the best 
harrow; but it reduces them, the largest and 
hardest, without difficulty, into minute and 
manageable fragments, leaving the harrow in 
this respect completely in the shade. Indeed, 
it accomplishes, at one traverse, what the har- 
row can never accomplish at all, as the follow- 
ing description will prove : 

It is a roller six feet long and thirty inches 
in diameter, weighing about two thousand 
pounds. Rut unlike most rollers, which are 
either a solid cylinder, or, at most, a cylinder in 
two or three sections on the same axle, this 
imptement is composed of twenty-three inde- 
pendent serrated wheels of cast iron — the teeth 
standing out like cogs, but reduced to an obtuse 
cone or boss at the point — "supported on four 
feathered arms" — each alternate wheel of some 



three inches less diameter than the others — 
with an eye formed in the centre fitted to 
move easily on the common axle. But the eye 
of the larger 'wheels is expanded to such size as 
to give them a play of several inches on the 
axle, which is guarded at such points by a 
revolving collar, fitted to catch the wheels as 
they descend. Perpendicular to the angle of 
each tooth, on both faces of the wheel, is a 
small cast iron wedge, or flange, which, as the 
clod breaks, drops down on it and splits and 
mashes it into smaller fragments. With its 
weight and momentum, its cones and wedges, 
its vertical play of the larger wheels, and lateral 
play of all, it is evident that it must be a power- 
ful implement, and capable of reducing the 
most intractable clods. 

The common roller, if it does not crush the 
clods at once, presses them into the ground 
where they lie unbroken, and affording no soil 
for the plants around them to feed in, or are 
again dragged up by the harrow; or, in very 
hard clods, it bounces from one to another, 
breaking only those that it strikes with some 
impact. 

The harrow frequently passes by or over 
clods, and even when the largest are broken, 
which is by no means universal, their frag- 
ments become rounded by attrition with the 
harrow teeth or with each other, and further 
harrowing is useless as to them, and pernicious 
as to the soil. 

The implement in question does neither. If 
a clod is pressed into the ground it is just in 
the best position to be crushed; and so far 
from slipping away from it clods are frequently 
caught between the surfaces of the wheels, 
lifted up and ground to powder — in this way 
we have more than once seen a broom-straw 
tussock completely ginned of the indurated dirt 
that enclosed the roots — the whole surface is 
reduced to a mass of dust, fine dirt, and clods 
about the size of a hen's egg or less, and left 
just in the best condition to receive the seed, 
and allow of the best action of the covering 
harrow. The track of the machine presents 
much the appearance of sheep tracts over a 
mellow surface. 

It thus combines the action of the roller and 
harrow into one implement, and performs at 
one working what both of them often fail alto- 
gether to accomplish, and never succeed en- 
tirely in doing. 



252 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



We have not made, in any trial of this im- 
plement, a direct comparison of its work with 
that of the harrow and roller. A simple in- 
spection satisfied ns that was as ftseless as to 
estimate the relative speed and power of a 
locomotive and an ox cart; but a friend — J). W. 
Haxall, Esq., of Charles City county, who ob- 
tained a clod-crusher on our recommendation — 
informs us that a neighbor of his, who wit- 
nessed its operation, after having been at work 
on his own farm in the usual way, conceded 
that the land was better- prepared, and the 
wheat better seeded by Mr. Haxall, with the 
equivalent of nine harrowings on a fifteen foot 
bed, than his was with nineteen harrowings on 
the same area. At this rate, in sowing a 
hundred acres, it would pay for itself in one 
seeding. 

A simple statement will prove its economy. 
A three horse harrow, sweeping five feet, must 
lap one half at each trip, making only two and 
half feet of work. Supposing one rolling with 
the smooth roller to complete the work, which 
it never does, then three trips of the thre,e horse 
teams are necessary to do what the clod-crusher, 
with four horses, does in strips of six feet at 
one trip. To get a thirty foot bed in order at 
this rate, would take twelve trips of the har- 
row, five of the roller — seventeen of both. But 
the crusher does the same work in five trips, 
thereby operating an excess of work of two 
hundred and forty per cent., or seventy per 
cent, more than the thresher in the case sup- 
posed. [It is perfectly fair to offset the driver 
saved against the extra horse.] 

As to cost, a harrow will cost $14, and must 
be renewed every five years; a decent plantation 
roller, renewable as often, costs not less than 
$10. But the clod-crusher will last, upon the 
most moderate estimate, at least five times as 
long as these implements, being nearly inde- 
structible. Here, then, we have a cost for har- 
row and roller of $120 — to say nothing of the 
worry and bother of repairs — against a cost of 
$140 for the clod-crusher, which is shown to do 
an excess of two hundred and forty per cent, 
of work. 

In saving another most tedious and vexatious 
process, that of breaking clods with the edge of 
the hoe after the wheat is seeded, it is still more 
efficacious and satisfactory. On some stiff clay 
farms this is indispensable more or less every 
year. Let any one estimate how long it will 
take a hand to break the clods on a breadth of 



six feet by one mile, and then consider that 
with this implement he can do the same work 
fifty times as thoroughly in 25 minutes, and 
he will readily conclude that in this business 
he can save the labor of fifty hands in a day. 

It performs also another important office in 
fitting the land for the reception of clover and 
grass seed. Every one knows that a slight de- 
pression in the soil, the track of a wheel, a 
horse, a man, a sheep, is the best receptable for 
these minute seeds. With the clod-crusher the 
whole surface is dotted with them. 

Still another most important service will it 
render in compressing light surfaces, and giving 
them a closeness of texture which the simple 
roller can not effect, not only by its superior 
weight, but by the trampling of so many cones 
over the surface. For this purpose it is used 
extensively in England, and by many thought 
even more valuable on light than on heavy 
lands. 

It is worked by four good horses or mules — at 
least we have worked it with that number — but 
five or even six is better. With the largest 
number it is a cheaper implement by far than 
two three horse harrows, and will save a driver. 

It is made by Messrs. Baldwin & Cardwell, 
who have obtained their patterns from our cast- 
ings, and make a better implement than our's 
is at a cost of $140. 

Let those who wish to buy, and yet think the 
price high, pay us a visit at Summer Hill, where 
we can work it any time on half an hour's 
notice; and if they are not satisfied to buy one 
we promise them a dinner, supper, night's 
lodging and breakfast, for nothing. 

We got the Virginia State Agricultural So- 
ciety to assist us in importing the clod-crusher; 
they importing at their risk, with the under- 
standing that we were to take it at cost if it 
answered. We have never seen the day we 
would have taken the cost for it. And Mr. 
Haxall, and Mr. Chas. B. Williams, who also 
have one, each hold theirs as highly. 

Persons may confound this implement with 
one made in Baltimore by Sinclair, we think — 
a much less costly and lighter article, and quite 
a good one, though very high at the price. But 
it is not to compare to Crosskill's in efficiency, 
strength or durability. We have tried them 
side by side, and for real work we would as 
soon think of matching a calf against an ox. 

We are aware that this description is some- 
what long, and possibly, prolix. We could not 
make it shorter, and yet say all that we wished 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



253 



by way of testimony to the implement, or in- 
ducement to its purchase. If public spirited 
gentlemen will examine for themselves we shall 
be satisfied. If our subscribers in the Valley 
may feel an interest in the subject — we should 
they would, for they have clods as large as nail 
kegs — they are referred to our friends, H. M. 
Nelson and Nath'l Burwell, Esqrs., of Clarke 
county. They have seen it work, and have 
engaged patterns of the maker in Richmond. 
Those wishing to obtain them in time for 
use this Fall, will have time to see Messrs. 
Baldwin & Cardwell — consult Mr. Cardwell — 
in Richmond. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS FOR THE STATE 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S FAIR. 

We omitted, accidentally, in our last issue to 
mention that Dr. Wm. H. McGuffet, Professor 
of Moral Philosophy and Political Economy at 
the University of Virginia, had consented to 
deliver the annual address before the Virginia 
State Agricultural Society at its next meeting. 
We congratulate the Society on the selection 
that has been made. We think Dr. McGuffey 
the finest thinker it has ever been our good 
fortune to hear, and no doubt his address 
will be a treat to those who can appreciate it. 



SOUTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURALIST. 
We have accidentally omitted to notice the 
revival of this very valuable agricultural jour- 
nal, this time under the auspices of the newly 
formed South Carolina Agricultural Society. 
It is edited, as before, by Col. A. G. Summer. 
We were sorry when it was discontinued some- 
time ago — we place it agaiu on our list of ex- 
changes with very great pleasure. We like the 
editor. 



"THE GREAT GUANO DISCOVERY." 
Possibly some of our readers may not have 
forgotten an article we wrote on this subject a 
few months ago. We heard that we were to be 
answered, and tendered the Planter as the 
medium ; but heard no more of it. We have 
lately understood that the thing blew up; 
that the guano turned out upon analysis to be 
worth about as much as our title to the Lobos 
Islands dW upon investigation. 

What amount of stock was sold in Virginia 
we have never ascertained. 



AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL 
REVIEW. 

In this State the wheat has all been harvest- 
ed, and is now safely garnered in the farmers' 
barns, excepting of course, the limited quanti- 
ty which has been sent, or may be in transitu 
to market. We have no definite information as 
to the extent of the crop, in Virginia, but be- 
lieve that the annexed general review, from the 
Whig, of this city, is, in the main, correct: 

"The wheat crop in Tide- Water Virginia is 
far inferior to any for ten years. In the South- 
ern part of the State, from Powhatan to the 
North Carolina line, the crop, with some, and 
those very few, exceptions, " is miserable." 
The Piedmont country — extending from Alex- 
andria along the foot of the mountains, to 
Franklin — fifty or sixty miles in breadth— the 
crop is generally very good — though produced 
at a heavy expense in guano. In the lower 
portion of the Valley the crop is fair — in Rock- 
bridge, almost a failure— further west, in 
South-Western Virginia, satisfactory. A gene- 
ral alarm, from the mountains to the seaboard, 
is felt for the corn crop. The rains have been 
partial and limited in quantity ; the chinch-bug 
universal, and like the sand of the sea- shore 
for numbers. Many corn fields are entirely de- 
stroyed by them already, and others can only 
be saved by timely and copious rains." 

In the July number of the Planter, we inti- 
mated that the corn crop would probably be an 
abundant one. From information which has 
since reached us, we are led to the conclusion 
that the reverse of this presumption will be 
nearer the truth. In Eastern Virginia there 
has been no rain of consequence for six weeks ; 
the chinch-bug as the Whig states, has made 
its appearance everywhere, and, in short, if the 
half we hear be entitled to credit, corn will be 
a scarce article in Virginia next fall. The corn 
crop in the Western States has fared rather 
better, but there is no doubt, but that from va- 
rious adverse causes, the yield will not begin to 
equal that of last year. In various localities, 
the seed failed to germinate until after two or 
three plantings. From Europe, the accounts 
are, as usual, conflicting. In England and the 
Southern part of Scotland, the prospects are 
favorable, but on the Continent, which has re- 
cently suffered from calamitous inundations; 
fears are entertained that the cereal yield will 
fall considerably short of an average. 

The first new wheat sold in this market, 



254 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



brought $1 80. Supplies are coming forward 
freely, and the millers are still paying §1 75 to 
$1 85. The "Gallego" and '-Columbian" Mills 
have re-commenced operations for the season 

Groceries and provisions still command high 
prices. Bacon has advanced about 2 cents per 
pound since our last. 

July 28th. 



A TABLE showing the Prices of Com and 
Wheat in Richmond, at the close of each week, 
for the year 1855 : 



Since our advertising department was 
put to press, we are requested to say that the 
sales advertised by D. J. Hartsook, agent for 
Mrs. Cabell, have been postponed. The sale in 
Lancaster county to the 4th September and the 
Lanevile property to the 18th Septeniber. 



„ 'See advertisement of " Lindsey's Dou- 
ble Acting Rotary Force and Lift Pump," on p 
5 advertising sheet. 



From the Richmond Daily Dispatch. 

RECEIPTS OF WHEAT. 

Below we give a statement of receipts of 
Wheat in this city by Railroads and Canal, each 
week for the year, beginning on the 1st of July 
last. (In an annual statement published on the 
4th inst., an error occurred by adding the re- 
ceipts of one quarter twice, which the present 
statement corrects.) It will serve to compare 
with the receipts of the present year : 



1855. 




1856. 




Weeks ending 


Bush'Is 


Weeks ending 


Bush'ls 


July 7, 


22 


Jan. (entire)* 


7,394 


14, 


1,070 


Feb. 9, 


1,440 


21, 


5,333 


16, 


3,062 


28, 


19,117 


Mar. 1, 


8,167 


Aug. 4, 


62,726 


8, 


9,338 


11, 


67,058 


15, 


12,707 


18, 


79,249 


22, . 


19,278 


25, 


95,366 


29, 


15,786 


Sept. 1, 


64,669 


April 5, 


18,456 


8, 


34,579 


12, 


37,295 


15, 


35,306 


19, 


22,341 


22, 


25,120 


26, 


51,123 


29, 


26,675 


May 3, 


20,660 


Oct. 6, 


27,853 


10, 


40,535 


13, 


52,611 


17, 


30,845 


20, 


53,243 


24, 


27,169 


27, 


46,125 


31, 


23,872 


Nov. 3, 


36,017 


June 7, 


9,363 


10, 


38,811 


14, 


7,545 


17, 


65,775 


21, 


5,736 


24, 


78,370 


28, 


1,311 


Dec 1 


79,075 
72,722 






8, 




364,423 


15, 


61,329 


1,1: i;,j(i-.) 


22 


56,913 


1 




tittj 


SKft R59 



1,186,209 



DATE. 



January 

Do 

Do 

Do 
February 

Do 

Do 

Do 
March 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 
April 

Do 

Do 

Do 
May 

Do 

Do 

Do 
June 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 
July 

Do 

Do 

Do 
August 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Do 
Septemb'r 7 

Do 14 

Do 

Do 
October 

Do 

Do 

Do 
November 2 

Do 9 

Do 16 

Do 23 

Do 30 

December 7 

Do 14 

Do 21 

Do 28 



Wheat, per bushel, 
for good to prime. 



White 
95 al 
00 a2 
00 a2 
95 a2 
95 «2 
95 a2 
95 a2 
95 o2 
05 a2 
05 a2 
10 «2 
15 a2 
15 «2 
25 a2 
40 a2 
50 a2 
57}a2 
45 a2 
45 a.2 
45 a2 
45 a2 
45 al 



& 
$2 
**2 
tt2 
00 a2 
95 a2 
90 a\ 
85 al 
90 a\ 
80 al 
75 al 
75 al 
85 al 
95 a2 
95 «2 
05 o2 

05 a2 

06 a2 
10 «2 
15 a2 
15 a2 
15 a2 
20 a'Z 
10 a2 
95 a2 
90 al 
95 a2 



00 


1 


05 


1 


05 


1 


00 


1 


00 


1 


00 


1 


00 


1 


00 


1 


10 


2 


10 


2 


15 


2 


20 


2 


20 


2 


30 


2 


45 


2 


55 


■2 


62} 


2 


50 


2 


50 


2 


50 


2 


50 


2 


50 


2 


00 




00 




00 




00 




05 


1 


00 


1 


95 


1 


90 


1 


95 


1 


85 


1 


80 


1 


80 


1 


90 


1 


00 


I 


00 


1 


10 


2 


10 


2 


10 


2 


15 


2 


20 


2 


20 


2 


20 


2 


25 


2 


15 


2 


00 


1 


95 


1 


00 


1 



Red- 

90 al 95 
95 a2 00 
95 a2 00 
90 al 95 
90 al 95 
90 al 95 
90 al 95 
90 al 95 
00 a2 05 
00 «2 05 
05 a2 10 
10 a2 15 
10 a2 15 
20 a2 25 
35 a2 40 
45 a2 50 
52}a2 57} 
40 a2 45 
40 a2 45 
40 a2 45 
40 a2 45 
40 a2 45 



J2 00 
$2 00 
*"2 00 
tt2 00 
95 a2 00 
90 al 95 
85 al 90 
80 al 85 
85 al 90 
75 al 80 
70 al 75 
70 al 75 
80 al 85 
90 al 95 
90 al 95 
00 a2 05 
00 a2 05 
00 a2 05 
05 «2 10 
10 a2 15 
10 a2 15 
10 a2 15 
15 a2 20 
05 a2 10 
90 al 95 
85 al 90 
85 «[ 90 



Corn 
per bushel. 



90 a 
87}a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
85 a 
87}a 
90 a 



90 
90 
92} 
90 
90 
87 } 
87 J 
87} 
87 i 
87} 
87} 
87} 
90 
90 
92} 
1 00 
1 00 al 05 
1 00 al 02} 
1 05 
1 05 al 10 
1 05 al 10 
1 10 
1 15 al 17} 
1 20 al 25 
1 20 al 22 
1 05 al 10 
1 10 
1 02}al 05 
1 05 al 10 
1 05 al 10 
1 00 al 05 
1 00 al 05' 
95 
90 a 
87}a 
83 a 
83 a 
80 a 
80 a 
85 a 



92} 
90 
85 
85 
85 
85 
90 
90 
95 
95 al 00 
1 00 al 05 
95 
95 
95 
95 
90 
85 
80 
80 



80 a 
75 a 



* The mills ceased grinding, after having ground 
about 300,000 barrels during the season. 

t Nominal ; no wheat of consequence offered during 
the three weeks. 

t Contracts for new crop at $2. 

§ A few additional contracts made for "future delive- 
ry." 

♦♦For "July delivery." 

ft New crop began to arrive, and prime sold for $2. 

fl: All the mills again in operation. 



GENERAL NOTICE. 
In accordance with the notice given in a pre- 
vious number of this paper, we commenced 
with the July number to drop from our list, all 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



255 



subscribers who are in arrears for three years 
Or more, and shall continue to do so until the 
first of January next, at which time we intend 
to drop all who are then in arrears for two 
years and upwards. But in doing so we do 
not intend to relinquish our right to collect our 
dues from such delinquents, but shall send out 
their accounts regularly or place them in the 
hands of Agents for collection. We do not de- 
sign to adopt strictly the cash system, but we 
desire to approach as near to it as possible, and 
wish our " Terms " which are printed conspi- 
cuously in every paper to be understood by all 
our subscribers. They are as follows : 

TERMS. 

One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents per 
annum, or One Dollar only, if paid in advance. 
Six copies for Five Dollars ; Thirteen copies 
for Ten Dollars — to be paid invariably in ad- 
vance ; and to them we mean strictly to adhere 
with this variation only, subscribers who owe 
for two years, or §2,50 and remit, $5 will be 
credited fur two years of arrearrages and three 
years in advance. We think no one who in- 
tends to pay can object to this arrangement. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS UPON THE 
USE OF GUANO. 

Mr. Editor : 

The frequent inquiries and reports as to 
the use of guano seem to indicate that it is 
suspected of possessing some peculiar 
magic power different from all other ma- 
nures ; it is apprehended that if it was re- 
lieved from this suspicion, its use would 
be better comprehended, and consequent- 
ly its benefits would be more diffused. 
The writer has long been perfectly satis- 
fied that its properties, and as a conse- 
quence its action, arejexactly similar to all 
our concentrated animal manures, more 
particularly those of the stable, and the 
poultry yard, in exact proportion to the 
concentration of their fertilizing principles, 
and that if either of these may be regarded 
as permanent manures, then may guano 
be. It appears almost, if not entirely, a 
self-evident proposition, that if any fertil- 
izing agent, is applied to the soil, with all 
its elements of nutrition, eliminated and 
prepared to be appropriated by the vessels 
of the plant ; and in quantity not exceed- 
ing the wants of the plants, and the sea- 
son be such as to allow the full develop- 
ment thereof, that the land can receive no 



fertilizing benefit. Guano is in this state 
of perfect elimination, and consequently 
promptly answers to the demands of the 
plant, and if these exceed the funds in the 
treasury, it runs dry and must be silent as 
to farther calls. Those who have used 
guano with tolerable liberality, have found, 
that for the most part, the growing plant 
has not exhausted the supply, and that 
enough has been left to show a decided 
improvement in the soil. The writer tes- 
tifies to the fact that three successive 
crops, tobacco, wheat and oats, have been 
made from one application. An acre of 
poor " old field " was added to a tobacco 
lot: the lot was manured as usual with 
stable and stable-yard manure, and the old 
field with guano alone, about 200 pounds 
to the acre. Cultivation the same on 
each — <a. good crop on each. The guano 
part, thought by some, best — seeded in 
wheat after the tobacco — a good crop with 
similar comparative result, the spring fol- 
lowing, was fallowed, sowed in oats with 
like result, leaving the land guanoed 
equal in appearance to the old lot along 
side. Does this evince permanence ? If 
not, it is asked, what may be so regarded? 
Virgin fertility may be tired or exhaust- 
ed ; and so may any manuring. The ex- 
ceedingly subtle and evanescent character 
of guano may be, and, by the writer, is, re- 
garded as all a mere notion. 

All good lands have certain properties 
in common, whose constant tendency is to 
seize and appropriate such fertilizing ele- 
ments as may be brought within the 
sphere of their attractions. The limit of 
their capacities vary, but all will, if allow- 
ed, attract and appropriate to the full ex- 
tent of their capacity ; and will retain that 
degree of fertility, if not wantonly wrested 
from them. In what this property of self- 
recuperation consists, no attempt is made 
to define, but men of intelligent obser- 
vation can scarcely fail to know good land 
when they see it ; all such, if exhausted 
by cultivation, and left to rest will readily 
seize and appropriate such fertilizing ma- 
terials as may be brought within the range 
of their appetencies, and will hold to the 
full amount of their capacity of appropria- 
tion. All lands may be stuffed — sur- 
charged with manure, more than they can 
appropriate and retain, and if cropped in 
this state, with the aid of the moisture, will 
yield to the crop what it would otherwise 



256 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



give to the atmosphere. The essential 
difference between good and sterile soil 
consists in the abundance or paucity of 
the elements which constitute the proper- 
ty of self-recuperation. A legitimate in- 
ference from this view, observation has 
established as a fact — that soils originally 
sterile do not retain manures, and from 
any ordinary degree of artificial fertility, 
rapidly relapsed to their virgin poverty, 
this they will fall to without the aid of 
cultivation. All our domestic manures 
contain much undigested material (some 
more, some less) that avails nothing for the 
first crop, but is left in a process of prepa- 
ration for after help to the soil. Hence 
these manures get the credit of more per- 
manence, merely because a large portion 
was not sooner available for the sustenance 
of crops. 

What is new in the-experiments report- 
ed in the last Planter by a citizen of Buck- 
ingham? Is it not evident, that in the 
case of the two lots where the guano was 
applied before planting, the supply was in- 
sufficient to meet the demands of the over- 
grown stalk, and ear too, and in the last 
case, the supply was afforded just in time 
to meet the wants of the ear, and was ex- 
pended on that instead of the stalk ! It is 
feared that this report may lead some to 
the erroneous conclusion, that it is best in 
all cases to apply the manure at the time 
of laying by. The writer has applied 
guano and other manures to corn and to- 
bacco during the late workings with very 
satisfactory effect, and cheerfully testifies 
to an assurance of profitable results if the 
season be sufficiently moist. Any quantity 
short of a full and thorough supply, will, 
with a moist season, accomplish more 
if applied at the last working than before 
planting ; but if the season prove dry, it 
will avail but little at best and will often 
prove injurious. It is no new thing that 
partial manuring of corn is likely to pro- 
duce a large stalk and small ear, and this 
it will most certainly do, if the early sea- 
son be a very pushing one. If regard is 
had to the greatest certainty of a crop and 
improvement of the land, a full supply, 
broad cast and thoroughly incorporated 
with the soil is the best mode of applica- 
tion. This holds good with guano as well 
as other manures. In using guano, with re- 
gard the amount of crop, especially, it may 
be good economy to retain a portion of the 
amount designed to be pplied ; say one 



third, for a late application to corn or to- 
\ acco. This has been tried by the writer 
with very satisfactory results. 

Your Buckingham correspondent should 
have stated the character of the season in 
which his. experiment was made. It may 
not occur to all that Ihe early season must 
have been abundantly moist — giving the 
vigorous stalk and thereby exhausting the 
manure, and the latter season must also 
have been moist, or the late application 
would not have given the larger corn. 
About as profitable results may be expect- 
ed from turning a beef into a barren pas- 
ture for the summer and fall which had 
luxuriated all the spring in a rich clover 
field, as from a partial manuring in the 
hill or trench, with the early season, moist 
and pushing, and the late dry and back- 
ward. B. 

Cedar Hill, Charlotte Co., July 21. 

4 m m 9 t 

[For the Planter.] 

NICHOLAS LANDS, SHEEP, &c. 

Mr. Editor. — Being on a tour through our 
Western counties, I cannot resist the oppor- 
tunity to speak of the lands of Nicholas county, 
their fertility and peculiar adaptation to sheep 
husbandry. I would premise by saying, it is 
singular that persons desiring a change of loca- 
tion should have overlooked this healthy and 
desirable section, where lands are not only 
cheap, but of surpassing fertility ; but, I pre- 
sume, this has been chiefly owing to its being 
cut off, as it were, from the main channels of 
communication, and from erroneous impressions 
which have gone abroad in relation to the 
poverty of the county. The sparseness of popu- 
lation has been owing to the lands being held 
in large surveys, and the uncertainty of title; 
this state of things is fast passing away. Sett- 
lers of the right stamp are rapidly coming in, 
chiefly Eastern Virginians ; forests are falling 
before the woodsman's axe, valleys becoming 
clothed "with living green," and roads and 
means of communication extended. I am in- 
formed that lands have advanced from one to 
two hundred per cent, in five years, though now 
nominally very low (unimproved three to five 
dollars, improved eight to twelve dollars). I 
left Gauley bridge and travelled up Gauley and 
Peters' creek, by the Gauley Bridge and Weston 
Turnpike, to Summersville, the county seat. 
The road, on each side, is hedged with what 
appear steep and rugged mountains, though the 
land on the stream was of unsurpassed fertility 
for corn, grass, sweet potatoes, &c; but wher- 
ever a stream descends, you find coves of well- 
laying fertile lands, of from two to two thousand 
acres, clothed with sugar-maple, pawpaw, &c, 
with but sparse undergrowth, when not cleared ; 
but many of these coves have been converted 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



into smiling farmsteads — the log houses in the 
valleys surrounded with luxuriant meadows and 
the hiil-sides clothed with grain. Some of the 
best grass farms I have seen in the State are in 
these coves. Burk's Garden, owned by the 
Messrs. Raders, is certainly unsurpassed for 
fertility, besides many others. Nicholas Court- 
house, or Summersville, is quite a thriving 
village, and bears the marks of much recent 
improvement, owing, it is said, to the energy, 
taste and enterprize of Dr. Price, formerly of 
Mecklenburg county. They sadly need a court- 
house, bat the people have been over taxed to 
make roads, and require a breathing spell. 
They paid four hundred per cent, on revenue 
tax for the completion of the Gauley Bridge and 
"Weston Turnpike, besides working from ten to 
thirteen days on the county roads. 

From the courthouse I went up Muddletee, 
which has some fine farms, with superior mea- 
dows, as also the streams making into it. The 
lands on Birch are equal to any lands in the 
State for corn, wheat, tobacco, as also the lands 
on Elk river. This is a beautiful stream, and 
can be made navigable for steamboats to Sutton 
at a reasonable outlay. Its banks abound in 
the richest iron ore, cannel and bituminous 
coal. Crossing from Elk, by Sycamore, Twenty 
mile creek, there is some good land, and some 
as rough and barren as any in the State. Re- 
crossing the turnpike, we passed up Laurel 
creek to the section known as the Meadows and 
Panther Mountain, which affords evidences of 
high cultivation — being thickly settled in small 
farms, which show unmistakable evidences of 
thrift and plenty — land sells higher than in 
other sections. The wilderness is lately settling 
up, but is rapidly becoming opened ; new farms 
appearing on every hand. Returning to the 
courthouse by the "Open Rocks," the greatest 
natural cariosity in the State, we passed into 
the Kentucky settlement, over a miserable ford 
at Gauley river. This section is very productive 
and has some fine farms. Much unimproved 
land is still unsold in this section, belonging to 
S. McD. Moore, Esq., of Lexington, of superior 
quality. Recrossing Gauley at Persingen's run, 
we went up Glade creek, but this, to me, seemed 
cold and crawfishy, and the timber — white oak — 
shows evidences of frequent frosts. McMillan's 
creek is one meadow, and such meadow ! yield- 
ing one and a half to three tons of hay per acre. 
Crossing over to Beaver and Stroud's glade, we 
found some beautiful land. Callagimn had a 
fine survey, but has sold off much; the best has 
been bought by Maj. T. G. Harris, and Mc- 
Farland, of Richmond. There is still much 
good land in this section unsold. There is, from 
Ibis up to Fork Lick, much very superior unim- 
proved land — limestone — and if ever the Slav- 
ing Cabin road is completed, will be one among 
the best sections of the county. Recrossing 
Gauley at Cranberry, we examined the lands 
between this and Williams's river. This is higfi 
table-land, of unsurpassed fertility; the timber 
of such size — poplar, black oak and walnut — as 



to be almost incredible. This is superior grass 
land, and lays well for farming purposes. Most 
of this section has been purchased, two or three 
years since, by gentlemen from Eastern Vir- 
ginia, at two to three dollars ; that offering for 
sale is held at five dollars. If improved, this 
land would be worth fifty dollars per acre for 
grazing purposes. Crossing on to Cherrytree, 
we passed the improvements making by Mr. 
Morris, Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, Messrs. Garnetts 
and others, well known East; they will soon 
have fine farms. From this to Meadow river, 
and Greenbrier settlement, is a wilderness, 
though said to contain some superior farming 
and grass lands. The whole county is alpine — 
with rich vegetation to my eye, seems pecu- 
liarly adapted to Sheep-IIvsbandry. It is 
superior grass land, and remarkably adapted to 
farming, that all important auxiliary of sheep- 
husbandry. The flocks of native sheep pre- 
sented an uncommon fine and healthy appear- 
ance. Dr. Price, we understand, has introduced 
some superior imported Cotswolds, and is ar- 
ranging for a large flock of Silesian Merinos. 
This move will be all important to the future of 
the county; and we doubt not, in ten or fifteen 
years, that this will be the largest wool-growing 
county in the State. 

I would advise all persons, desiring to change 
their locality, to visit this county, especially 
Elk, Fork Lick, Cranberry and Cherrytree, they 
will find superior lands at three to five dollars. 
Those visiting that region would do well to con- 
sult with Maj. T. G. Harris and Dr. Price, both 
gentlemen from Eastern Virginia, and who, I 
doubt not, will give every information with 
pleasure. The society now moving into the 
county is of the very best, and this will add much 
to the future value as a permanent home ; in- 
deed, take it all in all, Nicholas possesses, with- 
in herself, the amplest resources of wealth, and 
is destined to be the best county in the State. 
I have written the above with the view of 



calling attention, of those desiring a change, to 
this county : they have only to see, to be a6 
highly pleased as 

Cosmopolite. 
N B.— Those visiting this region must not 
expect to find houses, etc. ; all, nearly, live, as 
yet, in primitive log cabins, but give you an Old 
Virginia welcome, feasting you on the best from 
field and wood. I may write again, during my 
tour through this terra incognita. 



[For the Planter.J 
MANURE OF FLESH. 



R., Esq., I 
and using 



Mr. Editor.— -By request of F. G 
advertise my mode of preparing 
manure made of dead animals. 

For the last ton years I have leased my lands, 
except my present residence, where I attend 
exclusively to grazing, without manure. When 
I did farm I had a vault fur dead animals, about 
eighteen feet square and six feet deep. This 
was made in clay grounds, immediately below 



258 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



my cattle yard, that the stale and surplus urine 
from the yard should run into the vault to 
furter enrich the mass. In this vault I cast, 
annually, about two horses, four or five cattle, 
twenty or thirty sheep, and perhaps a goat, dog, 
or cat. These animals were cut into pieces with 
an axe and spread on a layer of vegetable mould, 
saw dust, or charcoal, or a mixture thereof. On 
the flesh I cast ashes or lime, and then immedi- 
ately a layer of absorbents as above mentioned, 
say sixteen or eighteen inches thick. The 
carcase of a horse or cow should be spread over 
the whole face of the vault, but smaller animals 
must be used up as reflection may suggest. 

A vault of the size above mentioned will hold 
seventy-two square yards of manure, which 
would be about the proper size for the number 
of animals above specified; but I found that by 
the addition of the urine my manure was too 
much concentrated for broad-cast field purposes ; 
therefore, had I such work to do again, I would 
enlarge my vault. 

One having no clay grounds near his cattle 
yard, should make his vault with plank ; and 
it would be best to have two vaults, one near 
the cattle yard, and one near the stable. — 
What I mean by cattle yard, is a permanent 
enclosure for winter. And here I might (if ad- 
missable) bring up the question, whether it is 
best to feed cattle in a yard, or on open grounds? 

This kind of manure is made principally in 
the latter part of Winter and early Spring ; 
when our animals are inclined to die from star- 
vation and cold; and for two reasons should not 
be disturbed until the beginning of next winter; 
first, that the mass may be completely decom- 
posed and compounded ; and secondly, that the 
effluvia may not be offensive. 

And now comes the questions, when, where, 
and how should this kind of manure be used? 

I have said above that the contents of the 
vault should not be disturbed until the begin- 
ing of winter, say December, when it should be 
cast out; leaving one side of the vault open for 
ingress with raw rnaterials. For the purpose of 
saving expense in transportation, my rule has 
ever been to spread my heavy manures, of what- 
ever description, on grounds or crops near the 
heap; and to cast lighter manures, such as 
plaister, &c, on distant grounds. If I had a 
grass plot or wheat field convenient, I spread 
my vault manure on the poorer spots thereof, 
immediately after casting from the vault. If 
no meadow or wheat near, but land intended for 
corn or tobacco, I reserved the pile for this or 
these; to be spread immediately before fallow- 
ing. If none of the above be convenient, I 
spread my heavy manures on the first poor spot 
I come to, and await my profit at the next round 
of cultivation. The greater portion of our 
arable lands are unproductive because of the 
want of vegetable matter ; and it is a question 
worthy of much consideration, whether, with 
this object in view, it is not best to manure our 
lands at least one year in advance of cultiva- 
tion. When a farmer, I frequently practiced 



this mode, and never had cause to regret it. Re- 
member, reader, what I have frequently told 
you: "Can't you wait awhile for your interest, 
till it is worth drawing from the bank? Better 
starve a few years and then be free, than always 
half starved." 

I incline to the opinion that manure made of 
flesh is peculiarly adapted to the production of 
grass; therefore say, that no farmer should be 
without a manure vault and a meadow near that 
vault. Orchard grass and red clover grow and 
ripen well together, and by the application of 
the above manure and plaister, could be cut 
twice in the year, yielding altogether without 
the aid of foreign water at least four tons of 
hay, worth in our markets eighty dollars. • 

The bones not decomposed, should be cast 
back into the vault for a second round. Ab- 
sorbent materials should always be ready to 
hand. Do not cheat by selling a worthless 
horse, cow, or sheep, but kill it to keep it from 
dying, and put it into the vault. 

Look about your houses, your ditches, your 
roads, and under your old fences, for vegetable 
mould, and you will certainly find abundance. 
Perhaps one may not have saw dust, no matter. 
If you make coal for the above purpose, burn 
as usual, but when burnt do not draw as. usual, 
but pour a few pails of water down the centre, 
and close every pore for eight or ten days! when 
the fire will be extinguished and the coal suf- 
ficiently pulverized for use. If ashes or lime 
be plentiful or cheap, then use one or both in 
liberal quantity; but a small quantity will suf- 
fice if applied directly to the flesh; indeed, if 
neither can be conveniently had, then I say 
neither is absolutely required. Pay no atten- 
tion to the jargon of Mr. Jothead, but go to 
work .according to the dictates of reason — I 
mean, when he says pity or shame. 

July, 185'6. Z. Drummond. 



REPORT. 

To the Locust Bottom Botetourt Agricultural Club. 
[Published by Order of the Club.] 

The undersigned, appointed by the Presi- 
dent, to present a retrospect of the Club, and 
what is in prospect of accomplishment, will en- 
deavor to be brief. 

It is a striking feature of the age, that every 
thing suitable is carried forward by associa- 
tion. Individual and isolated efforts have given 
place to combination : perhaps the rapid strides 
on the road of improvement, may be attributed 
to this salutary charge in the business of life, 
accommodating itself to the human mind and 
capabilities. It has been remarked in elucida- 
tion of this idea, that two individuals combined 
can roll a log that one hundred, applying their 
powers separately, cannot effect: the persons 
engaged in farming being necessarily dotted 
over the surface, do not find the same magical 
influence of association : the disadvantage is 
greatly overcome by the superior industry the 
calling begets — what would be inconvenient in 
other callings, the farmer's life make a pleas- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



259 



ure and a recreation : by consulting with each 
other, and by frequent observation of the 
various agricultural operations, we feel bound 
to scrutinize, we derive information and confi- 
dence from a source we cannot impeach or call 
in question. 

With the augmented demands which the pro- 
gress of the age is making upon our exertions 
in the way of comfort, prudent show and en- 
larged list of luxuries, also in furthering the 
cause of virtue, education and neighbourly reci- 
procity, we should be inert if we were not 
awakened to a sense of our relations and duties 
in the social fabric. 

Among the advantages, our association may 
claim to impress on its members, in a degree, 
but not proportioned to its merit, is the impor- 
tance of drainage : manuring from any and 
every source, by purchase as well as collections 
on our farms ; deep fall plowing necessary to 
invite the disintegration and amelioration of 
the soil, by the winter's frost : returning to the 
soil green crops, grown with that object ; a 
judicious rotation of crops, the succeeding crop 
requiring from the soil a different element in 
the main to perfect it from what the preceding 
crop had appropriated : and last but not least 
in importance, to arrange to have certain pro- 
ducts profitably consumed on the land, that the 
resulting offal may be returned to the soil. 

When we have accomplished what may be 
anticipated from present prospects, we will be 
behind in the public improvements that are in 
progress of completion ; a development of our 
resources is indispensable to sustain those im- 
provements : in good faith we should develope 
the resources of the country to meet reasonable 
anticipations. 

A large item in estimating the value of a 
country, is the local attachment of its inhabi- 
tants. We shall act wisely to do all within the 
power of each to fix the attachment of the pop- 
ulation to the soil, and transmit that attach- 
ment to our descendants : among the things 
that may be reckoned to have that influence is, 
fruit of every suitable variety. We present it 
as an object deserving prominent consideration, 
as amonied crop, and one that will not deterio- 
rate the soil: the canal, of all is the most suita- 
ble mode to convey such a crop to market. 
We would sugges tthat if the capacities of our 
country were developed in this regard, the re- 
sult would exceed what would result from 
raisingstock ; in furtherance of this earn est view, 
we recommend that the funds accumulated in 
our treasury be disposed «f in obtaining fruit 
trees of valuable varieties suitable to our cli- 
mate and localities, as the nucleus of a lasting 
monument on our respective farms of the utili- 
ty of our association. 

In looking forward to duties to our descend- 
ants in transmitting enduring advantages to 
them, we select as deserving most consideration, 
a highly improved soil with appropriate conve- 
niences. Fixed habits of industry, and a high 
intelligence to give that industry a proper di- 



rection — as superior to money and promising as 
many advantages as may endure in human 
hands. 

In the words of the preamble to our constitu- 
tion we claim to be in search of the way to "im- 
proving our soils, augmenting our crops, ma- 
king our farms more desirable, fixing upon the 
most appropriate crops, suggesting the best ar- 
rangements to bring about the greatest pros- 
perity and convenience, of avoiding the loss of 
leaving off abruptly any one crop or system, 
that time and circumstances may point out as 
judicious to abandon, and instead to glide into 
new ones as holding forth most promise of re- 
muneration for our labours, also of promoting 
virtue, sociability and friendship." 

If we have been able in our short history to 
find the road that leads to such results, we may 
congratulate ourselves upon our success, and in 
good time will reach the goal of our hopes. 
Respectfully submitted, 
HOBSON JOHNS, 
MADISON GILMORE, 
RICH. G. HADEN. 



A NOBLE PROPOSITION. 
A subscriber who sends us the name of a new 
subscriber with the '■'cash in advance," says: 
"If all your subscribers would pledge them- 
selves to send one new subscriber every year, it 
would swell your list, [certainly it would — the 
very thing we want] — aid the cause of agricul- 
tural advancement, [beyond a peradventure] — 
and put them to little or no trouble, [not the 
least, but on the contrary save them an infinite 
amount hereafter] — I will pledge myself to do 
this." Now, how many of our subscribers are 
there who are willing to " pledge themselves" 
to "go and do likewise?" It would give us 
" little or no trouble" to add ten or twenty 
names daily to our subscription list, but would 
afford cheer and consolation to our weak and 
flagging spirits this excessively hot weather, es- 
pecially if accompanied with a "little material 
aid." Come one, come all ! you can't come too 
"fast" for us. 



The list of payments for this number 
is necessarily crowded out. 



Dyspepsia Bread. — Three quarts of un- 
bolted wheat meal ; 1 quart of soft warm 
water; 1 gill of fresh yeast ; 1 gill of mo- 
lasses ; 1 teaspoonful of saleratus. This 
will make two loaves and should remain in 
the oven at least two hours. It will need 
from eight to twelve hours to rise. 



260 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



CONTENTS OF NO. VIII. - 

To Christopher Quandary, -. - -229 

Disease among Fowls, - - 234 

Oxen vs. Horses, - - - 234 

Smut in Wheat, - - - 234 

Wet Lands, - - - - 234 

Clover Seed — Gathering and Cleaning, 235 

Harvesting Wheat, ... 237 

What may be done with a Poor Orchard, 238 

Broadcast Corn, ... 239 

The Application of Lime, - - 239 
Raising Horses- — Letter from the late 

Wm. R. Johnson of Chesterfield, - 242 
Great Sale of Live Stock, - - 242 
Guano Convention, - 244 
Cultivation of Buckwheat, - - 244 
Mangel Wurzel, - - - 245 
The Cultivation of Root Crops, - 246 
A Tax on Female Dogs, - - 248 
Improved Breeds of Animals, - - 249 
Crosskill's Clod-Crusher, - - 250 
Annual Address for the State Agricultu- 
ral Society's Fair, ... 253 
South Carolina Agriculturalist, - 253 
'• The Great Guano Discovery," - 253 
Agricultural and Commercial Review, 253 
Receipts of Wheat, - 254 
General Notice, ... 254 
Random Thonghts upon the use of Guano, 255 
Nicholas Lands, Sheep, &c. - - 256 
Manure of Flesh, - - - 257 
Report to the Locust Bottom Botetourt 

Agricultural Club, - - - 258 

A Noble Proposition, &c, - - 259 



THE VIRGINIA FIRE AND MARINE 
INSURANCE COMPANY'. 

CAPITAL #200,000. 

Office No. 131 Main St., next East of the Dis- 
patch Newspaper Office, Richmond, Va. 
Chartered in the year 1832. 

HAS now been in operation about twenty -five 
years, and has paid over ($1,000,000) ONE MIL- 
LION DOLLARS for losses. 

Farmers and others in Town or Country wishing 
their Dwelling's, Barns and other Buildings or their 
contents insured against FIRE or their shipments in- 
sured against WATER RISKS can he safely pro 
tested in this long tried and responsible company on 
fair terms without charge for Policy. All necessary in 
formation promptly furnished. Address either of the 
undersigned. THOS. M. ALFRIEND, Preset. 

W. L. Cowardin, Ser'y. Aug '56 — ly 



WOODLAWN ACADEMY. 

THE third session of this School will com- 
mence on the. 10th of September, and continue un- 
til 10th July following:, making a session of 10 months, 
instruction will be given in Greek, Latin, French and 
Spanish, (in which languages the subscriber graduated 
at the University of Virginia;) also in the elementary 
blanches of Mathematics. The school is convenient 
to Louisa Courthouse, at which place scholars will be 
met with a conveyance. 

TERMS. — Board and tuition for ten months, includ- 
ing everything, $160. Tuition for classical scholars 
$30; English $30— one half invariably in advance. — 
No scholar taken for less than five months. 

D. M. QUARLES. 

i3P Address D M. Quarles or John T. Quarles, El- 
lisville, Louisa county, Va. Aug — 4t* 



Great Sale of North Devon Stock. 

THE whole and entire herd of pure KORTH 
DEVON CATTLE imported and bred bv R. H. 
Van Rensselaer, of Morris, Otsego County, N York, 
will be sold, without reserve, bv public sale, at WA- 
TERTOWN, on Thursday the' 3d day of October, at 
I o'clock, on the ground appropriated to the N- York 
State Agiicultural Society on the 30th September, 
and 1st, 2d and 3d of Oct'r next, consisting of 

Tweiity-tnre- Females and Three Males, 
which includes among the latter the celebiated and 
imported bull " MEGUNTICOOK," winner of the 
first prize at the show of the American Institute in 
1850, and also the first prize at the New York State 
show in 1851. 

Nothing is risked in pronouncing this herd one of 
the three best herds of North Devons in the United 
States, and unsurpassed by any one of them. 

Catalogues will be furnished on application at the 
offices of Secretary of the New York State Agricul- 
tural Society. Boston Cultivator and Albany Cultiva- 
tor, by Col. L. G. Morris of Fordham, Westchester 
Co., and the undersigned at Butternuts, Otsego Co. 

Aug-2t H. STURGES. 



Wheat Drills and Broad Cast 
Sowers. 

T HAVE just received a lot of SEYMOUR'S 
I W H E A'T and GUANO 'DRILLS, and SEY- 
MOUR'S BROAD GASTERS. Also l'INNOCK'S 
GUANO DRILL, and Cooper's Guano and Lime 
Spreader, Threshing Machines, Corn Shelters, Cutting 
Boxes and Agricultural Implements generally. 

Seeds and Manures for sale at factory prices, freight 
added- By DRAYTON G. MEADE, 

Agricultural Warehouse and Seed Store, 

Aug — 3t Alexandria,- Va. 



GEO. WATT. 



P. H. STARKE. 



Cuff Brace Plows. 

THIS PLOW has been steadily inci-easing in 
favor with the Farmers and Planters of this State 
and several of the Southern States till it may now be 
considered the best and most popular plow in use. It 
has been put to the several trials by most of our large 
river Fanners, and has taken premiums at THREE of 
our State Fairs, and at the last took the FIRST PRE- 
MIUM over all the most popular plows in use. It 
has also taken the only two premiums ever given by 
the Virginia Mechanics Institute- Manufactured of 
every size from largest 4 horse to smallest 1 horse by 
the undersigned at their factory on Franklin Street, 
Richmond, Va., where we may he had nearly every 
article used for tilling the earth. ALL MADE IN 
OUR OWN SHOPS, of best materials 

Aug '5H— ly GEO. WATT & CO. 

School at Gordousville. 

DELAWARE KEMPER, Instructor in Mathematics. 
A. CHAPMAN WHITE, Instructor in Ancient and 
Modern Languages. 

THIS School is designed to afford thorough 
preparation for the highest classes of the Univer- 
sity, or for the business of life. The text-books are 
for the most part, those in use at the University. A 
superior set of instruments has been provided for the 
use of the class of Civil Engineering 

The Sessions commence on the 15th September, and 
close during the first week in July following. 

TERMS.— For Boa;d and Tuition, (including every- 
thing except lights,) $220. lor the whole session. Pay- 
ment for a half session is required on entrance, and 
the remainder on the 15th February. 

For further particulars, see printed circulars, to be 
obtained by applying to 

WILLIAM S. KEEPER, 

Aug. '56— 2t Gordonsville, Va.