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THE SOUTHERN PLANTER; 

Debotcti to Agriculture, ^a^ortCculturc, uxxti the a>^useholti ^rts. 



Agriculture is the nursing- mother of ll)e Arts. Tillage and Pasturage arc the two breasts of the State. 

Xcnophon. Sully, 



C. T. BOTTS, Editor. 



Opposite Merchants' Coffee House, Main Street. 



Vol. II. 



RICHMOND, FEBRUARY, 1842. 



No. 2. 



For the Southern I*Ianter. 

AN ESSAY ON THE BEST METHOD OP CUL- 
TIVATING ROOTS. 

In treating on this subject, I propose to con- 
sider it in the following manner: 

1st. The special and peculiar value of this 
article as a food for stock ; 

2d. The best mode of its cultivation ; and, 

3d. The peculiar roots that seem best adapted 
to our climate and soil. 

On the first point I would remark, that after 
carefully considering the subject, 1 do not con- 
sider roots as specially valuable, on account of 
the nutriment^ which they contain. Indeed I 
think it more than probable, that an acre of 
strong land, such as we commonly give to roots, 
would, if planted in corn, generally produce as 
much nutritive matter, and perhaps more, and 
that, too, with less than one-half of the cultiva- 
tion. If the corn be sowed broad-cast, and mowed 
down when in the tassel, and then treated as hay, 
there is no doubt, that the fodder would yield 
twice as much nutritive inatter, especially for 
cattle, as the same land would furnish when 
cultivated in roots ; and this too with an amount 
of labor bearing very little proportion to the root 
culture. Nor ought it to be forgotten, that two 
such crops may be easily obtained from the same 
land, during the same season. The ordinary 
product of corn, on good land, when cultivated 
in the ordinary way, is about fifty bushels to the 
acre. This, together with the blades, the tops, 
the shucks, the stalks and the cobs, may be con- 
sidered as fully equal in nutriment to five hun- 
dred bushels of roots. This being the case, and 
the corn crop more certain, and requiring, at the 
same time, much less labor in its cultivation, 
seems at once to determine the thing in favor of 
corn. Wherein then consists, it will be naturally 
inquired, the great value of the root crop? To 
this, I reply, that in feedmg, our sole object is 
not to supply an amount of nutriment barely 
sufficient to sustain the animal ; but to fill his 
stomach, and thus to satisfy him, and keep him 
quiet. Besides, it is a point conceded on all 
hands, as I have reason to believe, that a variety 
of food, is not only highly beneficial, but abso- 
lutely necessary to the thrift of any creature. 
Some time ago, this matter was fairly tested in 
Paris, by a series of experiments, entered into 
on this very subject. The animal experimented 
Vol. 2-4 



on was the dog. A number of these creatures 
were put in separate confinement, and all fed on 
the most nutritious food, but each restricted to 
one individual kind. Some were fed with bread, 
some with meat, and others, again, with sugar, 
but the result in all cases, was ultimately the 
same — they all sickened, pined away and died. 

Now, every breeder must have observed the 
great value of green food, in the sustenance of 
his stock. There is no food Vv-hich they appear 
to eat with the same avidity — nor is there any 
food, which keeps them in better healih and 
thrift. Every farmer must also have observed, 
that his cattle and other animals, kept a long 
time on dry food, appear to become tired of it, 
and even to loathe it ; and that at the approach 
of spring, they become weak and delicate, and 
this loo in the midst of plenty. Now here is a 
case, in which the great value of succulent food 
clearly displays itself In winter and early spring 
we cannot get green food. For the lack of this, 
or some substitute for it, our cattle of every de- 
scription decline — our oxen become too poor to 
perform their labor — our cows yield a poor, blue 
milk, and that too in very small quantities, and 
the butter, if any butter is made, is scarcely eat- 
able. But in winter we can get roots, and these, 
especially when boiled and mixed with a small 
quantity of meal and salt, will furnish a rich 
and most valuable food. Indeed, roots, by their 
juicy qualities, appear to go a great way towards 
supplying the deficiency of green food, at that 
season of the year when it is so desirable. 

Another great and even paramount benefit of " 
the root crops, is manifested in that all-important 
branch of good husbandry — the making of large 
quantities of rich manures. This crop, it is said, 
has given a new impulse to the whole S3^stem 
of English husbandry. There the root is culti- 
vated, not in patches, but in large fields, and by 
this great multiplication of food, the English 
farmer is enabled greatly to increase the number 
of his stock. And the thing seems to go on in 
a kind of geometrical ratio, for the more food he 
has, the more cattle he can keep ; and the more 
cattle he has, the more manure he can make. 
Instead, therefore, of manuring his lands by small 
patches, which was formerly the case, he now 
manures them by whole fields, and his products, 
are proportionably increased. Every farmer in 
this country must also have observed, how luxu- 
riant his crops are on his turnip patch, compared 



26 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



with the adjoining lands ; and this, too, for a 
number of years in succession. Now, what can 
be the reason of this ? It is not simply that 
turnips groiu there. It is because of the special 
care which was laken first in the manuring, and 
then in the culture of that spot. Now suppose, 
that instead of a small piece, we extend our ef- 
forts, and by means of enlarged exertions, bring 
a larger piece into profitable cultivation : every 
one must see, that in this way whole fields, one 
after another, will uhimately be enriched. And 
I do contend, that upon trial, the root will be 
found a most important auxiliary in bringing 
about this great desideratum. Besides, cattle 
when restricted for a long time to dry food, not 
only loathe it, but it seems to have a very bad 
effect upon their bowels. Their excrement is 
voided in dry lumps, and in very small quanti- 
ties ; and their whole appearance plainly indi- 
cates that their health is materially suffering. 
Now, the best antidote to this, or the best reme- 
dy, when it has occurred, is frequent and gener- 
ous supplies of rich food, of which some one of 
the roots forms a principal part. If, therefore, by 
root culture, our lands are actually improved — 
if, by feeding on roots, our stock is kept in good 
thrift, and especially, if by the same, we can 
make a much larger amount of manure, and of 
a quality greatly improved, then the question is 
at once settled, that this is a most valuable crop. 

The next thing to be considered, is the best 
mode of cultivating it. And here I would ob- 
serve, that the rich, deep, loa?mj soil, is evidently 
the best for this crop. An excess of clay or 
sand is found, upon trial, an unfavorable position; 
but that peculiar mixture of the two which forms 
what is commonly called a loam, is decidedly the 
best. Having then selected a suitable situation, 
if not already rich, it must be made so: for it is 
mere folly ro attempt to raise the root on poor 
land. The quantity of manure to be applied, 
will depend on the condition of the land. If 
very poor, it will require fifty or sixty cart loads 
to the acre — if in good heart, half that quantity 
will be sufficient. Special attention ought also 
to be paid to the quality of manure. Coarse 
materials, such as we usually get from the farm- 
pen, will not answer the purpose. Our finest 
and richest manures, such as we get from our 
stables, ought to be selected for this crop, and if 
they have lain and fermented awhile, so as to 
separate into small pieces when spread, it will 
be all the better. Roots, when grown among 
lumps of manure, are found to be crooked and 
branchy, whereas, if they are sustained by fine 
manures, they are straight and free from prongy 
branches. 

The ground being enriched, the next thing is 
to prepare it for sowing. This is to be done bv 
repeated ploughings and harrowings, until the 
whole is reduced to the finest tilth. Every clod 
and turf ought to be completely reduced, and 



the whole surface made as fine and light as pos-a 
sible. In this process, especially where beets,- 
carrots, and parsnips are to be grown, it will be 
of great service to use the coulter, running the 
scores as deep as possible. This will break and- 
loosen the sub-soil, and thus give a deeper tilths 
to your plantation. The ground being thus pre- 
pared, 1 greatly prefer, especially for spring roots, 
to throw the whole into beds, such as we use 
for planting corn. The object of this is to drain: 
off the superfluous water, which at this season 
of the year is often injurious. These beds. T 
would make at distances of six feet, and on each 
bed put two rows of roots. The rows will then, 
be three feet apart, and this distance I prefer, not 
because the roots will not grow nearer together, 
but because of the greater convenience of after- 
cultivation. This, I am aware, is generall-yt 
classed anricng the hoe-crops, but with the ex- 
ception of the thinning and first-weeding, it need! 
not necessaril}^ be so, for in ro\vs of the above: 
distance, the plough and cultivator, may be made; 
to complete the whole process, and this at a great 
saving of tim.e and labor. Turnips may be cul- 
tivated, pretty much as the other roots, except 
that for them, the season being farther advanced 
I would not throw the land into beds, but leave 
the surface as smooth and level as possible 
Beets, carrots, parsnips and potatoes, ought all 
to be planted as early in spring as the ground 
will thoroughl}^ pulverise — turnips from the 20lhl 
July till the 10th of August. In sowing, many 
persons use a drill, but I find that an experienced 
hand will take the seeds betVv^een his thumb and 
fingers and deposit them with great accuracy 
and rapidity. Indeed. I had rather depend on a 
careful operator, than on the best drill I hav€ 
ever seen. As soon as the seeds are sown, they 
ought to be covered slightly with fine earth, 
The hand-rake is a very suitable inslrumjcnt foi 
this operation. And then it is a matter of greal 
importance to pass a heavy roller over the whole.j 
It is \exy desirable that the ground should be in 
a moist state at the time of sowing, but if it has 
been prepared with the care staled above, I would 
not hesitate to sow even in a dry time. I recol- 
lect once seeing a turnip-patch, over a small part 
of which, the roller had accidcntall}^ passed — 
there the turnips had come up verj' thick, whereas 
on every other part they were too thin for half a 
crop. If a roller cannot be commanded, the de- 
ficiency may be pretty well supplied by walking, 
over all the scores, taking care to make the 
steps very short. The great object is to bring 
the seeds in firm contact with the ground, which 
can only be done by pressure of some kind ; 
otherwise, spaces will be left about the seeds, 
which will prevent their vegetating. In sowing, 
especially the turnip, the chief danger to be ap- 
prehended, is the unnecessary and profuse use 
of .seed. A very successful cultivator of this 
root once observed to me, that his practice iii 



injs 
cant 
sian 
Preci 

Ills 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



27 



sowing was to take out as many seeds as he 
thought would be sufficient for his patch; but 
in going- along, he was careful to stump his toe, 
and spill at least one-half — the balance, he found 
amply abundant. The fact is, the man prepared 
his land with great care, and this will at once, 
account for his great success in the vegetation 
of his seed. I have often seen it stated, that 
one pound of seed is sufficient for an acre; but 
as it is easier to remove supernumeraries, than 
to supply deficiencies, I would prefer half as 
much again. 

The turnip crop, especially in its young state, 
has a most formidable enemy in what is com- 
monly called the turnip-fly or beetle, a small in- 
sect somewhat larger than the flea, but resem- 
bling that pest in this, that it skips away at the 
approach of danger. So troublesome is this in- 
sect in England, where the tin-nip is cultivated 
to a very great extent, that the government of 
that country has offered a very large reward, 
£20,000, I believe, for an efli?ctual antidote to 
its depredations. Essay after essay, amounting 
in the whole, to many volumes, has been written 
on this subject, but still their crops are often to- 
tally destroyed. I have often thought, that were 
I in that country. I should pocket the cash. I 
have at least discovered a remedy which, after 
more than ten years' trial, I have found effectual, 
and that is by strewing a small quantity of fine 
tobacco over the plants whilst in their tender 
state. But it is to be remarked, that if the 
strength of the tobacco be destroyed by a shower 
of rain, the process must be rejieated, until the 
plants are out of danger. The after-cultur^e con- 
sists in thinning the plants, when sufficiently 
large, to intervals of about ten inches or a foot, 
and then in keeping them perfectly free from 
weeds and grass throughout the season. Tur- 
nips commonly vegetate verj'- quickly after sow- 
ing, so that the seeds require no soaking or other 
preparation ; but beets, carrots and parsnips being 
enveloped in a hard crust, require a long time to 
vegetate. I would, therefore, recommend that 
previous to sowing, the latter be soaked some 
three or four days in warm water. Indeed, I 
object not, if they be not only greatly swollen, 
but many of them actually sprouted. When 
committed to the ground in this state, they come 
up quickly, so as to get the start of weeds, their 
great enemy. 

And here I cannot impress it too strongly 
upon every cultivator of the root, to be very 
careful "as to the quality of his seeds. If this 
article be defective in any respect, the crop will 
be proportionably curtailed. I have satisfied 
myself, from long experience, that bought seed 
cannot be invariably relied on. In some in- 
stances, though sowed with every necessary 
precaution, they have entirely failccl — in others, 
the vegetation has been very partial, and the 
few plants which made their appearance, were 



weak and sickly. This being the case, I would 
strongly recommend, that every man should 
raise his own seed. I have never been disap- 
pointed in the home-bred article. In raising 
seed, I have seen it recommended, and expe- 
rience has proved to me, that the plan is an ex- 
cellent one, to remove all the lateral branches, 
leaving none but the strong middle stem to bear 
the seed. These seeds are larger and heavier, 
and it is but reasonable to suppose, that they 
will impress their own product with their cha- 
racter. 

We will now consider the crop as come to 
maturity, and if throughout the whole process, 
you have used sufficient care and industry, and 
especially, if a kind Providence has given you 
a good season, the crop will be an abundant one. 
Of beets, the product will be about eighi hvm- 
dred bushels to the acre, and of turnips, canots 
and parsnips, about five hmidied bushels. In- 
deed, we consianily have accounis of more than 
double this quanlitj-; but my calculation is 
founded upon the hot, dry climate in which we 
live. 

The foregoing is from the pen of a distin- 
guished -agriculturalist, who is known to us by 
reputation^ at least. We are sorry that particu- 
lar circumstances induce him to withhold from 
his communication the authority which his nanrie 
would carry with it, but, as beggars cannot be 
choosers, we must be thankful for whatever we 
get. 

The first point is to establish the relative va- 
lue of the root crop, a question, that we have 
considered hitherto not exactly settled. Our au- 
thor, whilst he admits the greater product of the 
corn crop, rests his argument in favor of roots 
upon the superior cultivation induced, and their 
peculiar fitness in supplying the want of green 
food, at a season when it cannot be had. Now 
we humbly apprehend that corn might, nay 
ought, to be cultivated as highly as the root 
crop itself; the same degree of pulverizing and 
manuring, that is necessary to the one crop, is 
equally advantageous to the other ; and we can- 
not see how the man, who neglects his field 
when planted in corn^ can be expected to attend 
to it, because it is planted in roots. 

As to the value of green food, we have been 
inclined to think that nature generally piovided 
it at the season when she required it. At any 
rate, w-e have considered that sound, old, corn 
was a pretty good substitute for it. 

If the root crop can be introduced advan- 
tageously amongst us, and we only desire, by 
the doubts we have expressed, to induce inquiry, 



28 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



then is this communication, which will be con- 
tinued in our next, invaluable to the southern 
farmer. 



FOOD FOR HORSES. 
The following is a clear and condensed state- 
ment of facts, exactly fitted for the columns of 
the Planter. It comes from the county of Al- 
bemarle, and the plan, we understand, finds great 
favor with some of the best farmers. 

Mr. Bolts ^ — We feed horses on corn cut the 
last of August and Ist September, stacker), at 
first, half a barrel in each slack or shock, after- 



wards more ; the last of October and 1st No- 
vember it is housed ; that for the horses, shuck 
and all ; from twelve to fifteen ears per horse are 
placed in a hogshead filled with water, one quart 
of salt and one pint of lime being added for ten 
horses ; the hogshead is divided with plank, so 
as to enable us with less trouble to come at the 
corn which has been in a sufficient length of 
time, (twenty-four hours). Thus morning and 
night a side of the hogshead is filled. We find 
from twelve to fifteen ears sufficient in winter to 
keep a horse fat ; ours work constantly and hard. 
This plan also saves near half the hay usually 
wasted. We use no rack, having instead, dou- 
ble troughs, which makes it necessary to cut 
the hay. Collonus. 



H A T C n E S S O W I N G MACHINE 




Explanation — This machine consists of a 
pair of wheels of the size of ordinar}^ carriage 
wheels : an axlelree ten feet long, with a pair of 
shafts for the horse to draw by. Just in front of 
the wheels, and across the shafts, is the hopper 

A, ten feet long and capable of holding three or 
four bushels of grain. At the bottom of the 
hopper is a slide or agitator one inch square, 
faced with iron and h.iving teeth on the inside, 
by the motion of which the grain is shaken out. 
The width of the crevice, and the consequent 
discharge of the seed, can be increased or di- 
minished by means of set screws, as shown at 

B. When the machine is in operation a rapid 
vibratory motion is given to the agitator by 
means of a small rod and crank C, attached to 
one end of a small shaft fifteen inches long, on 
the other end of which is a pinion wheel D, 
with cogs or teeth meshing into the master wheel 
E. The master wheel is bolted on to the inside 



of the spokes of the high wheel of the machine, 
It is two feet in diameter, and one revolution of 
it gives eight revolutions to the pinion wheel 
and shaft. On the top of the back part of the 
machine is a seat for the driver. A small cord 
is attached to the end of the pinion shaft, and 
reaches to the seat of the driver, by means of 
which he can readily put the machine out of 
geer, so as to stop the discharge of seed at any 
time when desired. The machine will sow all 
kinds of grain, grass seed and plaster, at any 
desired rate from four quarts to as manj^- bushels 
per acre. It is easily managed, and not liable 
to get out of order. A man or a smart boy with 
a horse, can sow from twenty to twenty-five 
acres with it in a day. The inventor and pro- 
prietor of this m.achine has spent several years 
in testing and improving it, and he now intro- 
duces it to the public with the utm.ost assurance 
that it will fully meet the wants and expecta- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tions of the community. It is well known that 
sowing is one of the most difficult and laborious 
operations of the farmer, and one which but few 
men can perform properly. Hence arises the 
need of a machine like this — one that will per- 
form the work correctly, expeditiously, and with 
ease. All who have used this machine, agree 
in declaring that it answers the purpose exactly ; 
and if we are not mistaken, it will in a few 
years be as uncommon to see a farmer sowing 
grain by hand in this country, as it now is to 
see one thrashing with a flail. 

The cut and description are both taken from 
the American Mechanic, and contain all that we 
k> -A^ upon the subject. 



For the Southern Planter. 

Mr. Editor, — It may be safely asserted that 
two of the most prominent causes of the present 
impoverished state of our lands may be found, 
lirst, in our want of care in availing ourselves of 
every means of improvement in our power, and, 
secondly, our want of judgment in their applica- 
tion. The object of this article is, first, to point 
out a source of improvement, (which with us at 
least has hitherto been neglected,) and, secondly, 
to point out an error which is often committed, 
even by those, who are considered good farmers, 
in the application of their compost. The source 
of improvement, sir, to which I allude, is rich 
earth, such as we find around old houses, the 
corners of fences, which have stood for many 
years, &c. I had often heard of the improve- 
ment effected by this kind of earth, and was in- 
duced, in 1839, to apply it to some poor land, 
which I wished to cultivate in coin, and the re- 
sult was altogether satisfactory ; for by its aid, 
land, which would scarcely have brought five 
bushels of corn, produced five barrels, to the acre, 
although the first planting was; almost entirely 
destroyed by the cut-worm, and it v/as not re- 
planted until the 16th of May. Not having 
used this earth before, (and not having that con- 
fidence in it which I now have) I was induced 
to apply it in too large quantities, as I put one 
hundred loads to the acre. This was spread, 
and the land then ploughed, whereas, had I first 
ploughed the land and then applied the earth, I 
believe that the same benefit would have been 
derived from the 'application of half of that 
quantity. 

The wheat upon this land was so injured by 
the various diseases, which affected that crop in 
1840, that, although there was a great increase 
of straw, there v.'as no great yield of wheat. 
But there is now a fine crop of clover on this 
land, which promises great improvement. To 
some, this method of improving may appear to 
be too laborious, and indeed would be, had we 
to haul it as far as we have to haul our compost; 



but this is not the case, for this earth is often 
within a few yards of land, which requires it, 
and to improve it by this earth, is, in fact, easier, 
than to improve it by compost. By availing 
myself of this source of improvement, I was 
enabled, in one year, to get out upon my land 
two hundred loads to the hand, of improving 
matter, whereas, had I relied upon my stables 
and farm-pen, I would not have had more than 
fifty loads to the hand. The second thing to 
which I wish to call attention, is the error com- 
mitted by many farmers in the application of 
their compost. With many, it is the custom to 
haul out their compost early in the spring, upon 
the land, which they intend to fallow, where it 
is deposited in piles of a smgle load each, there 
to remain until the land is fallowed, which is 
generally done about August, This method of 
applying manure, though it may appear absurd 
to you, Mr. Editor, is quite common with many 
farmers with us. My eyes were opened to the 
folly of this course, when quite a boy. The 
compost had been, as usual, hauled out in the 
spring, and suffered to remain in heaps until 
August, when we commenced to fallow. My 
father, (thinking that his want of success in the 
improvement of his land by compost had been 
the result of inattention in spreading it,) re- 
quested me to attend to it, which I did, and had 
it carefully scattered ; but still there was no im- 
provement, save where the piles of manure had 
been deposited. The fact was, that the strength 
of the manure had either been evaporated, or 
washed into the earth by rains. I will here add 
my method of using compost. In the fall, and 
early in the spring, I have those parts of my 
corn field ploughed which I do not intend ma- 
nuring ; whilst such parts as are too poor to cul- 
tivate in corn without, are left till ihe last. Upon 
this land then, I have compost hauled, spread, 
and immediately ploughed in before planting 
corn. If, however, this land cannot be manured 
in time for the planting of the main crop of corn, 
it is done immediately after, and planted in corn. 
The advantage of this method is, that a good 
crop of corn is secured, and the land is still in a 
fine condition for wheat. Should my corn land 
not require all of my compost, or should we, by 
the lateness of the season, be compelled to desist 
from hauling it out on the corn land, I prefer 
carrying it out as soon as practicable, and spread- 
ing it on the land which is intended for a fallow 
for wheat. This system, which is gaining 
ground with us, is, I think, the best that can be 
followed ; for by the aid of the manure, there is 
a good crop of clover produced, and the land is 
rendered capable of producing a good crop of 
wheat. Upon land, which was manured in this 
way last spring, I have now a fine crop of wheat, 
although when it was thus manured it was too 
poor to produce a decent crop. 

A Friend to Improvement, 



30 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



BUTTER. 

The following is an extract from a letter to 
the Editor of the Boston Cultivator. It is very 
certain, that the temperature is an important 
item in butter making. Artificial means must 
be used to lower it in summer, or raise it in 
winter, until it reaches the temperate point, if 
you would avoid an indifferent article, obtained 
with great labor. 

" To make good winter butter, let the follow- 
ing rules be observed. Never let your milk be 
exposed to a cold frosty air when the cream is 
rising ; and when the cream is taken from the 
milk, let it be kept in a room or closet, con- 
structed of bricks if possible, where it can be 
kept warm by a stove, so that it shall not be 
chilled in the coldest of weather, and the cream 
be well stirred on every addition being made to 
that in the pot. The best butter is commonly 
made in May or June, and, of course, the cream 
ought to be kept in a temperature of warnrith 
corresponding to those months. A situation 
nigh a cooking-stove we have found most con- 
venient for curing the cream. We have also 
found a great advantage in heating the milk, 
when first strained, nearly or quite to a scalding 
heat. Such cream will not froth in the churn. 

S. Brown." 

Wilmington, JVov. 3, 1 841. 



From a prize essay on making compost heaps 
and the value of liquid manures, written by Mr. 
James Dixon, and published in the Journal of 
the English Agricultural Society, we make the 
following extracts ; 

" Having brought great quantities of both 
peat and sawdust into my farm yard, I laid out 
for the bottom of a compost heap a space of 
considerable dimensions, and about three feet in 
depth: three-fourths of this bottom was peat, 
the rest sawdust : on this we conveyed daily the 
dung from the cattle-shed, the urine also is con- 
ducted through channels to wells for its recep- 
tion — one of each side of the compost heap ; — 
common water is entirely prevented from mixing 
with it. Every second day the urine so col- 
lected is thrown over the whole mass with a 
scoop, and at the same time we regulate the ac- 
cumulated dung. This being continued for a 
week, another layer, nine inches or a foot thick, 
of peat and sawdust (and frequently peat with- 
out sawdust) is wheeled on the accumulated 
heap. These matters are continuously added 
to each other during winter, and in addition, 
once in every week never less than 25 cwt. — 
more frequently 50 cwt. of night soil and urine ; 
the latter are always laid next above the peat or 
bog earth, as we think it accelerates their de- 



composition. It is perhaps proper here to state 
that the peat is dug and exposed to the alterna- 
tions of the weather for several months before it 
is brought to the heap for admixture ; by this it 
loses much of its moisture. In some cases, peat 
contains acid or astringent matters, which are 
injurious to useful vegetation. On this I have 
not tried any decided experiment, but am led to 
the supposition by frequently seeing stones, some 
in a partial state of decomposition, others wholly 
decomposed in bogs, and at the depth of several 
feet from the surface. Some years' experience 
has convinced me of the impropriety of using 
recently dug peat; proceeding in the manner I 
recommend, it is superior and more convenient 
on every account — very much lighter to cart to 
the farm-yard or any other situation where it is 
wanted ; and so convinced am I of its utility in 
composts for every description of soil, except 
that of its own character, that wherever it can 
be laid down on a farm at less than four shillings 
per ton, I should recommend every agriculturist 
and horticulturist that can command it, even at 
the cost here stated, to give it a fair trial. So 
retentive and attractive of moisture is peat, that 
if liberally applied to arid, sandy soil, that soil 
does not burn in a dry season, and it so much 
improves the texture and increases the produce 
of an obdurate clay soil, if in other respects 
rightly cultivated, that actual experience alone 
can fairly determine its value. 

" For the conveyance of night-soil and urine, 
we have the largest and strongest casks, such 
as oils are imported in ; the top of which is pro- 
vided with a funnel to put the matters through, 
and the casks are fixed on wheels like those of 
a common dung-cart. For the convenience of 
emptying this carriage, the compost heaps are 
always lower at one end ; the highest is where 
we discharge the contents, in order that they 
may in some degree spread themselves over the 
whole accumulation. The situation on which 
the wheels of these carriages stand while being 
discharged is raised c^siderably ; this we find 
convenient, as the compost heap may be sloped 
six or seven feet high : low compost heaps, in 
my opinion, should be avoided. The plan here 
recommended I have carried on for some time. 
I find no difficulty in manuring n\v farm over 
once in two years ; by this repetition I keep up 
the fertility of my land, and it never requires 
more than a moderate application of manure. 

"The beneficial effects of top-dressing young 
clovers or mixed grass seeds is scarcely ever re- 
garded with due attention. By this help crops 
are not only much increased, even thirty or fifty 
per cent, but they are also ready for cutting 
much sooner, which in a backward spring gives 
the stock farmer inestimable advantages for sort- 
ing his cattle, and thereby raising manure at 
his pleasure. The full effects of this practice I 
I first experienced in the dry season of 1826: I 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



31 



had some clovers which had been manured the 
previous winter; my land was soon covered 
with crop, and that so vigorous a one, that the 
hot weather did not overpower it. My cows 
that summer were tied up during the da3'-time, 
and in the night they were turned out into the 
pastures ; most of the stock in my district were 
much distressed from over-heat as well as from 
being short of food for some weeks ; milk yielded 
little butter ; scarcely any for a time was offered 
in our large market town : — no doubt that year 
will be remembered by many gentlemen on the 
Agricultural Society's committee. I, however, 
was under no difficulties on account of the sea- 
son ; my clovers produced plenty of food for my 
cattle, and in return, they yielded as much milk 
and butter as I ever recollect from the same 
number. I am persuaded that the same satis- 
factory results would have followed if the same 
system had been adopted for feeding stock ; it 
was that year my attention was first directed to 
raising compost heaps from urine. This I now 
do frequently without the help of any dung from 
the cattle-stalls. The same occasion called my 
mind to another matter well worthy every far- 
mer's attention — I allude to the great superiority 
of the manure raised in summer-stalling to that 
produced in the stalls during winter. I verily 
believe the diff'erence is fifty per cent, unless 
stock are fed in a great measure during winter 
with artificial food. In an arrangement for 
making compost heaps from urine, 1 would re- 
commend a receptacle to be made at the back 
of the cattle-stalls just outside the building ; 
this should hold about twenty cart-loads of mould, 
or any other matters to be employed ; if its situa- 
tion were a little lower than the cattle-sheds, all 
the urine would pass into it, and remain there 
until the mass is completely saturated, which 
will be sufficient ; when the earthy matters are 
covered over with it, the compost may then be 
thrown out and the proceeding again renewed. 
In order to show part of the benefits of this prac- 
tice, I beg here to observe that the most foul or 
weedy mould may be used ; the action of the 
urine, if not reduced by water, is so powerful, 
that wire- worms, the black slug, many other de- 
stroying insects, and all vegetables, weeds, &c. 
when in contact with the urine for a time are 
deprived of their living functions. The situation 
for raising this compost should be protected from 
the weather by a covering similar to a cart-shed ; 
indeed, the deteriorating influences of rain, sun, 
and arid winds, on all putrescent matters or com- 
post are so serious, that in my humble judgment 
it would be worth while to have places under 
cover where these are usually laid down." 



GRAIN-RAKE. 

An implement under this name, patented by 
Mr. Israel Kyes, of Putney, Vermont, is highly 



spoken of as a labor-saving machine, and is thus 
described ; 

"It has two wheels, two feet in diameter at- 
tached to an axle long enough to pass each 
wheel clear of the cradled grain, say five feet. 
To the axle is affixed six teeth like cradle-fingers 
attached in line, and two handles in the opposite 
direction fasten in the manner of sythe-nibs that 
may be altered to give the right pilch to the 
fingers. You have a machine to take up grain 
from the cradle swathe much faster and easier 
than taking up by the hand-rake. It passes 
before the laborer like the wheel-barrow. When 
a bundle is gathered on the fingers, you step 
your foot on a wire attached to the handle which 
raises the fingers and brings the bundle up ready 
to be bound." 



PAPER NETS FOR SILKWORMS. 
We know very little about the culture of silk, 
but are inclined to think, that as soon as the 
disgust created by the morus fever shall have 
worn off, and the next generation come to con- 
sider the subject calmly and coolly, it will be 
found to be a very good business, under certain 
circumstances. To those who have engaged in 
the raising of v orms, w^e are assured, th .i the 
following extract, from a letter to the Editors of 
the National Intelligencer, will be worth perusal. 
The author, after speaking of a somewhat simi- 
lar net used in France, adds, 

" I will now furnish directions for making and 
using nets similar to mine, which I have found 
to accomplish well what is ascribed to the French 
nets. 

" These nets are made by providing a frame- 
work of light laths, three feet long and two feet 
wide, (this being the size most convenient,) — 
the two pieces of laths three feet long being 
united by three pieces two feet long, one at each 
end and one in the middle. The holes (five- 
eighths of an inch in diameter) are punched in 
sheets of strong brown paper, three feet long 
and two feet wide, to suit the fraixjes on which 
they are pasted. The space between the holes 
ma}^ be about an inch. With an instrument 
called a wad-cutler, twenty sheets of paper may 
be punched at once. Double sets of these nets 
will cost but little more than shelves of rough 
plank, and if the frames are well put together 
with wrought nails, they will last more than 
twenty years. This paper will require renewing 
in everj^ period of six or seven years. After the 
silkworms have accomplished the third moulting, 
the nets may be laid over the worms daily, if 
the culturist desires it, up to the time of mount- 
ing, and the worms will be kept as clean as the 
most careful could desire, and with com para = 
tively little labor. 



32 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



" The nets must not be laid over the worms 
when they are torpid ; but after the third and 
fourth mouhings, when nearly all the worms are 
aroused, ihey may be laid over them daily ; and 
when the leaves are scattered over the paper, they 
will speedily extricate themselves from the litter, 
ascend through the holes and commence eating. 
The nets may be used with or without shelves 
under them; if without shelves, they can be 
supported by parallel slips of timber, about twenty 
inches apart ; if placed on shelves, they must 
be raised about two inches by placing blocks of 
timber under each end. When these nets are 
used, disease cannot be produced by the accu- 
mulation of litter without gross negligence, yet 
no claiai to infallibility is set up for them. Let 
silk culturists try them. They will be found 
simple, (a child can apply and use them,) eco- 
nomical^ and very efficient. 

Layton Y. Atkins." 

Stafford County, Va. Sept. 1841. 



In a very scientific and able disquisition, upon 
the subject of " Feeding," delivered before the 
Agricultural Society of Tennessee, Mr. Shelby 
enters into a physiological explanation of the 
fact, that half-fed animals always exhibit dispro- 
portionately large stomachs and heads. They 
are the two first parts provided for at the expense 
of the absorbents, by which the general system 
is nourished. He plausibly maintains, that, 
when this is the case in early life, the absorbent 
vessels become inert and powerless, for want of 
exercise, and that an animal, thus arriving at 
maturity, can never regain its lost powers — con- 
sequently, he asserts, that that prodigious in- 
crease of weight obtained by Dr. Martin and 
others, 3 lbs a day, is totally impracticable in j 
such a case. A hog taken up and fed freely, | 
after having run at large, scantily provided for 
from his birth, will, he avers, become sick and 
feverish ; the absorbents having become rigid 
and non-elastic, he will be unable to digest this 
unusual quantity of food, his excrement will 
be more copious and richer ; and a post mortem 
examination of the lungs and liver will exhibit 
evident marks of disease. In no case, he de- 
clares, will it be possible to fasten on such a 
subject an increase of 240 lbs. in six months ; a 
result obtained by Dr. Martin and others with 
younger animals. 

Now there is reason in every thing, and if 
the absorbents become inert for want of exer- 
cise, they may be overstrained by unnatural ex- 
cess. Whilst we are not sufficiently versed in 
physiology to determine from which extreme 



most danger is to be apprehended, we do not 
hesitate to express the opinion, that the unna- 
tural, surfeiting system, by which an anim.al is 
made to gain 3 lbs. a day, is neither profitable 
to the feeder, nor agreeable to the animal. Nor 
do we believe that animals in this part of the 
world, at least, often fail to get enough to keep 
their " absorbents" in exercise : at any rate, if a 
running-out hog, when he is taken up and fat- 
tened, becomes diseased ; all we have to say is, 
that sick hog-meat makes pretty good eating. 



SOILING. 

Much has been said both for and against the 
soiling system. Like all other theories, it has 
had its opponents and advocates, who run into 
extremes, and like all other extreme partisans, 
they have been both in the wiong. Under cer- 
tain circumstances, we have no doubt the system 
may be pursued to infinite advantage, and we 
believe it is generally better adapted to the plan 
of northern, than southern farming. To the 
north the whole farm is highly cultivated, and 
they have little or no pasture land, thai they 
could not reap. Fencing, too, is much more of 
an object with them than with us. 

Still, as there are many here to whose circum- 
stances the system wculd apply, partially at 
least, we present the fallowing statement of its 
advantages : 

JOSIAH QUINCY's farm. 

Josrah Cluincy, President of Harvard College, 
has one of the finest farms in the vicinity of 
Boston. It is extensive, and surrounded by a 
flourishing hawthorn hedge ; but there is not an 
interior fence on the premises, the whole presents 
a single field, devoted to all the various purposes 
of agriculture. No part of it is allotted to pas- 
ture, properly speaking, as his cattle are fed in 
their stalls and never sufl^ered to roam over the 
fields ; and the advantages of his system are 
thus given : Fonricrly there were seven miles of 
interior fence to be kept in repair, but by keeping 
the cattle up the whole of this expense is saved. 
Formerly sixty acres of this farm were devoted 
to pasturage ; but now, a greater number of cat- 
tle, by one-third, are kept upon the products of 
twenty acres, and the cattle are in the best con- 
dition. 

The saving by these means is enormous, and 
the immense advantages arising from it too ap- 
parent to be dwelt upon. During the summer 
the cattle are fed upon grass, green oats, or bar- 
ley, cut the day before and suffered to wilt in 
the sun ; but the manure which is thus saved 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



33 



will more than pay the extra expense and trouble. 
The farm is most highly cultivated, and every 
kind of grain and vegetable has a place. 

When a man's land is all tillage and mowing, 
there is no doubt of the great economy of the 
soiling system ; but when a farm contains many 
acres of broken pasture lands, which have never 
been subjected to the plough, and a small pro- 
portion, relatively, of mowing and tillage land, 
the system cannot profitably be adopted. Yet 
all farmers \v\\\ find it good policy to have a 
small quantity of land devoted to green crops, 
to be fed out to their milch cows in case of 
drought or partial failure of their pastures, or 
rather to keep up a full flow of milk as the feed 
in the pastures becomes old and tough. 

Boston, Cultivator. 



POTATOES. 
The following directions for cooking Irish po- 
tatoes, which, by the bye, is not such an indif- 
ferent matter as some people seem to think, are 
taken from the Southern Agriculturist, and come, 
we warrant it, from the pen of a master, or mis- 
tress, in the culinary art : 

"An nnlinned iron saucepan is always pre- 
ferable for boiling potatoes. In preparing them 
they should never be peeled, or they cannot be 
well cooked, and much of their nutritious qua- 
lity will be lost; they only require to be washed 
clean, and at farthest to be lightly scraped. 
After soaking for about an hour, put them into 
the saucepan with cold water enough to cover 
them, and when it begins to boil (which is the 
chief point to be observed in the cooking of them), 
let a tea-cup full of cold water (rather more or 
less according to the quantity) be put in, which 
will check the boiling and allow time for the 
potatoes to be done all through, without their 
being in anj^ danger of breaking; when they 
are sufficiently soft, which may be known by 
trying them with a fork, pour off the water, and 
let the saucepan with the potatoes continue for 
a short time over a gentle fire, and the heat will 
cause any remaining' moisture to evaporate, 
when, after having been peeled, they will be fit 
for table. By this method of cooking (if strictly 
adhered to) they will be found, especially if of 
a good kind, to be very mealy, floury, and deli- 
cately tasted." 



USEFUL INFORMATION TO GARDENERS. 

To prevent birds destroying your seed-beds, 
place thin lohite strings^ such as is commonly 
used in shops, across the beds, about an inch 
above the ground, fixed tight by wooden pegs. 
Where feathers, dead birds suspended, and other 
devices, have failed, this effectually scares the 
marauders. — JYIagazme of Domestic Economy. 
Vol. 2-5 



PROVENDER. 

Our farmers are beginning to understand that 
there is as much management necessary in taking 
care of a crop as in making one. Fodder, shucks, 
and corn-stalks, that formerly were only used to 
be picked by the cattle, and trampled into manure, 
are now carefully cut, soaked, mixed with meal, 
and fed away in troughs. Twelve years ago, 
we bought a barn full of shucks for $1 75, at 
a country sale, and were laughed at for our bar- 
gain ; the same quanlitj^, now, would sell for 
thirty or forty dollars. Corn-stalks, that used to 
be considered fit only for manure, are now found 
to make excellent food, when cut and steamed. 
The Editor of the Farmer in recommending the 
use of this article says, " W^e boldly venture 
upon the assertion, that if a bushel of stalks, 
cut into pieces of an inch in length, either 
soaked in boiling water, or steamed, with a slight 
sprinkling of salt, w^ere given three times a day 
to each head of cattle, that they would maintain 
the animals in good keeping condition." 

We verily believe, that, by a saving of that 
which used to be wasted, a third of the market- 
able crop is sold that was formerly required for 
home consumption, and, that by still greater at- 
tention, another third may be added to it. 



CHANGE OP SEEDS. 
We some time since copied an article from 
the Louisville Journal (a paper, by the way, 
whose agricultural department is proving its ce- 
lebrated Editor to be a universal genius) recom- 
mending the importation of northern seeds, for 
the purpose of expediting the growth of plants. 
We ventured to express the opinion, that this 
object would be more effectually obtained by the 
use of southern, than northern seeds, and quoted 
some authorities which we thought sustained 
us in the position. The purport of those au- 
thorities was, that seed obtained and transmitted 
a quickening impulse from the climate and soil in 
which they w^ere cultivated ; hence, we inferred, 
that seeds, raised under the .vegetative powers 
of a southern sun, w^ould acquire a capability 
of growth that would stead them, for a while, 
even under less genial influences. But the 
Journal argues that the northern is shorter, 
quicker, and more vegetative than the southern 
summer, and, therefore, that we have drawn an 
erroneous conclusion from the premises. In this 
opinion, too, he is backed by an article from an 
able pen in the 12th number of the first volume 



34 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



of the Planter. Struck by the plausibility of 
the argument, and borne down by the weight of 
authority, we were about to abandon our propo- 
sition, when we met with unexpected support in 
the following communication addressed to the 
Journal. Reinforced as we are by this statement 
oi facts ^ we shall not retreat, yet, awhile at least, 
from our first position. 

For the Louisville Journal. 

Gentlemen^ — You have frequently urged your 
agricultural readers to adopt the system of a 
frequent change of seed for every kind of crop. 
The utility of this is not disputed, as far as I 
have seen, by any of your correspondents ; but 
there seem to be conflicting opinions as to the 
sources of supply — perhaps not so much as to 
the sources of supply, as with regard to the 
cause why such a change is beneficial. One 
writer, "A Jefferson Farmer," says that grain, 
the produce of a northern latitude, transported 
to a southern climate, there ripens sooner than 
a native. The reason is, that in the short sum- 
mers of the north it had learned to perfect itself 
speedily, while the southern plant, relying on its 
long summer, got addicted to lazy habits. This, 
I believe, he stated as the result of his own ex- 
perience ; and I have no experience in a similar 
latitude to guaranty a counter opinion. In Scot- 
land it has been long known and practised on, 
that seed from a warmer climate carried to a 
colder, ripen earlier than the native, and vice 
versa. The farmers on the head- waters of the 
Scottish streams are in the habit of receiving 
from the sea-side, annually, such a supply of 
seed grain as, when sown on their own farm, 
produces as much as will sow the whole farm 
the next year; that is, if they sow each year 
one hundred bushels, they will procure ten bushels 
from a warmer climate. These produce ninety 
bushels. Then the ten bushels of next year 
make their whole seed, and the growth of the 
farm is not sowed more than once. Potatoes 
are never a great crop when they ripen fast ; so 
the farmers on the sea-side, to prevent this, get 
their potato plants annually from these highland 
farmers, who purchase their grain for change. 
And about the first of March, the half-way inns 
are thronged. There they meet and exchange 
loads ; the sea-side farmers carrying potatoes 
down, and the moorland farmers taking oats, &c. 
up. P. 



ORCHARDS. 
We have insisted much on the practicability 
and policy of raising our own fruit. Wc are 
fully satisfied that our climate imparts a higher 
flavor to every kind of fruit, even the apple and 
the pear, than can be obtained in a more northern 



latitude. Nature, in truth, has done so much 
for us that we think it unnecessary to do any 
thing for ourselves, and here rests the mistake. 
We have reason to believe that our exertions 
in this behalf have not been altogether fruitless, 
and further to assist those, who have determined 
to postpone no longer the setting out of a young 
orchard, we copy the following directions given 
by Mr. Buckminster, the experienced Editor of 
the Massachusetts Ploughman, to Mr. Parker, 
which we presume will do as w^ell for Mr. Any- 
body else : 

" To secure the hesi trees he must be the ear- 
liesi man on the nursery ground — he should se- 
lect none which have been growing more than 
three years since budding or grafting — take the 
most thrifty looking and those best shaped ; 
those which prove clearly that they were not 
idle last season. When he has carefully taken 
up his trees, not by pulling so hard as to break 
the roots near the stump — he should bury them 
in some cool or shaded place till the first of May, 
unless the leaf puts out sooner ; then the earth 
will be more warm and mellow and the roots 
may be carefully covered, in their natural posi- 
tion, with fine mould. One person should hold 
the tree while another is sifting on the mould, 
and the holder should occasionally shake the 
whole body of the roots that no crevices be left 
to expose them to the open air. 

" In making holes for the trees it is not neces-^ 
sary to dig deep, and but ver}^ little of the sub^- 
soil need to be taken out ; but to guard the body 
from the winds and the roots from too much 
warm.th or desiccation, a mass of straw, stack 
hay, coarse manure, or something of the kind 
should be placed about the tree on the surface ; 
■this will check evaporation, keep the earth light 
as well as moist, and wmII prove a \exy efficient 
support against the winds, and far better than 
any stake to which they can be tied ; for a little 
racking will never injure them while the litter 
is close about their roots. Some make a prac- 
tice of staking up young trees to guard them 
from the cattle. But if cattle are to be turned 
in, the stakes alone should be set for them to rub 
against, since 3'oung trees are too costly to be 
used as cards for cattle. 

" The trees are now well set and supported. 
What next ? Shall the field be seeded with rye 
and grass and be reaped, mown, and pastured 
for four or five 3-ears to prove the trees and see 
how hardy they are? — a common practice, time 
out of mind — and to make it perfect the young 
trees, which are found standing at the end of 
that term, should all be pulled up and burned in 
a heap, for they will not be large enough for fire- 
wood. 

" But Mr. Parker will take care to keep thft 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



35 



ground about the roots in tillage for many years 
if he would be repaid for his trouble ; and he 
will think it no more than reasonable to treat a 
young apple tree, on which he has expended 
one dollar, with as much attention as he treats 
a hill of corn which costs him but one cent. 
For many years the grass must not be allowed 
to take possession of the soil ; for by this ninety- 
nine young orchards in a hundred have been 
rendered wholly worthless. 

" When trees are well set, and cultivated as 
well as a favorite field of corn usually is, they 
will grow one foot in height during the first 
summer ! Yet most men who set out trees 
seem perfectly satisfied if they exhibit a single 
green leaf the first season." 



NEW METHOD OF MAKING BREAD. 

Among the new inventions and contrivances 
of which I have lately heard, is something which 
I believe bids fair to become universally useful 
to the city and country and the world, and that 
is, a new method of making good light sweet 
bread. All the world knows, that one of the 
most difficult and perplexing matters to house- 
keepers, is to have good emptings or yeast for 
bread. Now, the invention is this: — Take an 
acid like cream of tartar, I mean simply an acid 
in the form of a powder, and rub a sufficient 
quantity of this dry and powdered acid into a 
proper quantity of dry flour. Then wet the 
flour and put in your alkali, potash, or any fixed 
alkali. The valuable part of the discovery is 
this, the acid and alkali will not effervesce until 
the loaf is baked, when the acid is rubbed into 
the flour in a dry state. The experiment is 
worth trying. I assure you that a most delicious 
bread is produced, light, sweet, and good, in this 
manner, from any good flour or meal you use, 
wheat, rye, or Indian corn. Cream of tartar 
may be used and saleratus for the purpose of 
trying it. Nothing can be more healthful than 
this bread. The inventor is a baker by trade, 
and I believe it will come into use everywhere. 
Try it yourselves by rubbing into your flour, in 
a perfectly dry state, spme cream of tartar, and 
then mixing the batter with whatever liquid you 
please, milk, buttermilk, or water, and adding a 
little saleratus. You will have an excellent, 
toothsome, and wholesome bread. — Boston paper. 



From the Farmers' Cabinet. 
HORN-AIL. 

JMr. Editor^ — Having persuaded myself that 
the practice of boring the horns and applying 
spirits of turpentine, &c. in the disease called 
horn-ail, which is so very prevalent in America, 
is entirely wrong in principle, and has the most 
pernicious consequences in practice, I deem it 
not improper to recommend, by the means of 



your valuable periodical, a system of cure by 
which, during a long veterinary practice, both 
in France and in Philadelphia, New York and 
E^arrisburg, I have been successful in most 
cases ; while by the common way of proceeding 
no animal is saved, some either not having been 
attacked by that disease, or getting cured by 
nature itself. 

This disease is also called the '' red water," 
or blood in the back or loins, and arises princi- 
pally from cattle being at grass during the sum- 
mer on lots which are very dry and without 
shade, and from their being exposed to excessive 
heat of the sun and to great cold in the winter 
time ; there are various other causes, as moory 
pastures, moist weather, &c. to all which cattle 
in this country are generally exposed ; sour and 
mouldy hay, the exclusive feeding on corn-stalks, 
also contributes a good deal to this disorder. 

As this disease is of an inflammatory charac- 
ter, the application of spirits of turpentine and 
the like, which produce inflammation, is entirely 
wrong. Boring the horns is at most curing 
symptoms and not the disease. I recommend to 
every owner of cattle the following mode of 
cure, tried by me a good many times with suc- 
cess: 

When the animal is observed to be suffering 
from this disorder, one or two quarts of blood, 
according to the size of the animal, are to be 
drawn immediately from a neck vein ; then two 
table -spoonsful of the following powder are to 
be given three times every day, the powder being 
previously dissolved in a pint of lukewarm wa- 
ter ; this to be continued until the animal re- 
covers : 

Glauber salts. 

Cream of tartar. 

Purified saltpetre, 

Powdered root of altha^, 1 1 " 

It is necessary besides, to rub the animal fre- 
quently during the disease, principally on the 
back. But if the animal should be costive, 
either of the following clysters is to be given : 

Take a handful of camomile flowers, two 
handsful of flax seed ; boil them in two quarts 
of water, strain them, and add eight ounces of 
linseed oil and three table-spoonsful of common 
salt. This clyster is to be applied by means of 
a syringe. 

Should these articles not be at hand, take one 
quart of wheat bran, pour two quarts of boiling 
water on it, strain, and add eight ounces of flax 
seed oil and two ounces of common salt. This 
clyster is to be lukewarm when applied to the 
rectum or straight gut, by the means of a syringe 
or a fit-funnel. "Joseph Fiehrer, 

Veterinary Physician. 

Harrishurg, Oct. 6, 1841. 

What affinity is there between this "horn- 
air' and the well known distemper to which all 



6 ounces. 
2 " 
2 " 



36 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



foreign cattle are subject in our region ? The 
symptoms are very similar, and we believe the 
causes assigned for the one frequently produce 
the other. The recipe is worth a trial, especially 
as we know no other that can be recommended. 



HERNLEY'S PATENT DOUBLE SHEARED 
PLOUGH CULTIVATOR. 

This is a machine for hoeing corn and pota- 
toes, cotton and tobacco, invented by a German 
Farmer in Pennsylvania. It is said to save 
more than half the labor usually bestowed upon 
those crops, and numbers testify, that, in the 
culture of potatoes, the saving of labor is equal 
to three-fourths of that usually applied. 

"It finishes," it is said, "each row by once 
going over it, and the shears may be set so as 
to accommodate themselves to any distance be- 
tween the rows, and give any desired form to 
the hills, either flat, round, or conical. With 
this instrument one man will, on an average, in 
one day, with one or two horses, hoe from six 
to eight acres of corn in the most approved 
manner." 

We do not believe all that we hear, but if one- 
half that is said about this machine is true, it is 
invaluable to the southern planter. W^e shall 
keep our eye upon it and make further inquiries 
concernino^ it. 



ONE NIGGER EQUAL TO TWO ENGLISHMEN. 

An English minister happened not long since 
to be in New York, on his wziy to Washington, 
and behind his carriage there were two footmen 
dressed in livery. Their appearance first ex- 
cited the attention, and then gradually increased 
the num.bers of the crowd, till, at length, shouts 
and hurras were set up by the boys, who cried 
out, " Hurrah for the Englishmen ! hurrah for 
the Englishmen ! It takes two Englishmen to 
make one Nigger !" meaning that two English 
footmen were tliought necessary to do the duty 
which they had been always accustomed to see 
one negro perform. — Buckingham's America?!. 

" There is many a truth uttered in joke," and 
we are inclined to think that the foregoing anec- 
dote is an illustration of the truth of the proverb. 
We are fully satisfied, that the most efl?ective 
labor that can be introduced in the southern 
States, at least, is a coal-black negro. We 
know that the contractors on the James River 
Canal considered one negro equal to two Irish- 
men, which comes very near establishing the 
point. 



A very intelligent Virginian, a devoted friend 
to agriculture, who has travelled over the best 
part of Europe, and paid great attention to the 
agriculture of Great Britain, declared to us, that 
there was no sort of comparison between the 
amount of work performed by our negroes and 
the best of the English laborers. We are satis- 
fied that their institutions, not less than their 
advantages of soil and climate, enable the south- 
ern States to afford agricultural products cheaper 
than any other part of the world. 



To the Editor of the Southern Planter.- 

Dear Sir^ — The time has arrived, when we 
must contrive some plan to lesson the great de- 
struction of v.'ood that is consumed in our com- 
mon fire-places, and in particular, those of our 
servants. The expense of transporting the wood 
alone, without taking into consideration the va- 
lue thereof, is an immense tax on the farmer. 
But how this is to be remedied I know not, un- 
less it can be by a cheap stove, constructed in 
some respects like the Dutch stove, but with a 
door sufficiently large to give light as well as 
warmth to the room, and which is the more ne- 
cessary to our servants, as we cannot afford them 
candles to burn. 

The art of making stoves has been brought 
to great perfection ; but those that I have seen, 
although well calculated to add comfort to a 
chamber or a drawing-room, are not fitted for 
the accommodation of our servants. We want 
a cheap and durable article, and I hope that 
some of your correspondents will give us some 
useful hints on this subject. A Farmer. 

Feb. 2, 1842. 



CORN. 
We pledged ourselves, in our last, for at least 
one communication on the cultivation of this 
important crop. To enable us to redeem this 
pledge, we applied to our old friend, Mr. Thomas 
Dicken, for the benefit of his experience. Our 
object is to make the Planter a practical work, 
and when we were requested by a subscriber to 
furnish directions for the cultivation of a crop, 
upon which a great many theoretical opinions 
have been advanced by men who never succeeded 
in making a good one, we knew no better way 
of serving him, than by applying to an indivi- 
dual, who had devoted his life wholly and solely 
to the cultivation of the soil, and who, from the 
humble station of an overseer, had raised him- 
self by dint of skill and industry to the station 
of an independent landed proprietor. Mr. Dicken 
does not pretend to be a learned man, (indeed he 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



37 



pretends to nothing, for his worth is only ex- 
ceeded by his modesty), nor is he such in the 
usual acceptation of the term. But, if a tho- 
rough knowledge of his business, if the infor- 
mation to be gathered by a mind naturally strong 
and observant, devoted wholly for a length of 
time to a particular pursuit, can entitle a man 
to the character of being well informed upon 
that subject, then would we say, that, passing 
by mere theorists and users of high sounding 
terms, we had applied, for the desired informa- 
tion, to the most " learned" man of our acquaint- 
ance. In this opinion, too, of Mr. Dicken's agri- 
cultural knowledge, we are backed by the Hen- 
rico Agricultural Society, who awarded him the 
highest premium offered at their fall meeting for 
the best cultivated farm. 

The following is the amount of the advice 
offered by Mr. Dicken to our correspondent : 

Plough your land well and deep, if possible, 
during the fall and winter, especially if it be 
stiff and wet. Harrow it freshly in the spring, 
and, with a single plough, throw two furrows 
together in ridges, five feet apart — level down 
the top with a light harrow — open your rows on 
the top of the ridge, and plant your corn from 
two to two and a half feet apart, according to 
the strength of your land — cover it to the depth 
of two inches, if planted early, and a little deeper 
if put in later, when the ground is warmer — 
follow now with your manure, and sprinkle it 
as you can afford, all along on the drill, and 
leave it uncovered on the surface. 

As soon as the corn has grown about two 
inches out of the ground, run a furrow close on 
each side of it with a single plough, turning the 
earth from the corn, and ploughing deep, say 
six or seven inches — follow with the hoes, and 
weed it clean. As soon as the corn gets foul 
again, run a furrow on each side, turning the 
earth toioards the corn, and lapping the furrows ; 
this smothers the grass, whilst the corn will be 
too high to be covered up — continue then to 
plough up the whole space between the rows. 
You are now done with the plough. When 
the grass again makes its appearance, run your 
cultivators between the rows. A cultivator with 
three teeth may be worked as deep as the single 
plough, especially, if the land has been well 
broke — follow with the hoes, and weed it tho- 
roughly. The cultivation is now completed. 

It is possible, that the crop may sometimes be 
benefitted by another running of the cukivators, 



but if the work has been well done, such a rain, 
as would bake the land, or grow the grass, would 
make the corn. 

Never fail to work your land on account of 
dry weather, but be very cautious of stirring it 
when it is too wet. 

Mr. Dickens cultivates a highland, grey soil, 
moderately light ; flat or meadow land he would 
always bed. He plants, and prefers, an improved 
species of the old fashioned gourdseed. He se- 
lects his seed with great care from the best 
stalks, takhig only the upper ear. He prefers 
planting on ridges, because, he likes to get his 
crop as forward as possible ; he thinks the ridges, 
becoming dryer and warmer by being drained, 
have a tendency to quicken vegetation. 

He prepares his seed by adding a pint of tar 
to five gallons of boiling water, and stirring in 
the corn when it becomes lukewarm. It is then 
taken out, and rolled in ashes — th^ tar protects 
it from birds, and the ashes counteract the in- 
jurious action of the tar, if any exists, in retard- 
ing vegetation. 

Mr. Dicken prefers one stalk to every two 
feet to closer planting, averring, that, in an aver- 
age of years, it will make the most corn. 

So much for Mr. Dicken's mode of cultivating 
corn. Although we have great faith in the 
man, we by no means intend to assert that his 
practice may not be improved, and we hope that 
those who differ from him, will throw all the 
fight they can upon a subject so fraught with 
interest to the farmers of Virginia and the South. 



For the Southern Planter. 

3Ir. Botts, — During a trip to Richmond and 
its vicinity, last summer, I heard a good deal of 
complaint relative to the rotting of grapes after 
they had gotten nearlj' ripe. In fact, I saw very 
many fine looking vines, heavily laden, but from 
which scarcely a sound grape could be gathered. 
On returning home I found my vines also hea- 
vily laden, and that too with sound, nice grapes. 

The reason of this, I think, is, my vines are 
trained high — the different branches three feet 
distant from each other are suffered to run as 
far as nature permits them. It is evident, if 
managed in this way they occupj^ more ground, 
which is a matter of no small importance to 
persons in town or its vicinity ; but if a smaller 
number of vines will answer the same, and per- 
haps a better purpose, where is the loss ? The 
wind in March blew down one of my vines, 
which, falling over the fence was very much 
injured by the cows. This vine grew very thick 



38 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



and bunch J. It also bore very abundantly, but 
the grapes all rotted and fell. 

My vines were obtained from the neighbor- 
hood of Richmond, and are of different kinds. 
RespectfuUj^, P. B. White. 

Nottoway^ Va. January^ 1842. 

P. S. — Since writing the above, I have ob- 
served in the last number of the Planter, "A 



Sovereign Remedy for the Mange in Hogs." I 
have succeeded, more than once, in curing thi.5 
disease, by greasing my hogs with the outside 
of old, fat bacon. But little preparation is re- 
quired. The hogs, of course, must be caught 
and held fast. Then take your slice of bacon 
and rub them all over, particularly the parts most 
affected. A little fire may be necessary to warm 
the bacon. P. B. W. 



MOLLEBART. 




The implement represented in the engraving, 
well known to most of our readers as a " scoop," 
or " scraper," figures largely in English works 
of agriculture, under the more imposing name 
of Mollebart. Here, it is confined to the canal 
and road contractor. In Europe, it is used by 
the farmer, for the purpose of levelling the 
mounds and ridges, and filling up the sinks and 
hollows of his fields. Wherever dirt or loose 
stones are to be removed, it is infinitely prefera- 
ble to carts or any other contrivance for the pur- 
pose. Some persons may never have seen, or 
heard of, this simple implement, whilst few, per- 
haps, have applied it to the agricultural purposes 
to which it is adapted. Whenever it is used for 
levelling ridges or hillocks, care should be taken 
first to remove and afterwards to replace the sur- 
face soil. 

The Mollebart is used as an agricultural im- 
plement, especially in Holland and Flanders, 
where it is much esteemed. It should be made 
of thick, strong plank, the bottom covered with 
thin iron bands or plates, and the front edge 



made thin and strongly plated with iron. The 
bottom should be made rather convex, so as to 
slide more easily. Two iron hooks are securely 
fastened to the centres of the sides, from which 
a couple of chains proceed, and unite in a dou- 
ble bar in front, as is exemplified in the engrav- 
ing. The handle is five or six feet long, and 
the rope fourteen or fifteen. The operator ap- 
proaches the earth to be removed, bearing upon 
the handle, to keep the front raised and free, un- 
til he wants to fill the scoop, which he effects, 
without stopping his horses, by simply elevating 
the handle, thereby entering the front or cutting 
edge. As soon as this is accomplished, he again 
depresses the handle, and proceeds with his load 
to the place of deposit. To empty the vehicle, 
he elevates the handle, and lets it go, retaining 
hold of the rope. By this operation, the front 
edge catches in the earth, and the scoop is drawn 
over and reversed, emptying the load completely 
out. The rope is now used to draw the scoop 
back to its former position, when the driver pro- 
ceeds to fetch another load. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



39 



A skilful hand will spread the earth at the 

same lime that he deposits it ; this is done by 
holding the rope so that the handle shall not fall 
over, at oncej but remain for a short time in an 
erect position. The load is thus delivered gra- 
dually, and laid level by the edge of the instru- 
ment scraping over it. 

The usual size of a scoop for two horses is 
about three feet every way — in such, a load of 
about five hundred pounds will be removed at 
every turn. 



DRIVING NAILS INTO HARD WOOD. 

We have lately seen another experiment of 
driving nails into hard seasoned timber fairly 
tried. The first two nails, after passing through 
a pine board, entered about one inch, and then 
doubled under the hammer ; but, on dipping the 
points of the other six or eight nails into lard, 
every one was driven home without the least 
difficulty. 

Carpenters who are engaged in repairing old 
buildings sometimes carry a small lump of lard 
or tallow for this purpose on one of their boots 
or shoes. — JS'ew Genesee Farmer. 

The Editor of the Mechanic suggests that 
that which causes the nail to enter readily will 
occasion it to draw out easily. This may be 
the case with lard or oil, but if the driver will 
merelj'' wet the nail in his mouth, the same fa- 
cility of entrance will be effected, and the rust, 
that ensues, will rather increase the tenacity of 
its hold. A small piece of bees-wax rubbed 
over a wood-screw, (an iron screw that works 
in wood is so called,) will occasion it to turn, 
both in and out, with great ease. Its threads 
are generallj'' sufficient to give it hold ; and it is 
sometimes a convenience to turn it out readily. 
This may be effected at any time if the screw 
was put in with wax. 



VIRGINIA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 
We have awaited with, some anxiet}^, the 
action of our Legislature upon the bill proposing 
to pay the expenses of the members of our Board 
of Agriculture ; for we were well assured, that, 
without a passage of that bill, we would never 
see another meeting of that Board. It was ask- 
ing rather too much, even of Virginia liberalitj^, 
that gentlemen should leave their homes to come 
here, at their own expense^ for the public good ; 
and they very naturally felt that the honor of a 
station, which was so little appreciated, would 
hardly compensate them for the sacrifices it in- 



volved. We know the almost peculiar preju- 
dices of our peopleagainst legislative interference, 
and we confess ourselves not altogether free from 
the prevailing feeling. When this Board was 
first organized, we did not object to it, because, 
although we anticipated no good, we could not 
see any evil likely to arise from it. But since 
we witnessed the zeal, the ardor, and the ability, 
manifested by some of the members of this 
Board, which has been so happily selected, and 
since, moreover, we have read in their report a 
detail of the plan they design to pursue, we 
unhesitatingly pronounce that, in our opinion, it 
is to do much for Virginia agriculture. They 
propose to obtain and report a full account of 
the agricultural statistics of the State, For this 
purpose, they lay the State off into eight dis- 
tricts, and assign a member of the Board to 
each ; it is his business to propound a list of 
printed inquiries to the best farmers in his dis- 
trict, and to use all other means in his power to 
procure satisfactory answers to those inquiries. 
The information, thus obtained, will be furnished 
to the Board at its general meeting, whose bu- 
siness it will be to submit to the Legislature a 
report, founded upon these materials. The plan 
is exactly what we have heretofore chalked out 
for ourselves ; and we cannot, therefore, hesitate 
to express our approbation of it. We, too, de- 
sign to perambulate the State, collect agricul- 
tural facts, and report them to our readers. We, 
therefore, start in the same race, and, if one 
might be allowed to jest with so grave a body, 
we would advise their excellencies to look out for 
the distance pole; although, we know that there 
is one amongst them, at least, an active, long- 
legged strider, that will keep us busy. But to 
their superiority of numbers and intellect, we 
oppose the active energy of an individual, de- 
voted to a profession, upon which he is dependant 
for a livelihood. If, under such circun^stances, 
they come within bowshot of the Planter, they 
ma}^ flatter themselves with the result. 

It will be hard, indeed, if, between us, the 
agriculturists of Virginia are not enlightened. 

But, jesting aside, we are delighted to find 
that these able gentlemen have devoted them- 
selves to so practical an object, and one they are 
so well calculated to effect. We flatter our- 
selves, that the Planter, enriched with the pro- 
ductions of the Virginia Board of Agriculture, 
is destined to vie with any of its numerous and 
able contemporaries. 



40 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



For the Southern Planter. 



Fredericksburg^ Va., Jan. 26, 1842. 

Dear Sir, — It may interest some of your agri- 
cultural readers to know the value of property 
in Virginia a hundred and nineteen years ago. 
For this reason you have the following copy of 



The following is the list of subjects on which 
it is proposed to propound inquiries and obtain 
information : 

I. Geographical State. 

1. General geographical description. 

2. Climate. 

3. Surface and soil. 

4. Minerals. 

5. Water. 

II. General Management of Land. 

1. Quantity of arable land, of meadow, of 
wood, of waste land. 

2. Size of farms. 

3. Rotation of crops, and the kind of cul- 
tivation. 

4. Depth and manner of ploughing, for 
preparation of different crops. 

5. Tillage of crops, and general manage- 
ment of each important one, from the 
seeding to the consumption or marketing. 

III. Products and Prices of Crops. 

L Usual produce per acre of different 
large crops, and general selling price. 

IV. Implements. 

V. Fencing and Enclosing. 

VI. TiLLAfJE OF Growing Crops. 

1. General management, seeding, har- 
vesting, marketing. 

VII. Grass and Grazing. 

1. Natural meadows. 

2. Watered meadows. 

3. Mowing and hay. 

4. Artificial grasses, and their compara- 
tive value for hay or grazing. 

VIII. Live Stock. 

1. Teams, or laboring animals. 

2. Animals raised for sale or farm sup- 
plies. 

3. Prevalent diseases, and their reme- 
dies. 

IX. Dairy Management. 

X. Woods and Waste Land. 

1. Description. 

2. Uses and product. 

XI. New or Recent Processes or Im- 

proved Practices in Agriculture. 

XII. Obstacles to Improvement, 

Including the operation of the laws 
or governmental regulations. 

XIII. Miscellaneous Observations and 

Statements of any thing of in- 
terest not included in any^uery. 



a letter from a man who v/as thoroughly ac- 
quainted with the subject. 

Would you not do well to urge strongly upon 
the public the propriety of preserving by means 
of the press, such venerable records as may be 
mouldering away in old chests stowed in garrets 
and other obscure corners ? Time is doing the 
work of the Sybil. Every day is silently but 
steadily lessening the amount of information 
which once gone can never be supplied. The 
general, leading points of our history, it may be 
said, are alreadj^ secured — but it may be doubted 
whether the minuter details do not exercise as 
important an influence upon our welfare ; for 
history has been aptly termed the finger of the 
past pointing out the course of the future, and it 
is as necessary to our comfort and security to 
become acquainted with the small sand-bars and 
lesser currents in the river of life, as with the 
islands and continents in the great ocean of hu- 
man existence. 

Your friend, respectfully, 

J. Minor. 

Note.— Mr. Micaja Perry, to whom the letter was 
addressed, resided in Loudoun, and was an agent of 
the proprietors of the Northern Neck. 



Mr. Micaja Perry 



July ye 13M, 1723. 



■I have already sent you an inventory 
— estate. That it may appear the 



Sir, 
of ye 

clearer before you I now send it you distinguished 
under its several species by w'ch j^ou and the 
gentl'n concerned will be the better enabled to 
pass your judgments upon the value of it if they 
are in earnest to sell and can make a good title. 
However, I shall give you here the best acco't 
I can how the prices of Virginian estates run 
from man to man. 

As for negroes I suppose you know the prices 
they are sold at well enough. Two years ago 
Colo. Page bought* Bombesa men slaves, the 
finest that I ever saw, be tween ab't 18 and 28 
years of age, not one exceeding thirty I dare 
say, of Capt. Francis Willis, agent of the Afri- 
can Companj^, at seventeen pounds per head. 
Last year I bought men for twenty ; women 
eighteen, and girls of 10 and 12 years of age 
for 10 pounds per head. This year I know of 
no large quantities having been sold together. 
The small folks and middling people have been 
the only buyers. I have known Leves all single 
choice men bought for 20£ apiece. The choicest 
have gone at 40X, This hath been the rule 
with the sellers as far as I have heard. I doubt 
not, would I have taken a quantity, I might 
have had them considerably cheaper. You must 
know, the slaves that come from Gambia, such 
as Colo. Page had, are of a much larger size 
and have more sense and are more used to work, 



The figures are illegible. 



i; 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



41 



than any other. I would freely give at any time 
40 sh. a head more for ihem than for the Cites. 

As for cattle, there is no such ihing as sellinff 
a stock together, for money. The common price 
for any young, fat cow in killing time, is ihirty- 
five shillings cash: and for a steer, seven years 
old, fjfLy shillings. This you may be informed 
of by your masters when they buy fresh meat. 

The horses and mares, you must understand, 
are of very small value among us. They swarm 
upon us, and are degenerated into such runts, 
that you may buy them as they run almost for 
anything. iSfot many years ago I sold six out 
of my pasture, to Doctor Lomax, of three years 
old, for shipping off, at 20s. per head. Some of 
these, you will observe, are very old, and some 
very young. 

For hogs, I do not know what to say of them. 
As they run in the woods we esteem them httle 
better than vermin, and 'tis not common to put 
them into the inventory of our estates. Indeed, 
after we have spent a barrel of corn upon them 
per hog to make them fit for killing, they will 
fetch you from 20s. to 25s. per head, the bar- 
rows and speyed sows, current money. 

For the household goods, 'tis very old and 
mean, as you may very well conceive, having 
been under the use of such various hands. 

Nine of the negroes, as I have already ob- 
served, are so much past their labor that they 
are rather a charge than anything else. Their 
levy and clothes come to more than they make. 
There are three of them at one place put in for 
a share, and at no place under two for a share 
and a lusty girl or boy to help out with their 
work, to boot ; and yet (he overseers grumble 
very much to allow anything for them. 

The lands and plantations you have often had 
a particular account of. When Carey has got 
that plantation away, as no doubt (if he can 
make his title good,) but he will, though I will 
defend it to the uttermost if you will send me 
such oi^ders, there will be but nineteen hundred 
acres, or thereabout, every plantation cleared 
quite out, and no timber left for building. 

This is a true representation of this estate. 
Old Capt. Willis knows as well the value of a 
Virginian estate as any iiian. Let him but con- 
sider the great difference there is between land 
in those parts of the country and Glos'ter, where 
he lived ; the low ebb that Tob'o is at ; and the 
little income we make at this day of our Vir- 
ginian estates; and I could almost agree he 
should set the value upon it himself 

I must confess that in consideration of having 
had this estate so long under my government ; 
that the best of the slaves went hence with my 
brother's daughter, Loyd's first wife, and are 
very much related to several of my families of 
slaves; and having lands in plenty to settle 
them upon ; I arn very desirous to be the pur- 
chaser, and will pay the money in as little time 
Vol. 2—6 



as they can reasonably desire it ; and will give 
as much as any other person will offer at the 
estate entirely together; and I hope, if not for 
my sake, at least for my son, whom they seem 
to have very much in their esteem, and to whom 
this estate may probably come, they will let me 
have the first refusal of it. 

Thus you have this affair as fully before you 
as I can set it, until I hear further from you 
about it. 

I am your most humble servant, 

Robert Carter. 

This is not the first curiosity that the elegant 
researches of our old friend have wrested from 
the wreck of antiquity. We, in comm.on with 
the literary world, are indebted to him for many 
similar favors. 

The article is not only curious, but instructive. 
We can gather from it the loose husbandry of 
our forefathers, the necessary attendant upon 
the consolidation of inordinate landed estates. 

Notwithstanding the careless and wasteful 
system of cultivation that prevailed one hundred 
and forty years ago, the Virginia planter of that 
day invariably got rich ; and how ? By ripping 
up the golden goose : by robbing the rich virgin 
earth of all her fertility, and coining her soil into 
money. We must now repair the errors of our 
forefathers, and convert the money they have 
left us, into the soil, of which they robbed us. 
It will be a good exchange. The soil breeds 
faster than money, prolific as it is, at the present 
day. 

As to the value of property, as here set forth, 
Mr. Carter's statements must be received with 
some grains of allowance. In the first place, 
the currency had not been inflated, and twenty 
shillings of 1723 meant something very different 
from twenty shillings of 1842. Again, if our 
friend will excuse the imputation upon the cha- 
racter of his "progenitor," we must remember 
that Mr. Carter is valuing property he is, evi- 
dently, very desirous of purchasing, and we think 
that other records of the value of agricultural 
articles at the time will prove, that purchasers, 
one hundred and forty j^ears ago, were imbued 
with the same spirit of '' cheapening,'' that they 
frequently manifest, at the present day. 



MANURES. 

We have received an excellent communication 

from Mr. James T. Jones, of Fluvanna, whom, 

by the bye, we take to be a thoroughly practical 

farmer, objecting to a plan of manuring recom- 



42 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



mended by J. R. G., in a former number of the 

Planter. 

Mr. Jones makes two prominent objections to 
the recommendation of J. R. G. to deposit litter 
at once upon the surface of the land, instead of 
first subjecting it to the trampling process of the 
farm yard. The first is that cattle would be 
deprived of the bedding, that is extremel}" con- 
ducive to their comfort, both in winter and sum- 
mer, and secondly, that much of this litter, as 
corn-stalks, for example, would require a great 
length of time for the division and decay, neces- 
sary to their incorporation, and fertilizing effects. 
On the other hand, these articles, placed beneath 
the feet of your cattle, are cut up, and at the 
same time, become the absorbents of manure 
and urine, that would otherwise be lost. He 
goes on to say, 

"I am no chemist, Mr. Editor, and, of course, 
can't tell, in all cases, the why and wherefore of 
these things, but I have tried, to the utmost of 
my means, for several years, most ways of mak- 
ing manure, and when and how to apply it. I 
have hauled out leaves and trash and spread on 
the surface, I have hauled earth of different 
qualities — ditch banks, some in the cattle-yard 
to mix with the manure, other immediately out 
to the land — I have hauled sand to clay, and 
clay to sand — in fact, the business of manuring 
in some way, (all ways are good, but some better 
than others,) has been my only successful means 
of restoring old worn-out land to a state of fer- 
tility. Upon the whole, I would say, to save 
labor, haul out all rich earth, ashes, every vege- 
table litter that is rotten, at once to the land; 
but all such things as corn-stalks, unrolted leaves, 
straw and weeds, into the stables, cattle-yards, 
and hog-pens. For ever}^ load of this weak litter, 
almost useless of itself, (except for a covering to 
retain moisture,) you will carry out a load, at 
least, of good strong manure ; provided, always, 
you keep a sufficienc}^ of well-fed stock — and, is 
this not an equivalent, at least, for the additional 
labor? I agree with 'J. R. G.' as also several, 
nay, most farmers, as to the propriety of surface 
application, but I prefer a slight admixture with 
the surface, more especially, if the manure is 
fine. For a time, I carried out, spread and fal- 
lowed in. This I did to avoid running the teams 
and carts upon the land after planting. But I 
have no doubt by this mode I lost half I now 
haul out as soon as I think the manure has 
acquired sufficient strength, no matter whether 
rotten or not, deposit in piles, plough, when the 
time comes, then spread the manure before the 
harrow or cultivator. It is impossible to adopt 
a plan against which no objection can be seen, 



but we must do some way, and can only select 
that course least objectionable." • 

Having held frequent conversations upon the 
subject with our correspondent, J. R. G. we will 
undertake to say, without waiting to consult 
him, that he has been slightlj^ misunderstood, 
and that he and Mr. Jones are, in truth, not very 
far apart in their views. If we do not misap- 
prehend, when J. R. G. speaks of the propriety 
of hauling out litter at once upon the land, he 
alludes only to that portion which is frequently 
hauled in, over and above what is required for 
bedding, to be worked up and trampled over in 
the farm-yard. From what we know of his 
opinions, we would as soon expect him to de- 
prive his stock of their food as their beds. We 
believe, though, that he thinks the quantity of 
bedding may be much lessened by keeping cattle 
in stalls instead of yards. Their dung and urine 
he would collect, and throw into his compost 
heap. Consequently, he needs no other absor- 
bents. What is to be done with the excess of 
litter and vegetable matter that may be indus- 
triousl}'' collected about a farm ? Whj?-, says J. 
R. G, haul it out and deposit it upon your land 
at once. By this means, you secure all the fer- 
tilizing properties of the litter, and. moreover^ 
have the use of it as a " retainer of moisture," 
during the time that it would, otherwise, be idle 
in the farm-yard. 



The following, from the Genesee Farmer, is 
not only scientific, but plain and practical. It 
is, we presume, from the pen of that distinguished 
gentleman, the Rev. Henry Coleman, so well 
known for his contributions to agriculture. 

We hope no one will be deterred by the sci- 
entific title from a perusal of the article, nor by 
the little trouble that is required from instituting 
the experiments recommended. 

AGRICULTURAL ANALYSIS. 

To determine the value of soil, or to be able 
to correct any fault in the original const itution^ 
or any deficiency arising from improper cultiva- 
tion, it is necessary that the nature and propor- 
tion of the substances composing it should be 
understood. In agriculture this examination is 
termed analj^sis ; and in a simple, yet still 
effectual method, may be practised by every 
farmer. The implements used are a pair of 
scales, accurate to the tenth part of a grain ; a 
crucible; some muriatic acid, and a few small 
vessels of china or glass. 

The earth to be tested by the farmer, should 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



43 



be taken from a few inches below the surface, 
and be an average specimen of the field, or the 
soil to be examined. The qnantilj to be ex- 
amined, say two or four hundred grains, is to be 
slightly pulverized or well mixed together. Put 
of this, two hundred grains in a crucible, and 
heat it to three hundred degrees of Fahreinheil, 
or bake it in an oven heated for bread for fifieen 
minutes; cool and weigh. This will show the 
absorbent power of the soil, and as this is de- 
pending mainly on the animal and vegetable 
matter, if the loss is considerable, it is decisive 
proof in this respect of fertility. The absorbent 
power varies from one to twelve per cent. 

After weighing, heat it again in the crucible 
to a red heat, and until the mass shows no bright 
or sparkling particles, stirring it with a glass or 
iron rod; cool and weigh, and the loss will be 
the ammal and vegetable matter in the soil. 

Take two hundred grains of the dried earth, 
mix it thoroughly with a gill of water, by stir- 
ring it for several nnnutes. Let it stand for 
three minutes, and turn off the muddy water 
into another glass. Dry the sediment in the 
first glass at high heat, weigh, and it gives the 
silicia contained in the soil. Let the water 
turned off settle clear, turn it off, dry it at a high 
heat and weigh : this gives the alumina or clay. 

Put into a suitable glass or flask, one-fourth 
of a gill of muriatic acid and water in equal 
proportions, and balance the scales carefully. 
Put inio this mixture one hundred grains of the 
earth, let it stand till all the effervescence has 
ceased, which will sometimes be an hour, or 
more ; carefully note the weight required to again 
balance the scales, and that may be set down as 
the weight of carbonic gas expelled, say six 
grains. Then as forty-five is to fifty-five, so is 
this weight to that of the base, or the lime. In 
this case the lime would be seven and one-third 
per cent. 

To ascertain if the earth contains iron, stir 
the muriatic acid and water with a strip of oak 
bark, and if iron is present in the liquid, the bark 
will turn dark. To ascertain the quantity, put 
in prussiate of potash, till it no longer forms a 
blue precipitate, let it settle ; heat the deposit to 
redness, carefully weigh the remainder, which 
is oxide of iron. 

To determine the presence of gypsum, take 
one hundred grains of earth, mix one-third the 
quantity of powdered charcoal, keep it at a red 
heat in a crucible for half an hour. Then boil 
the earth in a pint of water for thirty minutes, 
filter the liquor, and expose it for some days in 
an open vessel. A white deposit will be sul- 
phate of lime, and the weight will determine the 
proportion. 

These processes are all simple, and can be 
performed by any one. By them we obtain, 1st, 
the absorbent powers ; 2d, the amount of animal 
vegetable matter; 3d, the silicia or sand; 4th, 



the alumina, or clay; 6th, the carbonate of lime ; 
6ih, the oxides of iron; and 7ih, the gypsum, 
or plaster of l^aris. The sails exercise a great 
influence on vegetation ; but as they principally 
depend on the animal and vegetable matter m 
the soil, and as the determining their qualities 
and kinds are too difficult for the analysis of the 
fn'mcr, the processes are omitted, 'i'he above 
ingredients are all that exert a marked influence 
on the fertility of soil?, and on their ])roper pro- 
portion its goodness depinls. If soils con'ain 
too much silicia or gravel, they arc porous; and 
if too much clay, retentive. The last is usually 
the worst fault, and may be known by the water 
standing upon it after rains, remaining unsettltd 
for a long time, owing to the clay held in solu- 
tion. Wheat winter kills, on such soils ; on 
calcarious, gravelly ones, rarely. Good soils 
usually contain from sixty-five to seventy-five cf 
silicia; from ten to sixteen of alumina; from 
four to ten of lime, and varying proportions of 
vegetable matters, animal and mineral sctlls, &c. 
The analysis of soils, forms one of the most de- 
cided steps in the improvement of agriculiure, 
as it clearly points out what is wanting to re- 
medy any defect, and give ease of working, and 
abundance in product. Every farmer should 
understand the nature and composition of his 
soils, and may do so with little time, and at a 
mere trifle of expense. 



THE POTATO. 

We find several of our most valued northern 
exchanges agreeing in the supeiiority, after all, 
of an old variety of potato called the La Plata 
or long red. Amongst its other valuable quali- 
ties it is said to retain its distinctive traits and 
characteristics in spite of neighboring cultiva- 
tion. This circumstance is explained by the 
fact, that it is later than any other variety, and 
consequently, is in bloom when no other potato 
is in the same state. A mixture of two varie- 
ties, it is supposed, can only take place by the 
fecundating action of the pollen which is evolved 
and received only in a state of bloom. 

From all wc can gather from the best autho- 
rities we should prefer this variety to an}^ other 
for our late crop. 



MILLET. 
A gentleman of Chesterfield has deposited 
with us, for sale, a small parcel of millet seed. 
It is a crop with which we are personally unac- 
quainted. It is said to make very fine he.y, and 
to be admirably adapted to our soil and climate. 
An unknown writer, in the January number of 
the Cultivator, recommends it to southern farmers 



44 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



as more profitable than herds-grass, tiinothy, or 
clover. He says, " For ten years past I have 
never failed to obtain a good crop of millet^ when 
the ground was rich and properly prepared ; viz: 
by twice ploughing, and harrowing clean. I 



usually sow a bushel to the acre, and cut it as 
the seed begins to turn yellow ; cure it as any 
other hay, and horses prefer it to clover or timo- 
thy. It matures in about sixty days, and may 
be sown from April until the first of August.'* 



CONKLIN'S ROLLING HARROW. 




We have favored our readers with a cut of 
what is called, to the north, Conklin's revolving 
harrow, of which a correspondent of the Albany 
Cuhivator speaks in the following terms : 

Conklin's Rolling Harrow. — I must not 
withhold my tribute of praise to this admira- 
ble implement, though rather expensive ; freight, 
&c. about $120. Mine has been in use five 
years, and passed over one hundred and fifty 
acres or more each year, and is now as good as 
new ; having, as I believe, been worth the cost 
every year. In addition to scarifying meadows, 
rolling small grain, &c. I pass it over my corn^ 
when from two to six inches high, and consider 
the operation better than a ploughing, and wil! 
easily go over ten acres in a day. It leaves it 
in fine order for ploughing. Some of my neigh- 
bors, seeing it, have substituted a log with spikes, 
which answers very well, and costs but little. 

I think the smooth roller very essential to 
good farming, and am glad to see ihcm getting 
in fashion generally. 

I am, 3'our obedient servant, 

N. E. MooRE. 

Augusta, Ga., Mv. 11, 1841. 



Vv^e know not to what part of the implement 
Mr. Conldin sets up an exclusive claim. A 
spiked roller has long been in use in this part of 
the country, and is much esteemed by many 
judicious farmers. Some of our best wheat 
growers use it every spring after the frost is out 
of the ground, to loosen the roots of their wheat 
and grass. For this purpose, a large gum log 
is prepared about four feet in length and eigh- 
teen inches in diameter. It should, if possible, 
be passed through a turning-lathe, and an iron 
gudgeon set true in each end — let the gudgeon 
be an inch and a half in diameter, and turned 
off also in the lathe. Holes should now be 
bored with a half-inch augur in the surface of 
the roller, four inches apart, those in one row 
breaking the row before it. A blacksmith will 
manufacture the teeth of square iron, nine inches 
long, with a shoulder four inches from one end, 
and five from the other ; just under the shoulder, 
the teeth should be three-quarters square, and 
tapered to either end — the short, ragged end 
should be driven in (he roller, with a sett, to the 



1 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



45 



shoulder: the lon^ end may be either curved or 
straig-ht, at pleasure. A strong wooden fmrnc 
must now be made, in which the roller may re- 
volve. A hole bored straight and true through 
the end pieces, will make a capital box for the 
journals of the gudgeon. It is well to so con- 
struct the frame that weight may be added or 
removed at pleasure. 

We have been thus minute in our directions, 
because, we desired to enable a farmer, by means 
of a common blacksmith and carpenter, to con- 
struct an implement, at a cost of thirty dollars, 
that will answer every purpose, we believe, of 
Mr. Conklin's $120 machine. 

This implement is not only more effectual in 
breaking the clods of newly ploughed ground 
than the common harrow, but is invaluable, as 
we before hinted, for working wheat and grass. 



COTTON GIN. 

The gin of the celebrated Whitney, to which, 
by the bye, the cotton crop owes much of its 
importance, is likely to be superseded, it is said, 
by an improvement invented and used at Lowell. 
This new machine has been carried to England, 
and is now at work in Leeds and Manchester, 
affording another example of Yankee ingenuity. 



REAPING MACHINE. 
Mr. Solon Robinson seems to think that Mr. 
Hussey's reaping machine is quite a pretty thing, 
but nothing in comparison with a machine, some- 
where in the west, that gathers, thrashes and 
fans the wheat at one operation. If it travels 
through the Yankee States, we may expect to 
see it so improved as to grind and eat the grain 
before it ffets to the south. 



SCALDED OR CLOTTED CREAM. 

Take a pan of perfectly sweet milk, twelve 
hours old, with the cream on ; stand it on a stove 
or furnace over a gentle fire till slightly scalded, 
"when a ring will appear in the cream of the 
size of the bottom of the pan ;" then take it off 
and let it stand till cold ; skim off the cream and 
it is fit for use. When used as an accompani- 
ment with fruit, tarts, (Slc. it is sweetened to suit 
the taste. This cream is esteemed a great lux- 
ury in London. It is brouirht in by dairymen, 
and sold at a high price. — New Genesee Farmer. 



CLEANING GLASS. 



The French mode of cleaning fine glass u ten- 
ails, &c. gives them great brilliancy. It is done 



by finely powdered indigo, and dipping into it a 
moistened Imen rag, with which the glass must 
be smeared, and wiped off with a perfectly dry 
cloth. As a substitute for this, fine sified ashes, 
applied by a rag dipped in spirits, will also an- 
swer very well ; but Spanish white is apt to 
roughen and injure the glass. 



The Louisville Journal states that the vine- 
yard of J. Davis, Esq. of one acre and a half in 
extent, produced this year 1170 gallons of the 
pure juice of the grape. In Europe 400 to 500 
gallons per acre are considered an extraordinary 
yield. 



LEGISLATIVE ACTION. 

In our last, we published an article on this 
subject, from an anonymous correspondent, sign- 
ing himself an "Old Virginia Farmer."' We 
have this morning received a communication, 
signed, " Rusticus," animadverting upon the 
piece in terms which we decline to publish, sim- 
ply for this reason ; it would necessarily lead to 
a rejoinder of a character entirely personal. In 
taking this course, we hope that "Rusticus" 
will understand that we intend no disrespect to 
his communication, nor do we even mean to in- 
timate, that its extreme causticity is not war- 
ranted by the character of th j article against 
which it is directed. The truth is, Rusticus is 
too liberal, when he absolves us from all blame 
in the matter, and most egregiously wrong in 
his supposition, that we consider ourselves bound 
to print all we receive. The article, we confess, 
ought to have been rejected for its use of epithets^ 
of which Rusticus, so severely, and so justly, 
complains. 

Our excuse for admitting the terms, "fools" 
and "brawlers" to be applied through the co- 
lumns of the Planter, is, that we looked upon 
the whole article rather as a playful piece of 
badinage, than a serious intention to insult those 
who differed in opinion with the writer. Upon 
a re-perusal, we perceive more of venom and 
acrimonj^ than we at first discovered, and can 
readily understand that it is calculated to insult 
those, who, like "Rusticus," have borne an ac- 
tive part in invoking the aid of legislative action 
for agriculture. The piece has attracted much 
commendation, for " Rusticus" is wrong in sup- 
posing that the author is singular in his opinions, 
and he is the only one who has as yet objected 
to the tone of the article; nevertheless, we re- 
cognise the justice of his complaint, and seek 
to render him all the retribution in our power. 



46 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



by confessing our error, and assuring him that 
this oversight shall only render us the more vi- 
gilant to exclude every thing of a personal cha- 
racter from the columns of the Planter. Free, 
open and spirited communications we solicit ; but 
harsh and vituperative denunciations, we shall 
always endeavor to exclude. Whenever, as in 
the present instance, a piece of such a character 
accidentally fmds its way into our columns, we 
shall always prefer to take the burden of an 
apology on our own shoulders, to pubhshing a 
reply of a like character, thereby relieving our 
readers from all the unprofitable weariness of a 
personal controversy. 



For the Southern Planter. 
TOBACCO. 
Fluvanna County^ Jan. 26, 1842. 

Mr. Editor, — You gave us in one of your late 
numbers, a short historical account of the tobacco 
plant, (technically nicotiana tabacum.) I pro- 
pose, by your leave, to continue the subject, more 
as a matter of curiosity and amusement, than of 
instruction, for your numerous readers. 

I will say nothing about its botanical descrip- 
tion, and but little of its medical qualities. A 
most strange infatuation must have governed 
the first person, who could have persisted in its 
use long enough to have overcome its most dis- 
gusting taste. It is a strange fact in animal 
economy, that the most nauseous and unpalata- 
ble substances after long and continued use will 
become very pleasant to the palate. This plant 
was originally found in the hands of the native 
American savage, as an article of luxury ; now 
it is sought for with great avidity by civilized 
man in almost every part of the globe. The 
priests of some tribes swallowed the smoke of 
this plant to excite in them the spirit of divina- 
tion ; they inhaled it until it produced a stupor 
of many hours. When they had recovered from 
it, they said they had held conference with the 
Devil, and had learned from him the course of 
future events. Their physicians also intoxicated 
themselves with it, and pretended that they had 
been admitted into the council of the gods, who 
revealed to them the event of diseases. 

In 1559 tobacco was sent into Spain and Por- 
tugal by Hernandez de Toledo, and from thence 
it was carried into France, as a curiositj', by 
Jean Nicot, or Nicotius, ambassador at the court 
of Lisbon, whose name is now immortalized by 
its application to this genus of plants. From 
this period, its use spread rapidly in Europe — so 
much so, that the constituted authorities, both of 
Church and State, thought it necessary to inter- 
pose, that they might stop the extravagant in- 
dulgence in it, by the most rigid prohibition. 



James the First, of England, besides writing a 
book against it, called his " Counterblast to To- 
bacco," gave orders that no planter in Virginia 
should cultivate more than one hundred pounds. 
Pope Urban the Eighth published a decree of 
excornmunication against all who took snuff in 
the Church. Smoking v/as forbidden in Russia 
under penalty of having the nose cut off. In 
Switzerland a tribunal was instituted for the ex- 
press purpose of trying transgressors in Tobacco. 
A Turk who was found smoking in Constanti- 
nople, was conducted through the streets of that 
city with his pipe transfixed through his nose. 
In the old Massachusetts colony laws, is an act 
imposing a penalty upon any one " who shall 
smoke tobacco within twenty poles of any house," 
or who shall " take tobacco in any inn or com- 
mon victualling house, except in a private room, 
so as that neither the master of the house, nor 
any guest shall take offence thereat." In the 
early records of the Harvard University is a re- 
gulation of this kind, "No scholar shall take 
tobacco, unless permitted by the President, with 
the consent of their parents and guardians, and 
on good reason, first given by a physician, and 
then in a sober and private manner." It had its 
advocates at this time among the learned — Cas- 
tor Duranti and Raphael Thorius both wrote 
Latin poems in its praise — the latter, one, entitled 
a " Flymn to Tobacco," in which he styles it, 
" the gift of Heaven and the ornament of earth." 
It obtained the reputation of a general pana- 
cea, almost for the whole catalogue of diseases 
which man is heir to. Dr. Venner, in a work, 
entitled, "Fz'a recta ad vitam longam^^ published 
at London in 1638, gives a summary of the in- 
jury done by tobacco. " It drieth the brain, dim- 
meth the sight, vitiateth the smell, hurteth the 
stomach, destroyeth the concoction, disturbeth 
the humors and spirits, corrupteth the breath, 
induceth a trembling of the limbs, exciteth the 
winde pipe, lungs and liver, annoyeth the milt, 
scovcheth the heart and causeth the blood to be 
adusted. In a word, it overihroweth the spirits, 
perverteth the understanding, and confoundeth 
the senses with sudden astonishment and stu- 
piditie of the whole body." A poetical phillip- 
pic, " Tobacco Battered," was published in the 
reign of King James, by Joshua Sylvester, in 
which he compares tobacco to gun-powder, and 
pipes to guns — making the mischief of the two 
equal. James the First, in his " Counterblast," 
warns his subjects, in a most earnest manner, 
" not to sin against God, and harm their own 
persons and goods, and render themselves scorned 
and contemned by strangers, who should come 
among them, by persevering in a custom loath- 
some to the eye, hateful to the nose, and baneful 
to the brain." 

Tobacco has combined in it a great variety 
of constituents — and strange to tell, some animal 
matter, also, a peculiar acrid, volatile, colorless 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



47 



substance, soluble in water and alcohol, not 
found in any other vegetable. Mr. Brodie found, 
by experiment, that the oil of tobacco, which 
Mr. Brande obtained by distillation of the leaves, 
and which he calls the empyreu matic oil, had a 
most deadly effect on animals. He says, that 
two drops of it, applied to ihe tongue of a young 
cat with an interval of fifteen minutes occa- 
sioned death. A single drop suspended in an 
ounce of water and injected into the rectum of 
a cat, produced death in five minutes. One drop 
suspended in an ounce and a half of mucilage 
and thrown into the rectum of a dog, produced 
violent symptoms, and the repetition of the ex- 
periment killed him. Oronoko. 



CURIOUS EXPORTATION S. 
The people of the United States are essen- 
tially an agricultural people. Yet how often 
has the singular spectacle of importing from 
Europe bread stuffs for our own citizens, been 
exhibited within the last few years. The tide 
has changed, and the current is setting now in 
an opposite direction. Cheese from New York 
has been sold in the Liverpool market in large 
quantities recently. During the last week, over 
one thousand kegs of lard were taken up in this 
city for exportation. The amount of flour con- 
stantly going abroad is \eiy large. It assists to 
pay off our indebtedness to Europe for the mil- 
lions of luxuries we import. 

Philadelphia JVorth American. 



SHEEP-KILLING DOGS. 

A young dog having wantonly bitten and 
mangled a large lamb, so that it died, was muz- 
zled by one of my servants, tied to the dead 
lamb, for a day and a night, and severely beaten. 
He was entirely cured of his propensity for 
chasing sheep, and would never afterwards ap- 
proach them. — Judge Peters. 




AGENCY. 
Thomas P. Segar is not authorised to receive 
subscriptions for the second volume of this work. 
Mr. Segar's authority is dated in July, 1841, and 
ceased with the year. Notwithstanding Mr. 
Segar, in many instances, failed to pay over 
subscriptions, or even report the names of sub- 
scribers, that he obtained during the last year, 



at his most earnest entreaty, we forbore to ex- 
pose him, by publicly revoking the authority he 
held, especially, as in a letter written in Decem- 
ber, he expressly declared, that, after what had 
passed, he would not presume to take subscribers 
for another year. 

If, however, we choose to indulge our good 
nature to an unreasonable extent, it should be 
at our own expense, and not that of the public. 
We feel, therefore, morally bound by any pay- 
ment made Mr. Segar before the circulation of 
this notice. We hope that any gentleman, who 
has Mr. Segar's receipt, and has not received 
the paper, will inform us of the fact, and feel 
assured, that the failure is attributable to our 
ignorance of his being a subscriber. 

Our agents are required to report, at least, 
once a fortnight, and we will be obliged to any 
gentleman, who does not receive his paper wiihin 
that time, after subscribing, to inform us of the 
fact. All our good nature has been absorbed by 
Mr. Segar, although he is the only agent of 
whom we have ever had cause to complain. 



NOTICES. 

For the many couplimentary notices which 
the commencement of our second volume has 
attracted from the political press, in Virginia 
especially, we have no return to make except 
the homage of our heartfelt thanks. We never 
regret the narrow limits to which our space con- 
fines us so much, as when it constrains us to 
such a poor return for such favors. 



RECEIPTS. 

W^e are very often asked for receipts, and we 
have a great many letters to write for the pur- 
pose of enclosing them. Hereafter, the direction 
of any number of the paper (except the first) to 
any individual, will be a receipt in full for the 
year's subscription. We say, except the first, 
because, that is frequently sent as a specimen. 



BACK NUMBERS. 

W^e have at length completed the tedious job 
of our re-print, and are now busily engaged in 
mailing the back numbers to those to whom they 
are due. If any gentleman, entitled to get them, 
should fail to receive them in the course of the 
next ten days, he will please inform us of the 
failure, when the mistake shall be immediately 
corrected. 



48 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Riclimoud Markets, February IT, 1842. 



Butter — Mountain butter, wholesale 12-2- ^ 16 
cents for fiikin ; 20 cents for roll. 

Cotton — 8 a 9 cents per lb. 

Cotton Yarns — Richmond and Manchester, 
(factory prices,) Nos. 4, 5 and 6, 20c.; 7, 8 
and 9, 21c,; 10, 11 and 12, 22c.; 13 and 14, 
23c.; 15 and 16, 24c.; 17,25c.; 18,26c.; 19, 
28; and 20, 28 cents. 

Cattle — For cattle on the hoof, from $4 to 
$o 50, are the general prices. Mutton — 
There is great variation in the quality ; indif- 
ferent sheep bring only from $1 to $2, while 
the finer qualities bring from that to $5 per 
head. 

Cheese — 8^^ a 9 cents per lb. very scarce. 

Feathers — 38 a 40 cents per lb. for live geese. 

Fish— Mackerel, No. 3, $7. Herrings— No. 1, 
North Carolina, $3 50 ; No. 2, $3 ; Poto- 
mac cut, $3 25. Shad, $8 50 per barrel. 

Flour — Demand limited ; sales at $5 87^ on 
the bank. 

Grain — Wheat $1 15 a $1 20, are the prices 
now paid for good red and white. Corn, 55 
to 60 cents per bushel. Oats, from wagons 
and depot 50 cents. Very little grain coming 
into nnarket. 

Iron — Pig, $25 to $35 ; Swedes, $100 per ton. 
English, $85 to $90; Tredegar, (Richmond 
manufactory,) $90 ; Up Country bar, $75 a 
$80 per ton. 

Meal — 65 to 70 cents per bushel. 

Provisions — Bacon — Old Smilhfield dull at 6 
cents ; new city cured, 7J a 8 cents, demand 
small; old Western sides, 3 a 5 cents, as to 
quality ; shoulders, 2 a 4 cts.; demand for old 
sides fair. Lard, 7 a 8 cents, retail demand 
only. 

Plaster — Last sales at $3 50 at Rocketts. 

Steel — American blistered $135 to $140 per 
ton. 

Tobacco — No change in prices to notice. — 
Breaks are increasing in quantity — but little 
improvement, if any, in quality. We con- 
tinue our quotations: Lugs $2 25 a $2 50 
and $2 75 ; Leaf $2 75 a $6 25, extreme 
rates — general sales of Leaf at the inspections 
from $3 a $4; a great portion of common 
Leaf sells at from $3 a $3 25. 

FREIGHTS. 

New York — Flour, per bbl. 25 cts. — very little 
going. Coal, 8 a 8.^ cents per bushel. To- 
bacco, $2 50 per hhd.; boxes 20 cts.; kegs 
25 cents. 

Philadelphia — Flour, none going. Tobacco, 
$2 50 per hhd.; 20 cts. for boxes ; 25 cts. for 
kegs, none going. Coal, 7 cents per bushel, 
Richmond measure. 

On the Canal — To Lynchburg and interme- 
diate places, 10 cents per 100 Ibe. 



EXCHANGE. 

Foreign — On London 16 a 17 per cent. prem. 
Domestic — New York Checks, 85 premium. 

Philadelphia, f a 1 premium. 

Baltimore, 5 premium. 

North Carolina Bank Notes, par. 

South Carolina, 5 premium. 

Savannah, 2 premium. 

Augusta, 2 premium. 

Alabama, 10 discount. 

Tennessee, 10 discount. 

Specie, 6 a 65 premium. 



CONTEXTS OF NO. II. 

Roots — Essay on the culture of, p. 25. 
Horses — A new plan for feeding, p. 28. 
Soioing Machine — Hatche's described, with a 

cut, p. 28. 
Manuring — Communication on, p. 29. 
Butter — To make good, p. 30. 
Compost — Prize essay on, p. 30. 
Rake — New one, for grain, p. 31. 
Silkworms — Nets for, described, p. 31. 
Feeding — Mr. Shelby's doctrine explained and 

commented on, p. 32. 
Soiling — The advantages of the system under 

certain circumstances, p. 32. 
Potatoes — Directions for cooking, p. 33. 
Seed Beds — To protect from birds, p. 33. 
Provender — Much that is now wasted may be 

saved with care, p. 33. 
Seeds — Should they be imported from the north 

or the south'? p. 33. 
Orchards — Excellent rules for the management 

of, p. 34. 
Bread — Made without yeast, p. 35. 
Distemper in Cows — Recipe for, p. 35. 
Cultivator — New one highly spoken of, p. 36. 
Labor — Comparison of black with while, p. 36. 
Stove — Inquiry for a good kitchen stove, p. 36. 
Corn — Mr. Dicken's mode of cultivating, p. 36. 
Grapes — To prevent them rotting on the vines, 

p. 37. 
Mange in Hogs — Remedy for, p. 38. 
Mollehart — Description of, with a cut, p. 38. 
JVaiis — directions for driving, p. 39. 
Virginia Board of Agriculture — Proceedings of, 

reviewed, p. 39. 
Agricultural Stock — Value of, in 1723, p. 40. 
Manures — A communication on the manage- 
ment of, p. 41. 
Analysis — Of the soil, how to conduct, p. 42. 
Potato — The long red, best, p. 43. 
Millet — Its properties and value, p. 43. 
Harrow — Conkling's revolving, described, with 

a cut, p. 44. 
Legislative Action — A communication from Rus- 

ticus noticed, p. 45. 
Cotton Gin — A new one, p. 45. 
Cream — Should be scalded, p. 45. 
Glass — To clean, p. 45. 
Tobacco — Natural histoiy of, p. 46.