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vation the next year can be benefited by fall ploughing, but must, on the contrary, be very materially injured. Most of the advocates of this system insist that by fall ploughing the clay soils will be pulverized through the winter by the frost, and thereby rendered more easy of cultivation in the spring. If such is the fact, which I deny, the clay on my farm must be of a very peculiar nature, because I have, now before my eyes, a field most of which was ploughed in fine weather in January, but the cold weather coming on prevented its completion, and the residue was ploughed in the spring, and it took much more time to put the land, ploughed in the winter, in good order for corn than it did that which was ploughed in the spring. The winter ploughed land, in place of being well pulverized by the frost, had run together like putty, and if the advocates of fall ploughing

could only see the difference in the looks of the crop and land at present, I think we should no longer disagree. The corn on the land ploughed in the spring is so far superior to the other lhat I am constantly asked the cause of the difference by strangers, and the land has been much easier to cultivate during the whole season, than the other. If these remarks shall elicit something from more experienced agriculturists on this subject, my object will be fully attained, and the cause of agriculture advanced.

C. We know many very judicious farmers who go out and out against fall ploughing, upon the principle of covering instead of exposing the surface ; but even amongst its advocates, that kind of clay soil which " runs together," is almost universally excepted.

SAND HILL HOG

We transcribe from the " Western Farmer" the following capital description of an old stock, under a new name. The species is not altogether extinct in this region, but probably it increases in value as it grows scarcer. If Mr. Bement, or any of our northern friends, should desire to cross their Berkshires with this improving breed, we think we can undertake to procure them as pure a specimen of genuine blood as ever rooted in the sand hills of Alabama.

Jllabama, July 10, 1842. Mr. Editor,—There has been much said and written of late years about imported, and what are called improved, breeds of pigs; and I hope you

will indulge me, in a few practical remarks on this subject. I am a practical farmer, and have profiled much by experience a-nd observation, and think I have learned something about "fancy stock."

The " animal" which I wish to bring to the especial notice of your readers, is, what may be called the "Cotton Planter," or what is commonly called the " Sand Hill Hog."

I am sorr3 r that I have not a specimen before me; but I give you above, from- memory, a pretty faithful sketch of a favorite old stock boar of one of my neighbors, who, I think, possesses the " purest blood" in South Alabama. The picture is the more faithful, as you will perceive that his ears bear strong evidence of having

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been gnawed off by dogs while depredating on corn fields.

There are many disputes about the characteristic forms of different breeds of hogs, but about this there can be no dispute— the blood speaks for itself. Just look at the magnificent animal above, and say whether any one can be so stupid as to confound it with the Berkshire or any other living animal 1 The long, clean, bony head—the thin, flat, lean body—the delicate razor-blade legs—the remarkably small hams—the straight tail, all bespeak genuine bloody color in a hog is nothing; the form is the thing we are all after.

About the origin of this hog there is much difference of opinion amongst naturalists; but the most plausible opinion is, that it is descended from what is called the " Sanglier," or wild boar, in France. It is found still in many parts of Europe, and is the hog from which the celebrated Westphalia hams are made. The meat of ours is quite as delicate, and never has that gross, disgusting taste which our western bacon has; it is the only thing of the kind a gentleman should eat; and, as you well know, it is from this hog that the delicious hams of Carolina are made.

They require little or no feeding. On my father's farm, (which was in the Sand Hills,) my business was minding the hogs, when a boy; and I very well recollect that from two to three shirt tails full of corn, was considered a very liberal allowance a year, per head. They have ihe rare talent of providing for themselves, and if food is not to be found in the woods, they are sure to find it in somebody's corn field—their flatness giving them great facility in slipping through fences.

I have never seen the experiment tried myself, but I am informed by my friend, Col. John Smith, (who has been extensively engaged in stock breeding,) that a very remarkable, and in fact almost incredible transmogrification is produced in the " Sand Hill Hog," by putting him up when young, and feeding him bountifully on corn. The form is made to assume a marvellous resemblance to the Berkshire !! and the tail, which is naturally straight, is made to curl as beautifully as the ringlet of a young lady.

But the most valuable and characteristic trait remains still to be told, viz: his great activity and speed! It is well known at the South that the negro is the natural enemy of the whole hog race—it is indispensably necessary that we should have a hog that can out run a negro, fair race, and, as they say in Kentucky, a negro "can't hold a torch for a Sand Hill hog to run by." This remarkable and important fact, was first brought to my notice by Gen. Wade Hampton, who was a great connoisseur and had a great fancy for all kinds of fine stock. As he

expressed it, a duck-legged Berkshire stood no chance on a cotton plantation.

Yours, &c. N.

P. S.—If you or any of the breeders in your section, wish to have some of the genuine 'Cotton Planter' stock, I shall be happy to supply you, on reasonable terms. Prices from $100 to $500, according to age and form. Breeders cannot be too cautious about the character of the person from whom they purchase. I believe I can conscientiously say, (and my neighbors will bear me out,) that I never intentionally told a falsehood, when the truth would answer my purpose; and every body here knows that my stock of hogs is unsurpassed.

GOOCHLAND FAIR. We lake great pleasure in announcing to the public that a fair will be held by the Agricultural Society of Goochland at their Courthouse, on the 9 th day of November next, when the usual premiums will be bestowed. We hope the attendance may be full, as we are sure the exhibition will be highly interesting.

For the Southern Planter. GAPES.

Mr. Editor, —As you are fond of " fried chickens," (Planter, page 186, August number,) and correctly state the cause of a prevailing disease among them, together with a remedy, but an ineffectual one, in my opinion, I will give you a theory of that cause, which will suggest a preventive of the disease. The worms in the lungs of the chicken are produced from the inhalation of the eggs of the hen lice. The minute eggs are deposited on the feathers and down of the hen, and the chicken being hovered over by the hen, the eggs are drawn into the cells of the lungs at each inspiration, which hatch and produce the worms, and the worms suffocate the chicken.

Sulphur and tobacco about the nest of the hen, during incubation, and a perfectly clean hen-house, with lime in abundance sprinkled on the floor and roosts, will constitute an effectual preventive of the gapes. These articles, you perceive, are intended to destroy the lice of the hen, which being done, the worms and the gapes will never appear.

A great variety of diseases in hogs and sheep, particularly, as well as in other animals, arise from a like cause. In fact, sir, this branch of pathology, has been greatly overlooked by writers on the diseases of man and the inferior animals. Animalcules and their eggs, being inhaled into the cells of the lungs, and often swallowed, generate fatal diseases which are a'tributed to

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miasmata. Volumes might be written, illustrating this deeply interesting subject, but perhaps it would be foreign to your useful journal.

Excuse this digression, as well as the apparent insignificance of the subject. Yet how beautiful and interesting does a little fact become, when it happens to be the nucleus, as it were, of a great principle.

Yours respectfully, L.

From the South "Western Farmer.

CRAB GRASS HAY—RESULTS OF EXPERIMENT.

Messrs. Editors, —Last winter I determined to make a number of experiments to increase the quantity of good food for my stock. Amongst others to see if the grass commonly called crab grass, could not be made a profitable substitute for the timothy of the North. I selected a piece of common oak ridge land, which had been in cultivation about five years, and in the early part of March caused it to be ploughed and cross ploughed with one of Hiram Sloop's best ploughs, running about six inches deep; then harrowed smooth and fine with an iron-tooth harrow, and with this cultivation left it to produce its crop of grass. On yesterday I finished my hay making and stacking. I measured the ground carefully, and found it contained three and a half acres (a fraction under.) I weighed an average load of the hay and find that I have obtained a few pounds over two and a fourth tons of hay (as good as I ever saw) to the acre.

The expense of'producing, curing and housing I estimate as follows:

Rent of three and a half acres of land at $2 per acre, $7 00

Man and team six days ploughing and harrowing at $1, 6 00

Two men two days mowing at 50 cents per day, each, 2 00

Eight hands two days curing, hauling, stacking and housing at 50 cenls per day each, 8 00

Use of wagon one day, driver one of the 8 hands, 2 50

15 50

78 75

Cost Value of product—Seven ton and seven-eighths hay at $10 per ton,

Profit $53 25

The above estimate of cost and value may not be satisfactory—the data are correct, and each man may make his own estimate. The product is above the quantity stated, for none of my people had ever seen an attempt to mow, and consequently the work was at first very badly done—probably a fourth of the grass left.

They soon improved, and about half the ground was well mown.

Query. May we not supply ourselves with hay, and sell to our stable keepers cheaper than we can import it from the North ? 1 think we can make, and send it to New Orleans on a fine profit. Daniel Mayes.

Ml. Verd, Aug. 5, 1843.

We have over and over again cut the crab grass from our corn fields, to which it seems indigenous, and Ave have ever found that our horses esteemed it a ban louche, for which they would leave any other kind of hay: its fattening qualities too are well known to those who have turned young colts into a corn field. But we have never cultivated this grass as a separate crop, nor would we, notwithstanding Mr. Mayes' imposing arraj T of figures, care to do so: for although as a feed we place the very highest estimate upon this grass, as an improver, it is worse than useless. To make it nutricious it must be permitted to go to seed, which renders it an exhauster. Moreover, it disappears entirely with the first frost, leaving no sod, robbing the land and returning: nothing: to it.

For the Southern Planter.

PROPER DISPOSITION OF FARMING CAPITAL.

Mr. Editor, —Every man in this country is more or less interested in the pursuit of agriculture ; and the business of a commission merchant has rendered me as deeply sensitive to its interests as if I were directly engaged in its pursuit. After much consideration and attention, I am inclined to think that the want of success in this profession, proceeds from an error that I have frequently observed in my own. This consists in an attempt to do a larger business than is justified by the quantity of capital employed. It is true, that sometimes a "lucky hit" in trade will make all right, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred, failure is the inevitable result of an expansion disproportionate to the quantity of capital to be commanded.

How often do you see an individual with a limited capital embarking in the profession of a farmer, expend it all in the purchase of his land ; which is about as reasonable as it would be in a merchant to sink his whole capital in a warehouse, without leaving any for the purchase of goods. Neither the one nor the other would be wiser than the silly fellow, who expended his last cent in the purchase of a purse.

I have grown grey in the pursuit of commerce, and it may be deemed presumptuous in an individual engaged in one pursuit to pretend

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to advise those in another calling; but the looker on can sometimes see what escapes the attention of the player, and for the last forty years I have been a not inattentive or uninterested spectator of the progress of an art on which my own pursuits were founded, and with which they were so intimately blended. It seems to me, then, nothing would more promote the cause of agriculture than a judicious division of the capital embarked in it. To make this division constitutes a rather difficult sum in arithmetic, one of the quantities only being known, but a practical man with a little calculation, can readily approximate it without even a recourse to algebraical signs. Suppose an individual desires to engage in farming, and that he has, we will say, ten thousand dollars to embark in the business. The first object is to ascertain how I much land he should buy. Let him remember i that it is only a certain degree of fertility that j will pay for cultivation, and that within reason- j able limits, the greater the fertility the greater will be the profit upon the investment. My ad-1 vice to him would be to be satisfied with nothing that would not yield eight barrels of corn and twenty bushels of wheat, at least, to the acre, j We will suppose that such land in the location he chooses will cost forty dollars an acre: very well, let him reserve four thousand dollars to purchase negroes, stock, implements, &c. and to afford him floating capital for at least one year's operations : this leaves him six thousand dollars for the purchase of one hundred and fifty acres of land. It is a small farm, it is true, and the owner could not be esteemed a great landed pro-! prietor; but it is well slocked, well provided,' very productive, and the owner with every thing well fixed and comfortable, free from debt and j with a provision for accidents, is enabled to devote his whole energies to his business. How certain in such a case would be the annual improvement of his land, or the annual extension of his acres.

But let us contrast with this operation the course usually pursued by those investing in real estate. From an inordinate desire that seems to be born with us here in the South, to be the owners of " broad acres," the whole capital is expended in an extensive and barren waste, or probably half the purchase money paid, and a debt incurred for the balance. Little or nothing left for stock or implements, which are probably bought on credit, and are frequently of the rudest and poorest kind. Already saddled with a heavy debt, the interest on which begins to stare him in the face and haunt his imagination in his dreams, what does it avail to tell this poor wight of some improved implement of agriculture or of a judicious system of husbandry? Why, if you advise hirn to pay a dollar a year for an agricultural newspaper, he replies, and with a great deal of truth indeed,

that " he can't afford it." There is a perpetual struggle upon the part of this great land owner to keep body and soul together, and instead of ease, thrift, and improvement, he exhibits fiom 3 ear to year the increasing marks of care, poverty and want; until at last his great estate slips through his fingers and falls into the possession of soue individual, perhaps, who having the means of improvement, doubles or quadruples the product, and thereby makes the whole an excellent investment.

It may be said that land worth forty dollars cannot always be found in situations to which particular circumstances may confine an individual. Let the purchaser then give ten dollars an acre for one hundred and fifty acres, and reserve the balance of the six thousand dollars for improving it j he must be very unfortunate indeed if he does not succeed in a few years in bringing it up to the forty dollar standard.— What I mean to maintain is, that it would form a much more profitable investment, generally speaking, to buy one hundred and fifty acres of such land for fifteen hundred dollars, keeping thirty-five hundred dollars to improve it, than to pay the whole six thousand dollars for six hun-' dred acres.

I have been led into these considerations by conversations which I have held with many of our farmers, who, apart from this common error into which they have fallen, are sound and judicious men. I have found universally a much greater want of abilit}', than of desire, to im-. prove. I say ability to improve, because 1 believe the improvement of poor land without money is a very slow business; to a man in debt, it is unattainable.

There are in Virginia a great many rich men owning extensive tracts of land that yield them little or no revenue. Suppose such an one would lay off a tract into farms of one hundred and fifty acres ; erect neat, cheap and convenient buildings, and offer them for rent on long leases to substantial, moral men, to be cultivated upon particular systems, prescribed by the landlord.

By the purchase of a few good negro mechanics, the buildings could be erected very economically, the material being generally to be found on the spot, and it seems to me that tenants could be readily obtained on terms that would make the investment an excellent one.— Fifteen hundred acres so disposed of, might, by judicious restrictions in the leases, be converted into a splendid estate in twenty years. If it only paid six per cent, on the improvements in the meantime, it would constitute a safe and capital investment. There are many good and substantial men in the country, who have capital enough to farm it advantageous!}', if they could only rent good land on fair terms, who are sure to fall through when they attempt, with their limited means, to purchase for themselves.

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If these suggestions should excite the attention of those much better qualified to discuss all the questions appertaining to the art of agriculture, than one, who has never been connected,

except incidentally, with its pursuits, my object will have been attained.

Your obedient servant,

A Merchant.

HALL'S PATENT HORSE POWER

The engraving represents a horse power lately invented by Mr. H. G. Hall. It is of the treadmill character, and, as the patentee conceives, is infinitely superior to any other horse power in use. Its chief peculiarity consists in the particular form of the revolving floor and the use of friction rollers, by which the weight is entirely taken off the axletrees.

We take particular pleasure in bringing to the consideration of our readers any improvement in horse powers; for there is no machine for which there is a greater demand, and none in which improvement is more required. As at present constructed, they are heavy, expensive, and complicated, very liable to get out of order, and by no means adapted to the wants of the farmer.

Of this machine of Mr. Hall's we are hardly

prepared to speak, having seen nothing of it except a small model, which has impressed us with a very favorable opinion of its merits. If it is one half what the inventor claims for it, there must be a universal demand for it in the State of Virginia.

It is only adapted to two horses, with which Mr. Hall asserts he will do all the work that can be accomplished with four upon any other machine.

We understand that rights have already been sold in some thirty counties in the State, and that preparations are now making for building the machines in Rockbridge, Lynchburg, and other places. Our citizens will thus soon have an opportunity of settling its merits by that best of all tests, experience, and we shall be pleased to learn the result.

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For the Southern Planter. BEEHIVES.

Mr. Editor, —I find in your last Planter a request from some individual for information upon the comparative merits of different beehives. I would recommend no hives to the gentleman wishing to make honey. Direct him to build a house eight by six, ceil it well, and have a door with lock and key, also two small windows, two feet in length, wide enough to allow the bees to pass through. In this house let him place, all of his hives. The darkness of the house prevents the foolish rattling of tin pans and bells, also the destruction of valuable fruit trees and ornamental branches. After the bees fill the hives, they will continue iheir working operations on the side of the house, or on the benches, never swarming again. In addition to this, muriate of soda or common salt, the most powerful preventive to the worm, can be placed under each hive, which could not be used effectually in a situation exposed to wet. The room should be made as dark as possible, admitting no light except through the windows. By attending to the above, no man will want for honey.

Yours, respectfully, Mohican.

Mohican, Aug. 10, 1843.

The following is taken from an old number of the " Cultivator," and is worthy of preservation both as an admirable imitation of a style which has been rendered immortal by the sayings and doings of- Sam'l Suck, Esq., and for the intrinsic merits of the matter. We rather think Nick Bradshaw has " imigrated to a warmer climate," and we are very much mistaken if we did not meet with him about three weeks ago on a piece of land that "had run out," not more than forty miles from the city of Richmond.

A LOOKING GLASS. J. Buel, Eso_.

Dear Sir. —When I was a boy, I can well remember how I used to be induced to wash my smutty face, by having a looking glass held before my eyes. For the same purpose, I have extracted the following picture of "a farmer," from the writings of that most eccentric and excellent writer, "Samuel Slick," in the hopes that if any of your readers should happen to see any part of himself therein, that he will improve by the view. Here it is.

"* * * That critter, when he built that

wrack of a house, (they call 'em a half house

here,) intended to add as much more to it some

of these days, and accordingly put his chimbley

Vol. III.—29

outside, to sarve the new part as well as the old. He has been too " busy" ever since, you see, to remove the banking put there the first fall, to keep the frost out of the cellar, and consequently it has rotted the sills off, and the house has fell away from the chimbley. and he has had to prop it up with that great stick of timber, to keep it from coming down on its knees altogether. All the winders are boarded up, but one, and that might as well be, for little light can penetrate them old hats and red flannel petticoats. Look at the bam ; its broken back roof has let the gable eends fall in, where they stand staring at each other, as if they would like to come closer together (and' no doubt they soon will,) to consult what was best to be done to gain their standing in the world. Now look at the stock ; there's your " improved short horns." Them dirty looking, half starved geese, and them draggle-tailed fouls that are so poor the foxes would be ashamed to steal them—that little lantern jawed, long leg'd, rabbit ear'd runt of a pig, that's so weak it cant curl its tail up—that old cow frame standing there with her eyes shut and looking for all the world as tho' she's contemplating her latter eend—(and with good reason too,) and that other reddish } 7 ellow, long wooled varmint, with his hocks higher than his belly, that looks as if he had come to her funeral, and which by way of distinction, his owner calls a horse—is all " the stock," I guess, that this farmer supports upon a hundred acres of as good natural soil as ever laid out door. Now there's a specimen of "Native Stock." I reckon he'll imigrate to a warmer climate soon, for you see while he was waiting to finish that thing you see the hen's roosting on, that he calls a sled, he's had to burn up all the fence round the house, but there's no danger of cattle breaking into his fields, and his old muley has larnt how to sneak round among the neighbors' fields o' nights, looking for an open gate or bars, to snatch a mouthful now and then. For if j'ou was to mow that meadow with a razor and rake it with a fine tooth comb, you couldn't get enough to winter a grasshopper. 'Spose we drive up to the door and have a word of chat with Nick Bradshaw, and see if he is as promising as outside appearances indicate.

Observing us from the. only light of glass remaining in the window, Nick lifted the door and laying it aside, emerged from his kitchen, parlor and smokehouse, to reconnoitre. He was a tall, well built, athletic man, of great personal strength and surprising activity, who looked like a careless good natured fellow, fond of talking, and from the appearance of the little old black pipe which stuck in one corner of his mouth, equally so of smoking, and as he appeared to fancy us to be candidates, no doubt he was already enjoying in prospective the comforts of a neighboring tap room-. Jist look at

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him—happy critter—his hat crown has lost the top out, and the rim hangs like the bail of a bucket. His trowsers and jacket show clearly that he has had clothes of other colors in other days. The untan'd mocasin on one foot, which contrasts with the old shoe on the other, shows him a friend to domestic manufactures-; and his beard is no bad match for the wooly horse yonder.— See the waggish independent sort of a look the critter has, with his hat on one side and hands in his breeches pockets, contemplating the beauties of his farm. You may talk about patience and fortitude, philosophy and christian resignation, and all that sort of thing till you are tired, but—ah, here he comes. Morning Mr. Brad-shaw—how's all home to-day ? Right comfortable, (mark that—comfort in such a place,) I give thanks—come, light and come in. I'm sorry can't feed your hoss—but the fact is, tan't bin no use to try to raise no crops, late years, for body don't git half paid for their labor, these hard times. I raised a nice bunch of potatoes last year, and as I couldn't get nothing worth while for 'em in the fall, I thot I'de keep 'em till spring. But as frost, set in, while I was down town 'lection time, the boys didn't fix up the old cellar door, and this infarnal cold winter froze 'em all. l'ts them what yon smell now, and I've just been telling the old woman that we most turn too and carry them out of the cellar, 'fore long they'll make some of us sick like enough—for there's no telling what may happen to a body late years. And if the next legislator don't do something for us the Lord knows but the whole country will starve, for it seems as tho' the land now a da}'s won't raise nothing. It's actually run out. Why, I should think by the look of things round your neighbor Hor-ton's, that his land produced pretty well. Why, yes—and it's a miricle too, how he gets it—for every body round here said, when he took up that tract, it was the poorest in the town.— There are some folks that thinks he has dealings with the " blackart," for't does seem as tho' the more he work'd his land, the better it got.

Now, here was a mystery—but an easy explanation of Mr. Slick soon solved the matter, at least to my mind. The fact is, says Mr. Slick, a great deal of this country is run out. — And if it want for the lime, marsh-mud, seaweed, salt sand, and what not, they've got here in such quantities, and a few Mortons to apply it, the whole country would run out and dwindle away to just such great, good natured, good-for-nothing, do nothing, fellows as this Nick Brad-shaw, and his woolly horse, and woolless sheep, and cropless farm, and comfortless house, if indeed such a great wind rack of loose lumber, is worthy the name of a house.

Now, by way of contrast to all this, do you see that neat little cottage looking house on

yonder hummock, away to the right there, where you see those beautiful shade trees. The house is small, but it is a ivhole house. That's what I call about right—flanked on both sides by an orchard of best, grafted fruit—a tidy flower garden in front, that the galls see to, and a most grand sarce garden jist over there, where it takes the wash of the buildings, nicely sheltered by that bunch of shrubbery. Then see them everlasting big barns—and by gosh, there goes fourteen dairy cows—as sleek as moles. Them flowers, honej'suckles and rose bushes, shows what sort of a family lives there, just as plain as straws show which way the wind blows.

Them galls an't 'tarnally racing round to quiltin and husking frolics, their feet exposed in thin slips to the mud, and their honor to a thinner protection. No, no, take my word for it, when 3'ou see galls busy about such things to home, they are what our old minister used to call "right minded." Such things keep them bus}', and when folks are busy about their own business, they've no time to get into mischief. It keeps them healthy, too, and as cheerful as larks. I've a mind we'll 'light here, and view this citizen's improvements, and we shall be welcomed to a neat substantial breakfast, that would be worthy to be taken as a pattern by any farmer's wife in America.

We were met at the door by Mr. Horton who greeted my friend Slick with the warm salutation of an old acquaintance, and expressed the satisfaction of one habitually hospitable, for the honor of my visit. He was a plain, healthy, intelligent looking man, about fifty, dressed as a farmer should be, with the stamp of " Homespun" legible upon every garment, not forgetting a very handsome silk handkerchief, the work throughout of his oldest daughter. The room into which we were ushered, bore the same stamp of neatness and comfort that the outside appearance indicated. A substantial home-made carpet covered the floor, and a well filled book-case and writing desk, were in the right place, among the contents of which I observed several agricultural periodicals. I was particularly struck with the scrupulously neat and appropriate attire of the wife and two intelligent, interesting daughters, that were busily engaged in the morning operations of the dairy. After partaking of an excellent substantial breakfast, Mr. Horton invited us to walk over his farm, which, though small, was every part in such a fine state of cultivation, that he did not even express a fear of "starving, unless the legislature did something to keep the land from running out."

We bade adieu to this happy family, and proceeded on our journey fully imprssed with the contrast between a good and bad farmer, and for my own part, perfectly satisfied with the

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manner that Mr. Slick had taken to impress it indelibly upon my own mind.

Mr. Slick seemed wrapped in contemplation of the scenes of the morning for a long time.— At length he broke forth in one of his happy strains. "The bane of this country, 'Squire, and indeed of all America, is having too much land —they run over more ground than they cultivate, and crop the land year after year, without manure, till it is no wonder that " it's run out." A very large portion of land in A me rica has been "run out," by repeated grain crops and bad husbandry, until a great portion of this great country is in a fair way to be ruined. The two Carolinas and Virginny are covered witb places that are "run out," and are given up as ruined, and there area plagey site too many such places all over New England, and a great many other States. We havn't the surplus of wheat that we used to have in the United States, and it'll never be so plenty while there are so many Nick Biadshaws in the country.

The fact is, 'Squire, edecation is ducedly neglected. True, we have a site of schools and colleges, but they an't the right kind. That same Nick Bradshaw has been clean through one on 'em, and 'twas there that he larnt that infarnal lazy habit of drinking and smoking, that has been the ruin of him ever since. I wouldn't give an old fashioned swing-tail clock to have my son go to college where he couldn't work enough to am his own living, and iarn how to work it right tu.

It aciually frightens me when I think how the land is worked and skinned, till they take the gizzard out on't, when it might be growing better every day. Thousands of acres every year are turned inlo barrens, while an everlasting stream of our folks are streaking it off " to the new country," where about half on 'em after wading about among the tadpoles, to catch cat fish enough to live on a year or two, actually shake themselves to death with that everlasting cuss of all new countrys, the fever and agur. It's a melancholy fact, 'Squire, though our people don't seem to be sensible of it, and you nor I may not live to see it, but if this awful robbin' of posterity goes on for another hundred years, as it has for the last, among the farmers, we'll be a nation of paupers. Talk about the legislature doing something, I'll tell you what I'd have them do. Paint a great parcel of guide boards, and nail 'ern up over overy legislature, church and school-house door in America, with these words on 'em in great letters— "The best land in America, by constant cropping, without manure, will run out." And I'd have 'ern, also, provide means to lam every child how to read it, cause it's no use to try to lam the old ones—they're tu sot in their ways. They are on the constant stretch with the land they have,

and all the time trying to git more, without improving any on't. Yes, yes, yes, too much land is the ruin of us all.

Although you will find a thousand more good things among the writings of "The Clock-maker," I hope you will not look for a literal copy of the foregoing. And if ever this meets the eye of the writer of the " Saying and Doings of Samuel Slick," I beg him to excuse me for the liberty I have taken with his own language.

I remain you agricultural friend,

Solon Robinson.

THE SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE.

The science of agriculture is yet in its infancy. The art has been practised for 6,000 3'ears. But that art must be in a very imperfect state which is not sustained by science; for what is science, but a knowledge of general principles which serve to guide us in the practice of an art ? These general principles can never be obtained with certainty but from a knowledge of all the facts, or as they are technically called, [he phenomena, connected with a subject. Sometimes in the absence of such knowledge, ingenious guesses, properly called hypotheses are formed, but it is not until all the facts are known, and from them general principles and inevitable laws are deduced, that, a science can be said to be established. In this sense we have as yet no science of agriculture, and all we can boast of are a few hypotheses, some of which are very crude indeed. In truth, we have not yet arrived at the facts which are the foundation, and of course we cannot yet erect the edifice. But the great difference between this and preceding ages, is, that in our day a spirit has been awakened which leads directly to the investigation of agricultural phenomena, and from them to the deduction of agricultural laws.

But as we have remarked before, there is no subject the phenomena of which are so mysteriously concealed, or so slowly developed, as those attendant upon agriculture : they are discernible only to the practical farmer; and to him only when endowed with powers of the greatest patience and investigation. When we reflect how many different statements are made with respect to the simplest fact in agriculture, all proceeding too from the most respectable sources, we may see at once how far we are from attaining yet a knowledge of the phenomena, which must be clearly ascertained before

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we can pretend to establish the science of agriculture. All that we can do now is to observe diligently and report faithfully these phenomena as they occur, and the great value of agricultural papers, in our opinion, consists in the records they will afford to the future philosopher of well authenticated facts, from which he may deduce principles that will illumine the darkness in which its votaries of the present day are groping. But to attain this consummation, we must ascertain the facts. How is this to be done in the multitude of contradictory statements with which we are overwhelmed 1 Nothing can be ascertained as long as the statement of to-day is unsettled by the statement of to-morrow, coming from as authentic a source and carrying with it an equal weight of authority. There is only one way to settle these vexed questions; they should no longer be left to individual statements, but associations should be formed, who should institute experiments upon such disputed points as circumstances might dictate, and who, mindful of the responsibility devolved upon them, should diligently observe and carefully report the result in such a manner that the record should be made public for the present generation, and preserved for the next. If this plan were pursued with the zeal and ardor which has marked its adoption in particular instances, we should soon be furnished with stores from which principles might be deduced to revolutionize the art of agriculture.

SAVING SEED CORN.

Very few planters have paid that attention to the selection of seed for planting, that their own interests demand. It is a principle of vegetable as well as of animal life, that "like produces like." Every one who raises good stock, is not only aware of the truth of this, but he carries it out in his selections of animals to breed from. He selects his finest calves and pigs, and saves them from the slaughter pen, because, being well formed, largo and thrifty, he believes that their offspring will possess these qualities. But although the same thing is true in the vegetable kingdom, he seldom thinks of availing himself of the advantage of a judicious selection in his seed for planting. Some few have tried it, and by care, and a judicious selection, year after year, have brought their corn to a high state of perfection ; and their neighbors, seeing their success, have eagerly sought these improved seed. It would do well the first year, but after that gradually deteriorate to the common standard, and the whole thing would be

pronounced a humbug, The humbug, however, was not in the original improvement, but in the subsequent neglect. The improver commenced by carefully selecting from his field those stalks that bore two fine, large ears, and laying them carefully aside for planting. The next year he selected with as much care from the product of his former selection; and by keeping up this system, reaped each year a richer harvest. Whereas, the other, who commenced with his neighbor's fine seed, by gathering indiscriminately into his barn, and selecting his seed from the mass in the spring, would be as likely to get the ears from an inferior as from a good stalk, and thus his seed would, by a law of nature, deteriorate to the common standard. We believe that it is perfectly practicable to have almost every stalk bearing two good ears, on land where but one would be produced according to the usual method of selecting seed. This is not a mere opinion. It has been tried repeatedly, and with entire success, by various persons. What has been called the Dunton, the Cook, and the Williams corn, have all owed their celebrity to the judicious selection of seed for a series of years, by the respective gentlemen whose names they bear. True, it requires some little trouble to select every year; but every planter should have enough of professional pride in improving his system of husbandry, to take the necessary trouble especially when he is so richly repaid by an increased harvest.

Columbia Planter.

For the Southern Planter. MECKLENBURG HOLE AND CORNER CLUB.

Mr. Editor. —Herewith you will receive a report made by a Committee of a Club upon the farm of B W. Leigh, Esq., which we should be glad to see published in your valuable paper.

Yours most respectfully,

R. A. Puryear, Cor. Sec'ry Of the Mecklenburg Hole and Corner Club, No. 2.

Oakley, Mecklenburg, 2lst Aug. 1843.

The Committee appointed to examine the farm of B. W. Leigh, Esq., have performed that duty, and report, that Mr. Leigh's farm, as known to most of our Club, was formerly the property of Mr. John Nelson. The most of it was cleared by him, and cultivated on the old plan, except that it was preserved by hillside trenching, executed with more than ordinary skill. When taken possession of by the present proprietor, there was scarcely any manured surface, and no attention had been paid to the cultivation of the artificial grasses.—

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-The present appearance of the farm evinces that great diligence has been used in rearing these grasses, and particularly clover, to which Mr. Leigh gives the preference over all other meliorating crops. He has successfully adopted the plan of keeping up his tobacco land with clover and plaster, and entertains the opinion, that any land adapted to the growth' of clover may, with the aid of plaster, be improved to an almost unlimited extent. Mr. Leigh has, in fact, by the use of clover, plaster and other manures, made rapid progress in the improvement of his estate, and if he perseveres, there is no doubt, that in a few years, he will have the satisfaction of seeing the product of his estate doubled, although he is now reaping as abundant fruits of his skilll and enterprise, as any of his neighbors. He has nearly all his land in clover, and intends to continue seeding until the whole of it is seeded. The cultivated surface affords unequivocal evidence of agricultural skill and personal attention, well worthy of imitation. His corn field is clear and efficiently cultivated. His tobacco land is well prepared and planted. The committee differ with Mr Leigh in regard to the mode of laying off the corn rows between the hill-side trenches. Mr. Leigh lays off his rows by the upper-side of the trench, thus throwing the short rows on the lower side of the trench above, and exposing the land in a greater degree to the pernicious effect of washing rains. He assigns the following reason for the plan he pursues: That if in his sandy land the short rows are emptied into the ditch, the ditch will fill up, and subject the lands to greater damage than is likely to result from the plan he now pursues. This is a subject well worthy of inquiry and discussion, and one to which the attention of the Club is particularly invited,

The committee were struck with the neatness and attention evinced in regard to the plantation tools. They were good and well taken care of, and proved (what ought to be seen on every farm,) that there was a place for every thing, and that every thing was in its place.— This is a subject that the committee cannot too highly recommend to the attention of the Club. One of the great errors of Virginia management is the clumsy construction and abuse of the implements of the farm. A little neatness in construction and care in the preservation of them, will save much of time, labor and money.

Mr. Leigh's attention to his stock is another feature in his management worthy of note. His horses are always in fine order, and when at work are neatly and carefully geared, so as to avoid rubbing or galling, and insure good work. He 13 successful in raising pork, and supplies abundantly the demands of his family.

The committee must not omit to mention Mr. Leigh's wheat crop, which was truly a fine one,

and clearly proved that good management in the preparation of the land, could overcome any supposed deficiency in its character, for the growth of that particlar crop.

The committee would remark finally, that with the addition of Mrs. Leigh, and a more commodious dwelling, he would have great reason to be contented with his lot.

P. C. Venable, H. L. Jeffries.

From the Farmer's Cabinet. THE MILK CELLAR,

It is a curious fact, but by no means unaccountable, that in many parts of the country the milk cellar is superceding the spring-house, — an appendage that has always been considered indispensable for the production of good butter, be the other qualifications of a farm and its appurtenances what they might. While on a visit to Wilmington, Delaware, I had occasion to remark the excellence of the butter at my friend's table, when he replied, he always selected the best cellar butter at market, for the use of his family, giving it as his firm conviction, that butter made in a cellar, was far preferable to that made in a spring-house, its great recommendation being in keeping sweet and good much longer, and retaining its fine flavor and color to the last, which spring-house butter would not do. And he observed, it is customary to account for the greater price which some dairymen obtain for their butter in market, by saying it is cellar butter ; instancing the fact, in the high character of that made by Mr. Bryan Jackson, near New Castle, who never fails to obtain the top price of the market, for butler of the finest quality; he having a cellar that might be taken as a pattern for all that part of the country. Of course, it is readily admitted that much depends on the mode that is adopted in the management of the dairy, commencing with the breed and feed of cows, and ending with the manipulations of the butter ; but the idea is gaining ground, that the best butter is to be made in a cellar, all other circumstances being equal: a remarkable revolution in public opinion, truly.

On reconnoitering among my friends, T found that several of them had substituted the cellar for the spring-house ; and I do not know one who is not satisfied with the arrangement, except it be where the cellar is dug in a damp soil, or has been most injudiciously opened to the well, the evaporation from which fills the room with constant moisture, which may be found adhering to the walls, ihe ceiling and the woodwork, the shelves, and particularly the inside of the door, causing a damp and clammy feel, and a nauseous, mouldy smell, which the butter imbibes, to its lasting injury: indeed, no good but-

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ter can be made in such places. But another revolution is taking place, even amongst the advocates for the cellar: it is no longer thought necessary to dig the cellar very deep, or to arch it over with stone or brick, with an air passage through it for ventilation—a vault, as it is more properly then termed: it is found sufficient, if the cellar be sunk a few feet below the surface of the earth, with a wide and shallow window on each side, the bottom of it level with the ground outside; well protected with a wire guard to keep out vermin, large flies, &c, and provided with a close glazed sash, which can be opened and closed at pleasure, by lifting it up to the ceiling, which ought to be no higher than the top of the windows; so that the air of the cellar can be ventilated by opening the windows of the two opposite sides, according to the way the wind sets at the time, shutting them quickly when necessary; for in cold, windy, or damp weather, the sooner the windows are again closed, the better. Indeed to the management of the cellar in this particular, much of the success of dairying is to be attributed ; cold and damp air being unfriendly to the secretion of cream, and its proper and entire separation from the milk. Hence, therefore, it is a bad practice to set the pans on the brick floor of the cellar ; they ought always to be placed around on shelves, about three feet in height, and these, after being well washed in hot water, should be wiped quite dry, that no mouldy evaporation might take place to spoil the butter. The air near the floor of the dairy is always impure, being loaded with acid vapors and putrid exhalations, the density of which confines it to the lowest part of the room ; hence it is, that the doors of some dairies are made with lattice work, that the air near the floor, as well as that near the ceiling, might be ventilated at the same time; these lattices being furnished with sliding pannels, to be kept close in bad weather. The milk cellar ought always to have a northern aspect, and be well shaded by trees, not growing too near the windows, so as to impede a dry current of air, or to create a moist atmosphere ; this consideration being of more importance than would readily be imagined.

Cellars thus constructed and carefully attended, will no doubt supercede the use of spring-houses generally, before many years have passed away; by which the business of the dairy will be rendered more agreeable, less laborious, and far less inimical to the health of those, particularly of females, whose occupation it is to attend to its never ceasing duties.

T. Miller.

Delaware, June I3lh, 1843.

INDUSTRY.

The following anecdote may give encouragement to the industrious. Not long ago a coun-

try gentleman had an estate of £100 a year, which he kept in his own hands until he found himself so much in debt, that, to satisfy his creditors, he was obliged to sell the half and let the remainder to a farmer for twenty years. Towards the expiration of the lease, the farmer coming one day to pay his rent, asked the gentleman whether he would sell his farm. " Why, will you buy it ?" said the gentleman. " If you will part with it, and we can agree," replied the farmer. " That is exceedingly strange," said the gentleman. Pray tell me how it happens that, while I could not live upon twice as much land, for which I pay no rent, you are regularly paying me a hundred pounds a year for your farm, and are able, in a few years, to purchase it ?" " The reason is plain," answered the farmer, " you sat still and said go —I got up and said come —you laid in bed and enjoyed 3'our estate—I rose in the morning and minded my business."

For the Southern Planter.

Mr. Editor, —Some of your correspondents have been advocating the skinning old field pine for posts, others burning them into coal for manure, but I prefer making coal of them for the purpose of curing tobacco. Suitable wood for curing tobacco has become scarce, and the labor of getting it to the barn is also considerable; but the coal may be carried from the kiln with but little labor. I have seen stoves, flues, dec, in operation, but am of the decided impression that curing with coal, and a small portion of wood, is the most perfect system I have ever yet seen. It makes a strong regular heat, free from sweat, and will cure the leaf uniformly through the house. My mode of using it is, first, to put down, what we planters call, bed logs, kindle the fires in the usual way, and then keep them up with coal alone, until the leaf is cured ; the stalk and stem I cure with wood. The coal will burn more freely than a person unaccustomed to its use has any idea of, and those who have never adopted this mode of curing, will be almost certain to fire too hard the first trial, but practice will guide him after that. My motive for using a portion of wood is, to get the benefit of the smoke, which is said to be a necessary preservative to the plant. Three rows of fires, and never more than four, is sufficient for a house 20 by 24 feet. I cured the last year about 8000 sticks from the produce of four ordinary kilns, with the addition of wood, as above stated ; and when the seasons are favorable for making tobacco, I get liberal prices.

Whilst on this subject, I will state that I think it a great error to have tobacco houses so close as to admit of scarcely any air ; tobacco cured in houses of this sort, I think, go through too hard a sweat, but by having them moderately

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close, with board roof, so as to admit air, the leaf will dry quicker, and you will retain all the valuable qualities of the plant. I have once been an advocate of close houses, but observing that the tobacco which hung about the door (for I never shut the door until the leaf is cured,) generally cured nice, and before the balance of the house, convinced me of the propriety of having my houses less close.

After having adopted this course, I conversed with a friend on this subject, he gave into my views, and stated that he had one very close house, in which it was but seldom he could cure well, whilst in an adjoining house of moderate closeness, he had no difficulty of curing to his taste.

The system of curing with stoves and flues, required that the houses should be made so close as to resist, as much as possible, the admission of air. Why is it that this practice was of such ephemeral existence? My impression is, that the tobacco was subject to so severe a sweat as to destroy, in a great measure, its oily properties.

Some of your subscribers contend that tobacco is an improver of land, others, that it is a destroyer. Some of my negroes in the year 1841 planted a portion of old land in tobacco, (no manure,) where corn and oats have been growm for the last 40 or 50 years ; the tobacco was very inferior of course: The field is now in com, and to my surprise, I find that the corn where the tobacco grew, is far superior to the rest of the field, and maybe distinguished as far as the corn can be seen. Having given you the fact, I shall not attempt to account for it, leaving that to abler hands.

Wishing you and the Southern Planter a long and successful life, I remain, yours truly.

GULIELMUS.

N. B. As there is still some space on my sheet, 1 will give you the mode of keeping sweet potato seed in kilns, by myself and others in this section. We generally put them up in the patch where they are dug. Raise the earth six or eight inches in a circular form, as a kind of floor, sufficiently large for the quantity of seed you wish for one kiln ; set a stake in the centre, merely as a guide to put the potatoes around, cover the earth with boards or pine bark, over this strew pine beards, then put on your potatoes, letting the kiln terminate in a point at the top ; cover with the pine beards, say two or three inches deep, then with boards or bark, throw on earth until the kiln is covered at least six or eight inches deep ; over this throw potatoe vines plentifully, to prevent the rains from washing the dirt down, and in the spring they will open in fine order. I design keeping rny potatoes for table use in this way the next season. Some cover their kilns -vith leaves or straw, and erect a temporary scaffold (or shelter) over the kiln, but I prefer the vine as they are at the spot rea-

dy to throw on. The stake should not project beyond the top of the potatoes. I generally saw them off previous to covering the kiln.

G.

The following was taken from a newspaper several years ago:

" The following discovery was, a few years ago, communicated by the Royal Society of Sweden to that of London. After roofing a house with wood, boil some tar, and mix it with finely pulverized charcoal till it is of the thickness of mortar, spread this with a trowel about a fourth of an inch thick over the roof, it will soon grow hard, and defy all the vicissitudes of weather. Roofs thus covered have stood in Sweden over a century, and still want no repair."

G.

Charlotte, Va., August 5, 1843.

PLOUGHING IN GREEN CROPS.

Living plants contain in their substance not only all they have drawn up from the soil, but also a great part of what they have drawn down from the air. Plough in these living plants, and you necessarily add to the soil more than was taken from it—in oiher words, you make it richer in organic matter. Repeat the process with a second crop, and it becomes richer still—and it would be difficult to define the limit beyond which the process could no further be carried.— Johnston's Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry.

MILCH COWS.

The Editor of the "Agriculturist" informs us, that the unrivalled reputation of the milch cows of Jersey and Guernsey, has been obtained by the common adoption of a judicious scale of " points," with their relative values affixed. This scale, which we subjoin, will serve at least to remind many of our "good judges" of cattle, how vague and loose their ideas upon the subject have heretofore been, as we will venture to say that not one in fifty of those most accustomed to selecting cattle, has ever thought of fixing in his own mind the relation of one good point to another.

If we understand this scale correctly, it is to be used as follows:—Suppose a lot of cows to be exhibited for premium. No. 1 is examined, first, with respect to her family; perfection in this respect is denoted by 4 marks, the minimum being represented by one: her number is set down as she is entitled to the one or the other, or, as in the opinion of the judges, she ranges between the two. So with respect to

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the other 8 points. The same process is gone through with each cow, and the one that in this way obtains the greatest number of marks receives the premium. Mr. Allen mentions that such is the particularity of these Islanders, that they esteem no cow worthy of a premium that cannot reach at least 21 marks.

It may be a matter of surprise to the uninitiated, as it was to us, to learn that the virtues of a rnilch cow do not lie in her bag, but that the udder is to be esteemed to the head, as 4 to 8. The following is the table by which these points are settled.

points.

1. Breed on male and female sides, reputed for producing rich and yellow butter. 4

2. Head small, fine and tapering; eye full and lively ; muzzle fine and encircled with white; horns polished and crumpled, tipped with black ; ears small of an orange color within. ..... 8

3. Back straight from the withers to the sitting on of the tail; chest deep and nearly

of a line with the belly. ... 2

4. Hide thin, movable but not too loose, well covered with fine and short hair of good color. 2

5. Barrel hooped and deep, wellribbed-home, having but little space between the ribs and hips; tail hanging two inches below the hocks, ..... 5

6. Fore legs straight and fine, thighs full and long, close together when viewed from behind; hind legs short, and bones rather fine; hoof small, hind legs not. to cross in walking, ....... 2

7. Udder full, well up behind; teats square and largely placed, being wide apart; milk veins large and swelling. 4

8. Growth. 1

9. General appearance, ... 2

quire any others for the next six years to come. The reason is that I treat them in the following manner; I put a pound of tallow and half a pound of rosin into a pot on the fire; when melted and mixed, I warm the boots, and apply the hot stuff with a painter's brush, until neither the sole nor the upper leather will suck in any more. If it is desired that the boots should immediately take a polish, dissolve an ounce of beeswax in an ounce of spirits of turpentine, to which add a tea-spoonful of lampblack. A day or two after the boois have been treated with tallow and rosin, rub over them the wax in turpentine, but not before the fire. Thus the exterior will have a coat of wax alone, and shine like a mirror. Tallow, or any other grease, becomes rancid, and rots the stiching as well as the leather; but the rosin gives it an antiseptic quality which preserves the whole. Boots or shoes should be iarge, so as to admit of wearing cork soles. Cork is such a bad conductor of heat, that, with it in the boot, the feet are always warm on the coldest stone floor.

Perfection for Cows. -

30

SECRET WORTH KNOWING.

How to make three pair of boots last as long as six, and longer.

The following extract from Colonel Maca-rone's " Seasonable Hints," which appeared in the Mechanic's Magazine, dated February 8, 1838:—After stating the utility of sheepskin clothing for persons whose employment renders it necessary that they should be much out of doors, &c, he says, "I will not conclude without inviting the attention of your readers to a cheap and easy method of preserving their feet from wet, and their boots from wearing. I have had only three pair of boots for the last six years, (no shoes,) and I think I shall not re-

POT LIQ.UOR, SOAP SUDS, CABBAGE.

Pot liquor is a good food for hogs; and soap suds contains also some food, and is a good medicine. Neither of these therefore should be cast away, or otherwise used where hogs are convenient to the kitchen. But where there are no hogs, or none convenient, then the proper use of these articles is on the garden. From time immemorial it has been known that salt was a good manure for cabbages, and for ages it has been known that ashes (potash) was also a good manure for this vegetable. As to the action of two of the ingredients of the liquor and the suds, there then can be no question; and I assert under my own experience that the oiher ingredient, oil, is equally efficacious. I once put hogs lard and salt upon my cabbage, when full of lice; the lice quickly disappeared, and the cabbage improved. The extirpation of the lice I attributed to the action of the oil, for in twenty or thirty hours I could plainly see its dissemination throughout the cabbage ; but in this opinion I have erred, for probably it was the salt. For aught I know, the application of soap suds might also destroy lice; but be this as it may, I have no doubt that boih the liquor and suds are very valuable, not only for manuring cabbage, but many other garden and field plants. Oil will adhere to the cabbage, but soap suds and pot liquor will not, unless very greasy. It is evident then that the best method of applying liquor and suds, would be by the watering pot, and that night would be the most proper time ; so that the water, and with it the potash and oil, may be taken up by the roots, before the next morning's sun. As to the quantity to be used on a cabbage, I cannot speak with pre-

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cision, but suppose for a small plant a spoonful might suffice, and when nearly grown a gill; and perhaps three or four applications during the season would be abundant. Cabbage should never be planted more than one year on the

same ground—they are equally good for men, cows, sheep, or hogs; and perhaps also for horses.

Za. Drummond.

Amherst County, August, 1843.

TESTS OF THE TEXTURE OF SOILS.

One of the best methods of ascertaining the capability of any soil to take up and retain moisture, is that described by Mr. C. Johnson, for which purpose he employs the apparatus referred to above.

a, is a small lamp ; J, a stool, with a hole in the seat for receiving c, a shallow I in vessel, closely covered, but having a pipe, d, for the escape of steam ; h is a pair of accurate scales, such as are used by apothecaries and goldsmiths.j In order to employ this apparatus, put a small; quantity of the soil to be tried upon the top of the tin vessel, in which water is kept briskly boiling for about half an hour, so as to thoroughly dry the soil by expelling its moisture. Take ten grains accurately weighed of this dried soil, and add to it, by means of a quill, a drop or two of pure water ; if distilled water can be had so' much the better. Weigh the whole a second | time, which will now be a few grains above ten. Take out the weight of the water from the scale, leaving in the weights of the dried soil, and suspend the beam, so that the scale e may rest on the lid of the tin vessel, the water in which i3 still kept boiling; then with a stop watch note the exact time which the added water takes to evaporate, as will be shown by the beam of the balance becoming level. Mr. Johnson found that soils requiring less than twenty-five, or more than fifty minutes, to evaporate the added water, and bring the balance to a level, were always proportionally unproductive; the first from having too much flinty sand, and con-Vol. III.—30

seqeuntly too few interstices to allow the wate r to escape.

Rich soil treated in this way, required thirty-two minutes to bring the beam to a level; chalk, twenty-nine minutes; poor flinty soil, twenty-three minutes; and gypsum only eighteen minutes.

A very fertile soil from Ormiston, Haddingtonshire, containing, in 1000 parts, more than half of finely-divided materials, among which were eleven parts of limestone soil, and nine parts of vegetable principles, when dried in a similar way, gained eighteen grains in an hour, by exposure to moist air, at the heat of sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit; while 1O00 parts of a barren soil, from Bagshot Heath, gained only three grains in the same time.

Mr. Johnson farther found that one hundred parts of burnt clay, when exposed in a dry state for three hours to air saturated with moisture at sixty-eight degrees, look up twenty-nine parts of water; that gypsum, in similar circumstances, took up only nine parts, and chalk only four parts.

RICHMOND BUTTER.

We grieve exceedingly to hear that our remarks in the August Number, upon the character of the butter in the Richmond market, should have excited the ire of some of our female friends ; perhaps they consider their characters as

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housewives somewhat implicated in the charges made against the quality of the article with which we are supplied. We do not hesitate to say, that if any lady in the world makes bad butter, it is, we doubt not, in some way or other, the fault of her husband.

We should have been quite overwhelmed with the idea that any thing we had said should have given offence to the ladies, if we had not been in a measure, consoled by learning at the same time, that, wiih the generosity characteristic of the sex, they hid determined to give us an opportunity of reforming our opinions, and that several "pats," were in preparation for the especial purpose of demonstrating to us the grossness of the libel we have uttered. We are always open to conviction, and we know no arguments more po. tent than those which appeal so powerfully to {he feelings of an individual. Within the next twelve months we shall express our opinion on the subject again: in the meantime, we are prepared fairly to consider, and fully to discuss, any of these arguments, and upon conviction of our error, to make the most full and satisfactory reparation to any lady who may consider herself aggrieved by any thing we have heretofore written or spoken upon the subject.

HENS—EGGS.

If you wish for hens to hatch female chicks, select those eggs to set them which are distinguished for having smooth ends. Those which have their small ends roughened by concentric circles, and which are the most oval in form, produce cocks. It is a matter of importance, sometimes, to the grower to understand this fact. At least so thought Collumella.

JWaine Cultivator.

OVERSEER'S WAGES. To the Editor of the Southern Planter:

A communication over the signature of T. J. P., endorsed by you, on the subject of "Overseers' Wages," appeared in the first volume of the Southern Planter, with a suggestion that the subject would be again resumed ; as it has not been, I presume he has recanted the views maintained in the communication. The proposition advanced in the communication alluded to was, that the giving of overseers an interest in the crops, instead of stipulated waces, had operated greatly to the injury of the farming interest in Virginia, and aided, in no small degree, to exhaust our lands; that the circumstances

under which this practice originated had long since ceased to exist, to wit, the felling of lofty forests, when it was the interest of the owner to get as much land cleared as practicable, and to make as much as possible from his land and laborers ; then an interest in the crop was a great stimulus to the overseer, a strong inducement to increase the proceeds of the farm.

Now I agree with you, that the necessity for felling loft}' forests in Virginia, in a great degree, has ceased to exist, but that the desire to make as much as possible from land and laborers remains in full force and virtue, I certainly affirm, and to do which most successfully, 1 contend that the overseer should be interested in the crops; by this interest he is induced to apply the labor bestowed in by gone days, in felling trees, to the improvement of the fields ; that whilst his employer's interest is advanced, that his will also be. He cannot say now, as when he received stipulated wages, " Soul, take thy rest," but eternal vigilance is his interest, the effects of which will be good enclosures, enriched lands, good teams, and increased crops. Try my plan, Mr. Editor, and if it fails, I will cease to prophesy. R. R.

P. S. Can you inform me, through the Planter, whether the question is settled by agriculturists, which exhausts land most, wheat or oats?

It is no doubt very desirable that the interest of the employed should be, if possible, identical with that of the employer. But when the overseer receives a share of the crop it is his interest, the crontract running, as is usual, only from year to year, to draw from the land as much as possible during the year for which he is engaged, without any regard to future profits. On the contrary, the very best use that the proprietor can make of his force, sometimes, is, in the preparation for future increase: then, as far as improvement is concerned, the interest of the owner and the overseer are diametrically opposed. This system, we doubt not, has, in this way, proved injurious to the cause of improvement. Moreover, there is another objection to this mode of paying overseers' wages. To give a share in the crop, necessarily implies some authority in the management by which it is to be made- Two masters are always objectionable ; they are generally destructive to that unity of purpose, by which alone any system can be sustained. A proprietor is generally a man of superior education, and should too highly appreciate the advantages of knowledge to permit his authority to be shared by an inferior. We may be told that it frequently happens that the overseer is a

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better farmer than the proprietor; we know that such is too often the case, and until such a proprietor has, by dint of study and experience, qualified himself to assume his proper station, he had better leave all to his manager, taking care, however, that it shall be to his interest to prepare for future crops, whilst he makes reasonable drafts on the land for the present.

AGRICULTURAL APHORISMS.

NO. VI.

Partly Extracts.

One of the most remarkable features of modern limes, is the combination of large numbers of individuals, representing the whole intelligence of nations, for the express purpose of advocating science by their united efforts, of learning its progress, and of communicating new discoveries. The formation of such associations, is in itself, an evidence that they were needed.

It is not every one who is called by his situation in life, to assist in extending the bounds of science, but all mankind have a claim to the blessings and benefits which accrue from its earnest cultivation. The foundation of scientific institutions is an acknowledgment of these benefits, and this acknowledgment, proceeding from whole nations, may be considered as a triumph of mind over empiricism.

Innumerable are the aids afforded to the means of life, to manufactures, and to commerce, by the truths which assiduous and active inquirers have discovered, and rendered capable of practical application.

Agriculture is the true foundation of all trade and industry—it is the foundation of the riches of states. But a rational system of agriculture cannot be formed without the application of scientific principles.

The life of plants is closely connected with that of animals, in a most simple manner, and for a wise and sublime purpose.

The presence of a rich and luxuriant vegetation, may be conceived, without the concurrence of anirnallife, but the existence of animals is undoubtedly dependent upon the life and development of plants.

Vegetable culture heightens the healthy state of a country, and a previously healthy country, would be rendered quite uninhabitable by the cessation of all cultivation.

We do not know what height and strength nature ha3 allotted to plants; but this we know, that a plant gains another mouth and another stomach, with every new fibre of root, and every new leaf, consequently, as those organs are increased, so must the plant be nourished and enlarged.

All the innumerable products of vitality, resume after death, the original form from which they sprung. And thus death, the complete dissolution of an existing generation, becomes the source of life for a new one.

Heat and moisture are the principal agents, both in producing and destroj'ing.

Which is cheapest, to fence up a permanent pasture for your cattle, or to fence up all the lands required for your agricultural purposes?

There is noway of making improvements in farming, but by experiments. If the farmer can conceive of a better mode of culture, or management, he should test its propriety by experiment; and if successful, he has performed an act which is serviceable to his country, and honorable to himself.

The lands of a nation are its principal capital ; if these become so exhausted as to yield little more in products, than what is merely equal to the value of the labor bestowed on them, the condition of that nation must, in the general, be poor.

By highly improving a country, its population may be doubled or trebled, and by thus bringing the members of the community closer together, much labor is saved in their necessary intercourse; much in going to church, to mill, and to market.

Good culture, when bestowed on highly improved land, may be said to be a source of rational pleasure; whilst that which is usually given to land which is but poorly improved, is most commonly productive of much toil and vexation.

The killing of beasts for our use is lawful, but surely it is not lawful to torture them.

Lands are seldom so rich, but it may be matter of gain to increase their fertility; and few tracts are so poor, but with proper tillage and manuring, they may be made the residence of plenty.

In supplying animal and vegetable manure, a temporary food is only provided for plants, which is in all cases exhausted by means of a certain number of crops; but when a soil is rendered of the best possible constitution and texture, with regard to its earthy parts, its fertility may be considered as permanently established.

The deeper 3'ou plough, the thicker you may sow, for by deep ploughing the range for the roots is increased.

You had as well try to make a greenhorn write Greek, as to make land produce a crop which is contrary to its nature. If you wish to alter the crop you must alter the land.

The expense of any kind of tillage should never be regarded, where clear profit proportionately great may be expected.

A cornfield is not rejected because it has a few noxious weeds in it; neither should a

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book be rejected only because it contains a few fallacious ideas.

Without a preparation of the mind, there are but few men who can retain a fortune suddenly bestowed on them; so in like manner there are but few earths which can retain a sudden gorge of manure.

Choose wisely, and apply as you may need.

Argus.

Amherst County, Va., Sept. 1843.

RED MAY WHEAT. A gentleman who has a great repugnance to appearing before the public in his proper person, but whose name is only needed to any statement, to secure it the entire confidence of the public, placed at our disposal the following communication :

Mb. C. T. Botts,

Sir, —I see the opinion expressed in your September number, that the Red i\lay is a delicate wheat, and will not stand an ordinarily hard winter. My opinion and experience are directly opposed to this idea. Six years ago I purchased from the Messrs. Haxall, from wheat which they had bought from a farmer in Amelia, ibejirst of the variety sown in this vicinity. The winter succeeding the seeding was the severest that had been known for 30 years, notwithstanding which this wheat came out splendidly. Three acres well improved, sown about 10th October, yielded I am confident, at least ninety bushels. It got a good start and looked beautiful at the commencement of the winter. We had two long and severe spells during the winter; one in January and another in February, and at each spell every spire seemed to be entirely killed ; it appeared as if a fire had passed over it. After the first spell it soon recovered and presented a beautiful green appearance; the second spell appeared to have destroyed it again, but it soon grew out and yielded as above stated. The whole quantity sown, (26 bushels) considering the land, yielded more than any wheat I had ever sown. I am perfectly satisfied 1 never saw better wheat, but the reported weight was from 61 to 62 only. During the same fall, I procured from Mr. C. C. on the Mechanicsville Turnpike, a neat, practical farmer, 25 bushels of as fine looking old fashioned White May Wheat as I ever saw, and seeded it about the 1st November, in corn land, nicely prepared, which I expected to bring 10 bushels at least, to the acre, by the side of the Red May. It came up badly, and wore a sickly appearance from the start, and did not yield two bushels for one of seeded—it was so inferior, that I doubted at one time whether I would cut it. The seed might not have been good, but no

one would have judged them to be damaged— they presented not the least sign of the slighest injury. The 26 bushels of lied May yielded upwards of 500 bushels of as fine wheat as I ever saw.

The next year I sowed the Red May entirely, but only 21 bushels—as I set out with a firm determination never to sow a bushel .of wheat, except on land capable of growing at least 10 bushels to the acre. This crop was ruined the year of the 21 successive days of rain, during the blooming of the wheat. I sowed 13 bushels on poor land, manured on the fallow, and raked in, and 8 bushels on com land, manured for corn, that ought to have brought under ordinary circumstances from 10 to 15 bushels to the acre. The fallow ripened 10 days before the other, and commenced blooming before the rains set in, whereas the other did not. I made upwards of 200 bushels from 21 seeded, the corn land not yielding more than 30 measured bushels of extremely light and indifferent wheat—that from the fallow weighed from 58 to 59—the heaviest I knew of that year. It was all sold in the neighborhood for seed, except what 1 kept for my own seeding.

My third crop was divided between the Red May and the Goose Wheat. The fall of this seeding was the driest ever known, perhaps— the crop was put into ground as dry as powder, there was not a particle of moisture in it. It did not rain from the time of seeding till some time in December, when very cold weather commenced, and did not come up, much of it, till spring. This being a new case to me, I of course despaired of making any crop at all. ,lt came up very thin, but the weather proving favorable in February and March, it grew off to my utter astonishment. About the last of March, or first of April, I planted corn, after which we had a pretty good rain, and from that j time to harvest, there did not, to the best of nry I knowledge, enough rain fall to wet the wheat land a half inch, and during this time heavy winds prevailed to a greater extent than I had ever observed before. I expected, of course, to make no crop, either wheat, corn or oats, without good seasons, but I was most agreeably disappointed. For a long time I disliked to see the wheat crop. In the morning I was a little cheered by its improved appearance, since the afternoon before. When the heat of the day came on, the blades would twist like the blades of corn in very dry and hot weather, (and some of the lower blades besran to turn yellow and dry up,) but in the morning, from the dew of the over night, they would be out of twist again—and so it continued until ripe. The heads were very large, and the grain as fine as I ever saw. I made this year from 85 of seed, upwards of 900 bushels. Neither kind, the Red May nor the Goose, came up as thick as I

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could have wished, but the former much better than the latter. The fly made an attack on a portion of the Red May, which was top-dressed, and damaged it materially, but did not touch the other, of either kind, immediately adjoining, and a part of the same piece—which compelled me to ascribe it to the top-dressing—the dressing served it with a comfortable shelter for the winter. The Red May is the prettiest wheat I ever saw grow—the straw being a beautiful gold color. The straw is rather slender and tall, which renders it more liable to tumble —and suffered to get too ripe before it is cut, it shatters very much—but this 1 consider no fault, as all wheat, by universal consent, ought to be harvested in the dough state—the grain being firmer and plumper, than if suffered to stand till thoroughly ripe.

This crop satisfied me that wheat, and even corn can be made with but little rain. Deep and discreet cultivation, with showers "few and far between," will make respectable crops of either. The wheat crop with us, 1 think, ought to be sown from the 10th to 20th October. To avoid the fly and make the best crops, it is important that it should take vigorous root, if possible, before the winter. I have advised some of my friends to sow the Red May, and if upon strong land, such as wheat ought to be put in, I have offered to insure against the fly and rust. Upon a good clover fallow, or manured land, (the manure to be put under the surface,) the fly may feed plentifully, and still have enough to yield a fine crop. The wheat will grow, if the season is good, faster than the insect can eat it.

The reason the top-dressed land gave way to the fly, as mentioned above, was, that there was no rain to bring up the wheat and give it a good start in the fall. Poor land cannot resist the fly, and must yield the best part of the crop for its portion.

While wheat of every variety, delights (if I may so speak) in reasonably dry weaiher and soils, no-kind will live through an ordinary winter, it matters not how strong the land may be, where it is subject to much water. Low, wet land, if put in wheat at all, should be bedded above the water.

than enough custard to cover the bread, and it should not be baked till the custard is hard. A Lover of Puddings. Nottoway, 1843.

For the Southern Planter.

Recipe to make a Light Bread Pudding. —Slice the bread, and butter it, politically, {on both sides,) and lay it in an earthen baker, or whatever is used for that purpose. Let a little mace and some raisins or sweatmeats besprinkled between the slices. Then make a custard of egg^, sugar and milk and pour it over the light bread. After it has stood till the bread is saturated with the custard, bake slowly in an oven for ten or fifteen minutes, and if it is not good eating I will surrender my judgment. There should be more

For the Southern Planter.

Mr. Editor, —I have paid some attention to the cultivation of the grasses for several years, and have found them highly beneficial in the improvement of the soil, and the assistance which they afford in raising cattle, &c. For instance, for two winters my sheep have subsisted entirely in my fields without being fed at all. They were fed two or three times during the past winter, but in no instance did they eat more than a blade or two of fodder. The same may be said of my cattle. True, they were fed, and they generally eat what was given them, but it is evident the grass which they obtained when the ground was not covered with snow, contributed greatly to their support. And what, I would ask, is better for horses than nicely cured Herd's grass hay 1

But my object w r as not to write an essay on the grasses, but to ask for information. Twelve months ago, last spring, I sowed one peck of Timothy seed on a pretty piece of flat land, having previously prepared it nicely, and sowed it in oats. When I went to cut it this summer it was with difficulty I could distinguish the Timothy from the weeds and other grass. I however had the heads cut off with a scythe, and from them obtained several bushels of nice seed.

Now, sir, will you, or some of your grass-growing correspondents, give me a little information relative to this grass 1 1st. As to the land best adapted to its growth. 2d. The time and manner of sowing. 3d. The quantity of seed per acre. 4th. The method of cutting and curing; and lastly, as to its merits compared with other grasses. In short, any information relative to it will be acceptable to me, and perhaps to others of your constant readers. I would here take occasion to remark, that I have, for several years, adopted the plan of mixing Herd's grass seed with my oats, previous to sowing, and where they were merely raked in, they came up beautifully. This I think a good plan when seed are scarce, and it is desired to get the grass generally scattered over the plantation, and not designed for cutting.

Yours truly, P. B. W.

Nottoway, September, 1843.

THE RED MAY. A gentleman of this city attracted by the reputation of the "Red May," addressed some enquiries concerning its merits, to one of the most enlightened and experienced farmers in the county of Goochland; these enquiries drew

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forth the following response, which we have been kindly allowed to transpose to the columns of the Planter:

Sir, —Your letter of the 8th inst., has just been received, in consequence of having been directed to Dover Mills, instead of Beaverdam, which is my Post Office. It would have given me great pleasure to have furnished you with the Red May Wheat for seed, but am sorry to say I had exchanged what had been retained for the Blue Stem or Turkey Wheat. In relation to the character of the wheat, my experience teaches me, that on tobacco or other highly improved lots, where other wheats are liable to fall and rust, it will produce more than any other variety ; but on ordinary lands it will not yield half a crop. For example, a lot here which had been cultivated for a series of years in root crops, and annually manured, produced at the rate of 47 bushels and three pecks to the acre, while the average of the crop did not exceed seven bushels per acre. The Blue Stem on the same field has ranged from 10 to 15 bushels, averaging about twelve to the acre. And this I think will be found to be a fair comparative estimate of the two wheats for a term of years.

Goochland, Sept. 13, 1843. ***

Remedy for sore Teals and inflamed Udders. — White lead and sweet oil are excellent for cracked or sore teats of milch cows.

Flax seed oil, well rubbed on the udder when inflamed and cracked, will allay inflammation and soften the hardness of the bag. Rub well twice a day until the inflammation subsides. With much respect,

E. Carpenter. American Agriculturist.

The following is an extract from a letter received from Dr. A. C. Morton, of Mecklenburg. We are happy to find that our own opinions are in accordance with those of the Committee of the Hole and Corner Club of Mecklenburg:

You seem to have misapprehended the object of the Committee on Dr. Venable's farm.— There is not a word in the report condemning the cultivation of the grasses, or the grazing system, or any improvements made by the Doctor ; on the contrary, they express their admiration of them. They however leave it for the Doctor and the Club to determine the question of the value of the improvements, and have treated the subject in a way calculated to lead to discussion and investigation. Agricultural improvement and the cultivation of the artificial grasses, may be said to be in their infancy in this region, and the Committee thought that

more good would result to the community from the discussion of these questions than from their mere say so. The views of one of the Committee might have been inferred from the article alluded to in the first part of this communication. A resolution transmitted to you, however, by order of the Club, at its last meeting, renders it needless that I should say more, either in explanation of the views of the Committee, or the practice of our Club. I will remark in conclusion, in the words of Investigator, " as my object is improvement, I hope I shall give no offence."

Very respectful!}', A. C. Morton.

Blue Stone, Mecklcnkburg, Sept. 25, 1743.

From the Southwestern Farmer. ON FEEDING HORSES.

We find in the Farmers' Magazine, London, a most excellent article on this subject, by G. Jones, of Manchester, England.

Mr. J. had been the keeper of one horse for years, and was in the custom of feeding hay, oats, beans and bran ; but having heard there was a great saving by the use of the cutting box, he was induced to buy one, costing some twenty dollars, for one horse too. As he purchased by weight and fed by weight, he was able to ascertain, to a penny, his gain or loss.— We will now hear him. " The first week I gave the cut hay to the horse, he did not seem to like it, but on the second week he appeared to relish it very well, (I mention this, that parties who may wish to try the same plan may not be disheartened, if the horse should not take to cut hay all at once ;) and at the months end I found that I had three trusses, or one and a half cwt. hay left," But not satisfied with so much difference, he tried the second month, and found six trusses left. Not yet satisfied, although the second purchase was kept entirely separate, and all hay not eaten carefully laid aside, he tried the same plan for the third month, and found " nine trusses and about one half" left, effecting a saving " in three months for one horse," of £1 2s 6d, (about $5 44.) He says after adopting this plan " for two years and one week, he had saved the cost of the machine £5 5s, and £4 besides," ($17 36.)

He asks if he saves this much "per month in the keep of one horse alone, is it not clear that all farmers, &c, that keep more horses must be considerably savers by cutting their hay 1"

We have been cutting fodder, shucks, oats, millet and hay on one of Eastman's patent straw cutters, fourteen inch, price $45, bought of Robert Sinclair, jr. &Co., Baltimore, some twentj'-six or thirt} 7 months; and alihough we had fed a large slock, yet we can show oats and fodder, &c, of the crop of '41 and '42, not being yet able to get to the bottom of our barn, whereas,

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in former years, we were hardly able to make both ends meet, and often a bad meet it was, having to splice in with a woods grazing. Our horses, mules and colts have not, in three years, been turned in the woods one day ; are fed as regular now, as if performing their daily labor. We cut up and fill our horse troughs, and not small ones either, every night through the year; what is left at noon, we remove to our cattle trough. In the winter we cut up food as for horses, and fill the latter every night, 50 feet long, two feet wide at bottom, with twelve inch plank flaring out at top. We are now using shucks, a part of them are from the corn of '41 crop, for bedding for our horses, and litter for cow lot, intending to make manure. Will this, our experience, as well as the more accurate " cyphering" detail of Mr. Jones, induce any one of our friends who even use three or four horses, to try cutting up their provender? We are decidedly of the opinion, that 30 or 40 dollars will pay a handsomer interest to the farmer if laid out in a good straw cutter, than in almost any thing else. Some of our farmers are so exceedingly incredulous, that we have, at times, despaired of being able to make any thing out of them; but we will still try, they are worthy all our labor and trouble.

For the Southern Planter. GRASS—A CALL ON DR. VENABLE.

The advantages, Mr. Editor, of the cultiva tion of the grasses is no longer a subject of doubtful propriety or expediency. Whether as food for stock, or as an improver to lands, it is of incalculable benefit to Virginia. The most judicious mode of cultivation, and the best method of making a meadow, are subjects on which we need information.

Dr. Paul C. Venable, of Wheatland, (Mecklenburg,) is one of the most successful cultivators of the grasses in southern Virginia, and the manifest improved condition of his farm within the last ten years, attests the value of the grasses as improvers. I ask you, Mr. Editor, to unite with me in asking the Doctor to give his brother planters the benefit of his experience, by a series of essays (short, sensible and practical, as I know he can make them,) on the " Cultivation of the Grasses" noticing more particularly the following branches of the subject:—the various grasses suitable to the Virginia farmer, the relative value, nature and mode of cultivation of each ; meadows—the proper time of sowing the 3eed—preparing the land—quantity of seed per acre—cutting and curing hay—general management of meadow lands—the advantages and best manner of irrigating meadow lands, and so forth, which, &c, the lawyers say " corn-prehendeth much."

The Doctor is patriotic enough not to shrink

from so great a task. He can write, and this advantage, with his experience, will enable him to confer a benefit on the community.

Amelia, Aug. 2nd, 1843. Junior.

P. S. It is highly probable that other farmers than Dr. V., will unite with him in giving the public the benefit of their lights, on the interesting subject of enquiry above referred to. Don't let them, Mr. Editor, hide their light under a bushel.

EGGS AS A REMEDY.

The white of an egg is said to be a specific for fish bones, sticking in the throat. It is to be swallowed raw, and will carry down a bone very easily and certainly. There is another fact touching eggs which will do very well to remember. When, as sometimes by accident, corrosive sublimate is swallowed, the white of one or two eggs, taken immediately, will neutralize the poison, and change the effect to that of a dose of calomel.

For the Southern Planter. A POST-PLANTER.

Mr. Editor, —Annexed is a figure of a very useful instrument in making the holes for the " stob," (there is no such word, I believe, in Johnson, but the reader knows what I mean) of a post-and-rail-and-rider-fence. Take a CL piece of round iron, say four or five or six feet long, (an old gig axle tree is very good for the purpose,) about one and a half inches in diameter, represented by the rod a, at the shoulder c, let the rod be enlarged having a coni-C cal shape, decreasing in size to d, being at c, say four inches in diameter: the cone being the part from c io d makes the hole to plant the post. A strong man, by raising the planter, and thrusting it with all his strength in the ground once or twice, will make a good hole in the ground for the post, and will in the same space of time, make three times the number of holes for posts, than with the old dogwood cone, or wedge and maul or mallet.

Cumberland, 3d, 8mo. E. G. N.

Extract of a Ieter from Georgia. USE OF STRAW AND LEAVES.

When I was here last year, I wrote you that Mr. Camack, of Athens, covered his corn fields with a body of leaves, so as to protect the grpund from the effects of drought, and to save the trouble of ploughing and hoeing. I also spoke of