^2^1-^ &-&*-eJ3L 



Sjj VOL. XVII. 



[FEBRUARY] 



No. 2. 



Published Monthly. Puffin & August, Proprietors- 



FRANK: G. RUFFIN, Editor. 




DEVOTED TO 



AGICUUTURE, HORTICULTURE, 



AND THE 



HOUSEHOLD ARTS. 



PRINTED AT RICHMOND, Va., 
BY MACFARLANE & FERGUSSON. 
1857. 



CONTENTS, 



New Hampshire and Virginia, - 65 

Successive crops of Oats — Their Effect to 

to Destroy Wild Onion, - - 68 

Meeting of the Gloucester County Agri- 
cultural So'y, — Osage Orange Hedges, 71 
Enlargement of the Planter. — A Ditch- 
ing Machine. — Manipulated Guano, - 72 
To Advertisers in general. — Messrs. Ma- 
thews & Saunders' Cattle.— =New Books, 73 
Agents for the Southern Planter, — Ac- 
knowledgements to the Press. — A Dun 
in the Runic Measure — The Lime and 
Salt Mixture, - ■> - - 74 

To Cure Cattle of Hoven. — Irish Pota- 
toes—Hot Beds— Early Peas, - 75 
Wyandot Corn* — Wyandot or Hicks Corn, 76 
Plan of a Tobacco House, - 77 
Tobacco Plant Beds— Another Plan.-— A 

new Prescription for Happiness, - 78 

The Snow Storm of January 17th and 

18th.— -Grass Seeds, - - - 79 

Sale of Negroes, - - 80 

Address, - - - - - 81 

Mexican Guano, - - - 93 

Corn and Cob Meal as a Food for Stock. 94 



Tobacco Beds.— The Cultivation of 
Horse-Radish, - 

Dry Cellars. —The Beautiful in Agricul- 
ture, .... 

Salt on the Kanawha River, 

Hereditary Influence, - 

A Remarkable Horse, ... 

Crosses of the Merino. — Rearing Lambs, 

Encouragement of Sheep Husbandry, - 

Hints for Young Gardeners, 

Landscape Gardening, - 

Raising Mushrooms, - 

Cooking Food for Hogs, - 

One Square Foot of Boards, 

Barn-Yard Manure, - 

Mr. Dulany of Loudoun's Stock, 

The Housewife, - 

Norfolk, No. 755, Amer. Herd Book, - 

Miss Kirby and Calf Morgiana, by Nor- 
folk 755.— Top Grafting old Orchards, 

Harrowing and Dressing Wheat in Spring. 
Important, if True, - - - 

Terms and Conditions. — A Friend of the 
right Stamp. — Advertisements* 



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TH E 







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jji^v-^ --=- 







Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Household Arts. 



Agriculture is 
— Xenoplion. 


the nursing mother of the Arts. 


Tillage and Pasturage are 
the State. — Sully. 


! the two breasts of 


FRANK, G. 


RUFFIN 


Editor. 




F. G. RUFFIN & N. 


AUGUST, 


Prop 


'RS. 


Vol. XVII 




RICHMOND, 


VA 


, FEBRUARY, 1857. 




No. 


2. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VIRGINIA. 

What a New England man really means 
when he states anything unfavorable to his 
own country, its inhabitants, or its social sys- 
tem, it is not easy to divine ; for the moment 
you repeat it after him, he fires up and defends 
himself against himself, not often with the 
best manners, and very rarely in the best tem- 
per. This irascibility may proceed from what 
outside barbarians fancy they have sometimes 
observed in this "peculiar people," these Is- 
raelites of latter days, to wit: an intense ex- 
clusiveness of national feeling, and an as- 
sumption of superiority iu all things requir- 
ing ability, intellect or energy, which com- 
monly ariiounts to boastfulaess, and often to 
arrogance. 

Towards us of the South this feeling *is 
manifested, and this superiority is claimed 
somewhat more offensively than towards the rest 
of the world: and if, once in a while, in order to 
revive our drooping spirits, we venture to draw 
a parellel between any features of the different 
systems of North and South, we are met at once, 
especially if themselves have furnished the 
materials of the comparison, by " slavery," iu 
some ot its aspects, as conclusive of the 
question. This reproach is deemed not only 

5 



the impregnable position of argument, but also 
the most seemly vent for a bitterness which 
seeks at once an outlet and a justification. 

It has twice been our, ill-fortune thus to pro- 
voke on the South the taunts of Mr. French of 
New Hampshire, who is an associate editor of 
the New England Farmer. Once, several 
years ago, in an address of this gentleman in 
Maine, he asked, " what are the duties which, 
by general consent, devolve upon the wives of 
respectable farmers, aye, and men of all clas- 
ses" in New' England? and answered himself 
by charging that the husbands there expected 
their "wives to be at the same time cook and 
chamber-maid, lady and serving-girl, nurse 
and sempstress and governess, laundress and 
dairy-maid," so that by "the sure decay of 
strength and beauty and life" they are killed 
at length "by slow consumption. ' l 

This address was accredited by the senior 
editor as "one of the three best he had ever 
seen;" and was cupposed by us to have earned 
this praise by its candour and philanthropy 
its other merits being quite moderate* We 
innocently published it in order to assure our 
Southern housewives that their condition was 
not, by comparison, so unhappy as some of ihem 
imagined. The very next number of the New 



6G 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



England Farmer brought the reply that we 
"whipped" blackwomen at the South. We fore- 
bore the obvious answer, that it might be no worse 
to whip a black slave than, by the protracted tor- 
ture of over-work, to kill a white wife ; be- 
cause we saw no go >d in such a retort, and 
could not presume by that, or any other means, 
to reform the perverted sympathies of Mr. 
French. 

In the November number of The Planter, 
we again used some facts, furnished us by the 
same authority, in regard to the wholesale 
desertion of farms in some parts of New 
Hampshire; and we contrasted therewith the 
improving condition of the whole of Virginia. 

The January number of the New England 
Farmer comes back at us quite scornfully in 
this wise : 

" It was not our intention in writing those 
letters to convey any idea of lack of ability or 
energy in our people, or that our institutions 
do not foster all honest industry. On the con- 
trary, none but men of unfaltering courage 
would have felled the forest and subdued the 
hard and unproductive lands which they have 
finally forsaken. The forest, there, was all 
that could remunerate man for his labor, and 
when that was exhausted, it would have been 
wise to allow it to grow up again and cover the 
nakedness of the land. But if the soil had 
been like that on the Potomac or James River, 
that deserted region would now be covered 
with productive farms and teeming with an 
industrious, intelligent and independent popu- 
lation. It was folly to battle with gravel 
banks, or with lands so thickly covered with 
boulders, as utterly to forbid the introduction 
of the plow. Cultivation was out of the ques- 
tion. Where the lands were cleared, they 
were occupied as pasture, with here and there 
a limited area for the indispensable corn or 
potatoes. 

"But how does it happen that the Virginia 
lands, deep and rich as they are, free from 
stones, and once covered with a dense and 
valuable forest, have ' been exhausted and 
abandoned V It could not have been because 
Nature ha*d not supplied everything necessary 
for success, for the original soil was all that 
could be desired, and the climate salubrious 
and favorable to all the grasses and grains. 

" Can the cause be traced to a want of skill 
in the occupants of the soil, or the influence of 
any institutions that may exist in that ancient 
Commonwealth ? We know that such ' ex- 
haustion and abandonment" of fields has taken 
place, and more than a dozen years ago gave 
some of our personal observations of them in 
the columns of the 'Planter' itself. It is pro- 
bable that some of the families who left the 



barren hills of Massachusetts and New Hamp- 
shire, may have entered upon the ' exhausted 
and abandoned' lands of Fairfax county, or 
those laved by the tides of Chesapeake Bay, or 
watered by the beautiful James River. If such 
be the fact, they will undoubtedly set a good 
example of industry and thrift, and literally 
make the 'exhausted and abandoned' fields 
'blossom as the rose.'" 

This, also, we should be satisfied to pass un- 
noticed, but that circumstances have somewhat 
changed : abolition is strong enough to threaten 
destruction to the South or the Union ; and 
conservatism at the North cares not, or dares 
not to check the madness. This makes it the 
duty of every son of the South to take up the 
glove whenever it is thrown down ; and there- 
fore we think proper to enter a protest against 
the facts and conclusions of Mr. French. 

In the first place, it is not true that the 
lands upon the James River or Potomac ever 
were rich, except the narrow strips of alluvion 
which lie mostly above tide-water ; these lands. 
as a rule, were poor, and generally are to this 
day. The alluvions were cleared last because 
the growth on them was so heavy, because they 
were subject to water, and probably also be- 
cause the quality of tobacco they made, — and 
quality then ruled the market independent of 
quantity, — was not such as to command the 
highest price. These latter named lands have 
never lost their fertility. 

But there were other lands in Virginia, 
generally in small districts, of very superior 
quality, which were " exhausted and aban- 
doned." The reason was that the price of to- 
bacco was so high, and labour was so cheap, 
and the work of clearing, which merely gird- 
led the larger trees and burnt the undergrowth, 
was so slight, that it cost less to abandon one 
field and clear another than to keep up the 
condition of each clearing. We have, our- 
selves, known an instance in which one crop of 
tobacco was worth more money than the fee 
simple of the farm. It is obvious how such a 
state of things must have operated as a pre- 
mium on exhaustion of land. The first two or 
three crops, as a general rule, " was all that 
could remunerate man for his labour; and 
when that was exhausted, it would have been 
wise to allow it to grow up again and cover the 
nakedness of the land." It was a mere 
question of profit and loss. 

Immediately succeeding this state of things 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



G^ 



came the commencement of cotton planting, 
in the further South, which in its general 
economy was a repetition of tobacco planting, 
with the same profitable results, and the same 
consequences to the land somewhat modified by 
the greater average richness of the lands in 
the cotton zone, the greater consequent ease in 
repairing the waste of soil, and the general 
improvement in rural economy all over the 
world. 

It was a blessing of Providence, if not a 
direct design, that we should make money 
enough by subduing the forest to encourage us 
in the work. Now it is done, or in a fair way 
to be done ; and Virginia, who was one of the 
pioneers in the work, and contributed millions 
to it in men and money, is bending her atten- 
tion to domesticate the lands she long ago sub- 
dued ; and she will do it. Her three last of- 
ficial valuations, covering an interval of about 
eighteen years, show a rate of progress on which 
she might claim the congratulation of her 
sisters at the North, — if she had sisters there. 

We are sorry that we cannot accord to " some 
of the families who -left the barren hills of 
Massachusetts and New Hampshire" any great 
share, either by example or achievement, in 
this work of renovation. Their numbers, how- 
ever great their skill might be, are too small \p 
affect the average. But their skill is not great. 
They are good lumber men, good dairy men, 
good gardeners, good horticulturists. Their 
forte lies in working small farms with minute 
attention, and in hauling large loads with well 
trained oxen ; and they are great economists 
on a small scale. In these things they beat us. 
This is all the merit we have heard ascribed to 
them as farmers: such as it is we freely ac- 
cord it. It could not be expected they should 
have any other. Brought up on small farms, 
unaccustomed to control large masses of labour, 
how could they jump into the large harness of 
a Virginia farm, and find it work easily and 
naturally? .Exceptions there may be — Robert 
Edmond is one — a noble one — who works 
negroes and has a Virginia overseer ; but we 
know of no other : and the rule is as we have 
stated it. We do not cavil at it, nor protest 
against it, nor sneer at it. Such men are wel- 
come to live among us, and to make what they 
can. But they will never make Virginia- " blos- 
som as the rose." If proof of these facts and 



grounds for this opinion be demanded, we have it 
at hand in a recent letter from Mr.L.Dederick of 
Dranesville, Fairfax county, — who occupies an 
exhausted "Potomacriver" farm, — to the editors 
of the (Albany, New York,) Country Gentle- 
man. The editors had said that " those who 
had emigrated to Virginia had not been doing- 
very well." Mr. Dederick says it is, in niany 
cases, too true:" and he attributes " the diffi- 
culty" " to embarrassments occasioned by pur- 
chasing too much land." He goes on to speak 
of " the errors and difficulties" he had " him. 
self experienced, and which have proved the 
ruin of others, and the great embarrassment of 
most of the Yankees who have emigrated here." 

Now Mr. Dederick says he has two hundred 
acres of land, of which he cultivates twenty, 
and runs a saw and grist mill. This is not 
considered a very large farm in Virginia ; and 
if that much ruins some and embarrasses most 
of the Yankee immigrants, it will take rather 
more than "some of the families who left the 
barren hills of Massachusetts and New Hamp. 
shire " to blossom" the ten and a half millions 
of acres in Virginia farms. 

The taunt at our " institutions" does not pro- 
voke us to discuss the subject with Mr. French. 
Even if it had not been lately treated in all its 
aspects so as to render it unnecessary, especially 
when, as in this case, the argument on each 
hand could reach only one side, the fixedness 
of our respective opinions would make it use- 
less so far as convincing either disputant might 
be concerned. Mr. French believes, and no 
doubt sincerely, that slavery is the bane of our 
whole system. We, quite as candidly, look 
upon free labour as the curse of his. He thinks 
slavery will ruin the South ; we think free 
labour has already narrowed the doom of the 
North to chaos or despotism, unless it shall be 
rescued by Southern conservatism. Whether 
these respective opinions be the result of one 
sided views time will show. But meanwhile 
we may agree to differ without taunts, and be 
on terms of civil intercourse ; just as Russia 
and the United States find it to their interest 
to- enter into treaties of amity and commerce, 
though their systems differ irreconcileably. Of 
governments it may be said, what Fielding 
wrote of men: "the finest composition of 
human nature, as well as the finest china, may 
have a flaw in it; and this, I am afraid in 
either case, is equally incurable; though, never- 



68 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



theless,. the pattern may remain of the highest 
value." 

Still, Mr. French has thrown the gauntlet at 
our feet, and we cannot do less than take it up, 
though no "battel" shall result. If, then, slavery 
be the cause of the desolation that excites, not, 
we are sorry to say, his regret, but his spleen ; 
if, — as is asserted by the Germantown Tele- 
graph, extracted at p, 15 of the New England 
Farmer, — if " not more in a general sense than 
one-half, or one-fourth of the ordinary labour 
of a man is obtained from the slave that he is 
capable of performing ;" if the wives of New 
England farmers work about four times as hard 
as the women of the. slave driver ; if we have^ 
" our young barbarians all at play" whilst 
New England children are toiling on the farm 
or moiling in the factory, how does it happen 
that the farmers of Virginia are richer than 
the farmers of Massachusetts and New Hamp 
shire ? But let us push this question a step 
further. The five old slave States have 'the 
same population, in round numbers, with the 
six New England States ; our benighted people 
are sparsely settled, in a deserted region, on 
"exhausted and abandoned lands;" our bush- 
ness is low in the scale of profits ; our labour 
yields "three-eights" its just amount; we con- 
tribute far the largest share of the Federal 
revenue ; we pay Massachusetts for catchin 
cod-fish and mackerel ; we pay New Hampshire 
for growing wool ; we protect nearly every 
fabric New England makes, and buy, at pro 
tected rates, a large proportion of them ; we 
transport nearly all our products in her bot- 
toms ; we disburse nearly all the common reve 
nue in the free cities of the North. Now how 
happens it that w\th all these advantages on 
her side, with a dense population of the most 
enlightened, " most enterprising freemen on 
earth," reaping the jieavy profit of a com- 
mercial and manufacturing investment, how 
happens it, we ask, that the Puritan has less 
wealth than the Cavalier? On the above data, 
which abolition and the census furnish, how 
can it happen but by a degree of intelligence, 
energy, ability and industry in the master, 
which we have never had the arrogance to 
claim for him ? 

It is no pleasure to us to institute such com- 
parisons. We do it now in no spirit of 
vain depreciation; we should be false to our 



own intelligence were we to detract aught from 
the merits of New England. Equally at home 
in the counting-room, in. the workshop, br on 
the deck ; the impersonation of enterprize and 
energy ; a model of public spirit, and a para, 
gon of local .patriotism ; with intellect adequate 
to her economical emergencies, and courage to 
explore alike the practical and the abstract ; 
we cannot withhold our admiration from New 
England. But when we see her also rash in 
speculation ; headlong in progress ; eager in 
traffic ; grasping in acquisition ; despotic in 
temper; arrogant in bearing; worldly in spirit 
and careless of the character or talents of her 
leaders, we would qualify our high regard, but 
that we lack the heart to do it. For already 
the good ship refuses to obey the helm, and is 
drifting hopelessly with the tide upon the 
reakers of anarchy. 

4-»-e-©-> 

SUCCESSIVE CROPS OF OATS— THEIR 
EFFECT TO DESTROY WILD ONION. ■ 
It is a very common opinion that oats is one 
of the most exhausting of all grain crops. One 
of the best farmers of Western New-York, in- 
formed us that he never permitted this crop on 
any portion of his farm devoted to wheat or 
other grain, but only on land otherwise exclu- 
sively used for meadow and pasture. Another 
skilful farmer never raised the crop at all, pre- 
fering to buy all that he might need. 

We have just conversed on this subject with 
T. A. Sloccm, an enterprising and successful 
farmer of Perrinton, Monroe Co. N. Y., who 
entertains quite a different opinion. lie has 
cultivated the crop for many years past on a 
large scale, and regards it as one of the least 
exhausting. For the past six years, he has 
raised from forty to seventy acres. During this 
period a part of his land has been cropped with 
it every year, and with a single exception, with- 
out any diminution in the amount. This annu- 
ally-cropped ground has averaged fat these six 
years, sixty bushels per acre, including last 
yea.-, when, by the unpredented drought, it was 
reduced to fifty bushels per acre. The land, 
throughout this period, has netted him (above 
all expenses) twelve dollars per acre, as an an- 
nual average. 

Our readers will doubtless feel interested to 
learn his mode of management. After the 
crop is harvested, he passes a spring-tooth 
horse-rake both ways across the 'field, for se- 
curing all the gleanings ; but, as he observed, 
this kind of rake having a sort- of " baby jump- 
er motion" over the field, n considerable por- 
tion of the grain is shelle I out from the glean- 
ings, aud partly harrowed in by the po nts of 
the rake. A thorough harrowing afterwards, 
insures a good growth of nuts, which is abjut 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



69 



a foot high before winter. Before the ground 
freezes, the whole is turned under with -the 
plow, in the most thorough manner — serving as 
a good green manuring. 

Early the following spring, the surface is 
rendered mellow by means of the harrow and 
two-horse cultivator, and the crop sown, seven 
pecks to the acre, by means of a grain-drill. 

There is no doubt that the annual green ma- 
nuring assists in keeping up the fertility of the 
soil; and there may be some kinds of soil in- 
cluding this, that will long bear heavy cropping 
with oats. It may be questioned however, 
whether it is good permanent policy to pursue 
this course instead of a more varied rotation. 
When we have a strong fertile soil, we prefer 
to keep it so, to its fullest capacity, rather than 
to draw too hard upon it, as even the strongest 
may ultimately fail. But cultivators of the 
oat crop, may however derive some excellent 
suggestions from the practice detailed above. 

The above article, which we clipped a few 
months since from the Country Gentleman, re- 
minds us of some curious facts which we col- 
lected sometime ago in regard to successive 
crops of oats. We shall give here such as we 
remember. It will be seen that they militate 
somewhat, not only against the general idea 
that oats are a very exhausting crop, but, what 
is of more consequence, against the general 
theory of the rotation of crops as necessary to 
repair the waste of different soils, and to in- 
crease fertility by fallows crops. Whether that 
theory is right, universally or generally, is not 
the point in discussion here. We simply nar- 
rate facts as we have collected them. 

1. Several years ago in conversation with the 
late Peter Merewether of the county of Albe- 
marle, whoso accuracy as to matters falling 
within his own observation no one ever thought 
of questioning, and whose native intellect was of 
a high order, he mentioned that oats did not ex- 
haust land, that he had known his uncle, the late 
Capt. Wm. Merewether of Cloverfiekls — a farm 
adjoining his own — to cultivate a crop of oats 
seven years in succession ; that so far from ex- 
hausting, he had heard his uncle frequently 
say that he thought the land improved ; and 
that the crop of wheat, which immediately fol- 
lowed the oats, being of course the eighth suc- 
cessive crop, was better than the land would 
have produced at the commencement of the 
system. 

2. Sometime after that we heard from a gen- 
tleman, with whom we were conversing on the 
subject of wild onion, that the practice of Mr. 



Richard Sampson of Goochland was to grow 
three crops of oats in succession on his fields 
which happened to be infested with this pest > 
and that the second and third crops were gen- 
erally better than the first, the wheat upon the 
oat s ubble being usually as good as he should 
have expected from the land under ordinary 
tillage. We subsequently met Mr. Sampson 
and conversed with him on this subject, and he 
confirmed the statement of our informant, re- 
marking though, that the oat crop had not en- 
tirely eradicated the onion ; but it had so crip- 
pled it as to make it a small grievance com- 
pared with what it had been before. 

What was the treatment of the land, as it 
lay in oat stubble in these cases was not sta- 
ted ; nor did it then occur to us to enquire. But 
we were so struck with their contradiction to 
the ordinary opinion, that we sought some 
neighbour of Mr. Merewether, he having died 
shortly before, to get a particular statement of 
what he might have said to any of them on this 
subject. 

3d. The first of his neighbours we met with 
was Mr. Geo. L. Williams, then living in sight of 
Mr. Merewether, but now a resident of Fluvan- 
na. He knew, he told us, nothing of what Mr. 
Merewether had said, but he could give us a fact 
coming within his own knowledge that might 
answer our purpose as well. This fact was that 
his father had cultivated the same field in oats 
eleven years in succession, grazing the stub- 
ble each year into the ground, with what stock 
he had, turned on always as soon as he could 
secure the oats. The land was poor — of the 
quality of that around Lindsey's Turnout in 
Albemarle, which it adjoined — so poor' that 
no one would have thought of putting it in to- 
bacco without a good manuring. But at the 
end of the eleven years' oat cropping it was put 
in tobacco by his father with none, or a very 
slight manuring, and made a good crop. 

4th. Mentioning these facts to N. F. Cabell 
Esq., of Nelson, he mentioned a case that had 
been reported to him of a farmer in Bucking- 
ham County who had improved part of his land 
by a similar procedure continued through a 
course of several years ; but he had heard, or 
presumed — which is not recollected — that it 
was effected in that case by permitting the 
stubble of each year to grow up in weeds. 

5. About the same time we stated these facts 
to our friend H. P. Poindexter, Esq., of Spott- 



70 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



sjlvania, who added one to the list, and has 
recently furnished us with a repetition of it in 
these words : 

" In the year 1840, 1 commenced seeding my 
orchard in oats for the benefit of my hogs, 
turning them on the oats as soon as I discover- 
ed the straw yellowing under the head ; which 
I continued until 1854 with a decided improve- 
ment in the land. I was prevented by circum- 
stances from seeding the oats in 1854, and by 
the fall the lot was so thickly set in Virginia 
blue grass it would have been useless to have 
fallowed it for oats. To cleanse the land of 
the grass I put the land in corn in 1854. The 
crop was greatly better than I had expected, 
some acres yielding at least 50 bushels to the 
acre this year, I shall cultivate it in corn again, 
after which, I shall continue my oats system ; 
by the bye, I would advise you to recommend 
to every farmer to sow oats for the benefit of his 
hogs — say about one bushel for every five kill- 
ing hogs." 

The additional time since the statement was 
originally made is of course included in the ' 
above. 

6. These facts, and .one to the same purport 
from another source which we remember to | 
have received, but cannot now recollect the par- 
ticulars of, and which is therefore omitted here, 
we mentioned about four years ago, at a 
meeting of the farmers of Virginia, convened 
in the Capitol to vitalize our present and then 
new born Agricultural Society. They elicited 
some discussion, and one additional fact. Mr. 



Note. — Mr. Poindexter also gives another in- 
teresting case of continuous cropping. 

" I will now give you another instance of 
repeated culture on a small lot of high or hill 
land from which the crops were taken off. 

In 1843 I cleared a lot of 6 acres for tobacco; 
under my system the tobacco was repeated, 
and was followed by wheat and clover, but the 
clover crop was an entire failure, I again seeded 
wheat and clo\er. The wheat crop was^ very 
fine and the next year when the clover matured, 
the whole lot bedded and the crop was cut off. 
The clover stubble was fallowed for wheat, and 
was better than the first and the clover crop 
following which was cut was equal to any crop 
I ever saw on high land. Finding the last 
crop of clover much heavier than the first, I 
determined I would take off a crop every year 
until I saw the crop diminishing, which I have 
done with the exception of two very dry sea- 
sons, when the clover would not pay to cut, with- 
out the least diminution of either corn or wheat 
and without the aid of any kind of manure ex- 
cept Plaster. This year I shall put the lot in corn 
to be followed by wheat ; which will be fourteen 
crops to be taken from the land in 16 years." 



Chas. Carter Lee said that his uncle, Mr. Bur- 
well' of Roanoke, had told him, in reply to the 
question, how he had managed so greatly to 
improve a poor field in front of his house ? 
that he was almost afraid to tell him — but the 
truth was he had done it by growing oats on 
the land year after year for — if our memory 
serves us — eight years. 

"We have given the names of all the parties 
above — a liberty we beg them to excuse — be- 
cause testimony is more impressive when the 
witness is not veiled, and because we wish them 
to correct any error in our statements. If they 
will so correct us they will do us and the pub- 
lic a favour. And if any gentleman can add 
his testimony to the above an equal favour will 
have been conferred. 

As the case now stands, we have given, in- 
cluding the extract from the Country Gentle- 
man, seven cases in which oats cultivated under 
all circumstances of soil and after-treatment, 
have improved, or at all events failed to impov- 
erish, land. The facts possess a scientific value 
probably above their practical importance. But 
still one or two valuable practical deductions 
may be made. 

First. It proves that one may have the same 
lot for hogs for many years. This will enable 
him to commence the process of fattening — 
unless he shall previously, and more judi- 
ciously, have begun it on clover — at an earlier 
period than is common, and, by means of green 
corn fed in the roasting ear, and secured, by 
successive plantings, in that condition until 
frost, to continue it uninterruptedly until a short 
time before killing, which should always, yes 
always, take place as early in November as the 
weather will allow. 

Second. It will enable a great many to sub- 
due, if not destroy, the wild onion, which fre- 
quently causes a loss of 5 to 10 per cent, in the 
price of wheat, without injuring the land. 

Third.. It presents a ready means of getting 
a good fallow on lands apt to bake in summer; 
as it ensures that the land will not be injured 
by the growth of oats, whilst it can certainly 
be fallowed with half the labour. Whilst for 
hogs, which will harvest it themselves, or for 
marketing near a city, where the sheaf oats 
may bear a high price, it is a valuable crop, 
(provided, in the latter case, the land will bring 
straw enough to give weight,) yet, as a general 
rule, whether for market as clean oats, or for 



THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER. 



71 



home consumption, we think it, in our climate, 
just the meanest crop that is made. It is true, 
there is no better feed for a horse than a plenty 
of oats ; but fed to them in such quantities as 
they require to do work en, one can make any 
other forage crop to greater profit. As proof 
of this we may mention that Mr. Ro. Edmond, 
who has bought more feed for horses than any 
other man in Virginia, and who is an adept in 
his business of James River canal route con- 
tractor, has told us that he does not estimate 
sheaf oats, pound for pound, as equal to hay of 
any sort. 

One thing more, and we have done. Le^ 
those who may incline to try the experiment of 
successive oat crops, whether for hogs or for 
other purposes, beware of selecting sassafras 
land for the purpose. Repeated plowings will 
surely extend and increase the growth of sassa- 
fras bushes. We know that by experiment in 
this very matter. 



MEETING OF THE GLOUCESTER COUN- 
TY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

The Richmond Whig of January 21, con- 
tains the proceedings at the third annual exhi- 
tionof the Gloucester Co.' Agricultural Society, 
including the award of premiums, and a hand- 
some address from Dr. Page. "We notice it to 
praise the zeal of the gentlemen composing 
this society, and to commend their example 
throughout the State. The premiums are not 
large and never have been : there is no reason 
why they should be. The society is a domes- 
tic one altogether, and as there is but little ex- 
pense in getting the articles to the fair, the 
successful competitors can afford to take small 
sum in premiums. Indeed they are so small 
that we presume they are never claimed unless 
perhaps as a credit against annual contribu- 
tions. In this view of the case, we suggest, if 
it would not be better in each case merely to 
take certificates and leave the money to accu- 
mulate for other purposes. All that Mr. Deans, 
Mr. Curtis, Mr. Page and Mr. Taylor want, is 
evidence that they have the best articles in their 
respective ranges of exhibition. Public spirit 
alone prompts such gentlemen to exhibit. 

The money left might be well expended in 
the purchase of a good agricultural Library ; 
or, it might be increased by additional contri- 
butions, and laid out in obtaining good male 



animals of approved breeds to be the property 
of the Society, and kept for their exclusive use. 
There are other modes in which the money 
might be very usefully employed. Suppose, 
for instance, certain gentlemen were selected to 
make certain experiments, the expense thereof 
to be defrayed out of the common fund, where 
it is at all costly, and only two such should be 
performed in a year? How important in time 
would the contribution thus obtained, become 
to the practice of husbandry ! What we want 
is facts accurately observed and reported ; so 
that we shall be able to introdece induction into 
agriculture, so much of where science is theo- 
retical and its practice empirical. And if half 
of the counties in Virginia should each make 
such annual contributions — of only a few facts 
by each individual society — how rapidly would 
true knowletige accumulate. 

But whether these suggestions are heeded or 
not, we heartily wish more of our counties 
would imitate the example. What she is now 
doing is productive of much good at home in 
various ways. 



OSAGE ORANGE HEDGES. 

In a late number of the Boston Cultivator, 
Mr. Sanford Howard, the editor, gives a very 
unfavorable account of the Osage Orange 
Hedges which he saw in an extensive western 
tour which he took last fall. They were either 
too thin and straggling, or they had too many 
wide gaps in them. It was, he says, the gene- 
ral opinion that where stone or dead wood fen- 
ces were at all accessible, that they were cheap- 
er than the Osage Orange or any other hedge 
plant ; the Osage Orange, by the way, not be- 
ing universally admitted to be the best plant 
for the purpose. 

We agree in his opinion that any form of 
hedge is not economical in this country. The 
trouble of trimming, the draft upon the land 
and crops on each side of the hedge, and the 
generally indifferent growth of such things 
forbid their use, economically considered. 

As to 'the Osage Orange we have some little 
personal experience, and cannot recommend it. 
On poor land it won't grow ; on rich land it 
inclines to become a tree, and wants severe 
pruning just when you can't spare the labor. 

Still, for certain situations, such as orchards 
and gardens, where land is not an object, and 
where you want something which shall be or- 



72 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



namental, and at' the same time protect the 
fruit from rogues, a hedge of some' kind is a 
very good thing. 

In our climate we rather incline to some of 
the rose family for this purpose. In the South 
we have seen the most luxuriant growth of the 
Cherokee rose, — as it is improperly called, for it 
is an India rose, we learn — and it does certain- 
ly there make an enclosure which a sparrow 
can not get into nor a hare penetrate. But 
from an experiment we made with it some 
years ago we doubt its ability to stand our win- 
ters in Virginia, at least as far north as Rich- 
mond. But the white, or — strictly speaking — 
cream-coloured microphylla seems calculated to 
meet the requirements specified above. It is a 
rapid grower, will thrive on poor land, is quite 
branchy and has sharp thorns. We have one 
now encbsing two acres of garden, and will 
report progress as it progresses. We think it 
will gain the necessary size by the time a fence 
of old field pine will rot down, and will then 
have taken complete possession of the space 
the panels occupied. It may still be necessary 
to fence against stock, but this hedge will be 
apt to prevent human trespasses. 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE PLANTER. 

Our proposition to enlarge the Planter has 
been so favourably received that we have deter- 
mined to do it. Although we did not ask it, 
many persons have volunteered to express their 
approval of the scheme, and their satisfaction 
with the first number ; and one very liberal 
gentleman urged us to continue and very ear- 
nestly proposed to form one of fifty who should 
guarantee us against loss — an offer which we 
felt compelled to decline though very grateful 
for the kindness which prompted it. 

But, as we expected, the increased \wice~ has 
lost us some* subscribers, though the increased 
size has also gained us a few. To those gen- 
tlemen who have volunteered to send us these 
few we are of course grateful. But we trust 
we will not be thought greedy when we express 
a wish for more. A glance at our Subscrip- 
tion Books Avould satisfy all that the circulation 
of the Planter is far short of what it should be 
for the good of Southern Planters in general, 
and of The Southern Planter in particular. If, 
as we have often before suggested, each well 
wisher of the Planter would only interest his 



neighbour in its success much will have been 
done to make it worthy of the cause and the 
State. It was but recently that a Northern 
Agricultural Journal spoke of its 125.000 sub- 
scribers ! I 

To those persons who will interest themselves 
on pecuniary principles in the circulation of 
the Planter we offer the most liberal induce- 
ments — from 20 to 33} per ct. — as may be seen 
by reference to our "Terms." 



A DITCHING MACHINE. 

Why is there no invention of a good ditching 
machine? Such a thing is almost universally 
needed. In the prairies of the West and 
Southwest they want them that they may make 
fences out of the ditch banks ; in the river 
lands of the States further South they want 
them to ditch, drain and dyke, and by this 
means bring into cultivation the best cotton 
lands of the world; in the older States we want 
them for the purpose of ditching and drying 
wet lands, and of under-draining a vast amount 
of lands which now do not produce up to half 
their capacity for want of this kind of improve- 
ment, but which would now cost a good deal more 
in most cases than the lands are worth. They 
are also much needed as excavators on railroads, 
and in digging out the foundations of houses 
which an the large cities, are going deeper and 
deeper into the ground. 

It is really strange that some good imple- 
ment for these purposes has .not made its ap- 
pearance. We shall be pleased to hear of a 
good one, and to give public notice of it. We 
would promise a fortune to the inventor of 
such a machine but for one thing, and that is, 
that inventors never seem to thrive, except in 
the rarest cases. The greatest geniuses hardly 
ever do. They are generally a little poorer 
than printers and editors. 



MANIPULATED GUANO. 

We have received from Dr. Reese of Balti- 
timore, whose advertisement will be seen in out- 
advertising columns, a pamphlet copy contain- 
ing an account of the ingredients of his guano 
and his arguments in favour of the particular 
mode of composition. 

Though we dissent altogether from that por- 
tion .of Dr. Reese's arguments, which, we think, 
allow undue importance to the phosphates in 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



73 



the production of wheat, yet we think his com- 
pound well worth a trial, because it may be 
that the perfect pulverization of the guano will* 
make a less quantity of Peruvian answer, and 
because the phosphates remaining in the land 
may promote the growth of the peas or clover 
which should succeed the wheat. 

In addition to this, Dr. Reese is the first ma- 
nure vender who does not make a secret of the 
ingredients of his fertilizer. We cannot with- 
hold a word of encouragement from a dealer 
who is prima facie honest and above board. 



TO ADVERTIZERS IN GENERAL. 
We trust our numerous advertizers have no 
reason to regret having used our paper as a 
means of introducing themselves or their busi- 
ness to the public. It has become an axiom of 
all business that it must be advertized ; and we 
have seen somewhere the saying of an old ad- 
vertizer " that he was as certain and sure as he 
was of anything in this world, that for every 
ten dollars spent in advertizing by persons en- 
gaged in any business, one hundred dollars or 
more was received back again. " It will give us 
sincere pleasure by means of advertizements to 
put thousands into the pockets of our friends 
in this Department. 



The late appearance of the Planter in Janu- 
ary, we are not surprised to see, has given dis- 
satisfaction. Our subscribers are not more dis- 
satisfied with it than we were. Our printers 
announced that they had copy enough, and af- 
ter Christmas came to us for twenty pages 
more. As they are business men, we do not 
mean to blame them for an error in calculating 
that will sometimes happen in all printing offi- 
ces. 

We hope the same error will not again occur. 
It will be remembered that the time limited for 
the appearance of the present number was the 
middle of February, and after that regularly 
on the first of each month. 



MESSRS. MATHEWS & SAUNDERS' 
CATTLE. 

We publish in this number two, and in the 
March number we shall publish two more, wood 
cuts of the very superior short horn cattle of 
these two public spirited gentlemen. These 
cattle will be remembered by many who saw 



them at the Fair of 1855, where they were un- 
doubtedly, as also at the Petersburg Fair, the 
best stock of their breed ever exhibited, in low- 
er Virginia. As is almost always the case with 
the best stock, the wood cuts do not do them 
justice. 



NEW BOOKS. 

WIDDIFIELD'S NEW COOK BOOK; OR 
PRACTICAL RECEIPTS FOR THE 
HOUSEWIFE. 

We received, some time since, a copy of the 
above named book from Mr. A, Morris, and 
have deferred a notice of it until now that we 
might speak of it experimentally. Many of 
the receipts have been tried in our family, and 
have been pronounced good, 'excellent, supevh, 
capital! 

Mrs. W. has been for a long time celebrated 
as an adept in the culinary art, and the pre- 
paration of this work proves her to be fully up 
to her business. One great merit that it possess- 
es over any similar one of modern times is, that 
it is more economical; an important considera- 
tion in these times that try men's purses, and 
when, to use the language of a wise man, 
"never, perhaps, were children dearer to their 
parents than now when the price of provisions 
is so extravagantly high." It embraces full 
directions for pickling, preserving, &c, and 
"much attention has been paid to that portion 
which appertains particularly to the prepara- 
tion of dishes for the sick and convalescent." 

We are indebted to J. W. Randolph for a 
copy of Black Acre vs. White Acre, a novel, 
by a gentleman of Va. The subject is slavery 
and the slavery agitation. We have had no 
time to look into the work, having recently re- 
ceived it. But we have no doubt, from the 
name of the author, who is one of the cleverest 
of our public men, it is an interesting work. — 
Its sentiments are certainly of the right stripe 
for this country. 

We have also received from the same, Scrip- 
tural and Statistical Views of Slavery, by 
Thornton Stringfellow, D. D. We have mere- 
ly glanced at his work, the fir^t part of which 
we read attentively years ago with great pleas- 
ure and instruction. We can commend it most 
heartily to the public from our previous know- 
ledge, and from the reputation of its distin- 



74 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



guished author. Every man should read and 
study this pamphlet. 

AGENTS FOR THE SO. PLANTER. 

F. N. W atkins, Esq., is our authorized agent 
for the county of Prince Edward, and the re- 
gion tributary to Farmville. 

Wm. Magiiee, Esq., of Petersburg, is our 
General Agent, and is authorized to receive 
subscriptions and collect money due us. 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO THE PRESS. 
Our thanks are due to numerous Editors who 
have kindly noticed the enlargement of the 
Planter, and lent their encouragement to our 
humble efforts in the cause of Agriculture. We 
cordially thank them one and all. 



A DUN IN THE RUNIC MEASURE. 

We find the following floating about in the 
papers, and it fits our case so well that we can- 
not help copying for the benefit of a certain 
large and respectable class of our customers. 
We have taken the liberty to add a fifth and 
concluding stanza to which we ask particular 
attention. It may not be rhyme as Sylvester 
said to Ben Jonson, "but it is the truth," as 
Ben Jonson said to Sylvester. 

" Should you ask me why this dunning, 
Why these sad complaints and murmurs, 
Murmurs loud about delinquents 
Who have read the paper weekly, 
Read what they have never paid for, 
Read with pleasure and with profit, 
Read of news both home and foreign, 
Read the essays and the poems, 
Full of wisdom and instruction ; 
Should you ask us why this dunning, 
We should answer, we should tell you, 

" From the printer, from the mailer, 
From the prompt old paper maker, 
Fr:;m the landlord, from the carrier, 
From the man who taxes letters 
With a stamp from Uncle Samuel — 
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him — 
From them all there comes a message, 
Message kind, but firmly spoken, 
f Please to pay us what you owe us.' 

" Sad it is to hear such message 
When our funds are all exhausted, 
When the last bank note has left us, 
When the gold coin all has vanished, 
Gone to pay the paper maker, 
Gone to pay the toiling printer, 
Gone to pay the landlord tribute, 



Gone to pay the active carrier, 
Gone to pay the faithful master, 
Gone to pay old Uncle Samuel — ■ 
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him — 
Gone to pay the Western paper 
Three-and-twenty hundred dollars ! 
Sad it is to turn to our ledger, 
Turn the leaves of this old ledger, 
Turn and see what sums are due us, 
Due for volumes long since ended, 
Due for years of pleasant reading, 
Due for years of toilsome labor, 
Due despite our patient waiting, 
Due despite our constant dunning, 
Due in sums from two to twenty. ( 

" Would you lift a burden from us ? 
Would you drive a specter from you ? 
Would you taste a pleasant slumber ? 
Would you have a quiet conscience ? 
Would you read a paper paid for f 
Send us money, send us money, 
Send us money, send us money, 
Send the money that you owe us V 

Do not put it off a minute, 
If you do you may forget it, 
Ah ! you surely will forget it 
As so many have before you ; 
And though it may be small to you, 
Be esteemed a little matter, 
Yet to us it is no trifle, 
Yet to us it is important 
That we have what each man owes us. 
But we would not have you stop at 
The mere payment of your just debt. 
No indeed ! You should go further : 
You should send us a subscriber : 
One at least ; but we'll not grumble 
Should you send a list of twenty 
New and good names for the Planter. 
For we want, and feel it deeply, 
Feel it in our inmost nature, 
Want, until it is a craving, 
Every farmer in Virginia 
To become our fixed subscriber ; 
To beeome our punctual debtor 
For a copy of the Planter. 



THE LIME AND SALT MIXTURE. 
Several years ago, as the following letter as- 
serts, we requested our friend, Major Gilliam, 
professor of chemistry, &c, in the Virginia 
Military Institute, — well known to most of our 
readers by the contributions with which he has 
favoured the Planter, — to test the accuracy of the 
lime and salt mixture so perseveringly recom- 
mended by Prof. Mapes. As it will be seen 
below he has done so very fully, and the result 
is briefly but satisfactorily stated below. Hood 
told a story'of a woman who asked the physi- 
cian attending her sick husband : 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



75 



"Doctor, what will be the consequence if I 
give him brandy and salt?" 

"Why, madam, if you give him enough of 
it, the consequence will be that he will be in a 
drunken pickle." 

And so if one shall dose his land with lime 
and salt, the consequence will be that his land 
will be limed and salted — nothing more. 

| [Ed. So. Pl. 

Mr. Editor — Some years ago, "Prof. Mapes/ ; 
the " Chilian guano" discoverer, gave a receipt 
for a mixture of lime and salt, and in almost 
every issue of his paper, urged the use of it, 
asserting that by standing a certain time, mu- 
tual decomposition. of the two substances would 
take place, with the formation of soda and chlo- 
ride of calcium; that the caustic soda, would 
draw carbonic acid from the air, and become 
carbo7iate of soda ; and that the whole would 
constitute a very valuable mixture for manures, 
composts, &c. 

At your suggestion, I undertook to prepare 
some of the mixture in exact accordance with 
the directions, and, after allowing it to stand 
the required time, to test it for the purpose of 
ascertaining whether what the "Prof." assert- 
ed was really true. The mixture was made, 
plied with water, stirred repeatedly, &c, for 
weeks, just as the directions called for; but 
something interfering the mixture was set to 
one side, and there remained foi? two or three 
years. 

A few months since I tested it, and found 
that after all my trouble it was still lime and 
salt. Thinking, however, that possibly I had 
not done the mixture full justice, I had "another 
portion prepared. Even this, after standing for 
months, proved to be lime and salt, without a 
trace of soda. 

I communicate the result of this experiment 
at this late day, for those who still use this 
mixture with the belief that the assumed 
changes really do take place. I have nothing 
to say against the use of either lime or salt, or 
both, as they are both good in their way ; but 
I do say that to make this mixture, and com- 
post it with any sort of manure containing 
nitrogen, will result in injury rather than 
benefit, because the lime not undergoing de- 
composition, is caustic, and will expel ammonia 
as fast as it is formed. If, however, it is com- 
posted with leaves, straw, mould or swamp mud, 
it must produce the same efficacious results that 
are known to follow the use of lime in com- 
posts of this character generally. 

At first sight the mutual decomposition of 
the lime and salt, would seem to be a sort of 
matter of course operation ; but there is a well 
established law of chemistry, which makes it im- 
possible. According to that law, no two bodies. 
one or both of which are more insoluble than 
those which would result from their mutual de- 
composition, will decompose each other. Lime 



is almost insoluble, and its carbonate is quite 
so ; whereas the chloride of calcium and soda, 
or its carbonate, the bodies Avhich would result 
from the mutual decomposition of lime and 
salt, are very soluble ; and hence their forma- 
tion is, according to the above law, out of the 
question. 

If the lime and salt mixture really under- 
went decomposition with the formation of car- 
bonate of soda, by the absorption of carbonic 
acid from the air, the discoverer might justly 
pride himself for having made a very valuable 
discovery in applied science ; and would find 
the manufacture of carbonate of soda, even 
more profitable than manufacturing "improved 
superphosphate of lime" or "Chilian Guano. " 
In former times the only source of the carbo- 
nate of soda of commerce was in the ashes of 
sea weeds, the article was high in price, and 
the supply limited. The discovery was made, 
however, that by strongly heating sulphate of 
soda, mixed with chalk or powdered limestone, 
and fine coal, in a furnace of peculiar construc- 
tion, the sulphate would be decomposed and 
carbonate take its place. This discovery, cou- 
pled with the well known fact that, by heating 
a mixture of sulphuric acid and common salt, 
sulphate of soda would be formed, led to a com- 
plete revolution in the manufacture of soda ; 
and nearly all of the carbonate of soda of com- 
merce is now gotten by the action of sulphuric 
acid on sali, the subsequent heating of the sul- 
phate of soda so formed with chalk and fine 
coal, and the after solution and crystalization 
of the carbonate. But this process is compli- 
cated, involves the use of fuel, furnaces, &c, 
together with the loss of large amounts of sul- 
phuric and muriatic acids, and would inevita- 
bly be immediately abandoned if the mere mix- 
ture of salt and lime in certain proportions, by 
being kept moist, exposed to air, and frequent- 
ly stirred for a few weeks or even months, was 
going to effect the same end. 

William Gilliam. 

V. M. Inst, Jan. 1857. 



TO CURE CATTLE OF HOVEN. 

Make a rope of straw or hay about the size 
of your wrist and pass it through the animaFs 
mouth, and tie it tightly behind the horns — it 
will cure certain. 

The friend who sent us the above knows all 
about cattle. — [Ed. So. Pl. 



IRISH POTATOES.— HOT BEDS.— EARLY 
PEAS. 

The following gardening directions are taken 
from the Cotton Planter and Soil of the South, 
whose Horticultural Editor, Mr. Peabody, al- 
ways has something good in his department. 

The directions for covering Irish Potatoes we 
know by experience to be good. But it is an 



76 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



expensive plan, requiring a great deal of labor 
to collect the leaves or a great waste of manure 
to apply the straw. When, however, a part of 
the profit is expected from improvement of the 
land the cost of the covering is no objection. 

For a fall crop of Irish Potatoes we shall 
hereafter give a different, and, we think, a bet- 
ter plan. 

Plant Irish potatoes under straw; manure 
the ground well, and plow it deeply ; open fur- 
rows two feet apart, and drop the half of a po- 
tatoe two feet apart in the furrow, cover it two 
or three inches with earth, and then cover the 
whole bed two feet deep with leaves or straw. 
The rains will beat down the leaves and straw, 
and no matter how dry the season, the ground 
will never become entirely dry. "We made in 
the dry season last year, by planting potatoes 
in this way, the finest and largest potatoes we 
ever saw any where. Those who are willing 
to a trifling expense, may start the early cab- 
bage, lettuce and cauliflower, in a hot bed. A 
frost proof hot bed may be made after the fol- 
lowing manner : Excavate a piece of ground as 
large as the frame is to be, twelve inches deep, 
in this put six inches of good cotton seed, fill 
up with garden soil, and put on the frame. — 
The frame may be made of common rough 
plank, facing and sloping south, with a common 
window sash to cover it. In this, plant the 
seeds; the heat of the cotton seed will force 
the plants into a quick growth. In mild wea- 
ther, take off the sash that the plants may have 
air. Where cotton seed cannot be had, stable 
manure will answer. Have convenient some 
old matting, loose straw or hay, to place over 
the sash, in very cold weather. A crop of very 
early English peas may be obtained by plant- 
ing in the following manner : Open a trench as 
long as the row is to be, eight or ten inches 
deep ; in the bottom of the trench dig in some 
well rotted manure ; the trench should be about 
twelve inches wide. In the bottom of this 
trench plant a double row of English peas, (the 
early varieties.) It will take a very severe 
frost. to freeze down to the bottom of the trench ; 
but should the weather prove very cold, some 
planks placed over the trench will protect the 
plants. By the time the peas are up to the top 
of the trench, they will Jr>e safe from frost. — 
The sides of the trench may be dug down, the 
peas stuck with brush, and very early green 
peas may be had for the table. Snap beans 
and'okra may be started in this way. The okra 
will not require as deep a trench, as it is slow- 
er growth. It may be well to caution our 
readers that there are three requisites for a 
good vegetable garden — good soil, good culture 
and good seed. Never purchase garden seeds 
from any but reliable dealers. Cheap garden 
seeds are generallv the dearest. 



WYANDOT CORN. 

We gave last month Mr. Moody of Isle of 
Wight's account of his success with this new 
variety of corn. We give below the other side 
of the picture from the Report of Mr. Nicol, 
lately superintendent of the model farm of the 
Union Agricultural Society, in his final report 
to the executive committee. We find it in the 
Southern Farmer of Dec. 13, which we v^ereso 
unfortunate as not to get until the 2nd of Jan- 
uary. 

One acre was planted with Wyandot corn on 
the 21st of April, the ground previously heavily 
manured and thoroughly prepared. The corn, 
according to' directions, was planted five feet 
apart each way, one grain to a hill. About 
two-thifds of the grain planted vegetated, and 
for a week or two grew slowly and looked yel- 
low, until about the end of May, when it grew 
off rapidly, each grain or hill throwing up from 
three to ten stalks, averaging in height from 
seven to ten feet, and when in full growth look- 
ing luxuriant and beautiful. On October 3d, 
the whole was cut down and shocked up, the 
stalks still green and leaves nearly all dry ; 
and on the 25th Nov., had all shucked and 
measured. The result was 12} bushels of only 
comparatively sound corn ; 8 bushels of cobbs 
with a few grains on them, and worthless nub- 
bins. A large proportion of the second growth 
of stalks failed to produce any grain. The only 
really sound grain being obtained from the first 
or original stalk. The report of this experi- 
ment must go for what it is worth. I will only 
further remark that whatever may be the mer- 
its of this variety of Maize in rich, or moist 
ground, I very much doubt of its suitableness 
for highland culture. 



WYANDOT OR HICKS CORN. 

Weldon, N. C, Jan. 23, 1857. 
Mr. Editor — In your January number of the 
" Southern Planter," I find a letter from Mr. 
A. G. Moody, of Isle of Wight Co., A r a., upon 
the subject of Prolific Corn. Mr. Moody states 
that ho procured the seed from New York,, 
whence they vrere procured from Illinois, and 
he calls it the "Wyandot Prolific. " In read- 
ing it I was struck with two facts. First, that 
our farmers have to send North for their seed 
corn (and it is so Avith nearly all our garden 
seeds) ; and second, the close similarity between 
this corn and a Prolific now much used in this 
region after thorough trial. The former is a 
very deplorable "fact," and farmers should ex- 
ert every means in their power to "rub it out." 
The latter is a gratif} T ing "fact," as it opens an 
avenue of escape from the disagreeable and 
disgraceful vassalage to the North, as the seed 
to which Mr. Moody alludes can no doubt be 
procured in abundance here. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



This corn (which I have no doubt is the 
identical Wyandot corn in all except name) is 
called by some the "Hicks Corn," by others 
"Extra Prolific," and from fair trial it has 
been ascertained to stand a drought better than 
any other, and in any season to produce about 
one third more than any other species of corn. 
In other words, three crops of this corn are 
equal to four crops of other kinds. On good 
ground the stalks will bear from four to seven 
full ears. On inferior land (which would not 
produce other corn at all) they bear from two 
to four ears, and all full. It is precisely the 
same kind of corn described by Mr. Moody, 
and makes beautiful white meal, and I have 
noticed that the corn, when shelled, weighs 
over fifty-six pounds to the bushel. 

These facts can be well authenticated, and 
the corn can be procured in any quantity on 
application to numbers of gentlemen in this 
community. The price, I suppose, (not know- 
ing) would be from one dollar to orfe and a half 
per bushel. Very respectfullv, 

■ J. F. S. 

N. B.— Messrs. B. W. Bass, W. T. Sledge, or 
G. T. Simmons, have been cultivating this 
corn, and could no doubt supply orders for it. 



PLAN OF A TOBACCO HOUSE. 
A short time ago we applied to a friend for 
a plan of a tobacco house which might at 
pleasure be converted into a hay house. Though 
the information was sought entirely for our 
private use, we find the suggestions so good, 
and the directions so complete, that we think 
it well worth publishing ; especially for those 
unfortunate people, who, like ourselves, have a 
hollow where the bump of 7riechanic-iveness 
ought to be. — [Ed. So. Planter. 

Gale Hill, Albemarle, Jan. 10$, 1S57. 
-x- * y¥r ' #• * # -x- -x- -x- -;«■ -x- # 
* * You say you want a house with the posts 
let into the ground, and framed for vertical 
weatherboarding. Now, unless you have locust 
or cedar posts, I think it better policy and 
cheaper in the end, (if not as cheap in the first 
cost,) to frame the bottom of tiie posts into a 
good twelve or ten inch square sill, and put 
the sill either upon blocks, (as a temporary sup- 
port.) jr upon suitable brick or stone under- 
pinning. If, in accordance with the above sug- 
gestion, you abandon the idea of putting the 
posts in the ground, so well ; and you have 
nothing to do but frame the house with strong 
timbers, (corner braces,) well put together in 
the usual way, except that I would' advise that 
the corner braces should be longer than usual, 
and thus brace higher up on the corner posts, 
the advantage of which needs no explanation ; j 
if, however, you put the posts in the ground, i 
(and they should be put in from throe to fourj 



feet deep, and well rammed and plumbed,) they 
should be well braced not only with diagonal 
braces from post to post at the ground, but also 
with swinging braces (that is, from post to 
plate,) at the corners, — so much as regards 
bracing the corners under either plan. Your 
upright posts should be at least ten inches 
square, (rough-hewed will answer.) and ten 
feet apart, though they might be as much as 
twelve feet apart, if the size of the house re- 
quired it, and the plates four by eight inches, 
and well morticed and pinned on the top of the 
posts; then your joists or top-tier poles should 
be well pinned on the plate at both ends, or at 
least every other joist should be thus strongly 
pinned at both ends to the plate, and the ends 
of the joists should project eight inches (or 
more) beyond the outerside of the plate, which, 
with the projection of the shingles, will give 
at least one foot eave, — this will do ; though 
more is better in a high house. The scantling 
(or purlins as they are commonly called) should, 
be three by four inches and of length to suit 
the distance from centre to centre of the up- 
right posts, (except the corner posts, where 
they should extend out flush with the corner,) 
and they should be let into said posts, at inter- 
vals of three feet, (two feet nine inches would 
answer,) one inch and a half deep, having the 
insertion sawed out of the posts with square 
shoulders to support. well the purlins, and the 
purlins to be well pinned (with inch pins) into 
each upright post, not only at the ends of the 
purlins where they meet on a post, but wher- 
ever they cross the line of a post — this forms a 
strong horizontal bracing to the house ; and on 
these purlins, which are three inches thick, the 
ends of the tier-poles are laid, after being 
slightly flattened at the end to keep them from 
turning over, (and this three inches at each 
end will be hold enough for the tier-poles if 
they are pretty stiff, which old-field pine poles 
of suitable size skinned and seasoned will be, 
and they make the best;) and on the outside of 
these purlins, together with the plate and sill, 
the vertical weatherboarding — with plank, or 
three quarter, square edge with the edges in 
contact, not lapped — is well nailed ; this wea- 
therboarding braces the house again, and sup- 
ports the purlins, which enables them to bear 
the weight of the tier-poles loaded with green 
tobacco. 

Next, as to the height and size of the house. 
I would have six vertical tiers between the 
ground and the joists inclusive that would do to 
fire tobacco on ; this would require the lower tier 
eight feet from the ground, the next tier eleven 
feet, the next fourteen feet, the next seventeen, 
and twenty and twenty-three, at three feet be- 
tween the tiers, which is the most approved 
space, and it is undoubtedly best for largo to- 
bacco; but thirty-three inches makes more 
space than is often found in log tobacco houses 
after a few- years settieage, and is space enough 
for ordinary tobacco, [average I mean). Upon 



78 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



these estimates your house, from the ground to 
the top of the joists, will be either twenty- 
three or twenty-two feet; and the roof of a 
tobacco house should be a little sharper than a 
square, on account of the weight it has to sup- 
port, and should be strongly framed and 
braced, (wind-braced also,) and should have a 
bonnet (or two — on opposite sides) in the roof 
about a foot from the top, made by nailing at 
the right place wedges on the rafters with the 
sharp end of said wedges uppermost, and then 
sheet and shingle on the wedges. The house 
should not be larger than twenty-two feet by 
forty feet I think, which I think the best size, 
(or twenty by forty feet will do very well,) and 
if you want more room, add a shed to prize 
and strip in, or build a separate house in an- 
other place. It is better to build a tobacco 
house at the foot of a hill, and underpin with 
stone or brick up to the first tier; this offers 
several important advantages which are obvious. 
There is nothing inconsistent with the hay 
house in the plan above described ; a few win- 
dows on either side will accommodate the in- 
gress and egress of the hay and afford venti- 
lation, and a large door on either side will 
make it complete and convenient. It is an im- 
provement on such houses to have one of the 
vertical strips of weather-boarding hung on 
hinges at every tier, or every other tier, for 
additional ventilation; and this is equally good 
for the hay. W. W. M. 



TOBACCO PLANT BEDS— ANOTHER 
PLAN. 

New's Ferry Depot, 

Jan. 26, 1857. 

Mr. Ruffin — Dear Sir : I am very glad you 
have enlarged the " Planter." * * * 

In your last number, (Jan'y), I notice two 
articles upon plant raising. It is time the old 
methods of raising plants should be discarded ; 
and while I have my pen in hand will give you 
a plan pursued by myself, and which I can re- 
commend to the planters of Virginia. It is 
simply this : select a place near a never-failing 
branch or spring, burn well any time before 
15th Feb'y, pulverize finely the soil with grub- 
bing and hilling hoes, sow two slightly heaped 
tablespoonfulls of seed to 100 square yards — 
then spread one large four horse wagon load of 
fresh stable manure upon a bed of 1000 square 
yards, and tread with the foot, after which put 
brush on the bed only tolerably closely. On 
beds burnt after 1st February rake off the ash- 
*es ; and leave them on beds burnt before that 
time. Use no guano at time of burning. Buy 
a large garden or fire engine, with hose, (such 
as is used by firemen) 50 feet long. 

The engine and hose will cost if 05 or $70. — 
Whenever there is danger of frost injuring 
your plants throw water on them very early in 
the morning, and should the bed become dry 



water it well, holding the thumb over the end 
of the hose so as to make the water fall like 
rain, and turn the end of the hose upwards. If 
your plants turn yellow from bad burning, or 
sobbing during rainy seasons, sow about 4 lbs. 
of guano to 100 square yards on the plants af- 
ter the leaves are as large as a dollar; after 
which, water them. In four days they will be 
perfectly green and healthy; repeat the guano 
if necessary. Three or four negroes can w ater 
1000 square yards in two hours in very dry 
weather. Plants will grow much faster from 
watering them, than from rain, as the weather 
is much warmer. By pursuing this plan, plants 
can be had as early as you wish, and as many 
as you want. Half the quantity of plant land 
usually burnt will answer. From two thous- 
and square } 7 ards, last year, I planted 240,000 
hills, and re-planted about 60,000, and gave to 
one of my brothers about 275,000 plants, all of 
good size, and in good time. If water had 
been thrown on earlier, a much larger quantity 
could have been raised. I have no doubt but 
that, with the aid of this engine, plants may 
be raised upon any kind of land in the greatest 
abundance. The engine can be had from 
Messrs. Cowing & Co., Seneca Falls, New York. 
This mode of raising plants is worth all I have 
ever seen published. A man may calculate 
with certainty that he will have plants; and 
tobacco flies and grasshoppers never trouble 
him. He is independent of rain. 
Yours, &c, 

Sterling E. Edmunds. 



A NEW PRESCRIPTION FOR 
HAPPINESS. 

We commend the following extract to our 
friends. We have no doubt those in arrears 
will find it efficacious, and it may be that an 
advance will help those who have paid up like 
men and yet feel badly. We certainly think 
it worth a trial. 

I awoke this new year's morning with a de- 
pression of spirits altogether unsuited to the 
season — what could be the matter? I couldn't 
enjoy my breakfast or the prattle of my child- 
ren — in the language of the poet, (I always be- 
come poetical when any thing weighs on my 
mind, or my stomach,) "man delighted me 
not, nor woman neither," when all at once, like 
nn electric flash, it occurred to me that I might 
be in debt to the Planter! Thinks I to myself, 
if that's the cause of my trouble, I will try the 
virtue a small remittance, without delay. So 
here, I lay you down $5 — and strange as all 
those who are in arrears may think of it, I 
feel easier already. Hoping that all who owe 
you for your valuable paper, may find ready 
relief in the same way, 

I remain, as ever, very truly and affection- 
ately, your friend. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



79 



THE SNOW STORM OF JANUARY 17th 
AND 18th. INFORMATION WANTED 
IN REGARD TO IT. 

We hope that all who keep Meteorological 
Journals will send extracts from them as re- 
quested in the subjoined note of Lieutenant 
Maury : 

Observatory, Washington, } 
January 23rd, 1857. j 

Mr. Editor: — The great snow storm of 1857, 
commenced here about midnight of the 17th ; 
where did it begin, which way, and how fast 
did it travel, and where did it end? 

These, with other circumstances connected 
with it, are interesting points of inquiry, and 
if those of your readers who keep meteorologi- 
cal journals will send me an extract from them 
for a week, commencing January 14th, and if 
those who do not keep journals will report 
when the storm began and ended with them, 
the amount of snow that fell, and the way the 
wind blew, I shall have materials enough to 
go into the investigation. 

Will you do me the favor to say that I will 
be much obliged to any of your readers who 
will have the kindness to give me such infor- 
mation through the Post-Office. 

Respectfully, &c, 

M. F. MAURY. 
F. G. Ruffin, Esq., 

Ed. Southern Planter, 
Richmond, Va. 



From the Boston Cultivator. 

GRASS SEEDS. 

3fessrs. Editors — Believing, that we hold far 
too large a portion of our land under the plow, 
and satisfied that at least one-half our cultiva- 
ted lands should be devoted to the grass crop, 
either as mowing or pasture ground, with the 
view, however, of periodically taking portions 
of these into cultivation and laying down as 
much in extent from the cultivated lands in 
their stead — a system that has been very prop- 
erly denominated "convertible husbandry'"' — I 
would impress upon my friends who aro placed 
in the same circumstances with myself, a far 
more careful consideration of the business than 
I am free to confess, I myself have ever before 
bestowed upon it; satisfied that lands thus de- 
voted would be found to recover their fruitful- 
ness while under a periodical lay, far more 
speedily than they would do by the most judi- 
cious treatment they could receive while under 
a course of cropping, recommending however, 
a regular dressing of some sort, administered 
yearly, during that season of repose and rest, 
in the best acceptation of the term; ample proof 
of which would be furnished, when it should 
again be returned to tillage. 

In my reading, I have met with the following 
judicious, interesting and instructive remarks, 



which I would be pleased to see reproduced in 
some future column of the Cultivator, as they 
come to the very point at which I am aiming, 
namely, to show the value and importance of 
the first step in advance of the desirable object 
in view, namely, a proper attention to the quan 
tity and quality of the seeds of the different 
grasses usually sown, and by which much of 
the after-success, or the want of it, may be sup- 
posed to depend. Here follows the author's ar- 
ticle, and accompanying it my warmest wishes 
for the success of your labors. W. B. C. 

"A very knowing man gave it as his opinion, 
' that whoever could make two ears of corn, or 
two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of 
ground where only one grew before, would de- 
serve better of mankind, and do more essential 
service to his country, than the whole race of 
politicians- put together/ Now although the 
mass of noisy politicians, who wish to fatten, 
not by making grass or corn grow, but by lug- 
ging fiercely at the public teat, may incline to 
controvert this opinion, yet it is presumed that 
the plain, honest, industrious farmers of our 
country, who gain a livelihood by close atten- 
tion to agricultural pursuits will incline to think 
more favorably of it. Being myself a believer 
in the opinion, has induced me take up my 
pen, with a view of pointing out to my friends 
and neighbors, what may be done the coming 
spring towards accomplishing so desirable an 
object. 

It is now universally admitted that neither 
grass nor grain or indeed any plant whatever 
can be produced without seed ; and that when- 
ever we wish to produce any particular plant 
we must sow or plant the proper seed to pro- 
duce it. In sowing the seeds of the artificial 
grasses, it should be borne in mind, that you 
will not have more spears or grass plants than 
the number of seeds sown, and not even that 
number, for more or less of them, from various 
causes will fail to vegetate or be destroyed. If 
it is desired to have the plants numerous, the 
seeds must be thickly dispersed ; it is true, 
many seed cost more than a few, but the object 
being to obtain a full crop of grass, this can 
only be obtained by being liberal in the appli- 
cation of seed ; let those who wish only a very 
moderate return of grass, sow the seed thin, 
very thin, and they will accomplish the object ; 
they may have the plants six inches or a foot 
distant from each other if they are careful to 
put the seeds far enough apart. 

Being desirous of ascertaining the number 
of seeds of the kinds usually sown which would 
fill a bushel measure, I recently caused to be 
accurately weighed the one-sixteenth part of 
an ounce avoirdupois of the kinds designated 
below; the seeds in each parcel were then care- 
fully counted, from which it was ascertained 
the number of them contained in a pound, and 
also the number contained in a bushel, the 
weight of which was known. The seeds were 
all perfectly clean, and the best of their kind. 



80 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



Timothy seed rated at 40 lbs. per 
bushel the number of seeds con- 
tained in a bushel is - ■- 00,600,320 

Red clover seed, (American,) GO lbs 

■ per bushel, - - - 24,084,480 

Dutch red clover seed, imported, 

60 lbs. per bushel, - * - 16,819,209 

Dutch white clover seed, imported, 

60 lbs. per bushel, - - 43,929,600 

Orchard grass seed, 12 lbs. per bu- 
shel, - - - - -5,818,308 

The imported red Dutch clover seed was con- 
siderably larger than the American, and it will 
be perceived that the' latter contains about 50 
per cent, more seeds to the bushel than the for- 
mer, and consequently, it would take a bushel 
and a half of the Dutch seed to furnish as many 
plants as one bushel of the American. 

It has been a very general error amongst our 
farmers to sow grass seeds too sparingly there- 
by leaving much of the ground unoccupied, or 
filled with weeds, which will inevitably be the 
case where the soil is fertile, and grass seed has 
been applied with a parsimonious hand. A 
very small share of common sense observation, 
and a little arithmetical calculation will correct 
this pernicious and impoverishing error. An 
acre of land contains 4840 square yards, or 
43,560 square feet, or if brought to square in- 
ches ; 6,272,640 spaces, each of one inch square, 
is equal to one acre. If clover seed is sown 
evenly at the rate of 1\ pounds, or the eighth 
of a bushel per acre, it would produce about 
three million of plants, provided they gene- 
erally vegetated, which would allow each plant 
about two square inches of space for its ac- 
commodation. But it must be recollected that 
there is always a considerable loss of see 1 oc- 
casioned by its being imperfectly ripened, from 
its having been heated, or by its being buried 
in situations unfavorable to its growth, or other- 
causes, so that ample allowance should always 
be made to guard against c mti 'agencies of every ' 
kind. From the data furnished above, it will 
be easy to make a calculation in regard to any 
of the seeds enumerated, so as to operate as a 
guide to those -who don't desire to give their* 
grass plants more elbow room than may be ne- 
cessary to promote their proper growth and ex- 
pansion and the farmers true and most perma- 
nent interest/' 



SALE OF NEGROES. 

The editor of Warrenton Whig, who 
was recentW on a visit to Richmond, was 
informed by Messrs. Dickinson. Hill &- 
Co., auctioneers of this city, that the gross; 
amount of their sales of negroes last year; 
reached the enormous sum of tiuo millions! j 
The entire sales of other houses of a simi- 
lar kind in Richmond, would make the 
amount g;o over four millions — and still 



the business is increasing. We ourselves 
(says the Whig,) witnessed the sale of 35 
servants at an average value of $700. — 
Negro girls not ten years of age sold for 
$800. U this work does not stop in a 
short time, Virginia will be stnpt of nearly 
all her negro population — all owing to the 
agitation of the infernal negro question by 
the fanatics of both sections. One of the 
negroes mentioned above, a rough car- 
penter, nearly forty years old, brought 
$1,615. 

In Williamsburg, last week, Ro. Saun- 
ders, Esq., executor of the estate ot the 
late Rev. Scervant Jones, exposed for sale 
some twenty slaves, all of whom com- 
manded a most excellent price. A negro 
woman named "Dolly," between fifty and 
sixty years of age, sold for $725 cash. — 
All the rest were sold at proportionate 
prices, so far as we can ascertain. 

In Lynchburg, last week, the following 
sales were effected : 

Man 23 years old, $1,316 

" 46 " '•' 1,360 

Woman 20 years old and child, 1.140 
Man 21 " " 1,110 

Woman 21 " " and 2 chil- 
dren, 1,380 
Woman 20 " " " 1 child, 1 260 
19 " " " 1 " 2,040 
Man 38 " " 1,300 
Girl 17 " " 1,190 
Boy 19 ■■ " 1,025 
In all, thirty slaves were sold, and the 
average of old and young, including seve- 
ral children in arms, reached the very 
high figure of $708. 

The Charlottesville Advocate says : 
"Tliere was a very large number of ne- 
groes sold publicly on last Monday, our 
last January Court day, probably as many 
as a hundred, belonging to different own- 
ers, changed masters that day. The 
prices which they brought were very 
high, ranging from $1000 to $1,300 for 
men, and 800 or 900 for women." 

A sale of ten negroes, ranging in age 
from 10 to 70 years, was made in Liberty, 
Bedford Co., on New Year's day, for the 
aggregate sum of §7,637. The highest 
price obtained was $1,255, the lowest 
£140, average £7o3.70. This is doing 
pretty well considering the almost super- 
annuated condition of several of the ne- 
groes. — Tobacco Plant. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



81 



ADDRESS. ! 

Gentlemen of the Society: 

I was invited, some weeks ago, by the 
President, to speak before you to-night 
about a " Professorship of Agriculture at 
the University of Virginia" The subject 
is a very important one, which at various 
times has engaged the attention of some 
of the truest and most enlightened friends 
of agriculture in the State, and is still full 
of interest to us and our- children. It lias 
been brought to our notice on two former 
occasions ; and at this meeting both the 
President and the Executive Committee, 
in their annual reports to the Farmers' As- 
sembly, have thought it worthy of their 
especial commendation on one plan or 
another. It well deserves our further con- 
sideration among the various schemes for 
the advancement of agriculture which 
challenge our thoughts, our care, our 
means. Heretofore when wise and good 
men have advocated agricultural educa- 
tion as the surest step in agricultural pro- 
gress, the want of money has been the 
obstacle in their way. Not so now ; we 
have the money in ample store. If we 
have the will, we can accomplish a great 
and good work, which our fathers attempt- 
ed in vain. 

I .proceed without further preface and 
in a plain, conversational way, to state 
some of the reasons why, for one, as a 
farmer of Virginia, I desire to see such a 
professorship established at the Universi- 
ty of the State ; and, as a member of this 
society, desire to see it done now, and 
with our money. 

To educate a man for any business or 
profession, is simply to prepare him by 
proper training to apply his bodily or men- 
tal powers to his contemplated work. Thus 
carpenters, shoemakers, sailors, lawyers, 
doctors, divines, and other tradesmen and 
professional men are prepared for their 
several parts in the great drama of life. 
The first and most natural inquiries are, 
does this professional education or train- 
ing do any good ? Does it pay in other 
cases ? If it does, will it pay in the case 
of farmers ? Will similar advantages ac- 
crue to our profession from agricultural 
education ? 

The man who should seriously propose 
to abandon proper training before putting 
a youth to any business, trade, or profes- 
sion of life, except farming, would be most 
certainly and unceremoniously "written 

6 



down an ass." All human experience 
since human knowledge, began, has estab- 
lished the advantages of such educational 

No 



training. No man, in his senses, would 
select another man to attend to any busi- 
ness, because he knew nothing about it, 
and had taken no pains to qualify himself 
for it. The reason of the thing stands on 
the same side with experience, and loudly 
condemns professional ignorance, whether 
we consider the interest of the practition- 
er himself, or of society at large. Men 
succeed in their undertakings, and the 
welfare of society is promoted by their 
success, in proportion to their previous 
good training for their work, and the zeal 
with which they have perfected such train- 
ing by subsequent labour and practice. 
This is self-evident and needs neither de- 
monstration nor argument to prove it. 
Ceteris paribus, the carpenter builds a bet- 
ter house, the shoemaker makes a better 
shoe, the sailor better steers his ship, the 
lawyer better pleads his client's cause, and 
the physician more successfully wars upon 
the diseases our "flesh is heir to,"' who 
has most carefully and most thoroughly 
prepared himself for his business : 
now can this be true of every other branch 
of business, and false of farming only ? 
Is the farmer so dull that education can- 
not enlighten him? or is his business so 
simple that the knowledge of its myste- 
ries may be said to come by nature ? 
Surely no farmers will admit neither of 
these ignominious taunts. Unlettered we 
may be — and if so the fault is our own. 
But it will be time enough to defend from 
the charge of dullness the mighty host 
which bears upon its Atlantean !-houlders 
the firmament of civilization, with all its 
bright hopes, when such a charge shall 
have been made in seriousness by any of 
those who hang upon our skirts, and fat- 
ten on our ofTal. If made, the slander 
would be forever drowned in the swelling 
anthems of peace and plenty which her- 
ald the march of agricultural improvement 
whenever it comes. By us, as far as it 
may be said of any thing human, all other 
men "live and move and have their be- 
ing." The cornucopia of old mother 
earth is in our hands, and all who hunger, 
or thirst, or shiver in the cold, must ask 
the solace of their ills from us. 

Whether farming, like politics and shoe 
blacking, comes b}' nature or not, may 
merit a moment's investigation.. If it 
do, then the probability is, that agr- 



82 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



riculture will improve as little as they 
have done, or are likely to do : but farm- 
ing has improved. Any one who will look 
at the teeming millions now supported, in 
great part, by the British Isles, and com- 
pare this vast population with that of for- 
mer times ; or who will look at the pres- 
ent highly improved condition of many 
portions of that country, and remember 
the sterility which originally brooded over 
them, must admit, I think, that the farmer 
of England knows more about his business 
than comes by natures—that he has learned 
something about farming — nay, that he is 
educated. Who that remembers the gul- 
lies, the galls, the barrenness, which dis- 
figured many parts of our own State half 
a century ago, and drove our most enter- 
prising citizens to the fertile regions of the 
west and south, can deny that farming has 
improved in Virginia too? that our farm- 
ers have not been taught by nature alone ? 
Whether the politician and his condiscipu- 
lary compeer in nature's school, have im- 
proved or not, is a problem which I leave 
for them to discuss — content to have shown 
that the farmer is not like them — for 
which let heaven be praised. 

Not only does farming not " come by 
nature," but man by nature is averse to 
farming. The true noblemen, in the school 
of nature, are the hunter and the fisher- 
man. A natural love of personal inde- 
pendence that longing to cast off the re- 
straint of other men's presence, makes the 
savage find delight in the pursuit of the 
game of the forest and the fish of the 
stream ; and renders it difficult to wean 
him from his wild state, and teach him 
agriculture. Farming is the child of pro- 
gress — begot of labor and bom of know- 



o-nine are gone, that his teacher has no 
rod in pickle for his delinquencies. But 
soon growing wants, increasing numbers, 
and decreasing fertility of soil awake him 
from his dream, and thuncer in his ears 
his irrevocable doom — learn or suffer, till 
the soil or starve. Admit that we know 
enough for present purposes — does any 
man suppose that our knowledge of farm- 
ing will suffice for that coming day, which 
casts its shadows before it, when twice as 
many backs to clothe, and twice as many 
mouths to feed will rise up in judgment 
against us, and condemn our boasted know- 
ledge — as antiquated ignorance? Aw r ay 
with the notion, my friends. Our great 
mother, the earth, lies before all her chil- 
dren — scarred with a thousand unfilial 
scars, and bleeding at unnumbered wounds. 
She has honoured us with the call to nurse 
her, and lead her back to health. If we 
would heed the call, we must learn what 
nature never has taught and never will 
teach us — we must learn agriculture in all 
its multifarious and complicated branches, 
cares and arts. 

I say, we must learn agriculture. Will 
any man say " I know all about it ; 1 need 
no teaching?" If such there be, then he 
will say more than any man has ever said 
before, or any modest man will ever«say 
again. But, will this Mr. Know-all please 
to explain some of the mysteries of farm- 
ing which the rest of us do not know. For 
instance-*-! find in one of Gen. Washing- 
ton's letters to Sir John Sinclair, the fol- 
lowing account of his experiments with 
gypsum — he says, "The experiment, to 
which I allude, w<as made eight or nine 
years ago ; at the rate of from one to thiity 
bushels of Plaster of Paris to the acre 



ledge, after man has shed the exuvice of (among other things, to ascertain the just 
savage life. When the forest is scant of, quantum to be used.) I spread it on grass 
game and the river of fish, cometh neces- grounds, and on ploughed land — on the 
sity, that stern and unrelenting mistress, j latter, part of it was ploughed in; — part 
to whose inexorable laws man owes all his j harrowed in; — part scratched in with a 
excellence, and teaches him to till the Tight bush ; — while another part lay undis- 
earth — makes him a farmer — and keeps Turbed on the surface — all with oats in the 
him one — in short, educates him for his j spring. But it had no more effect in any 
high destiny of civilization. But unfortu- [instance — then or since, than so much of 
nately man, when put to school, is like all the earth it was spread over would have 
schoolboys: he sighs for the pleasures of had, if it had been taken up and spread 
the chase and the angling-rod ; and learns j again." Now the experience of almost ev- 
no more of the lessons necessity se,ts him, ery farmer who hears my voice will differ 
than he is compelled to learn — he half from Gen. Washington. Why is this dif- 
knows this and half does that, and says ference ? Moreover, many of us 'have 
" it will pass., let it go." He fondly hopes heard of land becoming " plaster-sick" and 
since the days of the ferule and the cat*," clover-sick," and some of us believe we 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



83 



have seen it so. Will they who know all 
about agriculture tell us about this — give 
us a diagnosis of this terrene disease, and 
a prescription which will cure it now, and 
keep it off hereafter ? Again there is mys- 
tery upon mystery in the whole subject 
of manures. One man applies them to 
his grasses, another to his hoe crops — one 
prefers long, another rotien manures — one 
favors top-dressing, another says plough 
in the manure — will friend Know-all tell 
us the right and the wrong of these ways, 
and the reasons for the same ? What a 
diversity of opinions has arisen about 
guano too ! and this touches our pocket- 
nerve. We spend millions of dollars eve- 
ry year in guano. Some say it pays, oth- 
ers say it does not. Will they, who know 
all about agriculture, and need no teach- 
ing, please to enlighten us about this thing, 
and save us our money, if we are throw- 
ing it away. Liebig says a farmer may 
bring home from market, in his breeches 
pocket, minerals enough to repair all the 
mischief done to his soil by growing a 
load of wheat. Now that would make 
farming a very safe business, and I would 
like to know if it be' true. Will Mr. Know- 
all please to tell me. And so of a thous- 
and other things, which 1 do not know, 
would like very much to know, and think 
I would be a better farmer if I did know. 
The great majority of my brother farmers 
are like myself, I expect, and could enu- 
merate many subjects on which they 
would be thankful for information. Agri- 
cultural education affords the only sure 
means of supplying the information the 
farmer desires. I shall not contend that 
the establishment of a professorship at the 
University will roll back the clouds of ig- 
norance and doubt which hang like mid- 
night around so many branches of the art 
of husbandry, and shed at once meridian 
light over the whole science of agriculture. 
Far from it. Such a result must be the 
work of time and toil. But we do not re- 
fuse to enjoy the beams of the noon-day 
sun, because he first comes to us with the 
soft rays of rosy morn ? We must begin, 
and when better than now ? 

Permit me to call your attention to some 
branches of science of which the know- 
ledge would be useful to the farmer, par- 
ticularly the young one ; and to point out 
some other sources of advantage even to 
us veterans in the establishment of a pro- 



fessorship of agriculture at the University. 
And first, of the scientific branch of the 
subject. 

Science, in these latter times, has come 
forth from the closet of the student, and 
is " walking to and fro in the earth," dis- 
pensing blessings in every department of 
human enterprise. Is it only when she 
enters the domain of agriculture that her 
progress shall be inhospitably staid ? The 
dyer, the hatter, the tanner, the cloth-ma- 
ker, the gold-digger, the iron-monger, all 
owe to science unextinguishable debts of 
gratitude. The world is indebted to her 
for the steam-engine, the power-loom, the 
mariner's compass, the telegraphic wires, 
and numerous other magic-working ele- 
ments of modern civilization. Why have 
men grown wiser than they used to be, if 
it be not because science has wrought for 
them with Briarian hand, and given them 
rest and leisure to improve ? Time was 
when it took more hours to spin, weave 
and sew a coat, than it takes minutes, wow. 
What may not the man of toil learn in the 
spare moments ? 

To what does the world owe the won- 
derful increase of books and knowledge in 
the last half century, but to this, that men 
have leisure to read them ? and whence 
the leisure, if not from the time science 
has saved the labouring man ? We eat and 
wear, not simply as much, but more than 
our forefathers did, while we toil not half 
as hard to get our food and apparel. Man 
has time to be happy and wise. If we 
treasure the length of life by what may be 
acbomplished in a lifetime, our octogena- 
rians/are older men than Methuselah. We 
can sail around the world while Methuse- 
lah w T as getting ready to visit the shanty 
of his next door neighbour. In vain have 
the weird sisters learned to clip the thread 
of human existence ere half its length is 
spun, when science twists into every coil 
of it a thousand sparkling gems of thought 
and action. Who would exchange our 
three score years and ten, in every mo- 
ment of which new ideas and new deeds 
tread on each other's heels, for the dead 
centuries of Patriarchal life ? A new day 
is dawning in the world. Science has al- 
ready marked the eastern sky with streaks 
of glorious light. Will the farmer alone 
chaunt no matin song, to welcome its ap- 
proach ? Are the dim candles of night to 



84 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



burn for him alone, while all around is 
day? 

Can science tell us any things about 
our soils? There are many things which 
I would like to know about them, which 
my own experience does not enable me 
to understand, the knowledge of which 
would certainly make me a happier, if not 
a more successful farmer. I believe it 
would do both. If I were to ask the ten 
oldest and best farmers in this room, what 
kinds of original growth indicated a fertile 
soil- -would I get a satisfactory answer? 
Nay, would I not get conflicting answers ? 
Some years ago, I visited the county of 
Rockingham in company with several of 
my neighbours, who were old farmers and 
sensible men. A few miles beyond the 
Blue Ridge we entered a most magnificent 
forest of immense walnuts, oaks and hick- 
ories, underneath which the ground was 
covered with a luxuriant growth of rattle- 
weed. We were all in extacies at the ap- 
pearance of fertility, and the oldest man 
of the party exclaimed in his enthusiastic 
delight — "I should like to make tobacco 
here. This land would bring pound plants." 
At the end of our journey we learned from 
one who knew the land well, that it was 
sterile and worthless, and for that reason 
had not been cleared. I have known 
worn out lands, when first renovated by 
improved culture, combined with clover 
and plaster, to produce for several periods 
of rotation twenty and twenty-five bush- 
els of wheat to the acre, and afterwards 
to decline, and fall back again to ten and 
fifteen bushels. But continuing all the 
while to produce more corn, and seeming, 
to all appearance, richer than when iti pro- 
duced the largest crop of wheat. Again, 
we all know lands which will produce a 
maximum crop with manure, and in a few 
years show no effects of the manuring ; 
while others will exhibit the effects of it 
for many years, under just the same sub- 
sequent treatment. I have seen contigu-. 
ous spots of the same field, of which one 
w T ould seem to be entirely renovated by 
one application of manure, and put into a 
condition for indefinite improvement, while 
another would produce a crop or two, and 
then ungratefully relapse into its original 
sterility, although both were cultivated 
alike in every particular. Some lands 
ploughed wet lose their productive powers 
for a long series of years, others are in- 



jured but little, and some not at all by 
such treatment. One man will tell you 
he has tried lime in all proportions with- 
out Lhe least effect — another that it acts 
like a charm on his land. One buys Mex- 
ican guano at a high price, and says it 
pays ; another says that for his land he 
had as lief have the same amount of dust 
from the main road, as Mexican guano. 
I have before alluded to Gen. Washing- 
ton's failure to improve the land at Mount 
Vernon, with Plaster of Paris, yet we con- 
tinue to pay thousands of dollars every 
year for an article wholly worthless in his 
estimation. Now is all this blind chance, 
or is there some key to these mysteries? 
The geologist teaches us, with very plaus- 
ible reasoning* that the soil is formed by 
the disintegration of the original rocks of 
the earth : the chemist has analyzed these 
rocks, and found that some of them con- 
tain the mineral elements of plants, while 
others do not. Might it not happen, that 
if our young farmers came to their work 
with a proper knowledge of these two 
sciences only, and observed things wisely 
in the field, while others watched in the 
laboratory, the combined appeal of the 
two might extort from science an answer, 
which would solve these mysteries ? which 
would find this key for us ? 

There are many powerful causes affect- 
ing vegetable life, which are entirely in- 
dependent of the soil. Experiments have 
been tried, which showed that different 
rays of light affect vegetation very differ- 
ently. A box was filled with an uniform 
soil, planted with seeds, and covered with 
glasses of different colours. The seed 
came up best and grew fastest under the 
blue glass ; while under the red glass they 
came up badly, and were of an unhealthy 
colour. After some days the red and blue 
glasses were mutually exchanged; when 
the plants which had come up well and 
grown vigorously under the blue glass, 
withered under the red ; and those which 
had been unhealthy under the red glass, 
became luxuriant under the blue. Will 
any one say this is all nonsense, no good 
can come of such things ? So men said 
of the steam-engine at first. So even 
kings and savans said of the heaven-born 
impulses which swelled the breast of Chris- 
topher Columbus. But the steam-engine 
wasn't nonsense : and Columbus discov- 
ered America. We all know that light 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



66 



plays a very important part in the growth 
of our crops. But do we know how im- 
portant ? or are we prepared to say that 
we get all the benefit we can from it ? 
Who can tell ? The farmer and the phil- 
osopher must work together before we will 
know. 

We know that plants cannot grow with- 
out moisture ; but do we know the laws 
which control the absorption of moisture 
from the atmosphere and the circulation of 
it in the soil ? Would it do us any good if 
we did know ? May be so, may be not. It 
is worth the trial, I think. During the ex- 
cessive drought of the last summer, I un- 
dertook to prepare a piece of ground in 
my garden for turnips. It was, to all ap- 
pearance, as dry as a bone : but I kept 
working it with plow and hoe, and harrow 
and spade; and every time I worked it, I 
thought it grew moister. I planted my 
turnips, and have the best crop I have 
seen. Where did the moisture come from ? 
Not from below, there was none there to 
come. It would be easy to explain how it 
came from the atmosphere. But not with- 
out some science. The commonest obser- 
vation perceives the interstitial circulation 
of moisture in the earth. So it did the 
circulation of blood in the human body 
many hundreds of years before Harve}' 
found it and explained it, amid the sneers 
and taunts of the Sangrados, who then 
thought there was science enough in the 
world for Doctors. Will the enlightened, 
and scientific farmer who may first explain 
how the circulation of the fluids of the 
earth can be turned to a good account by 
his brethren of the plo*w, meet a better 
fate than Harvey met? I hope that the 
days of Jack Cade are gone, when the pen 
and the ink horn were proofs of treason, 
and doomed their owner to the gallows. 
But is it probable that any farmer will be 
enlightened and scientific enough, to ex- 
plain this and other similar things without 
being educated ? 

Whence comes the carbon of plants ? 
Leibig says, <: from. the atmosphere 
alone," while Hlubec says — "from the 
carbonate also." So of ammonia. The 
former says — "plants get it from the rain 
water alone," the latter — "from the ni- 
trates." When shall we know which is 
right? certain knowledge on these, and 
other similar points might revolutionize 
the whole practise of modern husbandry. 



Now some men are simple enough to ar- 
gue that because philosophers differ about 
these matters, therefore philosophy can 
never be of any use in farming. Lawyers 
and Doctors have differed from one anoth- 
er. But if men had quit studying law, 
when the first difference arose about a law 
point, what sort of lawyers should we now 
have ? or what would the science of med- 
icine be, if it had been abandoned, when 
practitioners first began to differ about the 
principles of it ? Again, time is necessa- 
ry to perfect any thing. The ancients 
knew that amber when nibbed would at- 
tract iron filings. But they had no Frank- 
lin rods to their houses, as we have, and 
which we owe to a science which takes its 
name from the Greek word for amber. So 
the properties of the magnet were known 
ten centuries before the mariner's com- 
pass disarmed the sea of half its terrors. 
In still later times. How long was it after 
the quivering of a frog's leg, near an elec- 
trical machine, suggested to the sick phi- 
losopher the first idea of galvanism, be- 
fore Morse invented the magnetic tele- 
graph, which has tamed the lightning of 
heaven to run on man's errands ? And in 
all these instances of slow progress, there 
needed but the labor of the philosopher in 
his laboratory to carry on the investiga- 
tions ; while in the application of science 
to husbandry he is constantly stopped, or 
led into error, by the want of that practi- 
cal knowledge w 7 hich a farmer alone can 
have. Philosophy and agriculture must 
be yoked together, and learn to pull to- 
gether, before the work can be done. In 
short, we must wed them to one another 
before we look for a long line of heirs. I 
know no better place for thb marriage 
ceremony than the halls of the University 
of the State. 

I might go on almost indefinitely adding 
instances in which science properly ap- 
plied would tend to the improvement and 
advancement of the art of husbandry: 
But let these few, selected at random, suf- 
fice for the present, while I advert to mat- 
ters not scientific in which improvement 
would result from agricultural education. 
Of necessity every boy, who grows up on 
a farm, learns something of farm- work, 
unless he be an idiot ; but that does not 
make him a farmer — if it did, our negro 
boys would be farmers. Even boys rais- 
ed in town know something of farming 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



Doubtless there are lads in this city who 
know that sweet potatoes grow under and 
and water-melons above ground. So ever} r 
boy learns something of medicine and 
law, during his boyhood. He knows that 
when his head or his side aches, he is sick 
and needs physic ; and that if he steal, he 
is a rogue, and the law will punish him. 
«But such knowledge does not make him a 
lawyer or a doctor. I believe that boys 
pick up during their minority as much and 
as useful knowledge about law and medi- 
cine, as they do about farming. But, not- 
withstanding, the harvest of wild knowl- 
edge, if I may so call it, we send our sons 
to law and medical schools, where they 
are made to read and study what never 
was, and never will be law in this State ; 
and to hack and hew the bodies of dead 
men in a style and fashion which they can 
never practise on living men. Yet we owe 
all that is good in law and medicine to this 
sort of training in professional schools ; 
which, as long as it is mere training, and 
if we look at it only as training, seems the 
veriest nonsense in the world. But so 
evident are the advantages derived from 
professional education to them who have 
enjoyed jt, nay even to us on whom the 
lawyers and doctors practise their skill, 
that if a man should begin a crusade 
against law schools and medical schools, 
and propose to abolish them, he would be 
met with a more deafening cry of " non- 
sense, nonsense," than now meets the 
friends of agricultural education. We see 
the advantages derived by other profes- 
sions from proper educational training, but 
continue to educate our farmers, as some 
folks keep their cattle, on the commons, 
which may be a cheap way, but not praise- 
worthy, nor profitable in the end. 

The sons of most of our wealthy farm- 
ers are educated from home. They are 
sent to school at fourteen or fifteen, and 
are never at home again for a long time 
till of age. In all this time they learn 
nothing of agriculture away from home, 
unless it be a little of the wild kind ; and 
but little more at home ; for the guns and 
the dogs, the horses and the girls absorb 
the moments of vacation. Twenty one 
comes — the lad is a man — and he goeth 
forth to farming. Now is this proper pre- 
paration for even the simplest, plainest, 
commonest operations of agriculture? Let 
us suppose that two years — nay, even that 



one year, of this educational period had 
been spent in attendance on the lectures 
of a sensible man about farm-work in all 
its various and complicated branches , and 
in reading the. essays of such writers as 
Thaer, Stephens, Colman, Skinner, our own 
Rutfin and a host of other wise farmers — 
is it not probable that our sons would re- 
turn from College a little less verdant 
about farming than they generally come. 
They would at least learn how to make a 
compost-heap, and the value of it when 
made. That would be something: But 
might they not learn a great deal more ? 
Might they not learn the proper seasons 
for all kinds of work — the best methods of 
culture of our various staple crops — the 
most approved preparation, saving and ap- 
plication of manures — the true piinciples 
of grazing a horse, and constructing a 
plough, gate or cart — something of drain- 
ing, subsoiling, &c. — something of the val- 
ue and expense of the different kinds of 
enclosures, and a thousand other things, 
all useful and necessary to be learned ? 
Would the knowledge of all these things 
be any less valuable — nay any less practi- 
cal, because learned from a sensible pro- 
fessor in a lecture-room, where a hundred 
others were learning -them, and talking 
about them, than if acquired from an in- 
dulgent father, or some opinionate over- 
seer ? No man in his senses can think it 
would. As far as my observation goes 
[and I have had some experience in mat- 
ters belonging to teachingj, fathers are 
not the best teachers of their children if 
any thing but honesty. There are excep- 
tions no doubt — Tom Benton is one. But 
he is an exception to many other rules, and 
so proves nothing. I think that the most 
conceited youths in the country are boys 
educated entirely at home. They get 
father's notions, and with them father 
knows every thing. I hardly know a case 
in which a father, who had a smart son, 
would not benefit both, by sending the son 
away from hometo attend lectures and read 
books on agriculture for a year. Whe\ 
the son returned home he would be able 
to profit more by his father's experience — 
and maybe, teach something to the old 
gentlemau himself. How often has it hap- 
pened in Virginia that a father has given a 
fine estate to a son, and established him as 
a farmer, whom, if he had been another 
man's son, he would not have kept as an 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



overseer on the same farm for his victuals 
and clothes? Every such instance, and 
the many disastrous failures which have 
followed, cries aloud, with trumpet-tongue, 
for agricultural education. The thousandth 
part of the money, which the want of 
proper agricultural training has cost Vir- 
ginia, would build her ten Universities like 
the one she has, with professorships of ag- 
riculture, and experimental farms attached 
to each. 

I have said, that I would endeavour to 
show how the agricultural education of the 
young at college, would benefit even the 
old farmers. I believe it would do so in 
various ways. The young farmer, when 
educated, would bring back from college 
many new notions — some of them per- 
haps of little worth. He .would talk of 
them to the old farmers, and try them be- 
fore their eyes. Some would fail, others 
would succeed. The veterans of the plow 
would adopt the good and reject the worth- 
less. Thus from the combined operation 
of the science of the young and the ex- 
perience, (which by the way is only ano- 
ther term for science), of the old, results 
would flow beneficial to both. One would 
correct the errors of the other. The dog- 
ged pertinacity with which men stick to 
old ideas and practices in farming would 
gradually break up before a spirit of in- 
quiry and intelligence ; and farmers would 
learn to avail themselves of every new 
thing which was good, without waiting a 
quarter of a century to see how it would 
succeed with others. It is curious how 
slowly improvements in agriculture were 
adopted in former times, when we had 
few or no agricultural journals, and socie- 
ties — when in fact we had less agricultu- 
ral education than we now have. I have 
heard an old farmer deplore his folly in 
having waited twenty years, to see if all 
they said about Plaster of Paris was true. 
When convinced at last, he found his land 
just twenty years behind his neighbours 
in improvement, and worth about half as 
much in market. About twenty-five years 
ago an intelligent young gentleman from 
an adjoining county came into Albemarle 
to get him a wife. He had been trained for 
the bar, but had recently abandoned it and 
gone to farming. While courting the 
young lady, he saw the farming operations 
of her brother ; and among other things 
that her brother did not plough up and 



down hill, as everybody in his county did, 
but horizontally. This method of plow- 
ing was no new thing then in many parts 
of Virginia. Governor Randolph had in- 
troduced it, and called attention to it in 
the public prints many years before. But 
it 'was new in the adjoining county, and 
when the young gentleman returned home 
and began to plough around the hills — his 
old neighbours shook their sage heads, and 
said with a sneer — " Well, the young law- 
yer will soon quit that new fangled way 
of driving a plow-team." He did npt 
quit, but on the contrary he lived to see 
his neighbours adopt the new fangled way 
of plowing, instead of the up-hill business 
they had been doing all their lives before. 
Now this was agricultural science impor- 
ted into a neighbourhood by a young farm- 
er for the benefit of the old. But the dis- 
semination of knowledge in this way is 
too slow. Men do not go a- courting often 
enough ; and, when they do, they are too 
apt to be thinking of something else than 
agricultural improvement, to leave its im- 
portation to such only. Knowledge does 
not move so slowly in other branches of 
human affairs. If a new principle of law 
is established — or a new mode of treating 
a disease successfully adopted — or a new 
invention introduced into any manufac- 
turing art, those whose interest it may be 
to know it, do not wait in ignorance till 
some courting gentleman accidentally 
brings them the knowledge of it : and 
why, except that men in other pursuits of 
life are trained to read books about their 
business, and expect to learn and improve 
by reading them ? 

At present agricultural knowledge not 
only is disseminated too slowlj r ; but is ac- 
cumulated too slowly. We get it too much 
in fragments, by piece-meal. In one sea- 
son Mr. A., in an able essay in the Plan- 
ter, tells us how he has cultivated his 
corn crop for twenty years, and what his 
success has been — five years afterwards 
Mr. B, tells us how he makes corn — and 
at the end of the next lustrum comes Mr. 
C. with his mode of culture. Now all 
these modes may differ — each may have 
something good which the other has not, 
or may expose an error which pervades 
the others. If we could have them all 
before us at once, so as to compare each 
with the other, how much more useful 
would the whole be. Suppose we could 



88 



THE jSOUTHERR PLANTER. 



thus have before us at once — in a book if 
you please, not only A's, B's and C's me- 
thods of cultivating corn, but the most ap- 
proved methods of cultivating all our sta- 
ple crops in every county of the state, 
would it not be a rich mine of knowledge 
for the farmer ? Now when we have a Pro- 
fessor of Agriculture at our University, he 
will discover this mine for us. He will be 
compelled to do it in order to instruct his 
class. He must teach his pupils all these 
various methods of culture in every part 
#f the state. If he does not know them, 
(as who now does ?) he must learn them. 
Will you ask, { how can he doit ?' Nothing 
easier. Influenced by that heroic motto : 
" aut viam inviniam, aut faciam," he will 
put himself in correspondence with the 
most intelligent farmers in every district 
of the state, who will inform him by writ- 
ten communications of the methods of 
culture known and practised in their neigh- 
bourhoods : and he will spend the long 
summer vacations in travelling over the 
best farming regions of the state, learning 
all these things and many others by the 
seeing of the eye, and the hearing of the 
ears. Soon he will amass, by these means, 
a fund of knowledge which will include 
the systems of cultivating every staple 
crop in every section of the state. All 
this mass of knowledge, confused though 
it may be at first, will then be sifted, ana- 
lysed, digested and discussed ; the differ- 
ent modes of culture classified ; the points 
of agreement and disagreement in them 
collated ; what is good culled out, and 
what is bad discarded; and the whole ar- 
ranged for the instruction of his class. He 
cannot teach his pupils as he ought to 
teach them, without this labour; which, 
done for them in the first instance, will be 
for our improvement too. Our sons will 
bring home a few gems from this mine at 
the end of the first year — more the next, 
and in a few 7 years they will bring us a 
share in the whole mine, neatly bound up 
and labelled, in gold letters, " Husbandry 
in Virginia, embracing the various methods 
of culture .of our staple crops in every 
district of the state, collected, arranged, 
and prepared for publication by the Pro- 
fessor of Agriculture in the University of 
Virginia." Then the knowledge we get 
about agriculture will no longer be like 
Jonah's gourd, which withered in a night, 
but like the majestic oak it will send its 



roots as far downwards, as its boughs will 
grow upwards, and gathering strength to 
withstand the shocks of a thousand storms, 
will fill all the air with its fragrance, and 
enrich the whole land with its fruits. 

The short and the long of the matter, 
gentlemen, seems to me to be just this — 
our sons have to be taught agriculture ; 
shall it be done after they begin to farm 
or before — shall their teacher be a profes- 
sor selected because of his fitness for the 
work, or an overseer picked up on the 
court-green — shall they learn the wisdom 
of their profession only in the expensive 
school of their own experience, dearly 
bought by repeated failures, or derive it, 
in some degree, from what other farmers 
have tried and known and written — shall 
they learn by chance, a wayward, costly 
and often ruinous teacher — or by the sure 
and certain method of professional educa- 
tion which has wrought so much excel- 
lence in other fields of human enterprise? 
Hoping that you will decide with me in 
favour of the regular, thorough and com- 
plete training and instruction of our young 
men in all the branches and science of 
agriculture, before they begin to farm, I 
will endeavour to show that we can make 
provision for such instruction immediately, 
and on a lasting foundation, by establish- 
ing a " Professorship of Practical Hus- 
bandry," at the University of Virginia, at 
an expense which is trifling and insignifi- 
cant when compared with the object in 
view. 

However the subject of agricultural ed- 
ucation may be new to us, it is not so else- 
where. The greatest attention has been 
paid of late years to the subject both in 
England and Europe, where there are now 
several hundred agricultural schools in 
operation, some sustained by private en- 
terprise alone, and others supported by 
government. From the experience of 
these schools, we learn the number of pro- 
fessors required to put them in operation, 
which we may set down at not less than 
four under any circumstances, though in 
the European schools it is often twice that 
number. There would be, 1st a Professor 
of Natural Philosophy, including geology, 
mineralogy and meteorology; 2. Of chem- 
istry both analytic and agricultural ; 3. 
Animal and Vegetable Physiolog} r includ- 
ing botany, comparative anatomy and the 
veterinary art — and 4th. of Practical Hus- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



89 



bandry. A school might work and do 
much good with these four professors. 
But a glance shows that it would be better 
to have six ; and still there would be very 
important branches of agricultural educa 
tion omitted. Now if we should under- 
take to establish an agricultural school on 
this plan, it would cost us an outlay at first 
of little less than $100 000 for lands, build- 
ings, apparatus, &c, and an annual expen- 
diture of from $6,000 to $10,000 to pay 
professors' salaries, cover repairs, &c. 
The resources of our society are wholly 
inadequate to meet such a demand. If 
we cannot get agricultural education at a 
lower figure than that, we must give it up, 
and grope awhile longer in darkness. But 
we can get it at one-fifth of this expense, 
by putting a professor of Practical Hus- 
bandry at the University of the State. 

There is a feature in the system of in- 
struction at the University, which is pe- 
culiar to that institution, so far as I know, 
and which it owes to the liberal views and 
far-seeing wisdom of its founder. It is 
this : That there is no regular curriculum 
of studies beginning with freshman and 
ending with senior, as in the old colleges. 
But each professor is the head of an inde- 
pendent school. A young man at the Uni- 
versity may study Latin and Greek all the 
time and nothing else, or Moral Philoso- 
phy alone, and as long as he pleases. Whe- 
ther this system is better than the old or 
not, is a question not under discussion 
here. This is evident : that it opens the 
way for uniting other schools to those al- 
ready established. Thus a complete med- 
ical school with three professors, and a law 
school with two, are already in full and 
very successful operation in this institu- 
tion. The law and medical students, 
while studying their profession, can attend 
lectures in any of the other schools. It is 
not a matter of doubt or uncertainty whe- 
ther a school of agriculture can be grafted 
on this same noble stock — we have it in 
black and white, that it can and shall be, 
if we will it. 

Two years ago a committee was appoint- 
ed by our society to confer with the prop- 
er authorities of the two State institutions 
of learning in Virginia, for the purpose of 
ascertaining whether it was practicable to 
establish a Professorship of Agriculture at 
one or both of them, to be endowed and 
sustained out of the funds- of our society; 



and what amount of money would be ne- 
cessary to accomplish the object, if found 
to be practicable. The committee per- 
formed the duty assigned to them, and 
submitted a report to the last meeting of 
the society, recommending the establish- 
ment of a Professorship of Practical Hus- 
bandry at the University of Virginia, and 
fixing the sum of $20,000 as the amount 
necessary to endow and sustain such pro- 
fessorship. The committee state in their 
report that they received, both from the 
authorities of the University and of the 
Military Institute, the most gratifying and 
satisfactory assurances of a willingness to 
cooperate with our society in the cause, of 
agricultural education, and a pledge on 
their part to use every means in their pow- 
er to effect ;he object of the society, if it 
should be our pleasure to establish a pro- 
fessorship of agriculture in connection with 
the institutions under their controul. Ap- 
pended to the report of the committee are 
letters from the Rector of the University 
and the President of the Board of Visitors 
of the Military Institute to that effect. 
The committee decided in favour of the 
University, among other reasons, because 
the students would not be compelled to 
enter on any regular curriculum of Col- 
lege studies there, but might pursue their 
agricultural studies alone ; and because 
the authorities of that institution offered 
land enough for an experimental farm, 
contiguous to the institution, whenever 
the wants of the agricultural school should 
require it. The existence of Law and 
Medical schools at the University, which 
might be made available to enlarge the 
field of agricultural education, may also 
have influenced the committee in deciding 
to select the University, rather than the 
Military Institute. 

The committee also say in their report, 
that in order to apprise the authorities of 
the University of the extent of the expec- 
tations of the friends of agricultural edu- 
cation in the event of the establishment of 
a professorship of agriculture at the Uni- 
versity, they submitted to the Board of 
Visitors a brief synopsis of fi>e subjects 
which ought to be embraced in a' system 
of agricultural instruction, and indicated 
to the Board how much of this work could 
be done by the Professor of Agriculture, 
and how much would have to be done by 
Professors in other schools. They express 



90 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



their belief that the subjects already f 
taught at the University, which must form 
a part of every independent school of agri- 
culture, can be so arranged as to meet all 
the requirements of the school of agricul- 
ture, without impairing their value to the 
general student ; and report that the Board 
pledged themselves so to arrange them. 
To show that the course of instruction 
would be a full one, permit me to read the 
synopsis which forms a part of the report 
of the committee. 

Synopsis of Subjects to be embraced in 
a course of Agricultural Lectures. 

I. HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 

1. Its origin. 

2. " Progress. 

3. " Condition among ancients. 

4. Modern improvements. 

5. Condition in different countries. 

6. Relative condition in the States of 

this Union. 

7. Special history in Virginia. 

8. Relation to the State. 

9. Literature. 

10. History of staple crops in Virginia. 

11. Laws, especially interesting to Far- 

mers. 

a. of enclosures ; b. of trespass on 
land; c. of roads; d. estrays ; e. of 
runaways;/', of streams; g. of land 
titles ; h. of statute of frauds ; i. of 
bailment; j. of commons; k. of 
landlords and tenants. 

II. SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 

1. Soils. 

a. Formation ; b. Classification ; c. 
Topography ; d. Elements of fertil- 
ity ; e. Renovation. 

2. Causes affecting vegetation, indepen- 

dent of soils. 

cu. Climate ; b Heat ; c. Light ; d. 
Electricity ; e. Moisture ; f. Atmos- 
phere. 

1. Hygrometry; 2. Meteorology; 

3. Composition of Atmosphere ; 

4. Elements supplied by it to 
animal and vegetable life. 

3. Mechanics of Agriculture. 

a. Law of mechanical forces and 
powers ; b. Hydrodynamics ; c. 
Principles of draught ; d. Strength 
and durability of timbers ; e. Lev- 



elling ; /. Draining ; g. Irrigation ; 

h. Construction of roads and bridges; 

i. do. of farm implements;/. House 

building. 

1. Residences; 2. Barns ; 3. Ne- 
gro quarters. 

4. Rotation of crops, theory and prac- 

tice. 

5. Manures. 1. Analysis. 

a. Classification ; b. Composition ; 
c. Comparative value. 

6. Botany of Agriculture. 

a. Principles of botanical classifica- 
tion ; b. Agricultural plants ; c. Edi- 
ble vegetables ; d. Fruits ; e. Pesti- 
ferous weeds ; f. Timber trees. 

7. Stock breeding. 

a. History of breeds. 

1. Horses; 2. Cows; 3. Hogs; 
4. Sheep ; 5. Poultry. 

b. Principles of cross breeding. 

8. Labor-saving machines. Value of. 

9. Insects injurious to agriculture. 

10. Mineralogy and geology. 

11. Comparative anatomy and vegetable 

physiology. 

12. The veterinary art. 

13. Chemistry, analytical and agricultu- 

ral. 

III. PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 

1. Preparation of the soil. 

a. Trenching; b. Subsoiling : c. 
Spading; d. Ploughing. 

2. Methods of culture. 

a. of each staple crop ; b. occa- 
sional crops. 

3. Times of seeding, and methods of do., 

thick and thin planting. 

4. Harvesting. Times and methods. 

5. Marketing. 

6. Farm accounts and Dairies. 

7. Overseers. Notice piece in S. P. 

8. Management of slaves. 

9. Economy of labor much needed. 

10. Principles of gearing work-beasts — 

1. horses, 2. oxen. 

11. Comparative value of meadows, pas- 

tures, tilled lands. 

12. Care of tools, etc. 

13. Eradication of shrubs, and clearing 
forest lands. 

14. Enclosures. 

a. Metal ; b. Stone ; c. Timber ; d. 
Live. 

15. Manures. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



91 



18. 
19. 
20. 

21. 



23. 
24. 



25. 
26. 

27. 
28. 

29. 

30. 

31. 



35. 



36. 

37. 
38. 
39. 
IV. 



culti 



hill-side. 



c. Vinegar ; d. 



a. Manufacture; b. Saving ; c. Ap- 
plication. 

16. Care of live stock. 
a. Soiling; b. Stabling; c. Grazing 
d. Housing; e. Insects; /. Castrat 
ing, Spaying ; g. Breaking to gear 

17. Experiments. 
a. on crops ; b. cattle ; 
how made to be useful. 
Construction of ditches. 
a. open ; b. covered; c. 
Dairy. 

a. Butter ; b. Cheese, &c. 
Household operation. 

a. Slaughtering and curing of meats; 

b. Culinary art. 
Fuel. 

a. kinds; b. collection ; c. care of; 
d. wood-houses. 

22. Comparative value of foods for rais- 
ing and fattening cattle. 

Horticulture. 

a. Culinary ; b. Ornamental. 

Orchard. 

a. Fruit; b. Cider, 

Propagation of trees. 

1. Budding; 2. Grafting; 3. Lay- 
ering; 4. Pruning. 

Vineyards, fruit and wines. 

Grasses — Artificial, natural, their 

value as improvers, and grazing. 

Root crops. 

Comparative value of work brutes — 

horses, mules, oxen. 

Farm yards— 1. Form ; 2. Size ; 3. 

Littering. 

Hay cutting, curing, stacking, bal- 
ing. 

Green crops for manure. 

32. Marling, liming-expense and profit. 

33. Domestic manufactures. 

34. Staple crops of States south of Vir- 
ginia — sugar, cotton, rice. 
Preservation of timbers. 
«. Painting; b. Charring; c. Kya- 
nizing. 

Surveying — size of fields, as com- 
pared with form. 
Poultry. 
Bees. 
Ice Houses. 

N. B. — To the course of instruc- 
tion by lecture, it will be desirable to add 
as soon as practicable, an experimental 
Farm, to be under the care of a steward 
appointed by the Professor of Agriculture. 
The committee, I hope, will excuse me 
for saying that their synopsis is imperfect. 



It by no means includes all that should be 
embraced in a course of agricultural edu- 
cation ; the classification of the subjects 
is artificial and unscientific ; some topics 
are placed under one head which ought to 
be under a different one ; and some are 
included which might very well be omitted 
altogether. I suppose it was hastily pre- 
pared to form the basis of their conference 
with the authorities of the University, and 
for that purpose it does very well. I in- 
troduce it to show how much was contem- 
plated by our committee and the Visitors 
of the University when they conferred to- 
gether about agricultural education, and to 
ask you if this does not look like doing 
something? The committee express their 
belief that all this can be accomplished if 
our Society will establish a single Profes- 
sorship at the University. If it can, and 
I for one, believe it can, then never before 
was so much learning promised for so lit- 
tle money. Generally speaking, cheap 
learning is of little value, because its 
cheapness arises from the superficial cha- 
racter of it. But it is not so here. Those 
who are acquainted with the University 
know that learning got there is not super- 
ficial. It is as far from being so, as colle- 
giate learning can be. The daily ques- 
tions in the class rooms, and the rigid ex- 
aminations for degrees prevent it being 
superficial. The same system of instruc- 
tion would be adopted in the school of 
agriculture, which has been pursued in the 
other schools, and with the same effects. 
I heard a very distinguished lawyer of 
Virginia say, a short time ago, that he had 
known a graduate to come from the law- 
school of the University fully prepared to 
plead in the Appellate Courts of the State. 
It has been said by some of the Professors 
of medical colleges in the large cities, that 
the medical school of the University is the 
best preparatory school of medicine in the 
United States. The same system of in- 
struction in a school of agriculture would 
produce the same results — our young men 
would be thoroughly prepared for farming, 
as far as that preparation depends on 
knowledge ; and, say what we may, in 
farming, as much as in any other business 
of life, knowledge is power. 

Would our sons, taught in such a school 
of agriculture, come home from college — 
farmers ? I answer, no. But I say they 
would be prepared to become farmers by a 
little practice, they would be in a condition 



92 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



to profit by all they saw and heard and did. 
They would be as good farmers however as 
our sons, who come home with the title of 
M. D., are doctors. Take two young men 
of equal moral intellectual parts, let one of 
them learn all that is taught in the medi- 
cal schools, and the other learn nothing at 
all of medicine — which of the two would 
you trust your life with, it you were obliged 
to choose between them? There 'can be 
but one answer. Would not the same be 
the case between two young men of sim-» 
ilar characters in all respects ; the one j 
taught all that is embraced in the synop- 
sis I have read to you, and the other taught 
nothing of agriculture? Which of these two 
would you take to manage your farm, at the 
same wages ? Which of these two would 
manage his own farm more successfully, 
and which would be the better, the more 
useful, the happier farmer after ten years 
of practise ? I think there can be but one 
answer to these questions. I grant 3'ou 
that ' many would attend the agricultural 
school, and never become farmers even by 
subsequent experience. But so too, many 
without education never become farmers, 
from want of proper moral qualities. Ag- 
ricultural lectures cannot and will not make 
our sons industrious, and honest and faith- 
ful. These and other virtues must be 
learned at home-" gremio ac sinu matris." 
They can be learned no where else. W T hen 
learned then they generally follow a man 
through all his days, make him successful 
in any walk of life, and will make him none 
the less so because he is educated. 

I ought not to dismiss the subject with- 
out noticing one objection to the proposed 
professorship which seems to me to be 
very forcible. It is this. That the Legis- 
lature ought to do the thing, and not im- 
pose it on us — that the State has estab- 
lished the law school and the medical 
schools at the University, and ought to es- 
tablish the agricultural school too. There 
is much force in this view of the matter; 
and if I saw any hope of the Legislature 
doing what it ought to do, I would wait any 
reasonable time. But I have no such 
hope. Every dollar in the State Treasury 
is pressingly needed for other things ; and 
if it were not, I do not believe the Legis- 
lature would give any thing for this pur- 
pose. The University already draws $15,- 
000 from the State annually — and although 
this is less than \ of the money given 



to our Lunatic Asylums, yet there are 
many who think it too much, and would 
b'e disposed to make it less rattier than 
more. Farmers feed the country ; but 
they do not govern it ; we bear the fleece 
but others shear it. If we kept the keys 
of the public fisc into which we annually 
pour so much treasure we would probably 
do many things which will not be done. 
Shall we go again, as we have gone be- 
fore, and beg for this money, in yonder 
capitol, when, if things were as they should 
be, we might command ? ]t does not be- 
come the master to be a beggar at the door 
of his slave. We are rich, let us be inde- 
pendent — we have the means, let us do our 
own work, and ask no favours, least of all 
let us ask them, where farmers have been 
so often repulsed, and will be repulsed 
again as often as they go thither. But 
there is honor to be lost or won in this 
matter. If the Legislature should, in some 
moment of unexpected sanity, give the 
money necessary for this work, whose 
would the glory be, ours or theirs ? Who 
would rise up in after years to do us rev- 
erence and bless our names ? What mon- 
ument can we rear to commemorate the 
noble spirit of liberality which in a single 
night filled our coffers to overflowing, like 
a school of agriculture ? Will any one 
say, "I see no honour in it?" Then I 
know not what honour is. Why is it that 
no citizen of the United States can pro- 
nounce the name of John Smithson irrev- 
erently ? Why is it that if he still lived 
and should enter here, and I would say to 
you, ''There he is — behold ' the man" 
you would all rise up to do him rever- 
ence ? Yet we know that man only in 
one act of munificence — we know him 
only as a stranger, who loved knowledge, 
and gave of his substance to promote its 
diffusion among men. No honour in this 
thing? Then let Jack FalstafF teach us 
honour hereafter. I have heard that there 
are men in Virginia whose annual income 
is more than the sum required to establish 
this Professorship. If it be so, and I were 
of them, night's candles should not burn 
out, before I would give this money my- 
self; and thereby build me a monument 
of glory, against which the storms of time 
might beat in vain. . 

Many plans have been suggested by 
which ourSociety may accelerate the march 
of Agricultural progress with its funds I 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



03 



shall not say a word against one of them — 
hut apply to 'them' in the lines of the Ro- 
man poet — 

" facies non omnibus una, 
"Nee diversa tamen, qualem decefc esse 
sororum." 

All are good, and my heart and hand are 
ready for them all. 

Would that our means were adequate 
to accomplish them all. But they are not 
We must make an election between them 
or do nothing. Do nothing? My friends, 
we have done too much, to do nothing 
now. Even goodness pines and dies if it 
do nothing. Remember the nursery 
lesson : 

V Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands 
to do." 

'Tis true of children ; and just as true 
of men. We have scented the sulphur of 
the old fiend already in former meetings. 
Men cannot come together for good, that 
the devil does not set them by the ears 
for evil. Agricultural Societies have no 
perpetual lease of life. Their history 
shows them to be shortlived — like many 
other children of enthusiasm. We know 
not that ours will be an exception. We 
must appropriate our money ourselves, or 
let others appropriate for us. In twenty 
years it will all be gone for something. 
Shall we who gave it, when our hearts 
were full, say — what it shall go for — or 
learn others to decide when we have 
passed away? Allow me to remind you 
that " a good farmer attends to his own 
business." God grant, that you may de- 
cide aright. But decide as you may, I go 
with you and stick to you, while you work 
in the noble cause of Agricultural im- 
provement. 



MEXICAN GUANO. 
Many of our readers will remember that this 
is the name of a substance which, a few years 
since, was imported into this country from some 
islands in the Gulf- of Mexico, in considerable 
quantities. The traffic was engaged in by a 
compp.ny, the members of which resided in 
New York and Boston. A pamphlet was got 
out under their auspices, setting forth, in an 
exaggerated .manner, the valuable properties 
of the article. This document was recom- 
mended to the public by some (so-called) agri- 
cultural papers, as an " interesting work." The 
most strenuous efforts were made to make far- 
mers believe that this Mexican guano was the 
cheapest manure they could use. Dr. A. A. 
Hays came before a meetino- of farmers at the 



State House, and extolled it as superior to 
Peruvian guano, — saying he had "no confi- 
dence" in the mammal value of the ammonia 
of the latter. Subsequently, the Mexican 
article is said to have been used as the basis of 
the noted " Chilian Guano," manufactured near 
Newark, New Jersey. The- Mexican was re- 
tailed in this city at "$30 to $40 per ton. We 
have in many instances requested farmers who 
have bought it, to inform us in regard to its 
operation. Their statements have in no case 
shown that it has proved a profitable article, 
and in a majority of cases, no visible effect has 
been produced from it. 

It is probable, however, that Mexican guano 
has some value, as manure, and to show what 
this value is, we refer to a comparative esti- 
mate made by Prof. Nesbit; the Principal of 
the Agricultural and Chemical College, Ken- 
nington, near London. In a lecture lately de- 
livered by this gentleman, he stated, as the 
result of careful investigations which he had 
made, that Peruvian guano might be put down 
at £13 12s. ($08) per ton ; Bolivian guano, £7 
19s. ($3975) per ton ; a good sample of super- 
phosphate of lime, £6 18s. ($34 50) per ton; 
" a substance lately introduced into commerce, 
called 'Mexican guano/" £2 9s. ($12 25) per 
ton. 

The value here *puk on Peruvian guano is 
somewhat more than the market price of the 
article in this country, but the comparative 
value of the articles named is not affected by 
this estimate. It will be seen that the value of 
Mexican guano is less than one-ffth that of 
Peruvian. • And yet this value of the Mexican 
is said by Prof. N. to be "practically lessened 
by the large quantity of carbonate of lime con- 
tained in the sample." It has therefore been 
sold in this country for more than thrice its 
real worth, and in England at a still higher 
rate— £8 to £9 ($40 to 45) per ton. 

Prof. Nesbit gives the following table as com- 
prising the nearest approximate value of the 
several manuring matters in the articles above 
mentioned : 

Multipliers of Value. 
Nitrogen - - £70 ($370) per ton. 

Ammonia - - - GO (300) " 
Phosphate of lime- - 8 (40) 

Phosphate of lime made 

soluble - - - 24 (120) " 
Organic matter - - 1 (5) " 

Alkaline salts - 1 (5) 

Sulphate of lime (gypsum) 1 (5) " 
Silica - No value. 

Carbon of lime - - No value. 

The following rule is adapted by Prof. N. in 
calculating the value of manures : 

"Consider the analysis to represent the com- 
ponents of one hundred tons. Multiply the 
respective amounts of each ingredient by the 
price per ton in the preceding table, add up 
the several products, and the sum will repre- 
sent the value of one hundred tons. Divide 



94 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



this amount by one hundred, and the quotient 
will be the price per ton. The decimals in the 
analysis below 0.5 may be disregarded, and 
those above that amount reckoned as an ad- 
ditional unit." — Boston Cultivator. 



horses on the coo meal alone or making fuel of 
the cob, I should send them to the kitchen fire. 
So thinks your friend, Clod Thumper. 



From the Cotton Planter and Soil. 
CORN AND COB MEAL AS A FOOD FOR 

STOCK. 

Dr. Cloud — Dear Sir: In the last number 
of the Cotton Planter, (November,) I noticed 
an article on corn cobs, taken from the Western 
Agriculturist, with comments on it by the 
" Ohio Cultivator/ 7 and the " Farmer and Me- 
chanic." A word on this subject if you please. 

Dr. Jackson's analysis of the corn cob gave 
a true or false result. Judging from his char- 
acter and qualifications as a chemist, it is fair 
to presume it gave a true result. Now, although 
I have not the most implicit faith in all the con- 
clusions of scientific experimenters, it would 
seem unreasonable to doubt the correctness of 
a fact like this. If chemistry can do any 
thing, it surely can resolve substances into 
their constituent elements : and if in doing this, 
Dr. Jackson found in a hundred parts of the 
corn cob only four and a half of nutritious 
matter, I can see no reason why we should 
doubt the conclusion drawn from this fact by 
the "Western Agriculturist," that "it is of j 
scarcely more value to consume as food than as 
fuel." ( 

I think, Mr. Editor, there is some misappre- 
hension in regard to the value of the corn cob 
as food for live stock; and as I have a very 
small modicum of experience on the subject, I 
ask leave to give it to your readers for what it 
is worth. First, the fact, and second, the in- 
ference. 

A few years back being very short of corn, I 
determined to economise in the fattening of my 
pork by having my corn ground in the ear, and 
then feeding it in the form of swill. The ears 
were first mashed or crushed in a common 
plaister mill, and then run" through a corn mill 
and ground as fine as meal is usually made. 
My hogs did not fatten kindly. Indeed, I 
finally believe the same amount of corn thrown 
to them in the ear would have made better 
pork. The excrement which passed from them 
had exactly the appearance of the meal of the 
cob, undigested. So much for the fact — and 
now for the inference. I do not believe that 
corn cobs will fatten hogs, whatever they may 
do to some other kinds of stock. In hog feed- 
ing, I regard them as a positive injury. On 
this subject I draw the following conclusion. 
That class of animals which from their inter- 
nal organization requires a great deal of that 
kind of food, familiarly termed by farmers, 
o-oiif/hness — such as corn blades, husks, straw. 
and the like, maybe profitably fed on cob meal, 
provided the corn be ground with it. If I were 
called upon to decide between feeding cows or 



From the Southern Farmer. 
TOBACCO BEDS— QUANTITY OF SEED. 

Messrs. Editors: As the time for sowing 
tobacco seed is at hand, I conclude to say a few 
words about the proper quantity of seed to be 
sown. My reason for this communication is 
that all the directions I have seen on the sub- 
ject, refer to the pipe or spoon; and as they 
are so various in size, I think the directions 
too indefinite. Therefore, say one ounce of 
clean seed, avoirdupois weight, to every hun- 
dred and seventy-five square yards, or in that 
proportion to the contents of the patch is suf- 
ficient. As it seems, modesty requires from 
custom a veil to be thrown over the name of 
the communicator, I sign myself an 

Old Tobacco Maker. 



THE CULTIVATION OF HORSE-RADISH. 

Horse-radish (cochlear iaarmoracia — from co- 
chlear a spoon — the form of the leaves being 
rather hollow) is a valuable plant, and an al- 
most indispensable occupant of the kitchen 
garden. It is but little cultivated in the South, 
and its uses to many modern housewives are 
unknown. The horse-radish delights in a rich, 
deep mould, and regular moisture is conducive 
to its growth. If the soil is poor, the roots will 
never grow to a large size, and although it re- 
vels in moisture, it must never be grown in a 
shady place, or under the drip of trees or 
houses. In such situations, the roots spindle 
too much. Knight, the famous English Horti- 
culturist, recommends leaf mould, or any other 
vegetable substance thoroughly decayed, as 
good manure for this plant. If animal manures 
are used, they should be in a highly decom- 
posed condition, as unfermented manures have 
a tendency to create a large leaf-top, at the ex- 
pense of the root — the portion for which it is 
cultivated, and which it should always be the 
aim of the gardener to expand and improve. 
The first preparation necessary for making a 
horse-radish border, is to thoroughly spade and 
manure the soil to the depth of two or three 
feet. As it never perfects seed — though it fre- 
quently blooms — it must be propagated by sets, 
which are made by cutting the roots into 
lengths of two or three inches. The tops or 
crowns furnish the best slips for propagation, 
soon furnishing roots of fine growth fit for use. 
The sets should have several eyes, as it will 
never vegetate if these are not developed. — 
Knight recommends, in order to procure a sup- 
ply of crowns, to plant a poor spot rather shal- 
low, and by allowing the plants to grow with- 
out extra cultivation, an abundant supply will 
be obtained. In fact, it will become a nursery, 
lasting several years, requiring no other trou- 
ble than to keep the weeds down. This is" 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



95 



about the culture horse-radish usually receives 
in America. 

It may be planted here from November to 
March, or during the whole season in which 
frost falls. The sets should be planted fifteen 
inches apart each way, and the ground should 
be trenched to the extent of two feet — the cut- 
tings being placed along the bottoms of the 
trenches. The earth from one trench should 
be cast upon the trench preceding it, and after 
the bed is finished, the ground should be raked 
over evenly and smoothly, and kept clean of 
weeds, which is all the cultivation this plant 
requires the first year. In April or May, the 
long straight shoots makes their appearance. 
In autumn the dead leaves must be carefully re- 
moved, and the ground raked and hoed over. 



a gutter was formed and cemented at the bot- 
tom, so as to conduct the water to the lowest 
corner into a drain. The space outside of the 
wall was then filled with broken stones, brick- 
bats, &c, and these covered with earth. The 
object was to let the water pass rapidly down 
to the gutter, run round to the drain, and thus 
pass off without entering the cellar. 

The drain was made of earthenware, the first 
joint of which entered the wall, and commu- 
nicated with the inside; the joint just outside 
of the wall was pierced with holes to admit 
the water from the gutter outside, and the 
drain had sufficient descent to prevent the wa- 
ter from backing into the cellar. About six 
inches common gravel was then thrown into 
the bottom of the cellar and graded, so as to 
Repeat this hoeing the next spring, before the I make a gutter all round next to the wall. — 
plants vegetate. In the succeeding autumn, I Clean coarse gravel was procured and mixed 
the same treatment must be pursued; and the with cement, in the proportion of two parts 



roots being now fit for use, may be taken up a 
desired. It is best to have three beds of diffe- 
rent ages ; for, by this rotation of use, one will 
always be lying idle and improving. A good 
plan recommended to take up the roots, is to 
trench along the outside row, down to the bot- 
tom of the upright roots, which are cut off 
above the old stool, and the earth of the next 
row is turned over them, and so on until the 
bed is finished. A bed may, by this treatment, 
be kept up for half a dozen years. But the 
best plan is to take the crop up annually, and 
form a new bed — observing the triennial rota- 
tion necessary to ensure perfectly matured 
roots ; for it causes the roots to be finer, and 
allows the situation to be changed, which is 
necessary in the cultivation of most vegetables. 
To such of our readers as cultivate this vegeta- 
ble, we shall shortly furnish the modes of pre- 
paring it for the purposes of the table. It 
might be made an extremely profitable crop in 
the vicinity of the large cities of the South. — 
Southern Cultivator. 



From the Ohio Valley Farmer. 
DRY CELLARS. 

A dry cellar is conceded to be an important 
requisite to a good house. Health is material- 
ly impaired by a clamp atmosphere, preventing 
a free escape of the insensible perspiration from 
the surface of the body by evaporation. This 
is so well known, that a damp house is prover-. 
bially unhealthy. How shall this be avoided, 
is a desideratum to man}\ To such, I offer the 
details of an effort to make a dry cellar, and 
the result. 

In July 1853, the cellar was dug on a stiff 
clay soil, where it was thought impossible to 
succeed. The clay was thrown out one foot 
wider all round, than the walls were intended 
to be ; the walls were built of stone, laid 
in common mortar, and faced on both sides, so 
that they could be plastered. The outside of 
the walls was then plastered with cement, and 



gravel to one of cement, forming a mortar with 
which the cellar bottom was covered four inches 
thick. . A light coat of cement and sand was 
applied after the first had dried, to make the 
surface smooth. The inside of the walls was 
plastered with common plastering mortar. The 
windows were large, and entirely above ground, 
with wire screens outside, and sash filled with 
glass inside, and hung with hinges at the top, 
which were never closed except in the severest 
weather. 

Results. — A dry cellar, well ventilated ; a 
floor like one solid rock ; no dampness, no 
mouldiness, no freezing, no rats. 

H. J. COX. 

Beer field, Warren County, 0. 



THE BEAUTIFUL IN AGRICULTURE. 

Both the art and the sciences of agriculture 
are sufficiently advanced in the country to ena- 
ble its citizens to study and practice the Beau- 
tiful in planting, and in all farming operations, 
with entire success. Beauty in rural objects 
and scenery is not confined to embellishments, 
but is attainable in all that relates to plants and 
their culture, to domesticated animals, forests, 
parks, fields, orchards and gardens. Nature 
kindly favors, and often suggests agreeable 
features to such as have an eye to see and heart 
to feel the charms of beauty. She aids in a 
thousand ways to quicken into life and activity 
the dormant taste for the Beautiful placed in 
every bosom by a beneficent Creator. To de- 
velop and cultivate this latent and prolific 
source of enjoyment in mankind, is one of the 
highest duties of educated persons. It should 
prompt all to investigate the elements of beau- 
ty in natural objects, and in rural arts, wheth- 
er they relate to the vegetable, animal, or min- 
eral kingdom. Yv ith each of these grand de- 
partments of Nature the cultivator has much 
to do ; and he should learn her processes and 
and laws, from which he will ai length fully 
understand that Beauty and Utility are inte- 



96 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



gral parts of any wise system of farm economy. 

If beauty in a country residence, in farm 
buildings of whatever kind, or in tillage, were 
incompatible with anything that is useful in 
agriculture, or important in household affairs, 
the fact would excuse the general neglect of 
this principle in nature. Bat so far from be- 
ing hostile to the creation of wealth, or to its 
accumulation in the hands of owners of the 
soil, Beauty is one of the most reliable ele- 
ments' of money value in every species of pro- 
perty. In proof of this, we cite the facts that 
a beautiful horse often sells at from three to 
five hundred dollars, where an ugly one of the 
same weight and muscular power will bring 
only a fifth of the sums named. A beautiful 
plantation has equal advantages over one quite 
destitute of pleasing and attractive features. — 
As society advances,'and the popular apprecia- 
tion of lovely and captivating expressions be- 
comes more acute and refined, it is obvious that 
Beauty must appreciate in cash value. Indeed, 
not one in a thousand knows how to turn to 
the most profitable account the intrinsic power 
and the solid merit of the Beautiful in agricul- 
ture. It is not as many suppose, a mere ideal 
matter, having no foundation in things sub- 
stantial and enduring ; but it is a material part 
of that perfect economy which owes its exis- 
tence to the Supreme Architect of the universe. 
Hence, as planters and husbandmen, it is a 
part of our highest wisdom to cultivate that 
faculty within us which happily discriminates 
in the varied fruits of the earth, in its ever dif- 
fering inherent fertilit} 7 , and its wide range of 
really valuable plants and animals. We should 
study to multiply delightful objects and scenes 
around our homes, and improve such as nature 
has scattered with a liberal ha^d over all our 
acres, whether few or many. 

Let us consider what it is that renders land 
beautiful for tillage. 

Consider the first and most obvious want of 
all cultivated ground, and it will be seen that 
j'ruitfulness is the function most needed. It is, 
however, no more necessary to successful agri- 
culture, than expressive of natural beauty. A 
rich soil clothes itself with noble forests, and 
if these be removed, as on extensive prairies, 
with the most luxuriant and nutritious grasses. 
Fruitfulness of the earth being an essential el- 
ement of rural beauty, to impair the fertility 
of land is not merely to diminish its money 
value for the growth of crops, but to transform 
a landscaoe that once inspired universal hope, 
confidence, pleasure and industry, into a bar- 
ren waste, whieh, when fairh r tilled, promises 
little reward to honest toil, and actually yields 
less than it' promises. 

Under such circumstances, it is fortunate 
that Sconce teaches as how we can best change 
a sterile field, or an impoverished estate, into 
one distinguished alike for its elegance and 
productiveness. Science also tells us that it is 
easier and better to preserve the natural re- 



sources of land than to restore them when re- 
moved in crops, or washed away by many heavy 
rains falling on shallow ploughed fields. To 
avoid loss in this particular, it is important to 
know the precise things in the soil that form 
agricultural plants, and how these things are 
both lessened and augmented in all farming 
operations. W th this professional knowledge 
the cultivator may profitably increase the beau- 
ty and value of every rood of land on his plan- 
tation. 

Having a critical knowledge of the constitu- ' 
ents of soils and their products, how is one to 
make a truly beautiful landed estate? 

This depends mainly on the circumstances • 
with which he is surruunded. He should ex- 
amine these with the utmost care, with a view 
to learn what is practicable, not in itself, but 
to a man of his means, acquirements, family 
ties and duties, and powers of execution. Farm 
buildings and fences of some kinds are indis- 
pensable : and in their construct on and ar- 
rangement his taste and skill will inevitably be 
revealed to his neighbors and the public. A 
cultivated taste may be seen as well in the 
erection of a log cottage as in that of the most 
costly mansion. Nature displays the Beautiful 
not only in the lowly and humble violet, but in 
plants and animals too small to be seen by the 
naked eye. Wisdom in the designer may be 
shown as effectively in the arrangement and 
structure of little things as in large ones. — 
Dwelling-house architecture, whether in cities, 
villages, or strictly country residences, is sus- 
ceptible of great improvement, judging from 
the habitations of the million. These rarely 
possess either convenience or beaut}', or any 
other merit to recommend them. Even in 
cheapness, they fail as much as in other re- 
spe ts. The amount of money thrown away 
by the rich, and those who would fain pass as 
such, on expensive buildings, shows how little 
our taste in such matters have been improved 
over that of savages. Fortunes are often 
squandered in a few years on- misshapen pala- 
ces and villas — poor imitations of European 
aristocracy — in this country. Some less extra- 
vagant in outlay are more, outre in architectu- 
ral folly, adding to the residence of a private 
family by way of ornament, what would ap- 
pear to be massive columns, but which arc ge- 
nerally made of wood, in the ridiculous ambi- 
tion of appearing to live in something like a 
Grecian temple. In costly public edifices, col- 
umns are appropriate, to aid in supporting the 
great (freight of marine, granite, or other struc- 
ture; but nothing is more like an eagle's fea- 
ther stuck into the matted hair of a savage, 
than the frail plank pillars or columns, painted 
white, so ostentatiously stuck out in f out or at 
the sides of a dwelling-house. A worse taste 
can hardly be imagined. Simplicity, neatness 
and quietness ever indicate conten;mcnt, grati- 
tude to (} A, and the promise of a long happy 
life. Whereas, the straining for effect always 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



97 



suggests unfavorable thoughts, and not unfre- 
quenfcly provokes remarks expressive of con- 
tempt rather than of admiration. 

Whatever contributes to the comfort of a 
family at a rural home, adds to its beauty, if 
properly placed and constructed. Thus, a well 
arranged kitchen, with a wood-house, cement 
cistern for holding rain water, and many other 
conveniences, are not only matters of interest, 
but really increase the attractiveness of a fami- 
ly residence. It is the judicious planning, 
combination and management of all the affairs, 
both in doors and out, on a farm, that make the 
farmer's life happier than that of most other 
men engaged in different pursuits. He has the 
constant assistance of those wonderful powers 
known as vegetable and animal vitality, to 
multiply his agricultural wealth and beau- 
tify his plantation. Groves of forest trees, or- 
chards of fruit trees, as well as all the benefits 
of the garden, are at his command. Parks, 
lawns,( and pleasure grounds he and his chil- 
dren may indulge in, if their tastes appreciate 
and enjoy such improvements ; and it is better 
to cultivate a taste iu this direction, than that 
which seeks amusement by visiting distant wa- 
tering places and the gaieties of cities. To the 
owner and cultivator of the soil, home should 
be the most agreeable place on earth. There his 
best thoughts and efforts, his money and his 
ambition, should find full employment. Ab- 
senteeism is fatal to the Beautiful in Agricul-. 
ture. A farmer should not only stay, as a ge- 
neral rule, on his farm, but lion there, in the 
best sense of the term. This idea does not 
conflict with a reasonable amount of travel, 
either for recreation, or to obtain additional 
knowledge. Good books are now so cheap and 
abundant, that a library composed, in a large 
degree, of works on agricultural and horticul- 
tural subjects, is found to yield both amusement 
and instruction on both on better terms, and 
of a better quality than the planter can obtain 
from any other source. It is quite as easy to 
acquire a taste for agricultural reading, as for to- 
bacco, tea and coffee. Man is a creature of 
habit; and the best way to avoid bad habits in 
our children, is to fix early in their constitu- 
tions, pure tastes ; the gratification of which 
will ennoble, not degrade them. To cultivate 
the Beautiful in rural life has an elevating in- 
fluence on society, and thereby prevents vice 
and crime, poverty and suffering. 

Nature being the source of Beauty, we are 
to study her admirable processes as they are 
made known in the Natural Sciences. Chem- 
istry, Botany, Geology, Vegetable and Animal 
Physiology, reveal to the human understanding 
a thousand charms in the perfect harmony that 
pervades every form and condition of matter, 
and thus perpetuates all the beauties and bless- 
ings which call into activity both the gratitude 
and the reasons of man. The powers within 
him, and the elements that surround him,, act 
in concert to force his growth in morality and 

7 



knowle Ige, that he may become in each suc- 
ceeding generation at once a happier and a wiser 
being. In connection with our moral and in- 
tellectual development, so natural and so de- 
sirable, a higher degree of social and physical 
comfort is clearly both attainable and suscepti- 
ble of full enjoyment. 'It is not every person, 
in whatever condition he may chance to be, in 
reference to culture, who is capable of appre- 
ciating either the Beautiful in Agriculture or 
in Nature. Hence, in all nations just emerg- 
ing from barbarism, husbandry, tillage, archi- 
tecture, and all other arts, are prosecuted in 
the rudest manner. Some rise more rapidly 
than others in every attainment, but time is 
necessary to the growth of every art and the 
perfection of,- every science. 

It is humiliating to our pride as a free, self- 
governing people, to know that in ancient 
Greece the beautiful in agriculture and archi- 
tecture was far in advance of our highest 
achievements. A thousand years before the 
birth of our Saviour, Homer describes, in the 
fifth book of the Odysse} r , a landscape in which 
four fountains of white (foaming) water, each 
springing in succession, in perfect orderliness 
sends the life of vegetation through a meadow 
in different directions. At that early period, 
agriculture was sufficiently advanced to have 
irrigation and meadows properly appreciated 
by the most civilized nations. We wish we 
could say as much for the agriculture of our 
own sunny South. But all must admit, that, 
with us, neither irrigation nor meadows are re- 
garded as worthy of public attention. It is 
true, we know the value of hay, and consume 
many a bale from the North, for which we pay 
at least twice what it is intrinsically worth. 

Who needs to be told that luxuriant mea- 
dows, pastures, and fine stock, add largely to 
the beauty, interest, and value of a plantation. 
Irrigated meadows and pastures are an inex- 
haustible source of manure for enriching the 
tilled lands on a farm. Where nature periodi- 
cally irrigates river bottoms, the plough never 
exhausts the soil. Running water being na- 
ture's grand restorer in tillage and cropping, 
why not use it to rejuvenate our old fields, and 
thus render them at once both attractive and 
profitable? None of them are so elevated that 
water does not fall from above them, and run 
off their surfaces. Properly considered, all the 
moving water on continents is rain water. It 
creates, as well as transports from one place to 
another, the fertility of proper!}" irrigated lauds. 
The fertilizing influence of water, when judi- 
ciously applied to the earth, is well known. It 
is, therefore, in skilful hands, an invaluable el- 
ement of fruitfulness and beauty. More know- 
ledge and higher art will one day use water in 
this country as successfully in agriculture as 
was ever done in Greece, Italy or Egypt. 

Next to irrigation, we regard the planting of 
the seeds of all the more valuable forest trees 
and fruit, trees that will grow* and prosper in 



98 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



our climate as the most commendable practice, ' doing, his land and all its products will he the 

best of their kind, assuming good common 
sense in the primary selection, fences, build- 
ings, and farm implements should be made of 
the most durable materials, that everything 
may indicate the settled purpose of the owner 
to have such an estate as will support a family 
in affluence in all time to come. Permanency 
of occupation, and durability of improvements 
are material elements of agricultural beauty. 

A witty Englishman has remarked that in * 
travelling through the United States, most of^ 
the houses appear to have been put up Satur- 
day evening, with the expectation that they 
were to be taken down Monday morning. Much 
of our farm improvements are of the same 
frail and ephemeral character. We must learn 
to do our work better, or we shall greatly dam- 
age the State in which we live, by increasing 



with a view to promote the Beautiful in Agri 
culture. Land is now cheap, and there is a 
certainty, as population increases, that the de- 
mand for lumber, and timber, for fruits of all 
kinds, and for fuel, will increase in an equal, 
if not greater ratio. By skilful planting, one 
may unite beauty and profit in an eminent de- 
gree. Black Walnut plank are now worth, in 
all Northern cities, from four to seven dollars 
per 100 feet. With due care, the tree grows 
rapidly, and its fruit possesses considerable 
value. A forest of this and other well known 
trees would add an interesting feature to any 
plantation, while the expense of it would be a 
mere trifle. There is genuine poetry in trees — 
in their beautiful foliage, their charming blos- 
soms, their delicious fruits, their cool and sooth- 
ing shade, their stately trunks, waiving tops 
and graceful outlines, and all speak to the eye 
and soul of man in a language not to be, mis- 
understood. It was in the light and shade of 
groves that man first erected his most elabo- 
rate temples, and there his ascending devotions 
sought communion with the Creator of all. — 
No wonder that groves were often held as sa- 
cred to God, and still oftener made scats of 
learning — the chosen schools Avhere sages 
taught, and thousands studied the profound 
mysteries of the universe. If the history of 
our race shows anyt ing good in man, it may 
be stated, to his credit, that noble trees, of 
whatever kind, inspire something akin to piety 
in his heart arid in his thoughts. Call this, if 

you please, an oriental feeling: it has been too i , 

general and too long continued, not to have an ( g^LT Qj\ T THE ] ANAWHA 
abiding place in the human soul 



its old fields, and perhaps provoke the curses of 
our own posterity. To injure the soil over 
millions of acres is a wrong of fearful magni- 
tude. Would to God that we could see some 
evidence that the evil will be any less during 
the life-time of the writer. The error is too 
old and deep-rooted for that. For a little im- 
mediate gain in cotton or grain, our natural 
and valuable forests, the soil, ami the best in- 
terests of -society are all sacrificed ; as if to 
desolate the earth were man's highest profit and 
greatest good ! Who will try to remedy this 
obvious social disease and foster the study of 
the Beautiful in Agriculture. L. 

[Southern Cultivator. 



an 

It is the crowning beauty of a farm or plan- 
tation, to express, in its every feature, both 
tranquility and happiness. Disquietude and 
pain will sometimes come to the best men; but 
their continuance should be as short as possi- 
ble. It is monstrous to suppose that our nerves 
are made sensitive that they may feel more suf- 
fering than pleasure during our existence. — 
Pain and distortions are exceptions : enjoyment 
and beauty are the true, the natural status of 
all sentient beings. When healthy, and prop- 
erly feci, the young of all animals are beauti- 
ful and happy. Such is the law of nature and 
hence good husbandmen improve their flocks 
and herds in symmetry of form, in elegance 
and elasticity or movement, by simply having 
them always in the enjoyment of suitable food 
and shelter. These expel deformity in a few 
generations, and develop nature's highest beau- 
ties. The same principle applies to the feed 
ing and care of agricultural plants. Starve 
and wither them by ill usage and your seed 
will soon degenerate, your crops fail, and your 
success' in planting be no better than your 
practice. Nature's beauties, whether in plants 
or animals, are fed liberally: and in this re 



RIVER. 

The editor of the Charlottesville Jeffer- 
s'onian, having been on a recent trip among 
the Kanawha salt mills and coal mines, 
obtained the following facts 
them, which he gives to the public : 

We have made* some inquiries into the 
statistics of the salt and coal business of 
Kanawha and will give our readers a mere 
outline of the facts. There are in the Ka- 
nawha Valley, commencing about five 
miles above Charleston, and extending 
some twenty miles up the river, some 
eighty or a hundred salt wells. The quan- 
tity of salt annually^made is about two 
millions and a quarter of bushels. The 
salt business is and has been for some 
years under the control of a joint stock 
company. This company, ftr the purpose 
of limiting the supply of salt and in order 
to prevent ruinous competition in the sales 
of salt, have rented many wells which 
they throw idle, and have contracted to 
purchase the salt made by individual en- 



gard she teaches the cultivator to feed gene- 1 terpriafc at a fixed price, 16 cents a hush- 
rou-ly his soil, his crops and his stock. By so' el. The same company is generally the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



00 



purchaser of all salt manufactured near 
Pomeroy, Ohio. For all purposes connected 
with the curing of bacon and b(>ef, the 
Kanawha is worth vastly more than any 
salt in our markets. The salt of New 
York wells is a strong; competitor in the 
Western markets. Vast quantities of 
money have been made in the business in 
this county ; but, owing to the great fluc- 
tuations of the'market, the hazards of nav- 
igation, and the cost of operation, very 
few have left the business in as prosperous 
condition as they entered. 

The coal wealth of Kanawha is beyond 
i all computation. In extent of mines, in 
variet}^ of kinds, and in favorable loca- 
tions for mining aryi transportation, there 
are no coal mines in the Union equal to 
them. The coal fields are principally 
owmed by wealthy New York and English 
companies who are willing to expend vast 
sums of money in developing their re- 
sources. The best specimens of Cannel 
and bituminous coal are to be found upon 
Coal and Elk rivers. Knowing the deep 
interests which these coal companies — 
some 16 or 20 in number, have in this sec- 
tion, one is not therefore surprised to meet 
on the streets of Charleston or on the 
banks of the Kanawha the many intelli- 
gent and fine looking men from New York 
and England whom we have met with du- 
ring our stay here. The salaries paid the 
agents of these companies average abou^ 
$6,000 per annum, thus securing tiie best 
geological and raining talent for the con- 
trol of the affairs of the respective com- 
panies. The best of coal is delivered in 
Charleston at 5 cents the bushel. 

At Stockton's mines of Cannel coal — *a 
Welsh corruption of candle, so called be- 
cause a fire made of this coal is so bright 
as to do away with the necessity for can- 
dles—about 20 miles above Charleston, 
operations have been commenced for the 
erection of a large factory for the conver- 
sion of this coal into oil and the residuum 
into candles. A ton of coal will make 40 
gallons of oil at a cost of 16 cents the gal- 
lon. The residuum, after making the oil, 
is made into a beautiful candle of the color 
of clear wax. The oil thus made is very 
far superior in brilliancy and other quali- 
ties to any material every yet used, for 
lights. 



HEREDITARY INFLUENCE. 

An article in a late Westminster Review 
contains some facts and opinions of" inter- 
est to the farmer in general, and to the 
breeder especially. As the entire article 
is beyond the limits of the Rural, we re- 
write and condense it. Of course we 
must abandon, in a great measure, the 
language of the writer ; the ideas, how- 
ever, we have endeavored faithfully to 
preserve. % 

That parents transmit to their offspring 
their own physical and mental traits, is a 
fundamental and very obvious law of Na- 
ture. Otherwise the utmost confusion 
would prevail in the animal creation. If 
like did not beget like, all classification of 
animals would be impossible. The ele- 
phant might be the parent of a mouse — 
the eagle of a butterfly. Every fact open 
to our observation shows the universal ap- 
plication of this law. 

Again, nothing is more obvious than 
that offspring, frequently, in many partic- 
ulars, do not resemble their parents. From 
this circumstance arises those slight diffe- 
rences which we see in families, as also 
those greater which we may designate as 
deformities, monsters, &c. 'This is true 
of mental and moral as of physical traits. 
It is not very common to notice a super- 
fluity of parts — six legs where the kind 
have but four, two heads instead of one. 
In the same family we observe striking 
differences in stature, aspect and disposi- 
tion. Brothers under the same influences 
will differ as much from each other as they 
will from any man the}'- may meet in the 
street. Even in the case of twins this di- 
versity is strongly marked. The twins 
Rita and Christina, who were so fused 
together as to have but two legs with two 
heads and four arms, were quite unlike in 
disposition. 

While, then, we admit the law of con- 
stancy of transmission, we must also admit 
a modifying law of variation. It has been 
attempted to explain this by stating that it 
is the species only, and not the individual 
that is reproduced. But to this there is 
one fatal objection, namety, species can- 
not reproduce itself, for species does not 
exist. It is an abstract idea and not a 
concrete fact. It is a fiction of the under- 
standing and not an object existing in Na- 
ture. Nature knows only individuals. To 
a group of individuals closely resembling 



100 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



each other we, for convenience, apply the 
term species. 

A survey of facts conclusively demon- 
strates that the individual and the peculi- 
arities of the individual, and not those of 
an abstract type, are transmitted. This 
has been observed in the human race ; and 
every breeder has seen repeated instances 
of the fact among the lower animals. Ev- 
ery breeder knows that the colors of pa- 
rents are inherited— that tr^eir spots are 
repeated. Chambon lays it down as a 
principle, derived from experience, that 
by choosing parents you can produce any 
spots you please. 

But another and an important bearing of 
this subject is found in the fact that, at 
times, accidents also become hereditary. 
A superb stallion, son of Le Glorieux, who 
came from the Pompadour stables, became 
blind from disease. All of his children 
became blind before they were three years 
old. Horses marked, during successive 
generations, with a hot iron in the same 
place, have transmitted the visible traces 
of such marks to their colts. Instances 
may be multiplied to show conclusively 
that accidental defects maybe transmitted. 
The general law, however, is that they are 
not so transmitted. 

Longevity is an individual peculiarity 
and as such may be inherited. So it is 
seen that longliving runs in families. This 
point is illustrated, in the Review, by nu- 
merous instances quoted from M. Charles 
Lejoncourt's Galerie des Centenaires, 
published in 1842. 

Mental or moral peculiarities, and ac- 
quired habits are in like manner inheri- 
ted. Girou relates the case of a sporting 
dog, taken young from its father and 
mother, who was singularly obstinate and 
exhibited the greatest terror at every ex- 
plosion of the gun, which always excites 
the ardor of its species. It was ascer- 
tained that the father of this pup had ex- 
hibited the same trait. It is well known 
that the vicious disposition of horses, dogs, 
&c, is often transmitted. 

The inevitable conclusion, says the Re- 
viewer, is that parents transmit their indi- 
vidual peculiarities of form, color, longev- 
ity, idiosyncrasy, &c, to their offspring ; 
and that they do (his not as reproducing 
the species, but as reproducing their own 
individual organization. 

In all the higher classes of animals two 



parents, a male and a female, reproduce 
themselves in their offspring. The ques- 
tion then arises, What is the influence of 
each upon such offspring. Each sex has, 
by different writers been considered most I 
influential. Again— it has been stated 
that certain portions of the young have 
been supposed to arise from each parent. 
Upon the first point Gen. Daumas has 
recently published the result of his long 
experience with Arab horses, arguing that, 
according to the testimony of the Arr.bs, 
the stallion was the most valuable for 
breeding purposes. In reply, the Inspec- 
teur des Haras* who had traversed Asia for 
the express purpose of Collecting evidence 
on the subject, published his diametrically 
opposite conclusion — that it was the mare 
whose influence predominated in the foal. 
Gen. Daumas replied, and cited a letter 
addressed to him by Abdel Kader, in 
which it is said — " the experience of cen- 
turies has established that the essential 
parts of the organization, such as the 
bones, the tendons, the nerves, and the 
veins, aie always from the stallion ;" and 
again, "the principal qualities are from 
the stallion." 

Vicq-d-Azir, speaking of the mule, 
sa y S : — "It seems as if the exterior and 
the extremities were modified by the fath- 
er, and that the viscera emanate from the 
mother." Mr. Orton, in his lectures, 
" On the Phisiology of Breeding " says 
"the male gives the external configura- 
tion, in other words the locomotive organs, 
while the female gives the internal, that is 
the vital organs." This may be scientifi- 
cally stated— "the male gives the animal 
system, the female the organic or vegeta- 
tive." As proof of this theory, Mr. Or- 
ton cites the well known instance of the 

mule " a modified ass — ears, mane, tail, 

skin, color, legs and hoofs like the ass ; 
the body or barrel round and full resem- 
bling the mare." Whereas the product 
of the stallion with the female ass is in 
the same particulars a modified ho>se, 
"The mule," says Mr. Orton, ,' brays 
the hinny neighs." 

But these results may be accounted for 
on another principle, that of " potency of 



Both are modified forms of the 
ass in each of which the structure and i 



* Inspector or Superintendent of a Stud of 
horses. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



101 



disposition of the ass predominates, and 1 
does so in virtue of that " potency of 
race/' which belongs to the ass — a poten- 
cy which is less effective on the ninny, 
because the superior vigor of the stallion 
modifies it. Buffon states that the pro- 
duce of a dog and a she-wolf sometimes 
bark and sometimes howl. In the human 
family we know that a magnificent voice 
is as often inherited from the mother as 
the father. Orton, again, states that the 
cross between the Cochin China cock and 
common hens invariably lay white eggs. 
He also states that Bakewell, of Dishley, 
would sell or let his best rams — his best 
ewes were sacred. These he would nei- 
ther sell nor let. 

On the other hand Girou states that 
" farmers are more particular about the 
bull than about the cow when they want a 
good milking cow, for it is observed that 
the property of abundant secretion of 
milk is more certain to be transmitted 
from a bull than from a cow." It cannot 
be doubted that the bull does transmit his 
qualities to his descendants. Neither can 
it be denied that the female does the same. 
And it may well be questioned whether, 
as regards the secretion of milk, the influ 
ence of the cow is not as great as that of 
the bull. It may truly be said that, " if 
the organization of the male was the only 
one that passed to the child, the child 
would resemble the father, as the fruit of 
a graft resemble the trefc. from which the 
graft was taken, and not at all the tree on 
which it was grafted." 

There are several perturbing causes 
which prevent the perfect transmission of 
the qualities of the immediate individual 
parent. The first of these is the influence 
of one gestation of the female upon sub- 
sequent ones — illustrated by the case men- 
tioned by Sir Everard Home of the mare 
that had a mule by a Quagga in 1816, and 
who produced in 1817, 1818 and 1823, 
foals marked by the curious Quagga marks, 
although she had not seen the Quagga 
after 1816. Other similar cases are cited. 

A second perturbing cause is atavism, or 
the influence of ancestry. It is well 
known that family peculiarities of color, 
deformities, &c, may skip a generation 
and re-appear in the second. 

A third cause is what is called the "po- 
tency of race or individual." This influ- 
ence has often been obvious in the history 
of the human race. Among animals it 



has often been sufficient to destroy all the 
calculations of the breeder. Girou at- 
tempted crosses of the Merino with both 
the Roussillon and the Aveyron sheep du- 
ring twenty-five years. The Aveyron was 
soon lost in the Merino ; but, at the end 
of that time, the Roussillon was found to 
show itself distinctly. What is true of 
races is also true of individuals. It is the 
stronger individual whether male of fe- 
male — the stronger family — the stronger 
race, that exerts most powerfully a modi- 
fying influence on the offspring. 

Certain general facts are arrived at, 
which are thus summed up by the Re- 
viewer : 

1. Heritage is constant; it is a law of 
organized beings that the organization of 
parents should be transmitted to their off- 
spring. 

2. The offspring directly represents both 
parents, and indirectly it represents its an- 
cestors. 

3. The offspring never represents its 
parents with absolute equality, although it 
represents them in every organ. Some- 
times one parent predominates in one 
system, sometimes in another, and some- 
times in all. 

4. The causes of this predominance are 
various, some being connected with " po- 
tency of race," or individual superiority 
in age, vigor, &c. ; others being in the 
present state of our knowledge, not fecog- 
nizable. 



A REMARKABLE HORSE. 

One of the most remarkable roadsters, 
of which we have any knowledge, died 
recently in this city. He was a compact 
built, showy horse, of medium size, with 
a proud bearing, and an eye whose fire 
was as unquenchable as his spirit. He 
was a dark bay approaching to chestnut 
in color, with white feet, clean limbs, and 
a muscular development, that, to a prac- 
tical eye, told at once the merits of the 
animal. He was one of those horses, 
which, in their best days would attract 
attention amid a crowd of other animals, 
especially when in action under the har- 
ness, a fair traveler, but not the fastest 
on a short heat, his endurence was be- 
yond all precedent so far as we know in 
the history of horseflesh on this conti- 
nent. 

We gather the principal facts in the 
biography of this animal, from an article 



102 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



published in the Daily American of this 
city, in the year 1854, and re-published 
by request a few days since, on the event 
of the death of this general favorite of 
the sporting community, and from con- 
sultation with several gentlemen well ac- 
quainted with the horse. " Dandy" (for 
that was his name) was raised in the 
town of Greece, in this county, by Harry 
Olmstead, and was put into a livery stable 
for the first time, in the year 1835, at 
seven years of age, and continued in that 
service for a period of twenty-one years, 
almost without the loss of a day. He 
was never sick, never disabled, and al- 
ways ready on the spur of the moment, 
to undertake any service in the line of 
his duty as a roadster. The endurance 
of this horse was incredible lo those not 
acquainted with his powers. He has been 
driven seventy-five miles, time and time 
again, between breakfast and tea, and at 
one time, several years since, he was 
driven, by one of our millers, sixty-eight 
miles a day for five days in succession. 

During the whole period of his service 
he was never at grass, for the reason that 
having been stabled so long he lost all 
relish for it; and on more than one occa- 
sion when turned loose in a field, he leap- 
ed the fence and reached home before 
the person who took him out could return 
himself to the city. Dandy has been 
owned and used in harness successively 
by Mr. Christopher, Geo. Waldbridge, 
and Geo. Charles ; and was in the pos- 
session of the latter gentleman when he 
died. It is stated that this horse earned 
for his several owners during the twenty- 
one years he was in their service, no less 
a sum than ten thousand dollars ! 

It may be said of him, what is figu- 
ratively sometimes said of men, that he 
died in the harness, for, up to the last week 
of his life, he has been driven on the 
road. During two or three of the last 
days, he had been sick, and, on the morn- 
ing of his death, was laying down unfas- 
tened in his stall; hearing some noise, 
or from some other cause, he got up. 
walked to the office which opens into the 
stable, thrust his head into the door, and 
took a survey of the inside ; he then 
went back to his stall, pawed the straw 
with his feet, laid down and died. The 
stable-keepers say they would have given! 
Dandy an honorable burial, only that the ; 
ground was so frozen and covered with 



snow as to render it out of the question ; 
so the brave old roadster's remains went 
the way of all horse flesh, that is to say, 
he was drawn off into an open field, and 
left to the dogs and crows. He would 
have been twenty-eight years old in the 
spring. 

[t is a matter of regret that an animal 
of such remarkable powers of endurance 
could not have; been preserved as a stal- 
lion ; but it occurred in his case, as it 
does in many others, that his rare quali- 
ties were undeveloped or at least un- 
known until after he had been gelded. 
In the case of mares, we are protected 
from this misfortune, and, when an ani- 
mal proves herself remarkable, she can 
be set aside as a breeder; but in the case 
of the horse, the matter is past remedy. 
We have then only an individual of rare 
qualities, but one deprived of the power 
of reproduction. 

One thing, however, still remains in 
our power, and that is this : the parents 
and kin of such a horse should be dili- 
gently sought out, and if any of them 
possess the qualities for which the indi- 
vidual is noted, care should be taken to 
have them perpetuated. Family resem- 
blances and characteristics pervade the 
lower classes of animals as well as' the 
human species ; and every one knows 
how decisive these are here. An observ- 
ant stranger will frequently be able to 
pick out brothers and sisters in a crowd 
from similarity of#form and feature. We 
ourselves remember an instance of two 
brothers, who had been absent from home 
several years, one at the East and the 
other at the West. On returning simul- 
taneously, they were several times mista- 
ken, each for the other, by their own 
townsmen and former acquaintances. 

So it is with the horse, the ox, the 
sheep, and, in fact, all animals. Our dai- 
ry women will bear us witness to the in- 
terest they feel in the progeny of a favor- 
ite cow, and the traits they so often see 
in such instances re-developed. If old 
" Dandy's" family were still in existence, 
we might reasonably expect to find in 
them, more or less developed, his remark- 
able traits. — Wool Grower. 



The Working Man, an excellent agricultural 
paper, published in Indianapolis, Ind. ; states 
that the crop of clover seed in that vicinity was 
a complete failure last year, the grasshoppers 
having destroyed what little the drought loft. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



103 



CROSSES OF THE MERINO. 

Mr. Editor;— I have been taking your 
journal for some time, and expect to con- 
tinue it as long as its contents are of the 
most useful kind to all classes of farmers 
— in particular to wool-growers. Please 
let me know your advice upon pure-bred 
Spanish Merino bucks upon Saxony ewes. 
Is it a good cross, or would you advise it 
in preference to Silesian bucks? 

A Young Wool-grower, 

Columbiana Co., 0. 

February, 1856. 

Remarks. — I have always contended 
that the Merino sheep is a distinct spe- 
cies, and that it has existed for more than 
two thousand years, as a fme-wooled 
sfieep, possessing certain distinct charac- 
teristics which do not exist in any other 
breed, and cannot be transmitted to 
any other by any length of breeding 
which is like to be followed in this or any 
other country. Attempts have been made 
at different periods, and in various coun- 
tries, to improve native flocks by an infu- 
sion of the Merino blood, but there is no 
record to show that there has ever been 
a permanent and valuable improvement 
made. On the contrary, the result of all 
such attempts has been disappointment. 
And any man who has well and carefully 
studied the habits and characters of Ihe 
Merino and its history, cannot well be de 7 
ceived ill the sheep when shown to him. 

Incalculable mischief has been done in 
this country by an attempt to improve 
Merinos by crossing with other breeds. 
The mischief will be more apparent years 
hence than now. And the time will come 
when the few who are now breasting the 
popular delusion and keeping their flocks 
pure and uncontaminated, will reap a rich 
reward, not only in the sale of their 
sheep, but in the thanks of the country. 
I am very glad that there are a few men 
who are above all mercenary considera- 
tions, and who have the heart to practice 
what their good sense teaches them is 
natural, even at a present loss. 

There can be no real and permanent 
improvement made incrossing the Meri- 
no with the French Merino, or with any 
other breeds. If you wish to prosper 
with your sheep, keep the breeds as pure 
as possible, and keep breeding from and 
to the best. If the French Merino be a 



valuable breed, keep it pure ; do not cross 
it with any other. That it is a pure Me- 
rino is not claimed by any person who 
knows the sheep and its history. That 
it may be a most useful sheep for this 
country, time must determine. It is not 
for me to say aught on the, subject. What 
1 most wish to urge upon sheep-breeders, 
is the very great importance of keeping 
their breeds separate. If you have good 
Merino, keep them so by careful breed- 
ing. If you have good French Merinos, 
keep them pure, do not mix them. If 
you. put the breeds together you will get 
a breed partaking of the bad qualities of 
each, — a hybrid, which will depart wider 
and wider from the good points of each 
breed by each remove. 

The importance of pure blood is « felt 
now all over the Union; and any man 
who can show a clean pedigree from the 
Humphrey or Jarvis importations, would 
find a ready sale for all his sheep at very- 
high prices. I very much doubt whether 
there be any such in the Union. There 
may be purer blood in some localities than 
others, but there is none that has not been 
mingled with some other than pure Me- 
rino. The Saxon cross, when the blood 
was pure, was not >so detrimental as where 
the cross has been made out of the race; 
for the Saxon is a Merino, and crossing 
does not contaminate the blood by intro- 
ducing coarse or native blood along with 
it. — P., in Wool Grower for Jan., 1853. 

rearincTlambs. 

The rearing of lambs, both for the re- 
newal and increase of the flock, and for 
the use of the butcher, is a matter which 
deserves more care and attention than is 
usually bestowed upon it by our farmers. 
If the bucks or the ews are not in good 
condition at the time they are brought to- 
gether, or if the latter, during the period 
of gestation become reduced and weak, 
the chances are that the progeny will 
fail altogether, or at least lack the vigor- 
necessary to carry them successfully, 
through the first winter. We do not 
mean by .••' good condition," that the 
sheep should be fat, for that extreme 
should be equally as much avoided as the 
other ; but they should be vigorous and 
healthy, and in first rate store order. A 
healthy buck should not be required to 
serve over fifty to sixty ewes, as such a 



104 



THJE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



number is a sufficient tax upon his pow- 
ers ; more than this is liable not only to 
permanently injure the male, but also to 
produce a feeble progeny. 

The period of gestation for ewes is 
twenty-one weeks ; so that, where it is 
desirable, the birth of the lambs should 
occur early in May, the bucks are turned 
into the flock about the first of Decem- 
ber. This period may be varied a little 
either way according to locality and cli- 
mate- As young ewes are more apt to 
be careless and improvident mothers, neg- 
lecting, aud sometimes disowning their 
lambs ; more attention is required for 
them than for older sheep. Many of the 
English shepherds separate the former in 
the fall, and serve them a week or two 
later, in order that the season shall be- 
come further advanced, and the lambs 
less exposed to a chill and adverse tem- 
perature. The ewes with lambs should 
be kept quiet, not subjected to fright or 
excitement, well fed and comfortably 
sheltered. The successful rearing of a 
fine young flock will amply repay the 
farmer for all his care. 

Where twins are produced by some of 
the sheep, while at the same time others 
have lost their lambs, it is a good plan 
to take one of the twins from the former, 
and give it to the latter. Some difficulty 
is occasionally experienced to get the 
lamb adopted, but it is usually overcome 
by shutting^ it and the new mother to- 
gether for a few days; and in extreme 
cases, binding the skin of the dead lamb 
upon the back of its successor. Bucks, 
by carelessness or inadvertence, occasion- 
ally get mingled with the flock un- 
seasonably, and occasion much trouble. 
and sometimes loss. We once knew a 
farmer's flock of ewes got with lamb in 
September; and, as a consequence, they 
gave birth to their progeny in February. 
He kept them sheltered and well fed, 
making roots and other succulent mate- 
rials a portion of their food, turning all 
his barns and out buildings into sheep- 
hospitals, and devoted much time and at- 
tention to the helpless lambs brought forth 
in the midst of a rigorous winter. It 
thus turned out that scarcely a lamb was 
lost, and at the subsequent washing and 
shearing, that flock of lambs was the ad- 
miration of all who saw them. One of 
the ewes, after her lamb was born, failed 



to give it suck, although the udder was 
distended, and apparently full of milk. 
On an examination, however, and at- 
tempt to milk the dam by hand, a thick 
fluid exuded, nearly of the consistence 
and appearance of candied honey, which 
the lamb swallowed with avidity, although 
its own strength was insufficient to draw 
it from the teat. The lamb thrived upon 
it, however, swallowing as it was pressed 
out by the hand, until in the course of a 
couple of days, the milk assumed its nat- 
ural flow, and needed no further special 
attention. This instance is cited, not for 
the purpose of urging the month of Feb- 
ruary as one propitious to the birth of 
lambs, but only to show that even an un- 
toward event, if properly managed, may 
be turned to profitable account. 

Where lambs are designed especially 
for the butcher, as early a period of birth 
as is consistent with safety is desirable. 
Like any other production in the market, 
early and well-developed specimens com- 
mand the highest price and the readiest 
sale. We find by reference to our mar- 
ket reports of last year, that fair spring 
lambs fit for the shambles were, in Ro- 
chester, worth, the season, commencing 
about the middle of July, one dollar and 
a half; and in the New York market, from 
two to five dollars each. Let us assume, 
as a basis of calculation, for the profits of 
lamb rearing for ihe market, the following 
data in a flock of sixty common wooled, 
well-developed ewes. These, if properly 
cared for, will, by offsetting the twins 
against the losses, raise ore lamb each. 
Setting aside ten of the best ewe lambs 
as substitutes for ten of the oldest dams, 
whose powers -will soon begin to fail, we 
I have left fifty for sale ; and the debtor 
and credit sides of our account will stand 
i as follo-ws : 



j Stock account. 

I To sixty medium wooled ewes at $3 

each, 

I Interest on investment one year. - 



Dr. 

$180 00 
12 GO 



$102 60 
Contra. Cr. 

By GO fleeces 3 It) each at 30e. f ft), - $54 00 
"•By 50 lambs for slaughter at $1 50, - 75 00 
By 10 ewes displaced by lambs at $3 00, 30 00 



$159 00 



* Note. — The profit on Iambs in many parts of Vir- 
ginia is about double what is hero stated. — En. So. Ph. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



105 



This sum is nearly eighty- three, per 
cent, on the capital invested, and by sub- 
stituting ten lambs annually for the oldest 
sheep, the entire flock is renewed in six 
years, and therefore subject to no deteri- 
oration. In the above calculation it will 
be observed we have made no account of 
the keeping of the flock, an important 
item it must be admitted ; but the best 
figures we could give would only be prox- 
imate, and inapplicable to many localities. 
We, therefore, leave that for each farmer 
to determine for himself. Within any 
reasonable bounds the above margin leaves 
ample room for profit, and we have no 
doubt our farmers will assent to the pro- 
position when we say, that rearing lambs 
for the butcher, taken in connection with 
the fleece of the dam, is a profitable em- 
ployment where the soil and other cir- 
cumstances render it available. There 
are other pecuniaiy considerations worthy 
of note in this connection, viz., the rapid- 
ity with which a return is obtained, and 
the regular annual period of its receipts. 
In the rearing of horses, for instance, 
several years must be awaited for a full 
development of the animal, and the in- 
terest of the money lost through all the 
intervening time. Again, the individual 
instances of casualty and loss will not be 
so severe. There is a wide difference 
for instance in the loss, say of half a do- 
zen sheep at three dollars each, and that 
of a valuable colt worth two hundred. 
Other considerations might be mentioned 
equally cogent, but with the above sug- 
gestions, we leave the subject at present 
to the consideration of our readers. 



ENCOURAGEMENT OF SHEEP 
HUSBANDRY. 

The principal articles of profit resulting 
from the rearing of sheep, or at all events 
that one which is chiefly taken into ac- 
count by the farmer, viz., wool, has not 
for the past two years brought a price in 
the market quite so satisfactory as many 
other articles of farm produce, particularly 
grain. While the best staple of wool 
raised among us would, with difficulty, 
find a market at forty cents per pound, 
prime wheat has commanded in cash, from 
two dollars to two dollars and twenty-five 
cents per bushel. Reckoning the weight 
of fleeces at three pounds each, which is a 



high figure for the average of fine-w T ooled 
sheep, and then multiply the price ob- 
tained by the number of sheep an acre 
will ordinarily sustain, it will be seen that, 
on comparing the value of the product 
with that of an acre of good wheat, say 
twenty bushels, the balance will be vastly 
in favor of the latter. 

Theoretically then, so far as profit is 
concerned, it would be much more bene- 
ficial for a farmer to sell oft* all his sheep 
and other stock, put in every acre of his 
farm to wheat, and repeat it every year. 
But in practice, such a course of proce- 
dure would be the worst possible economy. 
A farm so treated -would become impov- 
erished in the first ten years ; the twenty 
bushels of wheat which might, if all things 
favored, be produced the first year, would 
speedily dwindle down to nothing, and a 
long and expensive system of manuring 
would have to be resorted to in order to 
restore to the land its original fertilitv. 
But the experience of our farmers in the 
raising of wheat comes in again in opposi- 
tion to this theory of profit. The casual- 
ties that attend its culture, and the injury 
to the crop from its many enemies, both 
animate and inanimate, all combine to 
render its profits doubtful. The Hessian 
.Fly, the Midge, the killing effects of 
frost in winter, and the disastrous blight- 
ing of the rust in summer are heavy draw- 
backs to the certainties of a good crop. — 
There is no moment of safety from seed 
time to harvest, nor even then. The 
brightest hopes of the wheat grower last 
season were blighted at the latest moment 
by untimely rains. We do nbt intend 
here to maintain that wheat raising is un- 
profitable, but merely to say that actual 
experience does not come up to the theo- 
retical profits of its cultivation. 

Other grain crops are more certain of suc- 
cess, but not so profitable in individual in- 
stances. Corn is generally a sure crop, but 
that finds enemies in vernal and autumnal 
frost, the crow, the cut-worm, excessively 
cold wet summers, and other drawbacks. 
Oats is one of thesurest grain crops, but it 
is at the same time the lowest in price and 
among the grains yielding the least profit, 
when at the same time it is very exhausting 
to the soil. 

The great branch of farming, aside from 
the cultivation of grain, is the rearing of 
domestic animals. In many portions of 



106 



THE ^SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



the country it is made the leading pursuit, 
as the lands are better adapted to grazing 
than tillage; but even in our best grain 
producing sections, it would be of great 
advantage to pay this department more 
special attention. The agriculturist, who 
constantly cuts and carries away the pro- 
ducts of his soil, will be certain to bank- 
rupt its fertility. The sure way to obviate 
tliis undesirable result is to keep upon the 
place the largest number of animals that 
can be made profitable, and then econo- 
mise their manures to be returned to the 
soil as a compensation. 

A flock of good sheep ought never to 
be omitted from the catalogue, as they 
can be kept at a comparatively small cost, 
and as a general thing, give an ample re- 
turn. The ileece, which is considered the 
chief item, comes into the market at as 
time when the farmer has little else" to dis-i 
pose of, and its sale is often relied upon j 
as the only resource for the payment of j 
spring interest and instalments, and the' 
necessary summer expenses. Although, 
at times the value of the staple rules low, 
there is always certainty of a cash market: 
at some price. The fleece of the sheep is | 
an article of absolute necessity to ' the 
whole civilized world, and hence no fear | 
need be entertained that a change of 
fashions, of tastes, or of pursuits will per- 
manently endanger the profitableness of 
of its production. There must be varia- 
tions in the price of wool, as in that of all 
other products ; but any unusual depres- 
sion of a year or two years' duration will 
be followed by better times, and we see at 
present, indications of this returning tide. 

But, aside from the value of the wool, 
there are many other considerations in 
favor of sheep raising to a certain extent 
by nearly every farmer. The rapidity of 
increase of the flock is an important con- 
sideration. The ewes are competent to 
become dams the second season, and not 
unfrequently the twins produced are suffi- 
cient to more than compensate for all the 
losses that may occur during the whole 
year. The young farmer of limited means, 
especially at the West, whose income as 
yet amounts to just sufficient to meet his 
expenses, cannot purchase stock exten- 
sively and of the most expensive kind ; he 
must be contented to wait until he can 
rear them himself, and this is an operation 
that requires time. Sheep come to ma- 



turity and increase much faster than neat 
cattle or horses, and will afford him a nu- 
cleus around which, in a few years will be 
clustered animals of all kinds which he 
desires; for the wool and the increase of 
his flock can be sold and the money re-in- 
vested, or an exchange be made of them 
for other cattle. 

We recollect, not over twelve or fifteen 
years ago, when sheep were slaughtered 
in the town of East Bloomfleld, in this 
state, by the hundred thousand annually ; 
their carcasses, except the hams, were 
tried up whole, and the tallow sold in 
New York, wholesale, at six cents . the 
pound. The hams were distributed by 
peddlers all over Ontario and the neigh- 
boring counties at one dollar and a half 
the hundred weight, and farmers, then 
considered sheep raising profitable em- 
ployment. The dressed carcasses of just 
such sheep will sell in our streets to-day 
for four or five cents per p.ound, and the 
pelt is worth at the same time, one dollar 
more; thus netting the farmer from three 
to four dollars per head, and a good fat 
sheep on the foot in New York city, will 
bring from five to eight dollars. We know 
a young farmer in a neighboring town who 
refused, last fall, ninety-five dollars for 
fifty good grade lambs one year old next 
spring. 



HINTS FOR YOUNG GARDENERS. 

Cultivate nothing carelessly. "Whatever 
is worth cultivating at all, is worth culti- 
vating diligently and well. 

Many kinds of garden seeds lose the ; r 
germinating power when more than a 
year old. Therefore, be careful to sow 
fresh seed whenever practicable. 

But melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and 
members generally of this family, are an 
exception to this rule. The seeds of these 
should not be sown till after they are sev- 
eral years old. Plants from old seeds pro- 
duce less foliage, and more fruit. [Doubt- 
ful, Ed.~] 

The seeds of most kinds of weeds re- 
tain their germinating power for an almost 
indefinite period. Hence, weeds should 
always be carefully gathered and burnt, as 
the most effectual mode of destroying the 
seeds. 

The first leaves which nppear on the 
surface (in many cases called cotyledons, 
are, for the time, the sole supporters of the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



107 



life of the young plant. They sustain it 
till it has formed roots, and, if premature- 
ly destroyed, or much injured, the plant 
will die. 

Seeds will not germinate unless exposed 
to the influence of moisture, air, light, and 
heat. They should, consequently, not be 
covered too deep, or they may fail to sprout. 

It is in ordinary cases, not profitable or 
advisable to raise your own seeds. Your 
soil and your time should be of more val- 
ue and importance to you than the cost of 
new seed. Besides, such as is raised on a 
soil different in composition from your 
own, will most probably thrive better. 

The roots of very young plants are rare- 
ly hardy enough to bear transplanting 
well. The best time for transplanting 
seedlings, is when they have formed five 
or six leaves ; because, about that period 
the young roots and radicles are able to 
perform Iheir proper functions more suc- 
cessfully than earlier. 

Roots essentially require the admission 
and presence of atmospheric air. The 
surface soil should, therefore, always be 
kept loose and porous, and clayey ground 
should be frequently broken up ur stirred 
in dry weather, or whenever it has become 
parched or baked. 

When a bed has been dug over in the 
fall, it should be suffered to lie, during the 
winter, in the roughest condition in which 
the spade has left it. A greater amount 
of surface will thus be exposed to the ef- 
fects of frost, and the ground become more 
thoroughly pulverized in the spring. 

Frost acts with greater severity on roots 
or tubers which have been pulled or dug 
up, than on such as remain in the ground. 
Hence they should either be effectually 
protected, or remain altogether undis- 
turbed. 

The various kinds of plants extract dif- 
ferent substances from the soil ; and a 
well-chosen rotation of crops is conse- 
quently highly advantageous, and deserves 

attention. 

Leaves absorb moisture from the atmos- 
phere, and again part with it; they inhale 
and exhale air, and thus constitute the 
more important organs of plants. If in- 
jured or removed, the entire plant suffers 
accordingly. 

The pores of the leaves, through which 
air and moisture are transpired, are ex- 
ceedingly minute, and very liable to be 



closed by dust. The foliage of stove- 
plants should therefore be frequently well 
sprinkled with pure water, to prevent or 
remove obstruction to healthy action from 
this cause. 

In their natural condition or growth, the 
leaves and branches of plants rarely touch 
or cross each other. We should hence 
learn not to crowd our plants close togeth- 
er, or to place even a single plant in a con- 
fined position, where its leaves and branch- 
es have not room to expand or develop 
themselves fully and freely. Air and 
light are as essential to their vigorous and 
healthy growth as earth and water. 

The falling off of the leaf of a newly- 
set cutting, is an indication that the cut- 
ting has begun to grow. But, if the leaf 
wither and dry without dropping from the 
stem, it is an evidence that the plant lacks 
vigor to effect the natural process of shed- 
ding the leaf, and will probably fail to 
grow. 

When bushy plants produce an abun- 
dance of foliage with few buds or blos- 
soms, they should either be transplanted 
into a poorer soil, or some of the principal 
roots should be pruned off. 

Drying winds are injurious, as they rob 
the leaves of plants of moisture more rap- 
idly than it can be supplied by the roots. 
Plants need as careful protection from such 
winds as from frost. 

When a grass-plot becomes pervaded 
by moss, apply some fine, rich manure to 
the surface. This will reinvigorate the 
grass, and enable it to subdue and expel 
the intruder. 

In pruning, always make the cut towards 
yourself. Enter the knife on the side op- 
posite the bud, a little above its base, and 
cut through, sloping to just above the top 
of the bud. The vitality of the terminal 
wood will thus be preserved, and the wound 
speedily heal over. * 

Leaves grown id the shade, or in the 
dark, do not attain the depth of color, nor 
the harshness of taste which mark such 
as are fully exposed to light and air. Gard- 
eners take advantage of this when tying 
up lettuce or endive, and earthing up cel- 
ery, to blanch them. 

Light is essential to enable flowers to 
develop their colors fully. Hence the 
proper place for flowering plants, in cham- 
ber culture, is as near the window as pos- 
sible. 



108 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



All plants have naturally a resting sea- 
son. Seek to ascertain the period pecu- 
liar to each particular species you cultivate, 
and transplant them only at that time. 

Plants are in their most vigorous state 
of growth at the time of flowering, and 
should not then be transplanted, as they 
would very likely suffer much from the 
operation. 

But the period of flowering is much the 
most suitable for making cuttings, because 
the tendency to root formatiori is then 
most active. 

Plants in flower have all their juices in 
the most perfect state ; and this period 
should be chosen to gather such as are no- 
ted for aromatic or medicinal qualities. 

Excessive blooming gre?ttly exhausts 
the plant. Hence, all flower buds should 
be gently pinched off ere they open, from 
newly-rooted cuttings as well as from weak 
or sickly plants, to preserve the strength 
of the stalk. 

Few plants can well endure great chan- 
ges of temperature ; and none should 
therefore be transferred directly from the 
hotbed, or hothouse, to the open air. Warm 
weather should be chosen for the removal 
of plants, even from an orangery or cold 
frame, to the garden. 

All withered and faded flowers should 
at once be removed from perennial plants, 
unless it is desired to raise seed. This 
will tend greatly to prevent the premature 
exhaustion of the plant. 

To secure a succession of bloom in a 
rose-bush, prune back some of the shoots 
to their eyes as soon as you see that they 
begin to swell ; and defer the pruning of 
others till the leaves have become expan- 
ded. In the first case, the eyes will break 
into bloom early, whilst the latter will not 
begin to swell till the others are in full 
leaf, and consequently bloom later. 

As a general rule, the smaller the num- 
ber of fruits on a healthy, vigorous plant or 
tree, the larger the size, and the more per- 
fect the taste. It is hence proper, in all 
cases, to thin out moderately. But a sin- 
gle gooseberry left on a bush, or a single 
cluster on a large grape-vine, however 
monstrous be its development, is only evi- 
dence of a sound principle misapplied or 
carried to extremes. 

Fruit should always be gathered in dry, 
calm weather. It should be removed by 
hand, and carefully placed in a basket, so 



as not to bruise it. Roughly handling it 
may, and probably will, cause it to rot. 

If, when any of my fruit-trees are in 
blossom, I suspect that the soil does not 
contain the requisite amount of moisture 
needed by the roots, I dig a trench around 
the tree about eighteen inches from the 
stem, and pour into it four large buckets- 
ful of water, and immediately return the 
removed ground. This enables the blos- 
soms to resist the effects of drying winds ; 
the fruits set perfectly, develop rapidly, 
and are less liable to the attacks of in- 
sects. The result is, that the fruit does 
not subsequently drop. I have cherry- 
trees that formerly bore fruit only every 
alternate year, which are now annual and 
abundant bearers, in consequence of this 
treatment. C. V. Goldacker. 

According to the researches of Messrs. 
Schubler and Kohler, of Tubingen, white 
flowers are the most numerous in' nature, 
and, at the same time, the most fragrant. 
Red flowers come next in order. — Quoted 
in Horticulturist for Nov. from the Frau- 
endorfer Blatter. 



[From the Country Gentleman.] 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 

1 Those who are contemplating landscape 

improvement, may be reminded that now 

is the time to take pieparatory measures 

I for the labors of the coming Spring. Much 

[that requires a good start before progress 

| can be expected, may now be accomplish- 

jed, as we'll as to wait five months hence. 

Drives and walks may be laid out and 

bedded ; these should be broad and deep. 

Instead of the many formal stiff lines 

( that are common in walks, there should 

be exhibited more of the elegant, easy, 

flowing lines, which render so much of 

j grace to a charming landscape. 

By making these preparations during 
| the autumnal months, the advantage of 
'the cold weather action upon the ground 
| is gained. 

Trees and shrubbery, if set out in the 
j Fall, get nearly a year's start of those de- 
cayed until spring ; and in planting do not 
set them in lines and squares, but form 
them in clusters, or elegant groups, about 
j your grounds. This is much more artistic 
land beautiful than the former and old 
fashioned manner. 
I Care and taste are quite necessary in 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



109 



grouping trees, and this will afford a fine 
advantage for the study of effect. 

Plant your trees in groups of three, four, 
or half a dozen ; intermingling the maple, 
the evergreen, and the elm. 

Be careful that the trees you select, and 
the forms you create, in a measure har- 
monize with the style of architecture of 
your house ; caring, too, that they hide 
from view some ungainly object in the ad- 
joining landscape. 

Next may the soil be renovated, the 
grounds graded, trees trimmed, and many 
things accomplished, that at one time or 
another, before vegetation begins, must 
be done. All this preparation will serve 
to give Dame Nature the opportunity to 
commence work as early in the spring as 
she may fancy. 

An uneven, wavy surface of ground, is 
preferable to a dead level, because in it 
there is more variety, and consequently 
more beauty. 

Trees handsomely grouped and irregu- 
larly placed over your grounds, are more 
artistic, and more interesting than when 
planted in regular order ; because there is 
greater beauty arising from variety and 
harmony, than from symmetry. 

Easy and sweeping curves of line, whe- 
ther of road, ridge, walk or drive, are 
much more beautiful than straight lines. 
Stiffness mars a landscape. 

Rural ornaments placed about your 
grounds, not symmetrically, nor at ran- 
dom, but irregularly and meaningly, in 
their fit places, and to serve some utilita- 
rian view as w 7 ell as ornamental end, are 
sources of great interest to the effect you 
wish to produce. 

Before commencing your labors, jut t 
map the whole picture in your mind; know 
what you are to do before hand, ar>d you 
will accomplish more at the end, and pro- 
duce a finer effect. 

Landscape gardening is a noble, elegant 
art, but painful to say, it is sadly in tbe 
back-ground. It is deserving of much 
greater encouragement at the hands of our 
countrymen than as yet it has received ; 
and more particularly so when we con- 
sider that it is an art contributing so large- 
ly to our every day happiness. Matters, 
however, are fast progressing, and ere 
long we shall witness as excellent land- 



scape in our midst, as can be exhibited by 
any of the countries of the old word. 

W. T. Hallett, Architect. 

Norwich, Ct., Nov. 1856. 



RAISING MUSHROOMS. 

Mr. Blot, a French gardener, near New 
York, states that he has a garden at Har- 
lem where he can grow eighty to one hun- 
dred quarts a day of mushrooms upon an 
• acre. The beds are made at the bottom 
sof trenches three feet deep, rounded up 
fifteen inches high, the trenches being 
covered over with boards. A bed will 
last five or six months without renewing. 
The plants come naturally from decompo- 
sing horse manure, but he hastens .the 
growth by planting the spawn or seed of 
the mushroom, which is to be found in 
old beds of horse manure, in a suitable 
state of decomposition. The plants con- 
tinue growing in the trenches summer and 
winter, and are gathered daily as they 
come to perfection, and sold to restaurants 
and hotels at about 37£ cents a quart. — 
The supply is very much behind the de- 
mand, and in consequence large quantities 
are imported in a preserved state. Mr. 
Blot states that there is nothing in the 
climate to prevent growing, in New York, 
all that the city could consume. The fol- 
lowing calculation will show the profit of 
growing mushrooms : 

To cultivate an acre, two men and 
two horses would be required. 
Expenses of horses, say . . 400 

The labor of two men, say . . 730 

Rent of an acre of vacant city lots, 400 



Total, 



$1,530 



A sale of 80 quarts a day at 36 cents, 
will produce $28 80 per day, or $10,512 
per annum This would give $8,982 as 
the net profit of one acre of the many va- 
cant ones lying idle in and about this city, 
and we are assured that it would take 
many acres to supply the demand at the 
price stated. — Southern Cultivator . 



Have a place for every tool, and never 
leave one out of its place; or to go far- 
ther, "a place for every thing, and every 
thing in its place," 



100 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



i OKING FOOD FOR HOGS 



Exp: ment of Samuel II . Clay 
Co tin ty , Ke nine ky . 



| throughout the experiment. 
\\\ eights, at the time they 
of Bourbon] were as follows : 



Their several 
were put up, 



The advantages of cooking food for hogs j 
and other farm animals, have never yet 
been duly appreciated by American far- 
mers* although numerous experiments; 
have been made (usually upon a small! 
scale, it is true) that have gone far to de- 1 
monsirate its importance. 

In the October No. of the Valley Far- 
mer, we published an article on this sub- 
ject, in which we gave the result of the 
valuable and interesting investigations of 
Dutrochet, Dumas arid Raspail, going to 
show the mysterious and beautiful opera- 
tions of nature in the formation of the va- 
rious grains and roots which enter into the! 
food of man and beast, and of the neces- 
sity of their being submitted to a certain 
degree of heat before their entire constitu- 
ents could be reduced to that condition 
most available for digestion and assimila- ] 
tion. In that article we alluded to an ex- j 
perimen't in feeding hogs, then in progress 
by Samuel H. Clay, Esq., of Bourbon Co. 
Ky., and promised to give our readers the 
result as soon as the facts could be ascer- 
tained. Mr. Clay has since very kindly 
furnished us with a statement in full of 
the number and weight of the. hogs, the 
quantity of grain they consumed, the form 
in which it was fed to them, and the gain 
of each animal under the different forms 
of treatment. 

Mr. Clay's experiment was commenced 
on the ISth day of July, with six barrows, 
each about twelve months old. We shall 
indicate each hog by the same number 1 



No. 1. 255 pounds. 

No. 2, 285 * - 
No. 3,. 240 " 



No. 
No. 

No. 



4, 240 nounds. 

5, 205 l " 



6, 245 



These were all fed for twelve days alike. 
on cooked meal, reduced to a thin slop, so 
that they could easily dririk it; and also 
on dry corn at the same time. At the end 
of twelve days they were again weighed, 
showing the following; increase : 



:no. 1, 294 pounds. 


Gain, 39 


" 2, 318 " 


" 33 


" 3, 200 " 


" 50 


'• 4, 270 '« 


« 30 


" 5, 290 " 


" 25 


"; 0, 282 " 


" 37 



The hogs were then separated. Nos. 1 
and 2 were put in a pen to themselves, 
and fed on boiled coin thirty days. The 
corn consumed was 390 pounds, or 6 bush- 
els and 54 pounds, when dry. Under this 
treatment No. 1 gained 50 lbs.; No. 2 
gained 52 pounds. The two together gain- 
ed 102 pounds. 

Nos. 3 and 4 were put together in a pen 
and fed the same length of time on boiled 
meal, reduced to thin slop. The meal con- 
sumed, when dry, weighed 270 pounds, 
equal to 4 bushels and 46 pounds. No. 3 
gained 30 pounds, and No. 4 gained 50 
pounds — both together gained 80 pounds. 

Nos. 5 and 6 were fed on dry corn for 
the same period, and consumed 405 lbs., 
equal to 7 bushels and 13 pounds. No." 5 
gained 10 pounds, and No. 6 gained 32 
pounds, or both together gained 42 lbs. 

We illustrate the whole in tabular form 
as follows : 



Nos. 



Bushels consumed. Gain in 30 days'. 



1 & 2 G and 54 lbs. boiled corn 
3 & 4 4 and 4G lbs. U meal 
5 & 7 and 13 lbs. dry corn. 



102 pounds. 

80 pounds. 
42 pounds. 



Lbs. of Pork to 
1 bu. Corn. 



14 its. 05-100. 

10 lbs. 01-100. 

5 lbs. 80-100. 



Corn 
per bushel 



23 cents, 
do 
do 



Cost of Pofrk per 

pound. 



1 cent 9 mil 
1 cent ' 
4 cents 8 ' 



At the end of 30 days the hogs were 
changed and fed as follows : — Nos. 5 and 
6 that had been fed on dry corn, were 
changed and fed on cooked meal for 26 
days: they consumed in that time 234 
pounds of meal, or 6 bushels and 10 lbs. 
No. 5 gained 40 pounds, and No. 6 gained 
34 pounds — the two together gained 74 
pounds. 

Number 3 and 4, that had been fed on 



cooked meal, were fed the same length of 
time on dry corn ; they consumed 364 



pom 



r 6£ bushels. 



No. 3 grained 34 



pounds, No. 4 gained 10 pounds — the two 
together gained 44 pounds. 

Nos. 1 and 2 were continued on the 
boiled corn with about the sairie results as 
on the first trial. The following table 
shows the results of the second trial: 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



111 



Nos. 



Bushels consumed. 



& G 
& 4 



4 and 10 lbs. boiled meal. 
6 and 28 lbs. dry corn. 



Grain in 20 days. 



71 pounds. 
44 pounds. 



Lbs. of Pork to 
1 bu. Corn. 



17 lbs. 72-100. 
6 lbs. 77-100. 



Corn • Cost of Pork per 
• bash el- pound. 



28 cents. 
do 



1 cent 5 
4 cents 1 



It will be seen that during the twelve\ The gain of the hogs fed on cooked 
days, when the hogs were first put up and i meal, is about three times as great as the 
all fed together on cooked meal, that No. ; gain of those fed on the dry corn, although 
5 gained twenty-five pounds, which on the [we think the difference in favor of the 
first trial after they were separated and fed i cooked meal would have been still greater 
thirty days on dry coin, consumed 202 J j had the hogs not received the start of 12 



pounds, and gained but ten pounds ; this 
estimating the corn at 28 cents per bushel, 
brings the meal at TO cents and 1 mill per 

'pound ; and when changed again on the 
second trial, to boiled meal, consumed but 
117 pounds in twenty-six days, and gained 

forty pounds, which, at the same rate per 
bushel, reduces the gain to one cent and 

four mills per pound 



days feeding on cooked meal before the 
experiment of putting them on dry corn 
was commenced. 

Whether the slop fed in this instance 
was reduced to that consistence calculated 
to give the most favorable results, is still 
a matter for further experiment. Some- 
what less water might have given a great- 
er gain ; for it will bj seen that the hogs 



No. 4, in the first twelve days, fed on the that were fed on the boiled corn, although 
cooked meal, made a gain of thirty-six : they eat more pounds, it was less expand- 
pounds, or three pounds a day ; and vvhen'ed in boiling than the cooked meal, and 
separated and continued thirty days on j the hogs gained considerably more in the 
cooked meal, consumed but 135 pounds.! same time than those fed on the meal, 
and gained fifty pounds, which brings the j though they eat more corn, 
cost of the meat to one cent and three mills Farmers heretofore have failed to cook 
per pound ; but when changed to dry corn! the food for their stock under the impres- 
on the second trial, consumed 182 pounds sion that the saving would not be equal to 
in twenty-six days, and gained but ten lbs., I the trouble and expense of the operation, 
which again increases' the cost of the pork j Mr. Clay's experiment proves that one 
gained to nine cents and one mill per lb. 

In conclusion, Mr. Cla}' states : " I now 



give my mode of preparing the food. I 
have two large 60. gallon kettles, fixed 
upon small furnaces, (Mott's agricultural 
furnaces,) that when full hold but a small 
armful of wood. I put 50 pounds of meal 
to a kettle, and then fill it with water; 
when cooked this makes 405 pounds of 
slop. I find that my cows and horses are 
very fond of it, and improved finely on it. 
I am of opinion it would be better to cook 
food for all kinds of stock." 

Mr. Clay did not take into the account 
the quantity of wood consumed, as that 
w r as chips and trash picked up on the farm. 

With an apparatus arranged upon a 
large scale, something as we proposed in 
our October number, the cooking, we be- 
lieve, could be done much more economi- 
cally, both as to fuel and labor. 

The experiment shows the advantages 
of cooking food for hogs, even more con-: — ♦— > — 

clusively than we had anticipated, or in If we all had windows in our breasts. 
the articles we have frequently written on j we would take good care to keep the blinds 



oushel of corn fed in the form of cooked 
meal, is about equal to three bushels of 
corn fed drjr, making a saving of more 
than 60 bushels in 100 bushels of corn. 
Now we believe that with a properly con- 
structed steam vat, 100 bushels of corn in 
the form of meal, can be cooked at a cost 
not exceeding the market value of ten 
bushels of corn. Nor is that all that may r 
be gained by this system of feeding- If 
a hog fed on cooked meal can be made to 
gain 50 lbs. in the same time that another 
hog (equal in all respects) will gain 10 
pounds when fed on dry corn, bringing it 
to the maturity of 200 or 300 pounds in 
the same time that one fed on dry corn 
can Be made to weigh 100 pounds — thus 
avoiding the risk, trouble and expense of 
more than half the lifetime of the animal — 
then certainly every farmer should adopt 
the system of cooking, without delay. 
Valley Farmer. 



the subject, even claimed for it. 



down. 



112 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ONE SQUARE FOOT OF BOARDS, 

WORTH MORE THAN A POUND OF BEEF 
OR MUTTON. 

"A preposterous and random assertion," 
we fancy, that we hear a reader say, 
"Why, it is ridiculous and absurd to sup- 
pose, that one pound of beef., which is 
wonh from five to fifteen cents, is worth 
no more than one square foot of common 
boards, which can be attained, in almost 
any region, for about one cent for every 
square foot! Such an article is not worth 
reading!" 

Hold, gentle reader, spare your remarks, 
and we will show you, beyond a doubt, 
that common boards are worth far more 
than we have been wont to suppose. 

How many pounds of flesh will a few 
such snow storms, as we had in the win- 
ter of 1854 and '55, use up, or destroy ? 
in a herd of six or eight cattle. How 
many pounds of mutton will be used up, 
in a flock of one hundred sheep during a 
severe north-wester, when old Boreas 
tunes his harp high ; and drives the fleecy 
snow into every crack and crevice ; and 
piles high the drifty heaps ? We all know, 
that at such times, we must keep our 
doors and windows tightly closed ; and 
thrust in more, and more fuel, into our 
stoves ; and cram our stomachs with 
wholesome food, in order to keep up a 
degree of comfortable temperature. We 
all know, when any substance that will 
freeze, is exposed to the winds, in a bleak 
place, that it will freeze, while more of 
the same substance, only a few feet from 
it, protected by a breast work of boards, 
or anything to check the force of the 
wind — of the same temperature— will not 
be frozen. The truth is, in a current of 
air", the caloric is dissipated, or carried off; 
and, unless there is some means in opera- 
tion, to keep up the desired temperature, 
injury will follow. 

So with animals; if they be placed in 
a situation, where they are comfortable — 
not exposed to the driving storms, and 
piercing winds — even if their place is of 
the same temperature of the surrounding 
atmosphere they will retain their plump 
and thriving appearance. But let them 
now be exposed to a current of air, and 
the snow and rain, and see how soon the}' 
will begin to draw up their bellies, and to 



bring their hind feet toward their forward 
feet.' 

Every chemist knows that evaporation 
is a cooling- process. When the body of 
an animal is wet, evaporation immediately 
commences, and much of the coloric or 
heat of the body is dissipated in this pro- 
cess. The stomach, at such times, must 
be crammed with nutritious food, in order 
to supply the fuel of the body. When 
the contents of the stomach is exhausted, 
if an animal has any fat laid up in store, 
Nature draws largely, from these sources, 
to supply the material for the necessary 
heat of the body ; and if it takes but a 
short period of time to consume a pound 
of fat, and when animals arrive to that 
point, when nature must draw upon the 
materials of the body, to furnish necessary 
heat, animals begin to deteriorate in con- 
dition. They must have heat, and will 
have it, and if we can- manage to retain 
the heat, after it has been produced, it 
subserves a better purpose to retain a 
given amount, than to attempt to furnish 
new materials for unnecessary waste by 
rapid evaporation and currents of air. 

To retain the heat, then, and to prevent 
the materials of the body — fat and flesh — 
from being used up in unnecessary com- 
bustion, is the main idea to be kept in 
view. Suppose, now, that a herd of ten 
cattle, cows or oxen, use up one pound 
each of the materials of the body in 
twenty-four hours, in keeping up the ne- 
cessary heat — and this, is a very small 
computation — we have ten lbs., which is 
worth nine cents per lb., cash, at the low- 
est calculation, because the very best ma- 
terials are used up first, and in many lo- 
calities, we might reckon it much higher, 
with all safety. This would make in seven 
davs $6 30, and in thirty days $27 00 
worth of valuable beef. This $27 00 
would have purchased, in almost any lum- 
ber region, two thousand, seven hundred 
feet of good boards, which would make an 
open shed on one side, six feet high on 
the back side, covered with boards twelve 
feet long, about one hundred and fort}' 
feet long, or a shed on two sides of a yard, 
sixty to seventy feet in length. If now, 
this 2,700 feet of lumber will so check 
the wind, as to be the means of retaining 
this $27 worth of beef — and who doubts, 
for a moment, that this is not a very small 
computation — we save enough in one 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



113 



month, to cash the lumber bill, and in two 
months, enough to pay for hauling, fitting 
up, and interest on that amount, and the 
third and fourth months we take such an 
investment a money-making operation. 
And this is not all ; a shed 60 or 70 feet 
long on each side of a yard, will shelter 
a great many loads of manure, and every 
good farmer knows that one load of ma- 
nure, which has been sheltered, is worth 
as much as- two loads which has been ex- 
posed to all the snows and rains of winter 
and spring, and sometimes one load of 
sheltered manure is worth more than three 
or four loads of unsheltered manure. Now, 
suppose these sheds will shelter 40 loads 
of manure, and it is worth fifty cents per 
load, and its value is increased one half by 
being protected, and we have $20 saved I food is given off by respiration, &c , but it 
, in addition to the amount saved | is not an integral half. None of the ni- 

I trogen of the food is exhaled in the breath, 
Suppose the stock consists of; or given off through the pores of the skin. 
3, and that, by such an amount ofjt is only the digestible hydrogen and car- 
fifty lbs. perjbon of the food which are burned in the 



BARN- YARD MANURE. 

When a plant is burned, the four organ- 
ic elements, oxygen, h}'drogen, nitrogen 
and carbon are driven off into the air, 
while the ten inorganic elements are left 
as ashe.;. Consumption by an animal has 
been frequently compared to this burning 
process, and to a certain extent the analo- 
gy holds true. It has been supposed, by 
some at least, that the organic elements 
of the food passed into the atmosphere in 
the form of breath, persiration, &c , while 
the inorganic, or ashes, were voided in the 
solid excrements. This, however, is true 
only in part, and gives but a faint idea of 
the actual process of nutrition. It is true 
that one-half the organic matter of the 



in manure 
in beef. 
Again : 



ten 

lumber in comfortable sheds 



lay be saved during the winter, | lungs and thrown off from the body in the 

form of water and carbonic acid. The 
greater part of the nitrogen of the food is 



which makes five hundred lbs. This is a! 
low estimate. When the season for turn- 



ing; to grass arrive 



these ten cows, which 'found in the urine, while the undigested 
have retained fifty lbs. each of fat and carbon compounds, (woody fibre, &c.) are 
flesh will make fifty lbs. of butter more, | voided, in conjunction with the inorganic 
during the season, than if they had lost! elements, in the dung, 
fifty lbs. of fat and flesh, which must be' Leaving out of the question mechanical 
supplied before they would give the great- action, the composition of the food affords 
est Mow of milk. Here we have, then, a true criterion of the composition and 
five hundred lbs. of butter, which, at 20! value of the manure. If clover ploughed 
cents per lb., will bring $100 in clean' in would be good manure, clover passed 
cash. i through the body of an animal would be 

A great many farmers plead that they equally good ; if straw ploughed in is of 
have not the money to expend for lumber little value, manure made by animals eat- 
for sheds, and they hate to be in debt. It ing nothing but straw will be no better.—- 
is always very desirable to keep out of Hog and horse manures are known to be 
debt, but when we have the most indomi- 
table assurance than an investment will 
return double, and even quadruple inte- 
rest in less than one year — as in the in- 
stances mentioned — no one should hesitate good manure as hogs or horses if both were 
for a moment to provide for his animals fed on the same food and other things were 
that comfort which they so much need du- equal. 

ring the rigors of a cold winter. It is important lo ascertain, therefore, 

S. Edwards Todd, 'what foods make the richest manure. — 

Luke Ridge, Tompkins Co. N. Y. j There are many conflicting opinions on 

[Wool Grower, {fas point, which our space will not allow 

| us to examine. We believe that the value 

| of manure will be in proportion to the 

~— ~ ; amount of nitrogen the food contains. — 

I There cannot be a rational doubt on this 
i point. It is well known that clover is of 



of more value than cow and sheep manu- 
res. They are so because hogs and horses 
live on richer food, and for no other rea- 
son. A cow or a sheep would make as 



114 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



more value as manure than straw ; this is 
because clover contains more nitrogen 
than straw. Practical farmers know that 
manure made, by animals eating oil cake 
and peas is worth more than that made by 
• animals eating nothing but turnips or hay, 
and this is because oil cake and peas con- 
tain such a large quantity of nitrogen — 
Blood, woolen rags, horn shavings, leather, 
hair and the carcasses of animals, are all 
known to be the best of fertilizers. They 
are so, simply because they contain such 
a large amount of nitrogen. In fact, we 
know of no substance containing much ni- 
trogen, but what practical farmers consid- 
er, without knowing why, of great value 
as manure. The value of Peruvian gua- 
no is always estimated by the quantity of 
nitrogen it contains. The more intelligent 
dealers, before purchasing, always have 
the per centage of nitrogen determined in 
various cargoes, and buy that which con- 
tains the most. On this point the late 
Prof. Norton says that during his stay in 
Edinburgh, samples from more than 500 
cargoes of guano were analyzed in the 
laboratory of Prof. Johnston, and were sold 
by his analyses, fluctuating in price as 
they indicated more or less nitrogen. — 
" Had there been any mistake," he justly 
observes, " in this method of estimating 
value, experience would soon have detect- 
ed it." 

As nitrogen is such an important ele- 
ment of fertility, we may be justified in 
giving some account of its action and char- 
acteristics. In its elementary state, it is 



always a gas. It forms 78 per cent, of at- 
mospheric air, acting simply as a dilutent 
to oxygen. It is inhaled and respired from 
the lungs without the least change, and is 
not taken up by plants in its elementary 
state. M. Ville, indeed has published the 
results of careful experiments which indi- 
cate that plants have the power of taking 
up nitrogen, but the bulk of the evidence 
on this point is against him. It is an in- 
dispensable ingredient in all animal and 
vegetable life. Nothing that possesses or- 
ganization or vitality, whether animal or 
vegetable, can be formed without it. 

As plants or animals cannot take their 
nitrogen as such, from earth or air, it fol- 
lows that it must undergo some chemical 
change previous to its entrance into or- 
ganic life. This change is the conversion 
of unorganized nitrogen into ammonia. — 



This takes place under certain well known 
circumstances, but the operation is so slow 
and so limited, that it must have taken in- 
definite ages to form all the -ammonia and 
products resulting from it at present exist- 
ing on the earth — unless ammonia was cre- 
ated as such. But, whether this was or 
was not the case, is of little importance. 
We know that nitrogen is organized, and 
that by the decay of all organic bodies 
their nitrogen is converted into ammonia, 
and that this ammonia is taken up by 
plants and again becomes organized nitro- 
gen. 

Ammonia is always formed by the ulti- 
mate decay or combustion of a nitroge- 
nous substance, 14 pounds of nitrogen 
uniting with 3 pounds of hydrogen, to form 
17 pounds of ammonia. It is a gas much 
lighter than the air, and rapidly evapo- 
rates when exposed in a free state. It is 
an alkali similar in many respects to pot- 
ash and soda, forming fixed salts w T ith all 
the mineral and with most of the organic 
acids, and has a very strong affinity for 
them. It is rapidly absorbed by water, for 
which it has a great affinity, though no 
combination takes place. As formed from 
decaying substances it always unites with 
carbonic acid, forming the volatile salt, 
carbonate of ammonia. It is this salt 
which all have observed on entering an ill 



ventilated stable after it has been* closed 
for some time. It is what ladies some- 
times endeavor to keep themselves awake 
with in church, stimulating the nostrils 
when there is little in the sermon to stim- 
ulate Ihe brain. If you doubt that the 
nice clean hartshorn you have purchased 
of the druggist is the same as that given 
off from all decaying animal and vegetable 
substances, get a little moist guano, urine, 
blood, or any other animal matter, and 
mix it with ashes or lime, allowing it to 
stand a short time in a covered vessel, 
and then see if you can detect the least 
difference in the smell of the two gases — 
the one purchased in the city, and the one 
of domestic manufacture. 

Carbonate of ammonia contains all the 
four organic elements which compose such 
a large proportion (generall y from 90 to 98 
per cent.) of all animal and vegetable 
substances ; and it is in this shape that ni- 
trogen is taken up by the plant and orga- 
nized into food for animals. This is a 
strong argument, though we^possess a still 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



115 



stronger one, for making and saving as 
much ammonia on the farm as possible. — 
We know of no modern agricultural im- 
provement, which experience has confirm- 
ed as giving larger crops, but what direct- 
ly or indirectly, brings more ammonia on 
to the farm or renders that already there 
more available as food for plants. 

As an aid to the farmer who desires to 
improve his manure heap, we have made 
up from various reliable sources, the fol- 
lowing table, showing the per centage of 
nitrogen, &c, in various substances used 
as food and as manure. It is worthy the 
most careful study and consideration : 





© 


fl l£ 


-t-j 
a o3 






-t-3 

03 


b.0£ 






e3 


a 


itro 
nati 
te. 






* 


Q 


25 c£ 

.Jh cr. 


•^a §3 


Barley straw, 


11.0 


89.0 


0.23 


0.26 


Oat do 


21.0 


79.0 


0.28 


0.36 


Rye do 


14.0 


86.0 


0.30 


0.35 


Wheat do 


18.0 


82.0 


0.33 


0.40 


Buckwheat straw, 


11.6 


88.4 


0.48 


0.54 


English meadow hay, 


11.0 


89.0 


1.15 


1.28 


Red clover hay, 


12.7 


87.3 


1.83 


2.10 


Pea straw, 


8.5 


94.5 


1.79 


1.95 


Carrots, 


87.6 


12.4 


0.30 


2.40 


Potatoes, 


74.0 


25.0 


0.39 


1.49 


Mangel wurzel, 


87.0 


13.0 


0.29 


2.27 


Ruta baga, 


88.6 


11.4 


0.21 


1.87 


Barley, 


46.0 


84.0 


1.60 


1.90 


Malt, 


7.0 


93.0 


1.60 


1.72 


Wheat, 


16.0 


84.0 


1.80 


2.14 


Oats, 


16.0 


84.0 


2.00 


2.38 


Indian corn, 


18.0 


82.0 


1.64 


2.00 


Malt-dust, 


7.0 


93.0 


4.00 


4,08 


Malt-grains, 


6.0 


94.0 


4.51 


4.90 


Linseed, 


12.0 


88.0 


3.75 


4.26 


Beans, peas or tares, 


16.0 


84.0 


4.00 


4.76 


American oil cake, 


11.0 


88-4 


5.04 


5.71 


Hair, feathers, leat 


her, wood 


en rags, horn 


shavings, dry blood, 


Iry flesh, i 


md fish, from 


15 to 17 per cent, of r 


utrogen. 





It will be seen that the straw of barley 
is the poorest, and that of wheat the rich- 
est of all cereals. Pea straw is worth five 
times as much as wheat straw for manure. 
Clover ha)'- is worth nearly as much again 
as English meacow hay. We have no 
analyses of corn stalks that are satisfacto- 
ry, and therefore have not given them in 
the table. The analyses which we have 
indicate that the dry stalk contains about 
1.2 per cent, of nitrogen, and the dry 
leaves 2£ per cent., showing them to be 
of high comparative value. Of the gra- 
mineous grains, barely is the poorest in 



nitrogen, Indian corn a little better, and 
oats the richest. Flax seed contains a 
large per centage, peas and beans still 
higher, and oil cake the highest of all ve- 
getable substances used for food. Hair, 
feathers, &c, are most valuable fertilizers, 
equal in nitrogen to the very best Peru- 
vian guano, and much better than what is 
often sold as such for $60 per ton. They 
would be quite equal to good Peruvian gu- 
ano, but that their nitrogen is in a far less 
available condition. 

In making and preserving barn-yard ma- 
nure, tf\en, the primary object should be to 
get as much ammonia as possible ; and, as 
we have before stated, the composition of 
the food is the true index to the composi- 
tion of the manure. The more nitrogen 
the food contains, the more ammonia, or 
compounds which will ultimately form 
ammonia, will the manure contain ; and 
therefore, other things being equal, the 
more profitable will it be for feeding pur- 
poses ; for in all countries having easy ac- 
cess to the great markets of the world, no 
farmer can afford to feed cattle unless the 
manure be accounted of some value. 

The first object of the farmer in making 
manure, will be to give, his animals those 
kinds of food which, other things being 
equal, contain the most nitrogen. The 
next most important point is, how to treat 
the manure so as to retain all the valuable 
elements it contains, and at the same time 
reduce its bulk as much as possible by fer- 
mentation. The last consi.leration is sel- 
dom mentioned by theoretical writers, but 
it must not be forgotten. It is intimately 
connected with the expense and profit at- 
tending the application of manure. If, as 
we assert, the carbon of the manure is of 
little value on a wheat farm, and its water 
of no value ; and if carbon and water 
compose four-fifths of all fermented barn- 
yard manure, as we know they do, it can- 
not but be to our advantage to reduce their 
quantity, if it can be done without loss to 
the valuable portions of the manure. 

The most valuable part of the excre- 
ments of animals is the liquid. More loss 
is sustained by allowing this to run to 
waste than in any other one thing. Rapid 
fermentation in a loose heap is another 
source of loss. Allowing the eaves water 
to run on and leach out the soluble portion 
of the manure is another common mal- 
practice. These three evils every one fa 



116 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



miliar with agriculture must have observ- 
ed. The loss to each individual farmer by 
such mismanagement is great, and viewed 
as a national question, is most appalling. — 
The direct loss to the farmers themselves, 
in the aggregate, is immense ; while the 
indirect loss to the country is positively in- 
estimable. To prevent this loss, we must 
in the first place, save tbe liquid excre- 
ments. This is a problem which has puz- 
zled the most scientific farmers of the age. 
The difficulty is much greater in England, 
where turnips, containing 90 per cent, of 



water, are used for stall feeding tljan with 
us. Here, if the buildings are all spout- 
ed, the greater part of the liquid of the an- 
imals and the rain falling on the surface 
of the yard maybe absorbed in the course 
of the year. To do this, the bottom of 
the yard should be covered with dry peat, 
muck, saw dust, waste straw, potato vines 
and numerous other absorbent substances 
which can be found on most farms, and 
•which, valueless in themselves, can thus 
be made into enriching fertilizers. The 
bottom of the yard should gently slope to 
one point where a tank must be built. — 
In this, the superabundant liquid of the 
rainy season can be preserved, and pump- 
ed back on to the heap when it needs it. 

In the second place we must keep up a 
gradual and slow fermentation keeping the 
heap as near as possible at a temperature 
of 90° to 100°. If horse or sheep manure 
be thrown up loosely, so that there is a 
free admission of air and moisture, rapid 
and most injurious decomposition takes 
takes place, with evolution of carbonate 
of ammonia and water. This burning 
process (for it is nothing less than a slow 
process of actual combustion,) may be al- 
lowed to go on till the heap is reduced to.a 
comparatively worthless mass of humus 
and ashes. On tbe other hand, if hog and 
cow manure be thrown into a solid heap, 
little or no fermentation will take place, 
and the mass will remain in a raw state, 
unsuitable for direct application to rapid 
growing plants. The first object of the 
farmer, therefore, should be to mix these 
several manures together, so that the horse 
and sheep manure shall act as a ferment, 
and induce the desired decomposition in 
the ho? and cow manure. In this way 
they will be beneficial to each other, and 
the heap by spring will be in good condi- 
tion tor direct application to corn, pota- 



toes, &c. Sheep do not like to lie on a 
fermenting manure heap. They should, if 
possible, have a separate yard to run in at 
night, and the manure they make be hauled 
back to the common heap as often as prac- 
ticable, fresh straw being supplied in its 
place. If necessary, sheep and cattle 
should run on the manure heap in order to 
compress it and prevent too rapid fermen- 
tation. If these conditions — spouting the 
buildings to prevent leaching, having a 
tank to save the liquid which straw and 
other absorbents will not retain in wet 
weather, and mixing the different manures 
together in a compact heap, so as to sus- 
tain a slow and prevent a too rapid fer- 
mentation — w 7 ere complied with, the value 
of the manure on most farms would be 
doubled. 

Jo convert the volatile carbonate of am- 
monia into the non-volatile sulphate of am- 
monia, has occupied the attention of the 
most profound chemists of the age. Many 
plans have been proposed, but none of 
them, so far as w T e are informed, are prac- 
tical and economical. Sprinkling the heap 
with dilute sulphuric acid has been pro- 
posed. This will convert all the carbonate 
of ammonia existing in the heap at the 
time of application into a sulphate, but it 
will prevent fermentation and the forma- 
tion of any more carbonate of ammonia. 
This plan, therefore, will not accomplish 
the object. Sulphate of iron (copperas) 
has been often proposed. It will answer 
well in a chemical sense, but not in -an 
economical one. The copperas costs too 
much to make its application profitable, 
and the presence of ihe iron, in the ma- 
nure is injurious rather than beneficial. 
Superphosphate of lime, with an extra 
proportion of sulphuric acid, made on pur- 
pose, we have used with success As a 
general thing, how r ever, we think its use 
would not pay. '"' But/' the reader ex- 
claims, "you are forgetting sulphate of 
lime, (gypsum). I have seen it stated 
time and again, in agricultural papers, as 
well as in ' Liebig's Agricultural Chemis- 
try,' in ' Stockhardt's Chemical Field 
Lectures,' in ' The Progressive Farmer,' 
and in every other work I have read on 
this subject, that plaster scattered in sta- 
bles and on manure heaps, would arrest 
all the escaping hartshorn, and convert it 
into a fixed salt. Gypsum is cheap, and 
the application so easy that we cannot de- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



117 



sire anything better for the purpose." That 
is all true, except in one particular ; plas- 
ter, UNLESS IN SOLUTION, Will not COnV&rt 

carbonate of ammonia into the sulphate of 
ammonia, Ltebig, Stockhardt and Nash, 
and the agricultural papers to the contra- 
ry notwithstanding. We are exceedingly 
sorry that it will not. It would be such a 
great advantage to the farmer. By its 
aid, he could reduce his whole manure 
heap, by fermentation, to a few wagon 
loads, and it would be so strong that a few 
bushels would be sufficient for an acre, 
savin*g an immense amount of labor and 
expense in hauling it to the field, &c. 

"But can it be possible that such able 
chemists have made so great a blunder?" 
It is easy to account for this fact. Chem- 
ists always work with their re-agents in 
solution, and sulphate of lime in solution 
will convert carbonate of ammonia into 
carbonate of lime and sulphate in ammo- 
nia. Such being the case, the chemist, 
stung with the taunt, " Chemistry has 
done nothing for agriculture," asserts 
that he has discovered something that will 
be of great benefit to every practical farm- 
er, and states that by scattering gypsum on 
fermenting manure, the escaping ammonia 
will be arrested. Learned authors em- 
bodied it in new works. The newspapers 
take up the assertion and scatter it broad- 
cast over the land ; so that at the present 
time it is as familiar as household words, 
and if you attempt to undeceive a person 
on the subject, he will take you for a 
young upstart, and advise you to speak a 
little more respectfully of the great teach- 
ers of science ! 

Scattering dry or moist plaster on the 
manure heap, then, is of little use. But 
if we could only dissolve it, it would be 
just the thing we want. Cannot this be 
done ? It is true that something like 400 
pounds of water are required to dissolve 
one pound of plaster, but cannot the wa- 
ter be used over and over again, the ma- 
nure taking the sulphate of lime from the 
water as it is filtered through it ? The wa- 
ter in the tank should always be kept sat- 
urated with gypsum. In this way plaster 
sufficient to form a considerable quantity 
of sulphate of ammonia might be placed 
in the heap without rendering the manure 
too wet for fermentation, inasmuch as the 
carbonate of lime resulting from the trans- 
formed sulphate of lime would materially 
assist decomposition. This method will 



not only preserve all the most valuable 
substances of the manure, but it will ena- 
ble the wheat growing farmer to drive off 
a great part of the valueless portion of the 
manure — carbon and water — and so re- 
duce the weight and bulk of the heap, and 
the labor and expense of applying it to 
the soil. Manures managed in this way, 
and fermented to the extent proposed, may 
be used as top dressing with little, if any 
loss. On loamy soil, it may be drawn out 
in the fall — the comparatively leisure sea- 
son of the farmer — and spread on the 
land, ready for plowing in for corn, pota- 
toes, &c, the next spring. 

To carry out successfully the plan of 
preparing manure which we have briefly 
attempted to sketch, it will be necessary to 
have the farm buildings arranged with this 
object in view. As a general thing, at 
present, the barn and cow house, the sta- 
bles, the piggeries, and the sheep-yard, all 
occupy separate places, often quite, a dis- 
tance from each other. This ought not so 
to be. They should all^open into, and en- 
circle a common yard, having a, southern 
aspect, and containing a good range of 
open sheds for young cattle, &c. The im- 
portance of this cannot be over estimated. 
As we now write, our kindling enthusiasm 
for agricultural improvement is nipped in 
the bud when we think of the miserably 
arranged farm buildings common through- 
out the length and breadth of the land. 
We have innumerable handsome barns 
with domes, Venetian shutters and glass 
windows, which an Englishman would 
mistake for a dissenting chapel or a coun- 
try school house, but we have very few 
really good, well arranged, substantial farm 
buildings. We do not desire to see expen- 
sive buildings, but such as are simple, 
plain, and substantially arranged for con- 
venience, utility and profit. You cannot 
make the most profit on your farms, inas- 
much as you cannot make good manure, 
the sheet anchor of all good husbandry, 
without them. 

Another requisite for carrying out our 
system is — a good vjheel-barrow. Reader, 
you probably have not got one. Few 
farmers have. Perhaps you have a com- 
mon dirt barrow. This is better than noth- 
ing, certainly, but is not worthy a place in 
any respectable barn-yard. Do get a good 
one, with a large flat bottom, a high front- 
piece and deep side boards which can be 
taken off at pleasure. Then when you 



118 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



clean out your stables, do not throw the 
litter close to the entrance, where it will 
lie in a loose heap, and spoil by rapid fer- 
mentation, but get your new wheelbarrow 
and take the litter to a distant part of the 
yard where it will be mixed with the lit* 
ter of the pig pens, cow house and sheep 
fold. The advantages of such a mixture 
we have already explained. 

The system of managing manure here 
imperfectly sketched is adapted rather to 
a wheat growing section, and for farms 
where a large quantity of straw is raised, 
and which is all used on the farm, than to 
the New England States, where scarcely 
enough straw is produced for bedding, 
even when the most rigid economy is prac- 
tised. We have no great love for manure 
cellars, but where straw is scarce and 
muck plentiful, they have some advanta- 
ges. In them, as in the open yard, the 
chief objects of the farmer must be to ab- 
sorb all the urine, and prevent a too rapid 
fermentation of the dung. If .a conside- 
rable number of cows and hogs are kept, 
and their manure is well mixed with the 
horse dung, the latter will be easily accom- 
plished ; and by spreading a little muck 
over the surface of the heap occasionally, 
all the ammonia can be retained ; but 
where horse dung is loosely thrown into 
the cellar, it will rapidly decompose, and 
much ammonia will be given off. It is 
vain to suppose that the cellar can be kept 
so close as to prevent the escape of ammo- 
nia. The only way this can be accom- 
plished is by employing the so called fix- 
ers — sulphate of lime in solution, as we 
have said, is the best — or by the u,e of 
absorbents, straw, muck, charcoal, Sic. 

We canot resist the conviction, howev- 
er, that farmers as a general rule, will not 
employ chemical means to retain the am- 
monia in manure, and we believe there is 
less necessity for doing so than is com- 
monly supposed by scientific writers, if 
the manure heap is judiciously managed. 
Prof. Wolff says: " By maintaining the 
manure moderately moist throughout its 
entire mass, a fertilizer will be produced, 
preserving almost entirely the original vir- 
tue of the manure, and in a form well 
adapted to promote the growth of crops ; 
and this without employing chemical fix- 
ing-agents, as plaster, sulphuric acid, &c, 
whose application on a large scale is of- 
ten too costly and troublesome. Swamp 



muck, peat, brown-coal powder, or any 
earth rich in vegetable matter may be eco- 
nomically employed to assist in retaining 
ammonia. Whichever material be used, 
it should be strewed as a thin coating over 
the surface of the manure, from time to 
time during the summer ; and be kept 
moderately moist by occasional drench- 
ings with the contents of the cistern." 

Although Prof. Wolff thinks that 
" where yard manure and composts are 
skillfully prepared, the loss of ammonia is 
very slight, even without the use of fixing 
agents," yet he cites the experiment of 
Dr. Krutzsek to show the extent to which 
ammonia is given off when common li- 
quid manure is allowed to ferment unmixed 
with fixing or absorbing agents. He found 
that the solid residue remaining after the 
evaporation of perfectly putrid yard liquid, 
gave 3^ per cent, of ammonia, while the 
same liquid treated with an acid (fixer) 
before evaporation gave a residue which 
contained 12^ per cent, of ammonia. In 
the Rothamsted experiments, if we recol- 
lect right, sheep urine, evaporated without 
acid, lost even a still greater amount of 
ammonia. Yet we should be careful how 
we apply such results to common practice. 
It is known that water will hold a large 
quantity of ammonia, and we believe the 
loss of " this spirit-like qssence of the 
farm, ever struggling to be free," from 
fermenting common barn-yard drainings 
is much less than the above figures indi- 
cate, yet' it is sufficiently great to warrant 
the use of any cheap method of fixing it, 
such as the one we have suggested by the 
employment of sulphate of lime in solu- 
tion. 

We would just add that though we dwell 
so much on the importance of nitrogen in 
the manure, we do not underrate the value 
of the inorganic elements, which are of 
course indispensable to the growth of all 
plants. We speak more directly about ni- 
trogen, because we think it of greatest im- 
portance, and because we know there is 
no way of increasing its amount on a farm, 
without at the same time increasing the 
amount of inorganic elements ; and also, 
that there is no way of judiciously preser- 
ving and fermenting the nitrogen without 
at the same time preserving the inorgan- 
ic elements and rendering them in a bet- 
ter state for assimilation by the plant. Es- 
pecially is this true of the phosphates and 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



119 



silicates. Nitrogen and phosphoric acid 
generally exist in the same ratio in most 
substances used for food or manure ; while 
the solubility of the silicates is greatly 
increased by fermentation in the manure 
heap. 



MR. DULANEY OF LOUDOUN'S STOCK. 

The following notice of the stock of R. H. 
Dr.laney of Loudoun, Esq., is from an appre- 
* ciative friend, who has done him simple justice, 
but it would be unfair to the farmers, of whom 
Mr. Dulaney is an ornament, not to add at 
least an endowment from ourselves, who know 
him well and esteem him highly, with great 
fondness for stock, and a most discriminating 
judgment of the points of all sorts of them. 
he happily combines a fortune which enables 
him to gratify his tastes, and a liberal public 
spirit which prompts him to diffuse it among 
his countrymen by putting moderate prices on 
all his animals. 

His superb Ram we mentioned in our notice 
of the notorieties of the fair as the finest sheep 
we had ever seen ; his Berkeshire hogs we 
think we also noticed as very conspicuous in 
their department ; his imported heifers, though 
beautiful animals, were out of order from the 
voyage they had just made across the Atlantic 
and had Mr. Dulaney been less public spirited, 
would not have been exhibited at all; his noble 
stallion, Scrivington, who is advertised in 
this number of the Planter, was not present 
because he had not sufficiently recovered from 
a similar backset, to show his form or paces to 
advantage. 

This praise is not extravagant ; the animals 
speak for themselves to every judge ; and as to 
Mr. Dulaney, we do not see how we can com- 
mend too highly a gentleman who is striving 
to do all that he aims to accomplish. — Ed. So. 
Planter. 

Frank G. Ruffin, Esq., 

Editor Southern Planter : — Dear Sir — 
I have promised more than once to show 
my interest in the Planter, by dropping 
you a line for its columns, but as often 
have [ been deterred from doing so by the 
conviction that I should not thereby add 
anything to its interest; but to-night 1 
have just returned from a visit to my 
countryman, R. H. Dulaney where I have, 
feasted my eyes upon the splendid stock 
just imported by him, and think I shall 



be doing a favor to the stock raisers of 
the country by calling, through you, their 
attention to this valuable addition just 
made by Mr. D. to the pure bred stock of 
the State. 

We have but few men in Virginia who 
are able thus to bring among us the choice 
stock of the world, 'there sre fewer 
still who are willing to incur the 
trouble and expense, or who hav*e the 
taste and judgment necessary for such 
an undertaking, and I esteem it fortu- 
nate for the State, and particularly for 
our section of it, that Mr. Dulaney's taste 
inclines him to such an enterprise, and 
that his fortune is adequate to its indul- 
gence. 

If I had Peter Whetstone's peculiar 
gift in such matters, I would give you a 
scientijfic description of these animals, but 
I have nothing of the sort, and can only 
tell you in a plain way my impressions of 
them. 

The first on the list, in point of value, 
a Cleveland bay stallion, called " Scriving- 
ton ;" a truly magnificent animal. He 
is a deep bay, five years old, stands six- 
teen and a half hands high, is big enough 
for the plow, but with sufficient action for 
the saddle, and is so symmetrical in his 
form, that he looks but little above the 
average sized horse. He received the 
first premium for " Coaching Stallions," 
at the Jate meeting of the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England, and is spoken 
of by the Mark Lane Express, as " leav- 
ing nothing to desire in this class of horse,' 1 
— a condensation of praise which leaves 
nothing further to be said on the subject. 
He is, I think, exactly the horse we want, 
as he combines in an eminent degree, size, 
action, and beauty, and will furnish a class 
of horses, varying, of course, with the 
quality of the mare, fitted either for the 
waggon, the carriage, or the saddle. 

The Durhams, or Short-horns, next took 
my eye. These are two calves, and two 
two-year old heifers; the former looked 
very much as if " their mother did' ?it know 
they were out." They had evidently left 
home too soon, and stood their trip across 
the waters badly; but the two-year 
olds, compensated fully for any deficiency 
in their juniors, they are very large ; 
though perfectly neat, and are decidedly 
the most beautiful heifers it has ever been 
my fortune to see. They are, also, I believe, 



120 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



prize animals, and . were bought for Mr. 
Dulaney of Jonas Webb at a tall figure. 
The sheep come next in order, and 
consist of a Ram and twenty-three Ewes 
— all yearlings of the pure South Down 
breed ; and such a lot of sheep I am sure 
have never been seen in the United States. 
The Ram is certainly the ne plus ultra 
of sheep; he is as big as a Cotswold and 
is a model of symmetry and beauty. He 
was bred by Jonas Webb, and cost in 
England .£110— about $550. Six of the 
Ewes received the first premium at the 
recent meeting of R. A. Society of Eng- 
land, and are almost as perfect as the 
Ram; the other Ewes are also beautiful, 
and would rake the first premium for that 
number of sheep at any show at which I 
was a judge. 

Next come the Berkshire hogs, of which 
I will only say, they are as pretty as hogs 
can be. Mr. Dulaney informs me that he 
has satisfied himself, from observation, 
experience, and enquiry, that the Berk- 
shires are superior, for our country, to any 
other variety of hog, and I doubt not he 
is correct. 

In addition to these, Mr. Dulaney, has' 
quite a uumber and variety of fine stock, 
of other importations, which I cannot now 
particularly notice, as I have extended 
this communication to a greater length 
than I designed; and 1 will, therefore, 
conclude by saying, that the breeders in 
Virginia have now. or will soon have, an 
opportunity to supply themselves with 
pure bred stock, and that upon terms so 
reasonable, as to be within almost every 
man's reach ; for I understand Mr. Dula- 
ney 's prices are very far below those of 
the regular stock raisers; his object being} 
while he indulges his taste, for such 
things, (o disseminate the purest breeds 
of stock throughout the State. 

Truly yours, N. 

Loudoun Co. Va. • 



THE HOUSEWIFE. 

HARDENING TALLOW FOR CANDLES. 

l< How can I harden tallow that is rath- 
er soft, so as to make hard mould candles." 

In reply to the above, you suggest that 
alum or 1 rosin will harden tallow. ]f this 
is all the information which you possess 
upon that topic, I do not wonder }'ou ask 
for more light. Having had some little ex- 
perience in working tallow, I will say that 



neither of the above is useful, but both in- 
jurious to tallow — rosin particularly so; it 
will not harden tallow, and will soften 
it, strange as it may appear, and will injure 
the candle made from the mixture, and 
throw off in burning a real rosin smoke. 

Tallow chandlers never use anything 
with tallow to harden it. Instead of add- 
ing, they extract the soft part of it, and 
their peculiar mode of doing the work 
would perhaps not be interesting, as the 
process could not be well adopted by fam- 
ilies who. simply make their own candles. 
Tallow is said to consist of three parts ; 
stearine, the hardest; margareine. the next 
hardest ; and oiei?ie, the limpid, called tal- 
low oil. By taking out the tallow oil, re- 
ducing the whole w r eight about 25 per 
cent, you have a hard summer candle. By 
taking out then, the margareine, you have 
left the stearine, which when made io can- 
dles, are adamantine in character. This 
is done by heating, cooling, and pressing, 
yet it requires a skill which the uninitiated 
would hardly possess. 

Soft tallow is from fat or stall-fed cat- 
tle, and usualiy too soft for summer can- 
dles, or for candles in warm rooms, and it 
would be far better for those having such 
tallow, to dispose of it to chandlers who 
know- how to use it, and buy for them- 
selves tallow from grass-fed or lean cattle, 
with a mixture of mutton tallow, if to be 
had. " 

Thus, the only true way of getting hard 
tallow, is to disunite the oil or soft part 
from it ; but as this duty is left for science 
and mechanism, and, as I presume ■« L. 
C." is not engaged in the business, except 
to make a few pounds for home consump- 
tion, 1 will state what I have used most 
successfully, viz : beeswax, at the rate of 
one of wax to ten of tallow ; more, if you 
wish to make still harder. There is a dif- 
ficulty in using too much wax. The can- 
dle will, in shrinking, ring or crack consid- 
erably. I have had them split from one 
end to the other. Caution is required in 
using wax, but it will not injure the burn- 
ing. 

Baberry tallow, (a vegetable product,) 
is a good article to mix with beef fat, but 
it is too scarce in this section to be ob- 
tained. 

Hoping you will excuse the length of 
this answer to so simple a question, I am 
yours, &c. * — Country Gentleman. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



121 






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122 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 




NORFOLK, No. 755, AMER. HERD BOOK. 

A noted prize Short Horn Butt, the property oj 
Matkews and Sanders, Wythe Co. Va. 

TEDIGREE. 

Norfolk, 755, rich roan, bred by James Re- 
niek, Uourbon county, Ky., the property of 
Mathews and Sanders, Wythe Co. Va., calved 



Jan. 1st, 1850; got by Ashland (11122) out of 
Lady Harrison, by imported bull Rover (5015), 
gr. dam Josephine, (bred by Mr. Whittaker and 
imported by the Ohio Co)* by Norfolk (2377), 
gr. gr. dam Minna by Frederick (1060), gT. gr. 
gr. dam Wildair by Meteor (431), gr. gr. gr. 
gr. dam by Yarborough (705), gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



123 



dam by Sfcyford (G20) gr, gr. gr. gr. gr. gr. dam 
by Halloa's bull (313). 

Norfolk received the 1st premium as the best 
yearling, best 2 year old, and best aged bull, 
at the shows of the Wythe County Agricultu- 
ral Society. lie received the 1st premium as 
the best Short Horn bull, and best bull of any 
kind, at the show of the Union Society at Pe- 
tersburg, Fall of 1855 ; and the 1st premium, as 
the best Short Horn bull, and best bull of any 
kind at the State show at Richmond, Fall of 
1855. 



MISS KIRBY AND CALF MORGIANA BY 

NORFOLK 755. 

Prize Short Horn Cow, the property of Alex. S. 

Mathews, Wythe County, Va. 

PEDIGREE. 

Miss Kirby, red, bred by Col. H. Capron, 
Laurel Factory, Md., the property of Alex. S. 
Mathews, Wythe Co. Va., calved Nov. 14, 1847, 
got by Gledhan (3900), out of imported Ellen 
Kirby by Rockingham (2550), gr. dam import- 
ed Miss Kirby by Don Juan (1923), gr. gr. dam 
by Shy lock (2G22) gr. gr. gr. dam by Castle 
Howard Bull. 

Miss Kirby received the 1st premium as the 
best one year old Short Horn heifer at the Ma- 
ryland State Show, fall of '49, and 1st premi- 
mium as best two year old and best aged cow 
at the show of the Wythe County Society. She 
also received the 1st premium as the be st Shor 
Horn Cow and best cow of airy kind at the j 
State Show at Richmoud, fall of 1855. 



TOP GRAFTING OLD ORCHARDS. 

Col. Hodge said that if the trees were 
old, far advanced in life, and had com- 
menced decay, he would by all means 
cut them down. But if they were young 
and vigorous, ha» would graft them. A 
friend of his had an orchard — some of the 
trees were old and mossy, many of them 
had commenced decaying — the fruit was 
gnarly and poor. An itinerant grafter 
came and grafted them, using his own 
grafts, and setting many of them twenty 
feet above the ground. In a few years, 
when the grafts grew, his trees looked so 
bad and ill shapen fhat he became dis- 
couraged and cut them down. He dug 
up the stumps, thoroughly broke up the 
ground, manured it, and planted out a 
young orchard, and in a very few years 
obtained a fine orchard of handsome trees. 
In 1848, a person in his neighborhood 
planted one hundred apple trees ; a year 
ago last fall, he picked from the orchard 
one hundred and twenty-seven barrels. 
Some of the Baldwin trees yielded three 



barrels to the tree. The orchard, how- 
ever, received first rate treatment. 

Luther Barber, of East Bloomfield, said 
he was a nurseryman and liked to sell 
young trees, but objected to having thirty 
or forty years of growth lost. He had 
followed top grafting extensively for more 
than twenty years, and in that time had 
had a great deal of experience. Very 
soon after he commenced grafting, he 
adopted a different method from the one 
in general use, and his experience fully 
confirmed him in the belief that it was 
by far the best. It was to saw off the 
limbs of the trees low down — no matter 
if they were six or eight or ten inches 
in diameter, and then insert a row of 
grafts around the limb about an inch 
apart. This should by all means be done 
early in the spring, before the sap starts 
at all, or it will not succeed as well. He 
did not saw off all the top the first vear, 
but left a portion to help sustain the 
tree for a year or two. Of the grafts 
which were put in thick, a few of them 
soon took the lead and made the future 
top of the tree. One great advantage of 
inserting so many is, that it keeps the 
whole limb alive, and does not form any 
dead spots on the side of the limbs. 

These grafts, by getting the whole force 
of the tree, grew rapidly, and very soon 
formed a good top. He had known, in 
several instances, three barrels of apples 
to be picked from trees so grafted, in three 
years from grafting. He had never ex- 
perienced any ill results from this method, 
or discovered that it injured the tree in 
the least. He ought to say, however, 
that he always used kinds which grew 
rapidly, in preference to the slower grow- 
ing sorts, as they supplied a top much 
sooner. He found it always revived an 
old orchard to put a flourishing young top 
on it. He had known trees grafted in 
this method, to bear good crops of apples 
for twenty-five years past. He once 
saved a pear tree which had apparently 
been killed by the fire blight, by sawing 
it off below the disease, and putting in 
several grafts — the tree revived and lived 
along time. He some times cut his stocks 
during the winter, and grafted them early 
in the spring, before the snow went off. 

H. E. Hooker said, that in his father's 
garden, a pear tree was struck with the 
blight ; seeing no other way of saving it, 



124 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



he sawed off the trunk, some five or six 
inches in diameter, and inserted several 
Bartlett grafts, which grew and made a 
good top. But he would not follow the 
plan in apple orchards unless the trees 
were very thrifty. Another method is, 
to bud the sprouts which are thrown up 
around the larger limbs, which soon make 
good tops. The great difficulty in top 
grafting old trees was, that it always made 
more or less unsound and rotten wood 
where the limbs were cut off. 

Col. Hodge said it was a new idea to 
him, cutting off large limbs. He thought 
that the wood would be too tender and 
entirely unsuitable for grafting on. Al- 
though he was not a nurseryman, he liked 
the plan of setting out new trees, and 
always intended to keep setting them out 
as long as he lived. The idea sometimes 
entertained that a nurseryman's interest 
was different from that of people in gen- 
eral, was, he thought, entirely wrong. He 
had yet to find a more intelligent honor- 
able or high-minded class than that of 
nurserymen. 

B. Fish thought that there could be no 
general rule for grafting old trees — if they 
were young, and had been properly pruned 
there would be no difficulty ; if they were 
old and diseased, he would not do it. 
There was one other consideration, — after 
the first three or four years, the young 
trees were growing better each year, 
while the old trees were growing; worse 
continually. 

P. Barry thought that the method ex- 
plained by L. Barber had a great deal of 
common sense and reason to recommend 
it, and was the best explanation of the 
rationale of grafting old orchards that he 
had ever heard. But still he could not 
advise persons to graft old trees after they 
had commenced declining. Perhaps for 
the first twenty years it would be a good 
plan. 

L. Barber said that in general the per- 
sons for whom he grafted, cultivated the 
ground for a few years afterwards. He 
had never experienced any particular in- 
jury from the decay of the large limb 
which he cut off, and had never known 
a tree to die in consequence. In these 
perilous times from grubs and mice, he 
thought it a good plan to save the old 
trees. — Country Gentleman. 



HARROWING AND DRESSING WHEAT 
IN SPRING. 

As soon as the ground is dry enough to ad- 
mit a team to pass over it and not treading it 
up, sow to each acre four quarts of clean clo- 
ver seed ; then with a pair of horses and a 
thirty-tooth harrow, go over it twice in a place; 
after which prepare the following composition 
for each acre: three bushels of good wood ashes, 
one of plaster or gypsum, and one of fine salt, 
and apply it as fast as you go over with the 
harrow. The five bushels to the acre, all sown, 
will not cost over one dollar, and, on the aver- 
age of seasons, will give five bushels of wheat 
to the acre more than land not so dressed; and 
the clover will take much better, so that the 
following year the clover will yield a third 
more on the fame ground. Let this be the 
course for ten years, and whoever tries it will 
not complain of the lands failing in wheat. — 
N. I" Chronicle. 



IMPORTANT, IF TRUE. 

To secure cattle from male or female pro- 
geny at will. — According to an article in 
the Annals of the Luxemburg Agricultural 
Society, communicated by a Belgian far- 
mer, a heifer calf is invariably produced 
when the cow is put to bull before milking, 
and a male calf when the cow is put to 
bull just after she has been thoroughly 
milked. The author of this statement 
claims to have proved its accuracy by four 
years experience, and asserts that the plan 
has succeeded beyond all expectation. — 
Cows, which previously had borne only 
male calves, and that for four or five years, 
gave heifer calves by the above treatment. 
Give it a trial. [Country Gentleman. 

This has long been stated by Mr. French, 
of Braintree, in this state who raises some 
of the finest cattle among us, and' who is 
a careful observer of this and similar phe- 
nomena. [New England Farmer. 

The above has been 'going the rounds" 
for some time. There are more mysteries 
in regard to the origin of sex than that 
philosophy explains. The Belgian farmer 
had proved the idea by four years experi- 
ence! If he had gone on four years more 
he would probably have found that he 
knew nothing about it. As to the testi- 
mony of Mr. French, he informed us a 
short time since, that his later experience 
had completely upset all his previous con- 
clusions on the subject. The notion is not 
of modern origin. We knew the practice 
"long time ago," and it was even then 
proved to amount to nothing. [Eds. Bos- 
ton Cultivator. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



\'2: 







-3T 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTEK. 



TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

Two Dollar? and Fifty Cents per annum, or Two 
Dollars only, if paid in Advance. 

^Subscriptions may begin with any Number, but it 
is desirable that they should be made to the end of a 
volume. 

Subscribers who do not give express notice to the 
contrary on or before the expiration of their yearly 
Subscription, will be considered as wishing to con- 
tinue the same ; and the paper will be sent accord- 
ingly. 

No paper will be discontinued until all arrearages 
are paid, except at our option. 

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

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

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

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

All money remitted to us will be considered at our 
risk only when the letter containing the same shall 
have been registered. This rule is adopted not for our 
protection, but that of our correspondents ; and we 
wish it distinctly understood that we take the. risk 
only when this condition is complied with. 

It is indispensably necessary that subscribers re- 
mitting their Subscription, should name the Office to 
which their papers are sent; and those ordering a 
change should say from what to what post office they 
wish tiie alteration made. A strict observance of this 
rule will save much time to us and lose none to them 
besides insuring attention to their wishes. 

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

RUFFIN & AUGUST, Proprietors. 



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



A FRIEND OF THE RIGHT STAMP. 

Since the issue of our enlarged number in January, 
we are in the daily receipt of the most flattering let- 
ters from our friends, as well as the most complimen- 
tary notices and expressions of good will from our 
brethren of the press. But (we confess our weakness) 
none has given us more sincere pleasure than the one 
now before us horn which we make the following ex- 
tract to prove to our friends that what we have here- 
tofore asserted is easy of attainment if they will but 
interest themselves in our behalf. Bet to the letter. 
"February pin, 1857. 

"Agreeably to promise, when in Richmond. I now 



send you Forty Dollars, with twenty subscribers for 
the Planter. I am now endeavoring to make up an- 
other list, and I think the chance is pretty pood for 
twenty more." 

The w i iter, of the above was in our office less than 
a fortnight ago. when he promised to obtain us a few 
subscribers. lie has gone to, work like a man. and in 
less than ten days since his return home has sent us 
a good list and ihe money in advance. He has our 
hearty thanks and our best wishes for his abundant 
success in his future efforts. Will not other of our 
friends follow the good example thus set? 



A DESIRABLE FARM FOR SALE 

IH RAPPAHAHMOCH. . 

The subscriber wishes to sell his farm in Rappahan- 
nock Co., 3 miles from Washington, the County scat 
on the Sperryvilie and Rappahannock Turnpike, and 
3 miles from the village of Sperryvilie. This farm ad- 
joins the lands of H. G. JMoffetl, Willis Rnnwing, 
Mrs. M . Buckner, Chas. Green. G. Freeman. Jno. A. 
Browning, and Mis. Sarah T. Ambler, and is in a most 
desirable neighborhood in every respect, containing 301 
or 36:2 acres well adapted to Corn, Wheat and Oats, as 
well as Grass. It is at present almost, entirely in grass 
Has a South Eastern exposure. Som<3 50 acres, well 
watered with the purest mountain streams. Has some 
excebent stone wall, a good stone dwelling house with 
six rooms. The out houses are. indifferent. Persons 
wishing to purchase will address the undersigned at 
Sperryvilie, Rappahahnock Co., Va. 

• A. M. WILLIS. 

Feb 1857— 4t 



THORBURK'S 

Wholesale Priced Lists of Vegetable., Field Tree 

and Flower Seeds, for 1857, 
Will be mailed to Dealers enclosing a 3 cent stamp. 

J. iVl. THORBURN & Co. 
Feb. 1S57. 15 John St., New York. 



Hew Chinese Northern Sugar Cane. 

(Sorghum Sacchara(um) 

Seeds of this invaluable plant in packets at 12| cts. 
each, (by mail prepaid >5 cents.) or 75 cents per lb in 
quantity. 

Chufus or Eaith Almonds, $1 per 100. 

Japan Peas, 50 cents a quart. 

New Orange Water Melon, 25 cents per ounce. 

Christiana Melon. 

King Philip Corn. 

Sweet German Turnip, &c, &c,with the largest 
and most comprehensive assortment of .Vegetable, 
Flower and Field Seeds to be found in the United 
States. 

Catalogues on application, if by mail, enclose a 3 
cent stamp for return postage. 

J. M. rHORBURN & CO. 

Feb. 1857. 15 John St., New JTork. 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 

By W. N. White of Athens Geugia, A most com- 
plete, manual for every department of Horticulture, em- 
bracing the. Vegetable Garden, the Fruit Garden, the 
Flower Garden, ami the. Pleasure Grounds, adapted 
particularly to the Southern States. Price $1 '25. 

To be obtained of all Booksellers, or sent by us pre- 
paid to auv part of the Union on receipt of price. 
C M. SAXTON & CO, 
Agricultural Book Publishers, 
"140 Fulton Street, New York. 
Feb 1S57— 2t 



126 



SOUTHERN PLANTER,— ADVERTISING SHEET. 



Beese's Manipulated Guano. 

Warranted to contain 8 pr. ct. Ammonia and 45 to 50 
pr. ft. Phospate of Lime, as they exist in Peruvian and 
Phosphatic Guano's 

Tlie unprecedented success which has attended the 
introduction of the ahove Guano, is conclusive proof 
of the public appreciation and approval of the grounds 
upon which it is recommended, and the freedom from 
dis£-uise with which it has been submitted. 

What the farmer wants is a concentrated fertilizer 
at a reasonable cost, that may be relied upon for vni- 
formiiy of quality, that will produce ;n effect on the 
first crop equal to Peruvian Guano, and at the same 
time not only prevent a depreciation of the soil but 
increase its permanent fertility. 

That Peruvian Guano does not accomplish this de- 
sirable end, however excellent olherwis-e, is demon- 
strated by the whole history of its use. 

An examination of the relative proportion in which 
Ammonia and Phosphate of Lime exist in Peruvian 
Guano, with reference lo the quantity of Phosphates 
required for the development of crops, will satisfy 
any enquirer that the reason of its tendency to depre- 
ciate the soil, and its want of permanency, is occa- 
sioned by its deficiency in Phosphate of lime. 

In 200 lbs. of Peruvian Guano there are at most hut 
60 lbs. of Phosphate of Lime. 

Now upon the authority of the best Chemists of 
this country and Europe, this quantity is inadequate 
to supply the required product of an acre of wheat, 
while the quantity of Ammonia in two hundred pounds 
is abundantly proved to fte double as much as needed. 

The article here offered contains one-half the quan- 
tity of Ammonia, and double the quantity of Phos- 
phate of Lime that is in Peruvian Guano, hence by 
the application of 200 lbs. to the acre, 100 lbs. of Ph'os 
phate of lime is supplied instead of from 50 to 60 lbs. 
as would be the case if Peruvian was applied. This 
quantity is considerably more than can be appropria- 
ted by any crop, and hence that which remains is so 
much contributed to -the improvement of the soil. 

An annual application of 200 ibs. of this guano per 
acre for five years, would, if a crop of wl.eat were ta- 
ken off every year, supposing it to appropriate 00 lbs. 
leave in each acre of soil200 lbs. of Phosphate of lime 
which all must admit would greatly add to its fertili- 
ty. The same application of Peruvian guano would 
leave the soil no more Phosphate, than at tiie begin- 
ing, hence it could not be benefitted. 

Numerous efforts have been made to manufacture a 
fertilizer, to accomplish this end, aud'at the same time 
a ield a return from the first crop equal to Peruvian 
"guano, but they have uniformly failed for two obvious 
reasons. 

First, because it is impossible to produce an artifi 
cial fertilizer containing Ammonia in the same variety 
of forms so perfectly adapted to its use, as found in 
Peruvian guano. Nature cannot be imitated! Second- 
ly, because manufactured fertilizers cannot be relied 
upon for uniformity of quality; they are always liable 
to the variations incident to all such manufacturing 
processes, and hence arises the just prejudice exist- 
ing among consumers of guano, against all manufac- 
tured fertilizers. 

This article is not manufactured ! the Ammonia and 
Phosphate of lime it contains, are just the saino as 
they exist in Peruvian and Phosphatic. guano*" 

We sny it contains 8 per cent of Ammonia and from 
45 to 50 per cent of Phosphate of lime, which is the 
product of a combination of the best Peruvian (a dam- 
aged article cannot be w^A) and the best Phosphatic 
Guuuo (containing in no case less than from GO to 70 



* We have recently issued a pamphlet giving a full 
account of the production of this article, with a clear 
exhibition of the principles open which it is recom- 
mended, also containing some letters in reference to 
its use. which will be mailed to any uddress sent to 
the above — or to our agent. 



per cent of Phosphate of lime) in the proport'on of 
half and half, which cannot fail to yield in the aggie- 
gale the above, proportions. 

This combination is effected by the aid of machine- 
ry, perfectly adapted to the purpose, after the teach- 
ings of expedience and labour. 

13y this machinery the two guanos are reduced to 
a uniformly fine powt'er, and minutely and intimately 
integrated, so that when applied to the soil the Ammo- 
nia of the Peruvian materially aids the solution of the 
Phosphates and is itself rendered more permanent. 

This chemical action cannot be effected as is known 
to every one acquainted with the laws of chemistry, 
without the actual contact of minute particles, hence, 
the imperfect mixtures sometimes adopted, fail to an- 
swer the purpose : moreover, the guanos cannot be 
sufficiently reduced to admit of an intimate mixture, 
and if they could, a uniform combination and distribu- 
tion cannot be bad by any ordinary means. One. of 
the most important results of the manipulation of this 
guano, is its pulverized condition, this is apparent 
when it is lemetni ered that the best part of Peruvian 
guano are the. lumps, and that it is impossible to suf- 
ficiently reduce them by means of pounding and siev- 
ing as is usually done, every lump of guano applied 
as larpe as a pea, is a comparative loss, and we be- 
lieve that 8 per cent as finely pulverized in this arti- 
cle, is equal to 12 per cent or more, as it is usually 
applied. No comparison can be made between the 
value of this and any manufactured Phosphate, or su- 
per Phosphate, because it is not only the natural 
guano, but contains more of the elements than any of 
which w:i have had the fortune to see. a reliable an- 
alysis. 

We do not ask the public to take our assertion for 
this : but submit figures and invite the most rigid scru- 
tiny, examination and analysis to prove the contrary 
of what we represent. 

The production of this article is not intrusted to em- 
ployees hut is personally controlled and superintend- 
ed by the undersigned. 

We put this guano at a price that will justify its pro- 
duction, and as we intend under no circumstances 
whatever to allow it to depreciate from the present 
standard, we cannot be expected to make competition 
in price, with any article that may be offered under 
this, or other name 

Competition is said to be the life of trade, but in this 
particular line, it might be the reverse to the manifest 
detriment of tne consumer. 

The guano is put up in strong bags, of convenient 
size, each bearing the brand of John S. Reese &l Co., 
with the name of the article, which must be the guar- 
antee, of its genuineness. Although ibis article is not 
liable to variations in quality from accident, it is sus- 
ceptible of depreciation from less excusuble causes, 
therefore, the only guarantee for the consumer is the 
integrity of the producer. 

As this guano has been found peculiarly adapted for 
Tobacco in that it obviates the defect in that plant 
produced by Peruvian guano, it will doubtless piove 
of great value to the growers of that crop. 

It has been our purpose to afford the public in this 
article a. fertilizer that may be at all times relied upon, 
and to this eud, we have avoided all secresy and dis- 
guise in its production, that it may be placed above 
the character of nostrum, and the public approval of 
this course is manifest, in their appreciation of the ar- 
ticle. 

The theory upon which it is offered, will not be gain- 
said, and the experience of our best farmers has pro- 
ved it in all cases known to the undersigned, fully 
equal to Peruvian guano, in testimony of which, we 
are prepared to exhibit at our counting room, manu- 
script letters from some of the best farmers in this and 
adjoining states, the quantity applied per acre being 
same as Peruvian. 

The guano is sold exclusively by the ton of 2000 
lbs , and mav be had from Messrs. IMcGruder's Sons, 
Asrents for Richmond, Messrs. Peebles and White, 



SOUTHERN PLANTER,— ADVERTISING SHEET. 



m 



Agents for Petersburg, Messrs* A. K. Phillips & Co., 
Agents for Fredericksburg 1 , also from authorized 
agents at Alexandria and Norfolk. Agencies will be 
established at other distant points, for 1 lie public con 
venience. 

Terms cash, or approved city acceptances. 

Orders, and letters of enquiry, addressed the .under- 
signed will meet with prompt attention. 

In connection with the above — possessing superior 
advantages tor the business, the undersigned will give 
strict attention to the purchase and sale of Peruvian 
and other Guanos, assuring their agricultural friends, 
and the public, that the utmost reliance may be placed 
in their fidelity in furnishing pure articles, and on 
terms equally favorable with any house engaged in the 
trade. 

JOHN S. REESE & CO., 
No. 10, Exchange Building-, Baltimore. 

February 1857. 



The Property of Mr. R. H. Dulamj, of Welboume' 
Virginia. 
SCRIVINGTON is a rich bay, with black 
legs, is five years old, stands full 16 hands 
1 inch high, of strong bone, fi e symmetry, 
superior action. quite sound and free from all 
natural defects. He was got by that noted horse Hana- 
bleton Hero, the property of Mr. Robinson, of Bridge 
Mill. His dam by Splendour, gr. d. by Grey Premier, 
gr. g. d. by Scrivingtoti ; she was supposed to be the 
best Cleveland Mare in her day, in Great Britain. 

HAMBLETON HERO was got by Victory, his Dam 
was bred by Mr. J. Stainthorp, of West Rounton,and 
was got byBarnaby, Grandam by Black Legs; gr. g. 
d. by Trenholme; gr. gr. g. d. by Beat's Horse; gr.gr. 
gr. g. by Knox's Old Horse, (all Cleveland bred horses;) 
his dam for being the best Cleveland Mare obtained 
the Premium of 15 Sovereigns in 18:28, at Lord Fever- 
sham's Show. Victory was got by Mr. J. Milner's Vol- 
unteer ; Darn by Mr. L. Stephenson's Steam : gran- 
dlnn by Mr. L. Stephenson's noted Old Cleveland 
Horse of Cherry Burton. Barnaby was got by Gold- 
en Hero. 

SPLENDOUR when 3 years old, gained the Premi- 
um at Bridlington, given by the East Riding Agricul- 
tural Society, beating Mr. Waller's Greylock, Cafo, 
and four others. In April 1845, when 4 > ears old he 
gained the East Cumberland Agricultural Society's 
premium at C*arlisle ; in October of that year, he gained 
the Royal Agricultural Society's premium at Dum- 
fries, beating sight of the crack horses in England and 
Scotland, two of which were thorough bred. Splen- 
dour also beat Grey lock when three years old, who had 
defeated fifty-three" of the best Cleveland Stallions in 
England, and was never beaten but by Splendour. 

SCRIVINGTON'S Dam was bred by Mr. Taylor, 
of Barrow Mill, and when 5 years old, gained the 
Prize at Penrith in 1852, and their offspring gained 
the most prizes in succession at Carlisle and Penrith, 
of any Cleveland breed in England. 

Scrivington tvill be let to mares at the residence of 
his owner near Upperville, and at Col. R. S. Wright, 
Wheatland Loudoun Co., at thirty dollars the season 
or fifty dollars to insure. Pasturage, &c. at usual rates 
Season commences 25th of March. 

February' 1857. — 3t 



P. ITOKTON REACH, 

No. 01, Main Street, Richmond, 




Agent for the sale of Messrs. HUNT 8f WEBSTER'S 
improved 

'' Family Sewing Machines." 

Also, manufacturer and dealer in Ladies dress 
Trimmings, Hosiery, Gloves, Tarns, Wors- 
ted, Fancy Goods, &c. 
Also, manufacturer of B NNERS, FLAGS and RE- 
GALIA of every description. 
N. B. — Instruction given gratis to purchasers of 
Sewing Machines. Feb. 1857. 




S- McGEUDEE'S SONS, 

SOLE AGENT IN RICHMOND, FOR 
BEE SB'S MANIPULATED GUANO. 

AND 

DeBurg's Superpliospati of Lime. 
Februarv 1857, 



Valuable Farm for Sale. 

I J RUNS WICK Farm, containing upwards of 800 
I ' acres, lying in Botetourt county, on Catawba 
Creek, four miles from Kincastle some 70 acres of 
which are bottom lands, as productive as any lands in 
the state. 

The improvements consist of a com- 
Zr^_ fortable frame 

DWELLING-HOUSE, 

with six rooms, nil necessary oui- 
louses. A targe STONE STABLE and good Barns, 
and a 

SAW AND GRIST MILL, 
with water-power sufficient for the largest manufac- 
turing purposes ; a good 

Apple Orchard, Garden, and Limestone Springs 
in abundance. 

The land is principally limestone, and all good 
tobacco, wheat and grass land. The wheal crop seed- 
ed, and every thing in the way of hay. strasv and corn 
fodder, will be sold together at an unprecedented low 
price, as the owner is anxious to close his Harming op- 
erations. It is offered lower than 1000 acres of the 
same tract without improvements has been sold for, 
and at a price that makes it the greatest barg tin in 
land known in that section. 

Terms. — One-third cash, when possession is given, 
and the balance in oneand two years, without interest. 

For further particulars, address the proprietors of 
the Southern Planter. Feb. 1857— tf 



MITCHELL & TYLER, 

DEALERS IN 

Watches, Clocks, Jewelry, Silver and Plated 
Ware, Military and Fancy Goods. 

RICHMOND, VA. 

Sept 1 856— ly 



128 



SOUTHERN PLANTER.— ADVERTISING SHEET. 



Ayer's Cherry Pectoral, 

For the rapid Cure of Coughs, Colds, Hoarse- 
ness, Bronchitis, Whooping- Cough, Croup, 

Asthma and Consumption. 
This remedy is offered to the community with the 
confidence we feel in an article winch seldom fails to 
realize the happiest effects that can he desired. So 
wide is the field of its usefulness and so numerous the 
ca^es of its cures, that almost every section of the 
country abounds in persons, publicly known, who have 
been restored from alarming and even desperate disea- 
ses of the i tings, by its use. When once tried its supe- 
riority over every other medicine of jts kind, is too ap- 
parent to escape observation und where its virtues are 
known, the public no longer hesitate what antidote to 
employ for the distressing and dangerous affections of 
the pulmonary organs, which are incident to our cli- 
mate 

Nothing has called louder for the earnest enquiry of 
medical men, than lite alarming prevalence artd-fatality 
of consumptive complaints, nor has any one class of 
diseases had more of their investigations and care. But 
as vet. no adequate remedy has been provided, on 
which the public could depend for protection from at- 
tacks upon the respiratory organs, until the introduc- 
tion of the Cherry Pectoral. This article is the 
product of a long, laborious, and I believe successful 
endeavor, to furnish the community with such a reme- 
dy. Of this last statement the American people ore 
now themselves prepared to judge, and 1 appeal with 
confidence to their decision. If there is any depen- 
dence to be placed in what men of every class and sta- 
tion certify it..b«B done for them, if we can trust our 
own senses, when we see dangerous affections of the 
throat and lungs yield te it, if we can depend on the as , 
surance of intelligent Physicians, who make it their bu- 
siness to know, in short, if there is any reliance upon 
anything, thin is it irrefutably proven that this medi- 
cine does relieve and does cure the class of diseases 
it is designed for, beyond any and all others tint are 
known to mankind. If these be true, it cannot he too 
freely published, nor be too widely known. The affile 
ted should know it.* A remedy that ennw, is priceless 
to them. Parents should know it, their children are 
priceless to them. All should know it, for health can 
be priced to no one. Not only should it be circulated 
here, but everywhere, not only in this country, but in 
all countries.' How faithfully we have acted on this 
conviction, is shown in the fact that already this article 
has made the circle of the globe. The sun never sets 
on its limits. No continent is without it, and but ew 
peoples. 

Prepared by J. C. AYER, Practical and Ana* 
lytical Chemist, JLowtll, Mass. 
Sold bv PURCELL, LADD & CO, and by all. 
DruegHts. 
Feb 1857— 3t 



TO COTTON PLANTERS. 

The Cotton Planter's Manual, being a compilation 

of facts from the best authorities on the culture of cot- 
ton, its natural history, chemical analysis, trade, and 
consumption, and embracing a history of cotton and 
the cotten gin. By J. A. Turner. Price $1. 

EOSW CHINESE POTATO. 

(Disscorea Batatas) Roo's from 4 to 9 inches long 
at $3 per dozen — and small seed tubers (can be sen 
prepared by mail) at $1 per dozen, or $7 per lull, with 
description and directions for culture. 

J. M. THORBURN & CO. 

Feb. 1 8S7 • . 15 John St., New York. 



Nearly ready — The- Sugar Cane seed Gratis. 

Chinese Sugar Cane, andSu gar-Making. 

Its history, culture and adaptation to the soil, cli 
mate, and economy of the United States, with an ac- 
count of various processes df manufacturing Sugar. 
| Drawn from authentic sources, by Charles F. Stans- 
I bury, A. M , late Commissioner at the Exhibition ofj 
, the Industry of all nations, at London. Price Twenty- 
five Cents. 

Published by C M. SAXTON & CO., 140 Fulton- 
! street, New York. 

N. B. — To persons enclosing 25 cents and a three- 
cent P. O. stamp, to us, we will send the above book 
and Seed enough t-o plant two hods square. 
C. M. SAXTON & CO., 
140 Fulton-street, New-York. 
Feb. 1857— It 



Peach Trees for Sale. 

A choice selection of kinds, both for the Gar- 
den and the Orchard, of the most beautiful growth 
worked from specimen bearing trees at $60 per 1.000 — 
Also a general assortment of other trees and plants 
low. Planting done in the neatest manner by 

EDWIN ALLEN, Nurseries, 

Nov 1858. New Brunswick, New Jersev. 



Is manufactured out of the best material and by the 
most competent workmen — in Petersburg. Virginia. 

Persons wishing to purchase are requested to send 
their orders immediately, as only a limited number will 
be made this season. Address Dr. Thomas E. Mara- 
bla Agent, Petersburg Va. 

E. A. MORRISON. 

RP Southern Farmer requested to copv. 
Feb 1857— tf 



AGRICULTURAL LIME 

Of ft superior quality, in any quantity over 1000 
bushelg, for sale upon reasonable terms bv 

CHAS. H. LAOCIIER.& Co. 



July 1st— tf 



Balcony Falls, 

Rockbridge Co.. Va. 



FALL TRADE-1856. 

To Planters and Farmers. 

THOMAS D. QUARLES; 

No. S2d, Broad St., 
Would call attention to his large and varied 
stock of heavy Woollen Good- 1 , Blankets, Kerseys, 
Satinets*, Linseys, Oznahurgs, Bleached ;ind Brown 
Domestics. Also to his stock of house tarnishing 
goods generally. By the 15th of September, his as- 
sortment of Staple end FatK-v Goods, will he com- 
plete in nil departments— to which will be added Car- 
pets. Rugs, &c. Sept. 1856. 



TUE VIRGINIA FIRE AND MARINE 

INSURANCE COMPANY. 

CAPITAL $200,000. 
Office No. 131 Main St., next i$ast 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 ($1,0110,000) ©NE MIL- 
LION DOLLARS for losses. 

Farmers and others in Town or Country wishing 
their Dwellings, Rains nru\ other Buildings or their 
contents insured against FIRE or their shipments in- 
sured against WA.TER RISKS can be safely pro- 
tected in this long tried and responsible company Oil 
fair terms without charge for Policy. All ticcessarv in- 
formation promptly furnished. Address either of the 
undersigned. "THOS/M. ALFItlEND, Preset. 

W. L. Cowardi*, Sec'y. Aug '56— ly 



All persons w 



LIST OF PAYMENTS 

From January 1, to February 4, inclusive. 

persons who have made payments early enough to be entered, and whose names do not appear in the 
following receipt list, are requested to give immediate notice of the omission, in order that the correction 
may be made in the next issue : 



Wm Henderson, July 1857 
Dr J W Rice, April do 
Dr E Moss, Jan do 

P C Massie, July 1858 
Jas M Wood, Jan do 
Mrs E L Terrill, July 1857 
P G Argabrite, April do 
Chas McKee, Oct 1858 
T Shumate, Jan do 
A W Quarrier, July 1858 
R B Boiling, Jan 1857 
S W Lackland, 15 Mar 1857 
S M Baker, July 1857 
W Gwathmey, July 1857 
J N Legrand, Jan 1857 
W Cardwell, July! 1857 
Wm Newman, Jan 1857 
Jas H Cox, Jan 1858 
Wm Worsham, July 1857 
D X Branch, July 1856 
CH Hamblin,July 1856 
S D Watkins, July 1857 
C Q, Goodwin, Jan 1857 
Dr W T Maclin, Jan 1858 
W D Norvell, do 

M Wallace, July 1857 
W A Bowen, 15 Mar 1858 
J C Denty, Jan 1857 
R V Gaines, July 1857 
FShackleford,Jan 1857 
J Whitehead, July 1857 
H M Hutcheson, July 1857 
Jas B Newman Nov 1857 
E T Jem-ess, July 1857 
P Hairston, Jr do 
Judge Field, do 

B O L Howell, Jan 1858 
EO Fitzgerald, July 1857 
Wm Townes, Apr 1858 
JC Hughes, Jan 1857 
Geo W Daniel, July 1857 
MeLaughin & Carter, Jan 57 
Wm A Bibb, July 1856 
S D Brown, Jan i857 
Saml Wilson, 
H B Jones, 
Zach Johnston, 
Jas J McBride, 
Jos W Culton, 
G W Whitmore, 
Wm Stuart, 
Geo W Houston, 
J W Goss, July 
D N Carter, May 1857 
Dr D G Smith, July 1857 
J J Ambler, do 

A S Matthews, Oct 1857 
M T Moseley, Jan 1857 
W F Wright, do 
Wm C Knight, July 1857 
Mrs W A Cocke, do 
B J Worshyam, do 

Geo S Smith Apr 1857 
Jas Arnold, July 1857 
E Houser, Jan 1857 
W W Gilmer, July 1858 
Thos F Knox, Jan 1857 
L Ellis, April 1857 
H O Gill, Jan 1857 
P Harrison' July 1857 
J W Moorman 
J L Carr, Apr 1859 



1 00 
3 00 
3 12 
5 00 
5 00 
1 00 

1 25 
5 00 
5 00 
5 00 

2 50 
1 00 
1 50 

1 00 

2 50 

3 00 
5 00 
5 00 
1 00 

10 63 
13 12 
1 00 
1 25 
5 00 
5 00 

1 00 
5 00 

2 50 
2 00 
2 50 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 

1 00 
5 00 

2 00 
5 00 

1 25 

2 00 
1 25 
5 00 
1 00 



July 57 6 67 



1857 



1 50 
1 00 
I 00 

1 00 

2 00 

2 50 

3 50 

2 00 

3 00 
1 00 
3 00 
1 00 

1 25 
5 00 

2 50 
1 25 
1 25 
1 00 
1 00 
5 00 



Thos Doswell.July 1856 
Rev T H McGuire, Ap 1858 
R A Barnes, Feb 1857 
RB Burruss, July 1857 
R M Graves, Jan do 
J Ru finer, do 

Jno Glenn, Jan 1858 
Thos R Marshall, July 1858 
WmH Campbell, Julv 1857 
Wm D Mansfield, "do 
Wm Kinney Jan 1857 
N M Osborne, July 1857 
Dr R Harrison, do 
Geo Calvert, Jan 1857 
W M Watkins, May 1857 
Y Taylor, Jan 1858 
N Edmunds, Julv 1857 
J GTurpin,Jan 1858 
Ro Guv, May 1857 
A W Smith, Dec 1855 
E Feme vhough, July 1856 
Thos S King, July 1858 
Dr C Minor, Julv 1857 
Dr L Minor, Jan 1858 
L Minor, do 

Jno Tabb, do 

Dr Jno P Tabb, do 
Jno W Kirkland, July 1856 
CB Fogg, 

Dr N T Green, Jan 1858 
Jno W Paxton, do 
H A Allen, 

Wm G Coleman, Mar 1856 
Geo H Matthews, Dec 1856 
A H Raney, Apr 1856 
B W Richardson, Jan 1858 
Jos H Shelton, July 1857 
Danl Hatcher, Jan i858 
Dr E Watson, May 1859 
D Shelton, July 1856 
Ro A Calvert, Jan 1857 
F T Brown, July 1857 
Pride Jones, July 1858 
Jno D Moon, Sr, July 1856 
G Tarry, July 1857 
T W Merriwether, Jan 1858 
T J Williams, July 1857 
Wm B Randolph, Jan 1858 
H B Hudnall,Jan 1857 
C H Robertson, Julv 1856 
John Nicholls, Jan 1858 
Wm H Brander, do 
R O Morriss, do 

Dr J M Garnett do 
R M Garnett, do 
James Poage, July 1856 
Win Graves do 

Jno D Alexander, July 1857 
F P Spotts, Nov 1857 
Dr C C Cocke, Jan 1858 
Geo L Bagley, July 1858 
S P Ryland, Jan 1858 
Jas G White, do 
Ro T Hubbard, do 
Capt L Nelson, do 
Rev E Boyden, July 1857 
Robt J Davis, Jan'y 1858 
D B Harris, do 

Jos Rennie, do 

J Newman, do 

Saml F Harwood, do 
T W T Fauntleroy, Jan 58 



8 75 


5 00 


3 00 


1 00 


1 00 


2 50 


2 00 


5 00 


2 00 


1 00 


2 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 35 


1 00 


2 50 


2 25 


3 25 


1 00 


5 00 


3 50 


5 00 


2 50 


2 00 


2 00 


1 00 


2 00 


14 37 


2 00 


3 00 


2 00 


3 00 


1 25 


2 50 


1 25 


2 00 


5 00 


2 00 


5 00 


2 50 


2 00 


1 00 


5 00 


4 37 


1 00 


2 00 r 


1 00 


2 00 


62 


4 37 


5 00 


2 00 


3 00 


2 00 


2 00 


4 77 


5 00 


3 50 


5 00 


1 00 


5 00 


2 00 


2 00 


2 00 


2 00 


1 00 


2 00 


2 00 


2 00 


4 00 


2 42 


2 00 



W Holladay, do 2 00 

A L Modesitt, July 1856 3 75 

Geo W Reedv, Jan 1858 2 00 

R Cau thorn, July 1857 1 00 

J J Scott, Jan 1857 1 00 

H B Hunter, Apr 1857 1 00 

B F Piggott, July 1857 1 00 

J F McGeorge, Jan 1857 1 25 

WL Billups, July 1857 1 00 

Jno Gassell,Jan 1857 3 00 

Wm T Daniel, July 1858 1 00 

R J Gaines, Jan do 2 00 

J G Fulton, July 1856 4 79 

J Perkins, Jr, July 1857 1 00 

B V Johnson, July 1856 5 00 

W G Maury, Jan 1858 3 00 

A H Drewry, do 2 00 

D S Johnston, 15 May 57 75 

S T Patterson, July 1857 1 00 

Jas R Gates, Jan 1858 2 00 

W T Blair, Jan 1858 2 00 

E J Gresham, do 2 00 

Wm M Woods, July 1858 5 00 

Geo H Damron, June 1858 5 00 

H C Kyle, Jan 1858 2 00 

F M Turberville, July 1858 2 00 

F B Welton, July 1857 1 00 

C J Thompson, Feb 1857 75 

B F Graves, Jan 1858 2 00 

Jno Morton, Jan 1857 1 00 

W W McGehee, Jan 1858 3 00 

G Moore. July 1857 1 00 

Wm N Raglanu, Jan 1858 5 00 

Wm H Clarke do 2 00 

J A Padgett, Jan 1857 1 25 

Thos B Jopling, do 1 25 

A Fuqua, July 1857 1 00 

C R Boulware, Jan 1858 2 00 

N King, do 2 00 

P O Lipscomb, do 1 00 

J M Tapscott, July 1856 4 79 

Alex Morris, Julv 1858 5 00 

B Wilkes, Jan 1859 5 00 

Geo Grounds, Jan 1857 1 25 

Jno Graves, July 1857 1 00 

T G Coleman, Dec 1858 6 00 

Tnos W Roberts, Jan 1858 5 00 

Mrs A M Moore, Julv 1857 1 00 

Geo Bouton, Jan 1858 2 50 

C P Moncure, Jan 1860 2 50 

W R Cocke, July 1857 1 00 

J T Anderson, Jan 1858 2 00 

Thos Leigh do 3 00 

Thos W Svdnor, do 2 00 

E Sydnor,' do 3 00 

O M Crutchlield, do 2 00 

A Plumer, r do 2 00 

A D Alston, do 2 00 

W F Bentley, do 2 00 

J Overbv, Feb 1857 4 17 

Wm Frttwell, do 1 15 

Saml D Wood. Jan 1857 2 50 

Jas Pollard, Jan 1858 2 00 

Wm C Scott, Jan 1860 6 00 

J L Davis, Jan 1858 2 00 

W H Davis, Jan 1857 1 25 

B W Bel lam v, July 1857 1 00 

S Patrick, Jan 1858 1 00 

Jno Taylor, J r, Julv 1856 6 87 

Jas L Frazer, Jan 1858 2 00 

Jos Steele, July 1856 3 85 

W C Meredith, J an 1858 6 75 



SOUTHERN FEMALE INSTITUTE. 

RICHMOND, VA. 

THE Principals of "the Southern Female Institute, with this announcement of its 7th session, 
tender their thanks to the Public for the liberal and increasing patronage they have received at its hands. 

As this Institution had its origin in individual enterprise and has been fostered neither by aid from the 
State, nor by denominational influence, it is with pride that they point to the appended list of patrons, believ- 
ing as they do that it evince? the estimation in which their labours in the cause of female education are held 
by men of eminence and high character. 

The Principals are Virginians, and were educated in Va. They selected teaching for a Profession and have 
devoid themselves earnestly to it for a nu nber of years in their native state. Relying upon the support 
of the Southern people they established, six years ago, this Institution, Southern in every feature and in all 
its teachings. No expense has been spared to make it worthy of patronage, and they hope to be supported 
in the effort to make the South independent of Northern schools and teachers. 

The Boarding Department will hereafter be under the immediate and sole control of D. Lee Powell who 
has taken a large new house on the South-East corner of 1st and Franklin Streets, for the purpose of accom- 
modating a number of young ladies as Boarders. 

The Principals are determined that the opportunities offered for acquiring a thorough knowledge of the 
French and other modern Languages in their school, shall be equal to those of any institution in the country. 
One or more Parisian ladies will reside in the family of Mr. Powell, who will be required to converse habitu- 
ally in French with the Boarders. 

The most experienced ana" accomplished teachers of music, vocal and instrumental, in the city will be em- 
ployed, and every effort will be made to secure improvement in this valuable accomplishment. It will 
be the duty of one of the teachers to see that the music scholars practice regularly and properly. 

TERMS. 

Board for 9 mos., washing and lights extra $200,00i Preparatory Department $40 

Music on Piano, Harp or Guitar at Professors Modem Languages in classes each $20 

charges. Tuition in English $50|Drawing and Painting each from $20 to $50 

Use of Piano per month. 

We beg leave to refer to the following list of patrons who have now or have had daughters in the Institution. 

His Excellency, Henry A. Wise, Gov. of Va. 

Lieut. M. F. Maurv, Nat. Observatory, N. Beverley Tucker, Thomas Green, Rev. D. S. Doggett, Washing- 
ton, D. C. 

Dr< Beverley R. Welfbrd, A. A. Morson, Esq. t Cqnwa.v Robinson, James Lyons, Joseph R. Anderson, P. 
R. Giattan, Rev. Ch- H. Read, Rev. Geo. Woodbridge, Hon. A. R. Holladay, Col. Geo. W. Munford, Charles 
Ellelt, Jr, Charles Gennett, Lewis D. Crenshaw, Wm. R. Hill, Capt. Charles Dimmock, S. J. Rutheifoord, 
Richmond, Va. 

Col. H. B. Powell, Loudoun Co., Va. Revd. P. Slaughter, Warrenton. R. E. Scott, Esq. P. St. Geo. Cocke, 
Powhatan Co., Va. Richard Baylor, Essex. Wm. H. Clark, Halifax. J. R. Edmunds. Mrs. I. R. Harrison, 
Lower Brandon, Va. Hon. Geo. H Lee, Clarkshurg, Va. Thomas B. Barton, Esq., Thomas F.Knox, Wm. H. 
White, Fredericksburg, Va. Dr. A. H.Mason, Falmouth. Dr. Wm. Cochrane, Middleburg, Loudon, Va. 

Dr. H. A. Buttolph, Trenton, New Jersey. 

For further information, apply to Principals. 



Richmond. June I, 1856. — tf 



D.LEE POWELL. > 
R. J. MORRISON, S 



SUPER PHOSPHATE LIME. 

The subscriber continues to manufacture the above at his Bone Mill near the City, the qual- 
siy is fully equal to any manufactured out of the State, his price is $40 per ton. lor topdres- 
ting this will be found invaluable, and during the winter is the best time to apply it. Those 
in want can always be supplied upon one week's notice. 

jan 1857. R. R. DUVAL. 



AGRICULTURAL REGISTRY 

AND 

EXCHANGE OFFICE, 

For the sale and purchase of Lands, Negroes, 
Horses, Slock of every description, Agricultu- 
ral Implements, Patent Rights, Produce, Ferti- 
lizers, <$DC. 

The undersigned, inconsequence of repeated appli 
rations, the advice and suggestion of friends, and his 
opportunities of seeing the great necessity for, and the 
rreat advantage to he derived hy the Farmers and oth- 
ers of Virginia and North Carolina in having a well or 
i anized medium of communication for the above pur 
; oses, has determined to open at the office of the Sou- 
thern Planter, in this city, books for the registration of 
i ic above subjects, both for those wishing to sell as 
v ell as those having to purchase. 

Through the medium of such an agency persons who 
»« iah to buy or sell anything, can b> the payment of 
n small registration fee, have access to the Register, 
l i' at once thrown into communication with the oppo- 
t e party, nnd thus be enabled to effect a speedy sale 
or purchase at a small cost. 

A small uniform registration fee will be charged in all 
t os, to be pnid in ndvnnce. If advertisements are 



ordered, the money for the cost thereof must accompa- 
ny the order. 

A moderate commission charged on consignments or 
purchases. N. AUGUST, 

Richmond, February 1857. 153 Main Street. 



Timber Lands for Sale. 

A valuable tract of Timber Land in the county of 
Louisa, near the Virginia Central Railroad, containing 
525 Acres, the whole of which is in original growth. — 
Ibis land lies in a fine Tobacco region, and will be 
sold low. 

For terms, &c, apply to the publishers of the South- 
ern Planter. Feb 57— tf 

SAMUEL 8. U0TTRELL, 

SADDLE AND HARNESS 
MANUFACTURER, 
Wholesale and Retail, 

No. 118, Main St., Richmond, Va. 




Having received the first premi- 
um at the Fair of the Virginia 
Mechanics' Institute, in 1854, and 
a Silver Medal at the Fair of the 
same Institute in 1855, feels confident he can 
please all persons in want of any article in his 
line. March ]85f>— l v