Erboteii to ^srfculture, ^Horticulture, aitfc the $2ousrftotti em. Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. Xenoplwn. Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the State. — Sully. C. T. BOTTS, Editor. Vol. III. RICHMOND, NOVEMBER, 1843. No. 11. SEEDING WHEAT. Shall we ever get thing- straight in agricul- ture ! Whilst in our last number we were urging upon our readers the consideration of thicker seeding, and that upon the auihorit}' of a cele- brated Englis farmer, another English farmer, backed by a still more celebrated English che- mist, is urging upon the people of England the advantage of reducing the quantity of seed. — No people in the world ought to have more ex- perience in the management of the w\ e t crop than the farmers of Virginia. What do they say of these opinions of Messrs. Davis and John- son ? We condense the extract from one of our exchange papers : "As in the following paper I shall propose to the cultivators of my country a very considera- ble reduction in the proportion of seed which they usually employ, it may be well to premise that this recommendation does not emanate from a mere theoretical agriculturist, farming only in his closet and over his books, or from one who follows agriculture merely as an amusing occu- pation ; but on the contrary, that I am largely engaged as a practical farmer of between seven and eight hundred acres of highly-rented land ; and, moreover, that whatever I am about to re- commend, I have not only long and successfully practised, but that I have ever been willing, and arn still farther ready to prove these assertions, by showing the crops I in this way produce. — And 1 think that any practical farmer, who wit- nesses these will readily allow that by the adop- tion of the system of thin sowing I grow large crops on soils of a very inferior description. The importance of the inquiry, even in a national point of view, no one will dispute who 13 made acquainted with the fact, that if my practice of seed saving were general, that the proportion saved would amount to much more than the annual average of the quantity of fo- reign corn imported into this country during the last fourteen years. The consideration of the extraordinary fact that whilst a single grain of wheat, planted where it has room to tiller out, will produce four hundred-fold, and often much more, and yet that the farmers of England, on an average, only re- Vol. III.— 31 ceive back about eight times the seed they sow, first led me to gradually reduce my proportion of seed wheat from three bushels per acre down to about three pecks, which reduction I have accomplished to the evident improvement of my growth of corn. And I have at this time (May, 1843,) the finest promise of a crop from this latter quantity, and this, too, afier one ploughing of pea and bean stubbles, and upon soils low in the scale of natural fertility, and without any manure having been for some years applied* Having, from this brief detail of my practice, shown the success of an extended system of thin sowing, the reader will readily, upon re- flection, perceive the explanation of the advan- tages which 1 thus derive — wky, it is that three pecks of seed wheat per acre must be much nearer the correct quantity than ten pecks. It is evident that if one grain of wheat, when sown singly, produces four hundred grains, and that one bushel of wheat sown only yields eight bushels (that is, only eight for one, instead of four hundred for one,) that ninety-eight grains of seed wheat are by the ordinary method thrown away. Again, the produce of an ear of thick -sown wheat yields about forty grains, (I say thick- sown, for thin yields much more,) and therefore the produce of an acre (or twenty bushels the ordinary average,) is in reality the growth of the ears from two pecks only (that, too, is al- lowing only one ear from each grain). This eing the fact, of what use, I ask, or what be- comes of the remaining eight pecks of seed which are commonly sown 1 There are, in truth, many disadvantages at- tendant upon thick-sowing. In the early siages of the young plants' growth, when the air and the soil are moist, and the plants small, each vegetating seed, no matter how much seed has been sown, finds sufficient space and food for its support. But as the plants increase in size, a struggle for nourishment commences, which in- creases in severity, and finally terminates in the destruction of the weaker bj' ihe stronger plants, but not until after a contest, which leaves the survivers stinted in their growth, and perhaps diseased.^ * The soils of Mr. Davis' farms vary very consi- derably, including stiff clays, sands, poor gravels, and shallow loams resting upon chalk. — C. W. J. t And when the struggle is over, the injury has not 242 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. That this struggle must take place, is shown by my calculation of the number of straws that can rise into ear, compared with the grains sown. And that this struggle does take place, is very plainly betrayed by the yellow, sickly color of thick-sown corn in the spring, when all other vegetation puts on ils greenest tints. In the early stages, however, of its growth, the .appearance of thick- sown corn is much superior to that of the thin-sown. For a season its progress is more rapid, the stems rise sooner, the ground appears covered much earlier. This state of things usually continues until about the end of April. But then a change comes over the field — its dark green tints, which shaded it in early spring, change to a yellow, sickly color, and its progress is sensibly arrested. In the meantime, the thin-sown retains its color, feels the benign influences of spring, tillers out in all directions; and its progress towards harvest is uniformly vigorous, and superior to the thick- sown. It is stouter and more uniform in the height of its straws, and the size of its ears. — It is more free from blight, and the weight of the crop is greater. Nature herself betraj's the evils of thick plan- tations of every description, in dwindling plants, and in the sickly appearance of the crops of all kinds, and the planter and the gardener is ever ready to take warning by the lessons she thus affords. The planter well knows the effect of an over-crowded plantation; the gardener by the full use of his hoe is careful to give ample room to each plant ; it is only the farmer who, guided by his eye alone, is pleased in the early stages of his thick-sown crops to see his ground well covered with plants of young corn, without stopping to reason upon the power of the soil to bring them to maturity* For the Southern Planter. POUDRETTE. Mr. Editor, — In your last number of the Planter you have requested information of the results of experiments tried with poudrette. — You will probably recollect, having furnished me with two barrels of the article, with which I experimented as follows: Upon English peas, contrasted with hen-coop manure ; upon pota- toes, contrasted with stable manure; upon onions in union with hen-coop manure, and in contrast with it ; upon grape vines; and upon corn in ceased, for instead of a vigorous and unimpaired plant, the vegetation of the survivers is languid and interior even to the time of harvest. * I shall be very happy to show any agriculturist, as I have already done to Sir Charles Burrel, Bart., J. A. Smith, Esq., and other eminent agriculturists, my farming, at (Daks, at Shirley, near Croyden, or at the Selsden Farm, the property of Mr. G. R. Smith, also near Croyden. contrast with the soil ; and upon early York cabbage. In every case its superiority was ma- nifest, except upon the cabbage; the peas were decidedly superior. The vines of the potato, (which I have not yet taken up) were full two- thirds better than the others. The onions were as fine as they could well be — but I could not ascertain with accuracy the difference. Its ef- fects upon the grape vines was astonishing, and has apparently completely restored them to health and vigor. But its most perceptible su- periority was upon the corn, the difference being fully as three to one. Why it did not appear to benefit the cabbage, I cannot conjecture. If I may take the liberty of expressing an opinion, I should say that I consider it the most valuable manure I have ever used ; but I am not as yet prepared to say whether its superiority will jus- tify the difference in price between it and other good manures. T am rather inclined to think it will not; but this opinion is not based upon a thorough knowledge of its virtues, which (it must be admitted) are very great. I purpose trying other experiments with it, and I hope to settle that point, at least, to my own satisfaction. You shall know the result. Whilst upon the subject of manure, may I ask you whether you do not think an individual, fully competent to the task, might not do a good business by going around and analyzing the soil upon different farms? or has agricultural chemistry yet suffi- ciently diffused itself among the farmers to ren- der them sufficiently alive to its importance? — For myself, I should be much gratified to have an accurate analysis of my land, and Avould be willing to pay a fair compensation for it. Respectfully, John B. C4arland. Fredericksburg, Sept. 25, 1843. We are much obliged to Dr. Garland for his report upon Poudrette, and should be pleased to learn whether his results have been verified by the experiments of others. SUGGESTION TO FARMERS. An agriculturist should never overlook these two laws of nature: first, that which keeps the earth covered with vegetable production, and which is necessary for the continuance of vege- table growth; second, that for the continuance of its kind. All organic productions, being pos- sessed of a set of generant organs for re-pro- ducing their kind, cannot be disturbed, when these functions are developed for procreation, without injurious results. To enrich our lands, they should never be left without a covering to protect them from the sun of summer, and as far as our abilities ex- tend, from the severe frosts of winter. To in- sure a good crop of wheat, and at the same time THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 243 improve the soil, two green crops should be turned under during summer, with the use of salt. In the slow decomposition of vegetable matter, 1 have found an animal production, that has been supposed to be harmless ; but I have had reason to believe otherwise, and find that common salt is a good corrective. Under the supposition that the land does not want lime, two green crops ploughed under during sum- mer, will in a great degree protect the earth from the influence of the direct rays of the sun, and the crop receive the exhalations from the soil to be returned to it, and with the use of salt, will produce a better crop of wheat than manure from twice their quantity, after under- going decomposition in the stomach of cattle, and be a more permanent improvement of the land. To retain the gaseous matter in the soil, na- ture keeps it closely covered, and by this cover- ing, each plant receives a conlinuance and equi- necessary quantity ; while if the putrifying ve- getable substance was exposed to the direct in- fluence of the sun's rays, it would be thrown off into the atmosphere in vapor, as I presume all excess of gaseous effluvium is, for the common benefit of nature's grand design ; and, with the use of lime and plaster, those gases which ap- pear necessary can be retained. The greatest error appears to be committed in our corn crops and peach orchards ; and this is for want of the proper application of the two laws of nature that head this article, and I be- lieve that thousands of daj's labor are expended in violation of these laws that are worse than useless. I know from the results of my own farm, that from the ground (under common cul- ture, by a good and attentive farmer) that pro- duced about 400 bushels of corn, planted four feet square, I have taken nearly 900 bushels, with less labor, (except the husking,) when planted an^l worked consistently with the above laws : and this is not ihe only instance, but in every crop I have ever planted of this kind. — Plant this and all other hoed crops close enough to prevent spontaneous growth at the time when the vessels for forming seed are maturing, so as not to be under the necessity of working them at this time. Lyttleton Physick. Jlrrarat Farm, Cecil Co., Mil., May 12, 1842. Albany Cultivator. For the Southern Planter. HORSES. Mr. Editor, — The ordinary mean.? of purging a sick horse are so slow in operating, that, in many cases, ihey do no good. I send you a very simple retipe with which some of your !» may not be acquainted- which I have never known to fail; and, regard as the best and simplest. -I saw it many years ago in the American Farmer, and have tested it. " Take a piece of chalk about the size of a walnut, pound it in a mortar, or wrap a rag around it and reduce it to powder with a ham- mer or any thing else — put the powder into a quart bottle — pour common vinegar into the bottle until the effervescence prevents your pouring more, and (having the horse ready) drench him with it. But little vinegar can be gotten into the bottle the first time, so that you will have to pour more into it, and drench a se- cond time. Ordinarily a pint will do.. In cases where it does not operate in five or ten minutes, persevere in the dose, and in a very short time the suffering animal will be well again." I concur in the opinion that every farmer who wishes to benefit others should not be ashamed to back his recommendation by his name. If he be ashamed of it, who ought to confide in it ? Yery respectfully yours, G, W. Gooctr. Airfield, June 2, 1S43. AGRICULTURAL FAIR IN ORANGE. We regret that we did not receive in lime for our last number the notice of the annual Fair of the Union Agricultural Society to be held at Orange Court House on the first Thursday in November. We rejoice in every announcement that brings together the farmers of the country to discuss and consider the subject of their calling:. CLOUTED CREAM. This delicate luxury seems not to be duly appreciated in this "land flowing with milk and honey." Among fanners, where we might ex- pect to meet with it in abundance, we rarely find it. The econom}' of it would form an im- portant item in- a large or a common sized dairy, as it is said in England, where it is much used, to yield one fifth more and better butter than when not clouted ; for this fact however our ex- perience will not enable us to vouch. But we can believe that the unpleasant flavor which milk sometimes has will be expelled. The pro- cess of clouting is simply to scald the milk over a slow fire, until it rises to, or near the boiling point. This detaches all the cream from the milk, on the top of which it forms a compact sheet, which may be cut like cheese curd. Put into coffee or on fruits, it constitutes a rich and delicious appendage. The mode of making it, in England, is to put the milk into a bell metal vessel, and let it stand twenty-four hours, or while the cream rises. Then hang the vessel over a moderate fire, where it is continued about 244 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. an hour and a half. When near ebullition, the vessel is occasionally rapped by the nuckle to ascertain whether it rings, for at the boiling point, the vessel ceases to ring, and is imme- diately taken off and set away to cool. As the sudden dumb fit in the vessel is to us a new fact in philosophy, we can only hazard the con- jecture, that it results from the rapid rarification of the atmosphere in contact with the metal. Whoever has clouted cream in his coffee, or his butter, will be sure to be pleased wiih ihe improvement, aye, and the economy too. Scald- ed milk, without cream is nearly equal in coffee to cream without scalding. Be assured, reader, that clouted cream, gives a most cooling and pleasant relish to a well manufactured cup of coffee in the morning, that greatly allays thirst till the next meal. Farmers' Gazette. LARD LAMP. It has been now about two years 3ince the idea of elevating lard from the kitchen to the parlor originated in the brain of some enterpris- ing Yankee. When we were at the North last fall, we heard a great deal about lard lamps, and being somewhat curious about all new pro- jects, we bestowed some pains on the investiga- tion of the subject. We were soon satisfied that the softness of the light and the economy of the material would recommend it to general use, if any contrivance could be found to keep the lard at all times in a liquid state. To effect this object we found patents had been taken out for forty-odd kinds of lamps. We tried a great many and found them, generally speaking, total failures: at last, we fell upon one that seemed to answer the purpose very admirably, and we supplied ourselves very liberally with lamps after that particular fashion. From that day to this we have burned nothing but lard on our premises, and every hour have had reason to be more and more pleased with our purchase. But Mr. Jesse Neale, of Ohio, presented to our notice a few days since a lamp, (the one repre- THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 245 sented in the engraving) which, from ihe nature of its construction and a fair trial of its opera- tion, we unhesitatingly pronounce far superior to any thing of the kind that has come under our observation. We will endeavor to describe it. This is a sectional view of the lamp, (a), the body of the lamp, is a hollow cylinder, in which the lard is placed ; the top (J), which fits on the cylinder (a), and is removable at pleasure, has .a hole in the centre through which the tube (c) can move up and down. To the lower end of this tube is fitted a piston or follower, which works tight in the large cylinder : in the centre of this piston, is placed a nut, which works upon the screw (d). Now when the top is removed, and the piston unscrewed and withdrawn, the lard is placed in the large cylinder ; the piston is then replaced, and the tube being turned round, of course the nut de- scends upon the screw ; this carries the piston or follower with it ; the lard which is thus com- pressed, has no means of escape except through openings that are cut in the bottom of the pis- ton and lead directly into the upper tube. By this means a lard candle is moulded, about the wicks, which are placed in ihe two small per- forated tubes at the top of the lamp. The re- servoir at the top is kept in a liquefied state by the heat of fhe flame and when it is exhausted one or two turns of the screw will replenish it. In one of these lamps we placed ten ounces of common lard, and it afforded us a light fully equal to that of two spermaceti candles, for twenty-two hours. The peculiar softness and beauty of the light must recommend it to all those who suffer from weak eyes, or want to take care of strong ones. Not only is it supe- rior to the oil lamp in economy and beauty, but it is infinitely cleaner and neater. A small por- tion only of the lard being liquefied at a time, an upset does not result in the puddle of grease, the hurrying after cloths, and the gentle excla- mations of the good wife, that sometimes flow from the overturning of the oil lamp. It is said that in this lamp may be burned the refuse grease of the house; this we know, that lard totally unfit for cooking, which may be pro- cured for a very small price in the market, will burn excellently well. In short, we do not hesi- tate to venture the predic ion, that when the me- rits of this lamp are fully understood, the far- mer's bill with the grocer for oil and candles, is 1 forever. For the Southern Planter. ORANGE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. Mr. Charles T. Botts : Dear Sir, — I am directed by the Orange Agri- cultural Club, to forward you for publication in the Planter, the following Report, and also the Inspection Report on Club Farm, No. 4, ad- dressed to you on another sheet. By a regulation of our Club, beside the gen- eral examination, made by every member, of the farm at which the Club meets, an Inspecting Committee is also appointed, to report specially, on its condition, management, &c. to the next meeting. Committees are also appointed on various other subjects interesting to the farmer, and individual members selected to prepare and read to the Club, essays on agricultural subjects of their own selection. Yours, James Newman. Orange County , Oct. 11, 1843. POUDRETTE. The Committee, to whom was referred the duty of testing the eificacy of some highly con- centrated manure, on corn and other plants, sub- mit the following, as the result of their experi- ments : With a view to comply with the requisitions of the Club, we each procured from Mr. Chas. T. Botts, of the Planter, a barrel of poudrette at $2 50 per barrel. From the high recom- mendation given, and extraordinary virtues at- tributed to this material, we anticipated the most satisfactory results, and entered upon our experiments strongly predisposed in favor of its success. There was nothing in the appearance of the article obtained by us that indicated its true character, but the fragments of broken bot- tles, glass, earthenware, &c. &c. found in it. It was applied, in the month of April, to wheat, at the rate of twenty bushels to the acre; to oats, when sowed, and harrowed in with them, at the rate of twenty-five bushels per acre; to early peas very heavily when sowed, and just before they bloomed ; to cab- bage plants in the bed and sometime after they had been transplanted ; to beets, potatoes and vines, very heavily ; to com when planted and at several staees of its growth, at the rate of a gill to the single stalk ; and to tobacco, in June and July, at the same rate to the hill ; and in no instance could the slightest benefit be ob- served. Believing, notwithstanding, in the value of poudrette, when genuine, we are forced to the conclusion, that in this instance Mr. Botts was made the unconscious instrument of imposing upon us a spurious article ; and we hope that in future he will adopt some means by which similar frauds may be detected, and thus pre- 246 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. vent the use of the genuine article, (if as va- luable as represented,) from being discouraged. James Newman. Edmund Henshaw. Jas. Newman, Cor. Sedy-. The only means we can employ to prevent such deceptions as are here complained of, is to afford every facility for their exposure. We never saw the inside of a barrel of poudrette, but sold it precisely as we received it from the manufacturer in New York. In justice, how- ever, to Mr. Minor, the Agent of the Company, it is proper to state that the article here so une- quivocally condemned was a part of the same lot with that so highly lauded by Dr. Garland in another part of this number. There can, however, be no mistake about the article tried by this committee: it is utterly impossible that genuine poudrette should be inoperative. It may be that a real and a spurious article have been sent us, and from contradictory reports that have been made from different quarters, we are inclined to suspect this has been the case. At any rate, a due regard for his reputation requires that Mr. Minor should investigate and explain this matter. No denunciations are too severe for the scoundrel who, for - the petty sum that he would make by the fraud, would knowingly be- tray the confidence reposed in him, and impose on the farmer a spurious article whose worth- lessness could be detected only when the season for improving his crop was passed. With these contradictory statements before us we should be pleased to hear what has been the experience of others with respect to this ar- ticle of poudrette. FARM REPORT. The Committee appointed at a meeting of the Club, held on the third Saturday in July, to examine Club Farm, No. 4, (that of Jas. New- man, Esq.) have performed . that duty and sub- mit the following report : This farm consists wholly of Southwestern mountain land, the soil being generally a vege- table loam of various depths, reposing on a ba- sis of red clay. When it came into the posses- sion of its present proprietor, it had been greatly injured by bad tillage and an exhausting system of cultivation. The system introduced by him, however, has developed its great capabilities, and it is indebted for its present improved aspect, both to its susceptibility of improvement and to the judicious husbandry of its owner. It was purchased some fifteen years ago at eight dollars per acre — a price, deemed at that time sufficiently high, owing to its ruinous and exhausted condition. The four-shift rotation was first adopted, as less than one-fouth of the arable land was insufficient to produce the ne- cessary quantity of corn for a small family. — But, by the free use of clover and plaster with partial grazing, by indefatigable industry in making and applying manures, and a judicious system of management generally, the fields are now clothed with heavy and luxuriant crops of clover and other grasses, the gullies and galls nearly healed, the thickets cleared up, and the farm well ditched. Thus, in the short space of fifteen years, this farm has not only been made to produce abundant crops of corn and wheat, (some of the fallow fields yielding of the latter from twenty to twenty-five bushels per acre,) but the culture of tobacco is now introduced with profit on improved land, and, in the opinion of your Committee, the value of the estate is trebled. The rotation of crops now pursued is that of six-shifts; — First, corn ; second, wheat ; third and fourth, clover ; fifth, wheat ; and sixth, clo- ver. There are about six hunched acres of ara- ble land, besides two well located permanent pastures, consisting mostly of a northern hill- side too precipitous for convenient cultivation. The laborers are eleven in number, comprising men, women and boys. There are six work horses and four yoke of oxen. The horses and cattle are not remarkable. Of the latter there are about forty. The sheep, however, are very fine. They are intermixed with the Eakewell blood, and would, perhaps, compare with any flock in the country, of whatever breed. About fifty are kept, mostly ewes, which yield an aver- age of upwards of four pounds of clean wool. The ewes are never permitted to bear lambs until ihey are two years old, which, with occa- sional crossing and good grazing, not only causes them to yield more wool, but to attain greater size — many of them weighing from ninety to one hundred pounds nett mutton. Few of the hogs were seen. They are mostly of the Berk- shire blood. Though this breed has lessened in reputation with most of us on account of its size, yet the owner of this farm highly approves of them, being satisfied that they are heavier than their appearance would indicate. Though much of the manure had been ap- plied to the tobacco and corn crops, and a good deal of straw, in a dry state, spread over the young clover, yet your Committee were sorry to find a larger quantity of each still lying about the farm-yards, than they would have expected from the well known industry and skill of the proprietor ; though it may be said in extenuation, that, owing to the season, far- ming operations have been more than ordinarily retarded this year. Your Committee object to the mode practiced THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 247 here, of capping instead of tying wheat-shocks — many of which were in bad order, from being deranged by wind or otherwise. The corn and wheat crops were not as good as might have been expected from the fertility of the land. — The tobacco was very unpromising, owing to the prevailing drought. All the clover and other seeds used, are made upon the farm. There are two very productive meadows, which contribute both to the revenue of the es- tate and to the compost heaps. One of them was, a few years since, an unsightly bog, which, since its reclamation, tends to beautify the farm. In conclusion, your Committee can bear tes- timony to the fact, that the farm and all its ap- purtenances indicate much skill and good ma- nagement, worthy the imitation of all. E. P. Barbour. J. B. Newman, E. Goss. Jas, Newman, Cor. Sedy. SELECTING SEEDS. Great improvement may be made by a judi- cious selection of seeds. Tn most all crops, some plants will be found more early, or in some respects superior to others. From such, seeds should be carefully selected. If a cultivator desires to have any production earlier than usual, after procuring an early kind, let the first seeds that ripen, on a well grown and productive plant, be secured, and so proceed year after year, and in this way a variety will be obtained that will excel in earliness. Every variety of vegetable may be rendered more productive, by selecting every year the seeds of the most productive and well formed plants. And this method of improvement will be found the cheapest that can be pursued, as the difference in the cost of good and poor seed is a mere trifle. Select peas for seed that grow in long, full pods, on vines that bear abundantly, and if you would have thern earlier, take those which ripen first. Choose beans in the same way. Select seed corn from stalks that bear two or more good ears, and take the largest and best formed ears. Choose from stalks that are large at the bottom, and run off to a small top, not very high. If you would have early onions and few scullions, select for seed a few that ripen first, and have a good form. Select the handsomest turnips for seed, having just the form you would choose, if you would have fine crops for the market; and by this selection for years, you will get a variety that may be relied on. Follow the same rule in every thing. Like produces like, i3 a general law of nature; the same in the vegetable and animal kingdom: there are some exceptions, but not enough to effect materially the general crop of production, and by these exceptions we may profit ; for when the exceptions are an improvement, we may follow them out, and in a short time estab- lish a new race of variety ; but when the ex- ceptions are inferior, we can reject them. These exceptions to general rules offer great advantages, and a wide field for improvement, while the disadvantage is a mere trifle. As a spark will kindle a great fire, so from a single seed of superior excellence, large crops of this superior production may be raised, and widely disseminated for the benefit of thousands. There is no subject of improvement so much neglected as this; it is within the means of all, and yet few give attention to it. Too many are content to plod on in the old way, and while they spend much in manure and cultivation, they neglect a much cheaper way of improve- ment, or to avail themselves of those made by others in this way, when at less expense they could accomplish it, and perhaps more effec- tually. We selected seed from the first pumpkin that ripened, in a variety which we cultivated for several years, and last year some were ripe in two months and five days from the time of planting. Numerous instances could be cited of the above remarks, but it is so clear to every common observer, that no evidence is necessary ; but it is important that they be reminded of a subject so much neglected, and with so much loss. — Selected. HORSES. We happen to have in our possession the complete works of that quaint old author, Ger- vaise Markham, printed nearly two hundred years ago. Mixed with an infinite deal of su- perstition and nonsense, which belong, perhaps, as much to the age as the individual, we occa- sionally meet with information and opinions upon agricultural and other subjects that would grace the best publication of the present day. The old gentleman seems to have prided him- self particularly upon his skill in horsemanship, which, as it was then practised, was a very difficult and recondite art. After giving the most minute and particular instructions for the management of the horse in his different paces, as in the Corvet, the Galliard, the Caracole and the Caragolo ; after giving directions for riding before a Prince and before a Lady, (curious they are in the extreme) he gives the following di- rections for teaching the horse the more homely but useful art of pacing. This very method, without alteration and without improvement, is 248 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. at this day very successfully resorted to by dro- vers and breeders in the western part of this State : TO MAKE A HORSE AMBLE. Now forasmuch as there are a world of good horses which are not easie, and a world of easie horses which are not good, you shall by these directions following, make any horse ambie whatsoever: — First, then you shall understand, that practice hath made divers men believe, that divers ways they can make a horse amble, as by gagging them in the mouths, by toylmg them in deep earth, by the help of shooes, by gallopping and tyring, or such like, all which are ill and imperfect; yet the truth is, there is but one certain and true way to compass it, and that is to make a strong garth web, flat and well quilted with cotton, four pasterns for the smalls of his fore-leggs, under his knees, and for the smalls of his hinder lesgs somewhat be- low the spavins joynts: to these pasterns you shall fix strong straps of leather, with good iron buckles to make shorter or longer at plea sure, and having placed them about his fore- leggs, you shall take two several round ropes of an easie twist, made with strong loops at either end, and not above eight handfulls in length, and these the horse, standing to a true propor- tion, you shall fasten to the four slraps of lea- ther, to wit, one of them to his near fore-legg, and his near hinder legg, and the other to his far fore-legg, and his far hinder leg-g, which is called amongst horse-men trammelling; with these you shall let him walk in some inclosed piece of ground, till he can so perfectly go in the same, that when at anytime you offer to 1 chase him, you may see him amble swiftly and truly ; then you shall take his back, and ride him with the same trammels, at least three or four times a day till you find that he is so perfect, that no way can be so rough and uneven as to compell him to alter his stroke or go unnimbly. i This done, you may first take away one tram-! mell, then after the other, and only wreath about under his fore-feet-locks thick and heavy great royls of hay or straw ropes ; and so rifle them with the same a good space after, for it will make him amble easie; then cut them away, and ride and exercise him without any thing but the ordinary help of the bridles, and there is no doubt but he will keep his pace to your ' full contentment and pleasure. Now during this time of your teaching, if your horse strike not a large stroke and over- reach enough, then you shall make the tram- mel the straiier, but if he over-reach too much, then you shall give it more liberty : and herein you shall find, that an inch straitning 01 an inch inlarging, will add or abate at least half a foot, an whole foot and direct stroke: and this much touching the teaching of any horse to amble, of what nature or quality soever he be, or how unapt or untoward soever to learn. TEMPERING EDGE TOOLS. The art of hardening and tempering steel, without risk, for the various parposes to which this most important of all metals is adapted, is so little understood, even by many who work in it, that I presume a short communication on the subject would be acceptable. It often happens that tools on Which labor has been bestowed, are spoiled in tempering, to the disappointment of the purchaser and to the discredit of the maker. The following directions, which by ex- perience will be found to be correct, are designed to remedy these inconveniences. Should you think a correct knowledge of this art of impor- tance to the mechanical part of the community, you will please to give it a place. Admitting the tool has been properly forged, without burning or injuring the steel, in order for a good temper, it should be carefully heated in a fire made with wood or charcoal, till it is of a red color, and then plunged into clean, cold water in a perpendicular direction. If the tem- per is to be that of an edge tool, the steel must then be ,made bright, hy grinding or scouring with a coarse stone, and held over the fire until it is of a deep yellow or straw color. This is the proper temper of edge tools, the most diffi- cult part of which process is, to give the steel the least possible degree of even heat, to give it the greatest possible degree of hardness and strength. If the heat is continued beyond this exact degree, the pores of the steel will be so opened as to render it brittle, with but a small degree of hardness. Should the heat be carried beyond this degree by inattention or accident, the evil will not be remedied by letting it cool down to this color before it is cooled in the wa- ter; in this case it will be necessary to hammer the tool over again, in order to settle the pores of the steel together. The greatest care should therefore be taken in hardening a tool, not to heat it too hot, as its goodness depends more on this circumstance than is apprehended. Care should also be taken that it does not remain in the fire after it has acquired a proper heat; as even without a greater degree of heat the fire will soon coat it over with a thick scale, which will prevent the water from cooling it so quickly as is necessary, to render it as haid as possible. Many small tools, such as punches, broaches, «fec, for clock and watch makers, may be tem- pered by the simple process of heating as above directed, and cooling them in hot water, a little below boiling 1 heal. This temper gives small tools great strength and a proper degree of hard- ness. Very small drills are best heated in a candle, with a blow-pipe, and cooled in tallow. Their temper is to be taken down the same as THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 249 an edge tool. Tools for turning iron and steel receive a much greater degree of hardness by being cooled in quicksilver instead of water. — This method of hardening must be valuable to clock and watch makers, as well as to many other mechanics, who want tools as hard as possible. The temper of a spring, after it is carefully hardened, is obtained by holding it over the fire, covered with tallow, till it blazes and burns off; the burning of the tallow should be continued for a minute or two on those springs which from their use are liable to break. Small springs, and other articles to be tempered spring temper, are more conveniently tempered in a sheet-iron pan, or case, with tallow, held over the fire until it blazes, when it is to be taken off and care- fully shaken, while the tallow continues burning. Saws and many other common tools, which require a file to sharpen them, pinions and arbors in clocks and watches, surgeons' instruments, except those designed for cutting, bayonets, sword blades, gun sticks, and various other ar- ticles, are of this temper. Iron may be hardened by the process of what is called case-hardening. This is performed by enclosing the iron in an air-tight case, with char- coal dust and salt, and heating the same red hot for one or two hours, and cooling it in clean, cold water. The hammers and many other parts of gun locks are hardened in this manner. If the process is properly managed, iron and steel may be hardened without even altering the smooth surface of the instruments; the ad- vantage of which is sufficient to induce the greatest attention in giving it the exact degree of heat, — Selected. SCRAPS FOR THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. BY A GOOCHLAND FARMER. " L." in the October number of the Planter, is mistaken in his theory of the cause of gapes in chickens. Lice are most assuredly not the cause, as I have had demonstrated in the last two years. No doubt they aggravate the disease, but they do not cause it. I have had in my hen-houses, which from a taste for raising fowls I superin- tend myself, not so much as a louse either in 1842 or 1843 : yet in both years, and especially in this, the gapes have been destructive to an unusual degree. The notion that the worm in the throat or lungs of the chicken, causes it to heave for breath, is a vulgar error. Many birds, perhaps all, have these worms : but no other bird but the chicken has the actual gapes. — Turkeys and Guineas have the sneezing which is a milder form of the same disease. The cause of gapes in chickens has exercised the observation of very many people to discover it for half a century or more. When physicians Vol. III.— 32 succeed in discovering the cause of the hooping- cough in children, we may hope to find out that of the gapes in chickens — not before. In truth the two diseases are extremely analogous, and no doubt each proceeds from some constitutional necessity, which is inscrutable from the nature of things. Worms in the throat or crop, or lice on the feathers, are symptoms, not causes. But while we shall always be baffled to dis- cover the cause of this destructive epidemic or endemic, for it is one or the other, among a very valuable family of fowls, certain facis which are well established, prove that it may be par- tially prevented or greatly mitigated. And first, has any one seen the gapes among their negroes' chickens? I never did, although I have looked out for them, and what is more, to my know- ledge, I never saw the person who had. This I take it, is a very valuable fact. 1. The ne- groes' hen-houses are always small. 2. They have, of course, but few hens to inhabit them. 3. They are comparatively warm, and the chickens, young and old, are better protected from the cold. Some length and minuteness of experience enable me to offer the following rules to your readers with strong confidence that they are founded in philosophy : 1. Have your houses small, close and warm. 2. Restrict your hens to six or eight. 3. If you have need to raise many chickens, multiply your houses at different points, but do not multiply your fowls within any particular house. 4. Have as many trees, and as little grass and weeds as possible, around your houses. 5. In the spring and early fall months, have your hovels for young chickens, tight and im- pervious to wind or rain, and frequently replen- ished with clean, dry straw. 6. Keep the chickens in the hovels until the dews are off in the morning. 7. For the first week feed thern upon bread baked dry and without salt. After that, you may give them tail-ends, (as we call it). Oats are first — rye second — wheat third — Indian corn fourth. Perhaps Indian corn small hominy would be as good and more generally convenient than any. I annex a few other general rules ; for al- though, Mr. Editor, to our fellow-citizens, the Carters, the Sampsons, and the Harrisons, and other distinguished farmers, this matter may look excessively small, yet unquestionably it is important to the comfort, plenty and economy of every family. 1. Cold feet are the proximate, though not the final cause, of the gapes and most of the dis- eases of chickens. Keep their feet warm and you will raise eleven out of twelve chickens in every brood. Our barn-door chicken is a rial ive [of Hindostan, where it is found in a wild state 250 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. to this day, and consequently our climate is too harsh for it, save in June, July, August and Sep- tember. To make it flourish, you must temper the climate to its southern constitution. In an old number of the Gentleman's Magazine, a particular description is given of the method of rearing chickens for market at a great establish- ment, for the purpose, in London, in which a large capital was profitably invested. The eggs were hatched by artificial heat, regulated by the thermometer. As soon as thus hatched, the chickens were transferred to another apartment, the floor of which was warmed by some con- trivance underneath, and kept warm by rule, night and day. In the midst of this room was stationed a large artificial hen, with feathers fastened on by paste, under which the chickens hovered whenever they were so disposed. This, as well as I remember the date, was about 1763, or eighty years ago. I know not if any such process is now used in London for rearing chickens ; but I make no doubt it is, and that it can be profitablj' employed in the vicinity of all great cities. The daily consumption of barn- door fowls in London averages about ten thou- sand, or three million six hundred and fifty thousand a year: and to rear this incredible multitude, artificial means must probably be employed. 2. Turn out your stock fowls from the spring, not the fall broods. They then attain a larger growth, and of course their progeny are larger. 3. Let your fowls, if possible, range in the vicinity of a running stream. 4. Change your stock, the roosters at least, every two years — keep no hens over four years- old. White is the hardiest color. In the Arctic regions all animals turn white when the cold sets in, which 1 take to be the certificate of na- ture herself upon this point. But no color and no breed will do long without crossing and in- cessant attention. 5. I put little faith in lime, save only so far as it enters into the constitution of the egg shell. I have never been able to see the least effect from it. Gravel, I believe, would be more useful. In fact, since the cholera in 1832, the country has been somewhat lime-mad, and vir- tues, medical, chemical and agricultural, have been ascribed to it which it is doubtful if it pos- sesses. I address these hints, the fruit of actual ob- servation, to the lovers of the old Virginia dish, fried chicken, and what is better yet, a boiled pullet with cariots, in March or April. By the way, Friars' chicken is the right phrase : for, the monks, who knew well what was good, es- pecially in eating, drinking, &c. invented this dish, which, from Friars' chicken, has come to be called fried chicken. P. We knew our friend was " great" at politics and fishing, but had no idea he was so much of a foiuler. We really esteem his communication the very best we ever saw upon the important art of rearing chickens. We know and respect our correspondent's love of ancient lore, which we think has mislead him a little upon the sub- ject of Friars' chicken. If to call chicken which is fried, "fried chicken," be a corruption, it is surely the most natural and excusable erroi of which we have ever heard. SWINE MANAGEMENT. In managing hogs, it is important that pigs should be farrowed at seasons of the year nei- ther exceedingly hot or cold. April and Sep- tember are the best months for the sows to pig. For this purpose they should go to the males the last of May or first of June, and in December. It is a good rule never to let breeding sows get very poor or very fat. From the time they go to the boars till within a month of pigging they should be fed regularly, but only in sufficient quantities to improve them slowly. As the time of pigging apptoaches they should be fed more bountifully. But if they become too fat, they often overlay their pigs, and are not usually careful with them. Many rules have been given for the management of sows at farrowing, but only a few plain directions will be of service : — 1st. Let no other hogs interfere with the sow ; and 2d. Be certain she has water and a plea- sant shelter in the lot. If she should happen to make choice of an unsheltered spot for her bed, a few planks, or a board shelter will protect her from the sun and rain. Young pigs should become fat as soon as possible, and be kept so till they are ready to butcher. To effect this matter, the dams should have an abundance of rich food, such as kitchen slops, roots, boiled corn, &c. It is a good practice to have a small pen with a hole, to admit the pigs, and a low trough for them to be fed from the time they are two weeks old. When the pigs are from six to eight weeks old, if they have learned to eat well, they should be weaned. At this season there is greater dif- ficulty than any other. Unless they have close attention they will become poor, sink behind the shoulders, and scarcely ever recover from it. — Let them have food regularly five times per day, and it should be such as will suit the stomach, and be most nutritious. Slops will answer a good purpose, for part of the time, but the food should vary eveiy day. Milk, boiled meal, slops, roots, and dry food, as corn, should be given daily. Hogs should have water at all times, and if salted every day, they will do the better for it. Grass and clover, are always acceptable THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 251 to swine, and cymlings, pumpkins, and peas are very good, and artichokes, in winter, (except when the ground is frozen) are unequalled, par- ticularly if the hogs have salt and a little dry food daily. Care must be taken that hogs do not occupy the same bed too long, and by all means they should be kept from sleeping in stables, about manure heaps, in shucks, or wet, or old straw. The cheapest pork is that which is made of pigs dropped in the spring and slaughtered the December following. By this process a win- ter's feed is saved, and by " pushing" the pigs will weigh from one to two hundred pounds at eight or nine months old. For large pork, the year olds will do tolerably well, but we think it bad econmy to have killing hogs more than twenty months old. — Tennessee Agriculturist. For the Southern Planter. FARM BUILDINGS. a. Po^i.s, on which the corn crib and granary are to be placed. e > /. S- Doors to hay house. h. Stables. i. Corn house. /. Poultry house. p. Pig stye. Mt. Airy, Pa., Sept. 14, 1843. C. T. Botts, Eso_. Dear Sir, — I send you a drawing of farm buildings to save labor. On every good farm, buildings must be provided to preserve the crops. They may a.s well be congregated and form a bridge to enter thern in an upper region, and save the kibor of pitching or hoisting up the produce. Carts can be constructed to tip up and deliver their loads either of ha}' or grain in the straw, or corn on the cob. The granary and corn crib should stand on legs, with tin bells around them to prevent vermin from ascending. Pivot bridges might be constructed perfectly safe from accident, to communicate between the different buildings. All buildings should be made as high as it will be safe to make them, on the score of economy, as the roof and foun- dation will answer for either a high or a low building, and when they are so constructed that you can enter the tops of them with ease, ihe inconvenience of height will be less objectionable, 252 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER All buildings not standing on legs should have cellars under them ; their lower floors should be laid first with tin plates, and the planks nailed over the tin, to prevent rats or mice from ascend- ing or descending. The cellar floors should be laid with small stones and mortar to prevent ac- cidents of the rat species. Yours respectfully, E. J. Pierce. From the Farmers' Gazette. TO BRING FORWARD VEGETABLES AND FRUITS. A capital compost liquid manure may be thus made by any gardener. Take of the weeds you rake out of your grounds, a handful ; of hog manure, a spade fall ; dry leaves, wood ashes and lime, of each a handful — and put it at night into the tub, from whence you water your plants. With this liquid, in the morning, fill your wa- ter pots, and sprinkle liberally over the tops as well as the roots. The effect will soon be made apparent, in the increased vigor of your vegeta- tion. K. P. Th. New Haven, \5th May, 1843. JOHNSON'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AGRI- CULTURE. We once more call the attention of our read- ers to this valuable work. The publication is now complete, and we have been indebted to the liberal and enterprising publishers, Messrs. Carey & Hart, for the numbers as they were issued. The author of this work, Mr. Cuthbert W. Johnson, is esteemed one of the most practical and scientific farmers in Europe. His object has been to present, in the most accessible form, a bird's eye view of the opinions and doctrines of that galaxy of talent which has lately shed its light upon the subject of agriculture. The English edition, which of course con- tained a great deal of matter that was irrelevant to our climate and institutions, has been over- hauled by a gentleman of Pennsylvania, with whom we have not the happiness to be person- ally acquainted, but whose reputation as a man of science is hardly greater than his celebrity as a practical and successful farmer. Whilst he has subtracted much that was valueless to the American farmer, he has added to the views of Liebig, Lindley, Lowe, &c. the labors of Buel, Jackson, Dana, and a host of American authors, which has probably doubled the value of the work. Even if the matter were less meritorious than the character of the Editor warrants us in supposing it to be, the convenient form of its arrangement would recommend it to the consi- deration of every farmer. Here is a work which may be had for four dollars, less than one-third the price of the English edition, where the agri- culturist can turn at once to any subject upon which he may desire information, and find an epitome of all that science and observation have yet discovered. We know of no better invest- ment that can possible be made of a half dozen turkeys. From the American Farmer. CHARCOAL AS A FERTILIZER. It will be recollected by our readers, that in our last two volumes we have published several able papers upon the virtues of charcoal as a fertilizer of the soil, and of its supposed efficacy in the preservation of wheat from rust. One of these papers, by Judge Hepburn, particularly points out cases in which lands which had been dressed by charcoal had grown wheat free from rust, when wheat grown on other lands, conti- guous, which had not been so treated, had suf- fered greatly from that cause. We allude to these circumstances now, with a view of intro- ducing the subjoined paragraph to the notice of our readers ; by which it will be seen, that in France the same virtues have been ascribed to charcoal as in our own country. Of the precise mode of action by which this exemption from rust is produced, we are not prepared to speak positively ; but will claim permission to observe, that it may be owing to the very great affinity which charcoal is known to possess for ammo- nia, and the reluctance with which it gives it out after having once absorbed it. If the opi- nion which is now gaining strength and conse- quence, that the cause of rust is plethora, and that ammonia is one of the chief aliments or food of plants, be correct, the preventive proper- ties of the charcoal may arise, first, from its ab- sorption of ammonia as formed, and, secondly, from its yielding it slowly to the wheat plant in the last stage of the maturing of its stem, thus, as it were, hindering it from feeding to that de- gree of excess productive of repletion, and the consequent disruption of the stem of the plant. At all events, as the rust is one of the most dis- astrous diseases in its effects, to which the ivheat crop is subjected, we think that the use of char- coal to a limited extent, by way of experiment, is worthy of the consideration of every wheat grower. If it should, on trial, fail of the anti- cipated efficacy, it can do no possible injury either to the grain or to the soil, and may be beneficial to the latter, in supplying it with sili- THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 253 cate of potash, a substance of vast importance to all grain crops, and especially useful in giving strength and elasticity to the straw. With these remarks we will direct attention to the following paragraph : Charcoal as a Fertilizer. — We have been astonished at the enormous increase of the wheat crop in France within the last eight or ten years, and have devoted some attention to the investigation of the subject. It appears that charcoal — an article that can be obtained here for a tithe of its cost in France — has been extensively used, and with marked effect, in fertilizing the wheat lands in that kingdom. A correspondent of the New Farmers' Journal, an English print, states that during a sojourn in one of the central departments of France he learned that some of the most productive farms were originally very sterile ; but that for a num- ber of years their proprietors had given them a light dressing of charcoal, which had resulted in a large yield of wheat of excellent quality. Since his return to England he has tried the experiment upon his own lands with the same happy effect. The charcoal should be well pulverized, and sown like lime, after a rain or in a still, damp day. Even in England, the "writer says, "the expense is a mere trifle, in comparison with the permanent improvement effected, which on grass is truly wonderful." — He states one other very important result from its liberal use. "I am quite satisfied that by using charcoal in the way described rust in wheat will be entirely prevented ; for I have found in two adjoining fields, one of which was coaled and the other manured with farm-yard dung, the latter was greatly injured by rust, while that growing in the other was perfectly free from it." — Buffalo Commercial Advertiser. THE AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST'S ALMANAC. We are indebted to Mr. A. B. Allen for a copy of his farmers' Almanac, which, in addition to the usual lunar and solar information, contains copious directions for the monthly guidance of the farmer and gardener, both at the North and South. The whole, comprising some fifty-odd pages, is neatly done up in pamphlet form and furnished at the extremely low price of twelve and a half cents. For the Southern Planter. FALL PLOUGHING. Mr. Editor, — I have been a subscriber to the Planter from the start, and now, after several years have rolled over, it gives me great plea- sure to accord my testimony, humble as it may be, to its great and increasing value and useful- ness. I have said, I have taken your paper all the while, and yet, sir, I have never written one line for it — and for the simple reason, that I could not bring myself to believe, that any thing, emanating from my judgment or expe- rience, could possibly benefit any one of your readers, all of whom I am induced to believe are belter farmers than myself. I< have deter- mined, however, at a venture, to depart from this line of procedure, and to offer my testimony in favor of fall ploughing. The article of "C." in your late number (October), which I have just read, induces me to take pen in hand, and do battle, with right good will, for what I con- sider the quintessence in managing a clay farm, Doctors will disagree. Mr. C.'s land is the very land of all others that I should recommend to be ploughed in the fall. But strange to say, he has tried it, and failed. Why 1 Because he did not do the thing right. My land, or a portion of it, is of this kind of clay, that "runs together like putty," and yet, I think I have experienced the greatest advantage in fall ploughing. I conceive the error, of all those who object to this system, to consist in not re-ploughing their land. Now there is the gist of the matter. Let Mr. C. se- lect a piece of stiff clay land this fall, plough it in beds, (single beds of five feet width) trench it well with the plough, and open the trenches with hoes, as he would in such land for wheat, so as to keep it well drained during the winter; and in the spring throw up the same beds ivith single ploughs when the land is in good order, and note the result. Let all objectors to this system do so, and give the result. I do believe with Mr. C. that you had better let your land alone, than not to replough it — it will "run together like putty," and will not make any thing like as good a crop as if ploughed in the spring. My experience tallies with his. I have tried his plan — now let him try mine. The more "judicious" a farmer is, the more he will be out with fall ploughing, unless he re-ploughs. Land re-ploughed, works better the season through, produces better, and you will find, if the season is dry, that in putting in wheat, the re-ploughed land is more spungy, and easier to work — my negroes even observed this fact the past fall. Respectfully, R. MEDITERRANEAN WHEAT. To the Editor of the Southern Planter: Sir, — In a late number of your paper appeared a communication from Mr. R. B. Haxall, which was copied into the Richmond Whig, relative to the Mediterranean or Fly- Proof Wheat, which is so totally at variance with my experience and observation, that I, a stranger to yourself, desire 254 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER to give him and the agricultural public, through your journal, the results of my cultivation of that wheat. And I am sorry to see you, Mr. Editor, uniting with Mr. H. in depreciating a variety of wheat of which neither he nor you can know any thing. Indeed, Mr. H. even condemns the wheat before he has ground a single bushel. His objections are two: — first, that it is unfit for the manufacture of good flour ; and secondly, he hints, and gives the au- 1 thonty of Dr. Gains, of Hanover, for one in- stance of the fact, that it will not generally prove as productive as the red May wheat. I will consider the latter objection first. The best proof of the productiveness of any! kind of grain consists in repeated instances of the gathering of heavy crops. And I will re- count the various facts which have come under my knowledge, relative to the Mediterranean wheat. Two years ago 1 procured from the State of Delaware ten bushels ; one half bushel of which I gave my brother. The nine and a half bushels I sowed about the middle of Octo- ber, partlj' on a small piece of land which had given an indifferent crop of tobacco, and partly on corn field. I reaped one hundred and five bushels, being about seventeen bushels per acre, and eleven for each bushel of seed. Last fall I sowed about the same time in October, on a to- bacco lot of nine acres, ten bushels of this wheat. The land had been somewhat improved, and partially manured the preceding spring ; but the farm, after a long course of bad management, came into my possession about four years ago, and of course I have not yet improved any of it highly. Moreover, my overseer sowed the lot much too thin : he should have put two bushels per acre. A small portion of the crop is not yet cleaned, but from the quantity already fanned out, I know the product cannot be less than about one hundred and seventy bushels. I also sowed this wheat and the red May in my corn land, endeavoring to give them an equal chance, as to the quality of soil, time of sowing, &c; and I am confident I shall find the product of the former, when cleaned, much greater than that of the latter. Whilst growing, the differ- ence was extraordinary. My brother's half bushel yielded seven bushels, on land I thought very thin. Last fall he sowed about six bushels on about four acres of corn land, which had been tolerably well manured in the spring. He reaped sixty-five bushels. I sold a neighbor ten bushels last fall, which he sowed partly on flat land, after corn, and partly on higher ground. All his neighbors think his crop will be one j hundred and fifty bushels. In every instance I have mentioned we could not have reaped much more than half as much from any other kind of wheat ; nor, in four years, have I heard of any crop, or part of a crop, in my neighborhood, which has approached the cases above specified. The Mediterranean is assuredly a fly-proof wheat. I sowed it in one instance, adjoining purple straw, and in another, in close contact with the red May. The purple straw was al- most destroyed, and the red May somewhat in- jured by fly ; wfcnlst not one could be found in the Mediterranean. The latter is so early a wheat as to be entirely free from rust also. — Notwithstanding the low estimate yourself and Mr. Haxall put upon this wheat, 1 must deem my own experience more satisfactory than the pre-judgment of an extensive miller who has never manufactured a barrel of flour from it, or the passing sneer of an agricultural journal, that i* is "an exploded humbug." 1 shall, therefore, continue its culture, being convinced it will ordinarily }-ield from one-half to one-third more than any other wheat. Mr. Haxall's main objection, that the wheat is unfit for the manufacture of good flour, shall be briefly despatched. On this point I have but one fa