THE SOUTHERN PLANTER; 

Beuoteti to ^gvfcultuve, j^ortfculture, aufc the Jl},o\ml\olii Mttx. 



Agriculture is 


the 


nursing 


mother of the Arts. 
Xenophon. 


Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the 
State. — Sully. 


& 






C. T. BOTTS, Editor. 


Vol. III. 






RICHMOND, AUGUST, 1843. No. S. 



RUST PREVENTED BY THE USE OF ASHES. 

Ope of the chief constituents of the stalks of 
plants is silica, which is neither more nor less than 
the pure earth of the common flint ; the quantity 
varies with the nature of the plant; in some, as 
in wheat especially, it is apparent in the glazed 
appearance of the stalk to the most common 
observation. Upon this circumstance, Mr. Levi 
Bartlett has built up the following' ingenious 
theory. For want of a sufficient quantity of 
silica, the straw of wheat grows up soft and 
tender ; the more rank and luxuriant it is made 
by manure, the smaller will be the portion of 
this hardening property falling to each stalk of 
grain ; then it is, that it falls, or lodges ; if there 
happens to be a day or two of warm, moist 
weather about the time the wheat is in milk, 
the rush of sap is so great, that it ruptures the 
tender and inefficient coating in the stalk; the 
sap vessels burst : the sap exudes, and forms a 
coat of rust, and the crop is nearly ruined. 

The silica in the shape of sand, quartz, &c. 
Mr. Bartlett admits, is generally present in suffi- 
cient quantities in the soil ; but he thinks, to be 
useful, it must be soluble, which, he says, can 
be effected only by an alkali. For this purpose 
he recommends the use of potash, and it is to 
this action, that he ascribes chiefly the advan- 
tages of using ashes as a manure. 

That this is the effect of potash upon silica, 
Mr. Bartlett infers from the fact, that lye will 
dissolve the silica in wood. From this well 
known circumstance, tubs for leached ashes are 
usually made of pine, which does not contain 
so much silica as oak, and which is, therefore, 
less affected by the potash. An oak tub after 
having been used a few times for a leach tub, 
would have its sdica dissolved, and the staves 
if dried, would shrink to half their width. 

That ashes is beneficial to the crop in thus 
liberating the silica of the soil is a new and in- 
genious, and we will add, a plausible doctrine. 
Liebig recommends also the use of ashes but he 
offers a different exposition of the modus operan- 
Vol. 111.-22 



di. He too, conceives the silica to be frequently 
wanting in soils which have been long culti- 
vated in wheat, but it is in the form of a silicate 
of potash that he supposes it to be furnished di- 
rectly by the ashes. So far, however, they 
both agree, that soils often fail in wheat for want 
of something that is furnished by the ashes. — 
But that rust proceeds from the want of the indu- 
rating quality in the straw afforded by the sili- 
ca, is, as far as we know, entirely original with 
Mr. Bartlett. This is a most important point, 
and one worthy of the deepest attention ; there 
is a plausibility about the doctrine that entitles 
it to investigation. If ashes alone is wanting, 
and, as is suggested, in very small quantities, it 
may be obtained by paring and burning the 
soil, from wood, and various sources, in quanti- 
ties sufficient for the largest field. Save us from 
the fly and rust, and there is no crop that is so 
dear to a Virginia farmer as his wheat; in spite 
of these malignant enemies, there is none likely 
to supplant it in his affections. The labor of 
cultivation is so light, compared with either 
corn or tobacco, and it comes in so conveniently 
to fill the gap between the finishing of the 
spring crop and the closing in of winter ; be- 
sides, our habits and customs, our experience, 
and the establishment of our manufacturing 
mills, all make the wheat an indispensable crop 
with us. Any thing, therefore, that promises 
to rid us of one of the sore evils which annually 
threaten the hopes of the husbandman, will at- 
tract attention and secure consideration. 

This want of stamina Mr. Bartlett thinks is 
not peculiar to the straw of the wheat. It is 
not uncommon, he says, to see a piece of land 
receiving the wash of a barn putting forth a 
luxuriant growth of grass early in the spring, 
the freshness and vigor of which gives promise 
of a goodly crop ; but for the want of stamina, 
owing to the deficiency of soluble silica in the 
soil, it falls before it heads, and when made into 
hay, the weight is light in proportion to the bulk. 

Are these ingenious presumptions correct? — 



170 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



They are to be tested only by facts, and we re- 
spectfully invite our correspondents to furnish 
us with circumstances coming within their ob- 
servation that have a tendency to shed any 
light upon the subject. 

Will common observation or chemical analy- 
sis detect the want of silica in the straw of 
wheat that falls or rusts? Will not somebody 
institute a set of experiments to ascertain whe- 
ther ashes afford protection from rust ? 

If rust proceeds from a deficiency of soluble 
silica in the soil, the thicker and more luxuriant 
the growth, the greater should be the liability 
to rust : is this so ? On the contrary, we know 
one farmer at least, and a good one too, that 
thinks high cultivation and heavy manuring a 
perfect preventive of all the ills that wheat is 
heir to. He thinks, that the thinner his wheat, 
and the poorer his ground, the more likely he is to 
suffer from rust ; because, he considers, that 
animal and vegetable manures thicken and 
strengthen the stem so as to enable it to resist the, 
additional strain arising from the increased flow 
of the sap during a rusty spell. 

We were discussing this theory a few days 
since with an intelligent and scientific farmer 
from the county of Louisa, who seemed much 
struck with its plausibility ; he mentioned a cir- 
cumstance that certainly has a tendency, as far 
as it goes, to confirm the doctrine. There is a 
portion of the Green Spring country he says 
that is notoriously and proverbially invulnerable 
to rust, and he well remembers, that during a 
visit to the neighborhood, a few summers since, 
Professor Rogers analyzed the soil of this sec- 
tion and pronounced it, amongst other things, 
remarkable for the potash it contained. 

To the consideration of this question we in- 
vite the inquiring mind of Professor Rogers. — 
There is no field of investigation more worthy 
his scientific abilities. If by his patient research 
and penetrating acumen he can discover the 
cause, and provide a remedy for this sore evil 
under which our husbandmen are groaning, he 
will win for his brows a wreath more honorable 
than ever adorned the temples of a mditary hero. 



For the Southern Planter. 

WHEAT, PLASTER, POTATOES. 

Mr. Bolts, — Having seen it recommended to 
sow old wheat instead of new, as a preventive 
against the ravages of the Hessian fly, in the 
fall of 1841, I reserved two and a half bushels 



of good seed wheat, and in October, 1842, sowed 
in a belt through my field, sowing on either side, 
and putting in, similarly, wheat of the same 
kind, though the growth of 1842. I have seen 
no difference up to this time in the appearance 
of the crop. I have now a few bushels of seed 
wheat, the growth of 1842, and will repeat the 
experiment this fall, as a different result may 
follow in another season. 

Whilst writing, I will state that in the spring 
of 1842, I made five different experiments on 
the application of plaster to corn, upon as many 
varieties of soil, to test its relative value and 
efficacy, intending to gather accurately and re- 
port the result. I was prevented from doing 
this by the severe storm and fresh we had in 
September, which flooded some of the corn, and 
blew down and intermixed the rest, so as to ren- 
der impossible an accurate admeasurement. I 
can only state the general facts, and appearance 
of the crop during the season. The first expe- 
riment was upon a gray gravelly soil — the se- 
cond, upon red land, intermixed with fine cho- 
colate gravel — both high land. The third, was 
a poor sandy soil ; fourth, rich sandy loam ; fifth, 
rich, moist, black stiff land, such as we find 
upon most of our flats, where they approach 
the hills. The three last, flat land. The corn 
was simply rolled in plaster as long as any 
would stick. In each experiment six rows were 
taken, leaving three rows unplastered alternating 
with the plastered corn. The greatest improve- 
ment from the plaster manifested itself in the 
third experiment upon the poor sandy land. — 
The contrast here was so great that a sensible 
neighbor of mine could scarcely credit that 
plaster alone had been applied. The next great- 
est improvement was to be seen in the fourth 
experiment upon the sandy loam. Then came 
the first and second experiments, in which there 
seemed but little difference as to their relative 
improvement, but manifest superiority over the 
alternating rows of unplastered corn. In the 
fifth experiment, some time after the corn came 
up and whilst the weather was dry, I could per- 
ceive a superiority of the plastered over the un- 
plastered rows. The weather then set in wet, 
and by the time the corn was in tassel I could 
perceive no difference, nor do I believe the yield 
varied. The season was a dripping one and 
unpropitious to the fullest exhibit of the appli- 
cation of plaster, which shows more distinctly 
in dry seasons — nevertheless, the plastered corn 
in the four experiments maintained its superiori- 
ty over the parallel rows of unplastered corn 
through the season. 

I will stale the result of an experiment made 
by a friend of mine, Col. R. Taylor, of Orange, 
upon light, red, mountain land. He left four 
rows of coin unplastered. They ran tiround a 
hill near its base, upon land evidenlly better 
than that over which four rows above them 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



171 



passed. From the unplastered rows he gathered 
eight hampers of corn — from the plastered rows 
thirteen. 

A short time since I extracted the following 
memorandum from the diary of Mr. C. P. How- 
ard, residing in the vicinity of Orange Court 
Housd who was induced to make the experi- 
ment from seeing it recommended in some agri- 
cultural work : " Planted potatoes in garden 22d 
March, 1842, cut off the bloom and buttons as 
they formed, of two rows; dug them on the 
10th August. The two rows measured three 
bushels and a half peck. The two adjoining 
raws two bushels and three pecks, which were 
smaller in size." 

Respectfully, 

Geo. A. Smith. 



BEE HIVES. 
We have been requested by a subscriber to 
give our readers some information upon the 
comparative merits of different bee hives. Will 
some friend do us the favor to supply what our 
want of information precludes us from doing ? 



For the Southern Planter. 
REPORT OF THE MECKLENBURG CLUB. 

The following report was read before the 
Upper Corner Agricultural Club of Mecklen- 
burg, on Saturday, the 16th instant, and ordered 
to be transmitted to the Editor of the Southern 
Planter with the request that he publish it in 
that journal: 

The Committee appointed at the last meeting 
to report upon the farm of Dr. Paul C. Venable. 
have performed that duty, and report, that his 
farm in every part, evinced great diligence and 
personal attention. The homestead is tastefully 
and substantially built, with all the necessary 
farm buildings well arranged ; a young and 
thriving orchard, good garden, &c. &c. But 
the improved condition of the farm at large, more 
particularly arrested the attention of the Com- 
mittee. The whole is laid out in separate shifts, 
with good enclosures and gates, and every field, 
except those in immediate cultivation, well set 
with herdsgrass or clover; with a beautiful 
highland meadow of some eighty or a hundred 
acres. Your Committee have rarely seen, even 
in a strictly grazing country, a richer and more 
beautiful display of the artificial grasses. The 
corn-field, was well prepared and planted, and 
although recently covered with a strong herds- 
grass turf, gave promise of an abundant crop, 
provided, the future cultivation was of the same 
efficient character with the preparation, and be- 
stowed in time. The tobacco land was in a 
course of preparation; it seemed to be very 



highly manured and well got up. The Com- 
mittee were highly pleased with the exhibition 
of farm stock, particularly the cattle and sheep. 
The Doctor has for some years, turned his at- 
tention to raising blood stock. His noble bull, 
Lord Durham, of the short horned breed, is of 
pure blood, a truly splendid animal, and of a 
size and figure that ought to excite his neigh- 
bors to avail themselves of his vicinity, to im- 
prove their own cattle. His whole stock of 
cattle show blood and breeding, and in conse- 
quence of his attention to this subject, his fa- 
mily enjoy abundantly the substantial comforts 
of milk, butter, beef and mutton ; for he is suc- 
cessful in raising sheep as well as cattle, and 
raises both to a considerable extent, for market. 
He entertains the opinion that the artificial 
grasses and free grazing are essential to rapid 
and extensive improvement of the land ; and 
the rapid progress which he has made in the 
improvement of his own estate, should entitle 
this opinion to much weight with the Club. 
One member of your Committee has been for 
many years familiar with the character of the 
Doctor's plantation, and testifies to the fact, that 
up to the time when it came into his hands, it 
was a barren waste in comparison with its pre- 
sent improved appearance, and bolh members of 
the Committee bear testimony to its rapid im- 
provement since it became his property, some 
eight or nine years ago. He pursues what he 
expressively terms a progressive system of im- 
provement. That is, he changes the scene of 
his manuring operations every year, and devotes 
every possible amount of time and labor that 
can be spared from his other farm work to in- 
creasing the quantity of manure, and he is thus 
enabled to bring the poorest spot to tobacco heart 
at the first manuring, and he purposes to pur- 
sue this mode until he shall have gone over his 
whole arable surface, which he hopes to effect 
in a few years more. He is very partial to the 
moveable summer cow-pens, and owing to his 
large stock of cattle and their rich and abundant 
grazing, he is able to go over an extensive sur- 
face every summer. The Doctor exhibited a 
Merino and a Saxon buck, both fine looking, 
and a fine large and healthy flock of ewes and 
lambs. He ascribes his success in sheep rais- 
ing, mainly, after the abundant grazing, to a 
rule he has adopted of never suffering old sheep 
to remain in his flock ; to avoid which, he an- 
nually, at shearing time, makes a short slit with 
the shears in the ear of the sheep, and after the 
number of four slits, the animal is doomed to 
the slaughter-pen, before next shearing time. 

Your Committee has thus briefly adverted to 
the principal features of the Doctor's manage- 
ment, which they would recommend to the at- 
tention and imitation of the Club. There are, 
however, some matters of minor importance 
well worthy of note, such, for instance, as the 



172 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



fish pond, to which our attention was called. — 
Every good husband endeavors to aid his wife 
in her laudable efforts to stock the poultry-yard 
by building suitable houses, enclosures, &c. to 
facilitate that object, and we all know how ne- 
cessary this is towards keeping a good table. — 
Not less so is the resource found in the fish- 
pond, which is perhaps more profitable even 
than the poultry, as it is a well ascertained fact 
that a small pond well stocked, will supply a 
good dish of fish at every season throughout 
the year, while it affords a healthy and innocent 
recreation for our families. Almost every planter 
can afford himself this comfort, by erecting a 
dam across his spring branch, which will serve 
also as an ice pond, now considered an indispen- 
sable appurtenance to every farm. 

Another valuable feature in the Doctor's prac- 
tice is the procuring a good spring for his stock 
and laborers, in almost every situation, where 
an ooze or springy spot is found on the farm, 
by excavating deeply, and fixing in a plank 
box of commensurate depth, to convey the wa- 
ter to the surface ; thus in many instances con- 
verting foul and stinking bogs or mires, into 
wholesome springs, and rendering the land about 
them arable and productive. 

Your Committee have thus noticed such 
things as seemed to them to claim commenda- 
tion and approval. There were no exhibitions 
of the corn-crib, the forage-house, the hay or oat- 
stacks, nor had the committee access to any sta- 
tistics, to show the amount of the Doctor's crops, 
or what proportion his nett profits bear to his 
improvements. Of the improvements, our Club 
as well as your Gommittee, must bear willing 
testimony. But these questions are well wor- 
thy of investigation and solution, that is, whe- 
ther the sum of the profits is as the sum of the 
improvements? and whether the increased labor 
of cultivating these large fields of grass, when 
they are brought to the hoe crop, as they must 
be soon or late, does not more than counterba- 
lance the advantages? Questions, which the 
Committee leave to the Doctor's own future ex- 
perience and the better judgments of the Club. 

Where there is so much to approve and ad- 
mire, the Committee would willingly refrain 
from finding fault, but we should not perform 
more than half our duty were we to omit this 
express requisition of our rules. We would 
say then, to the Doctor, that we think he gen- 
erally cultivates too much land for his force, un- 
der the sj'stem he is pursuing — that the extensive 
cultivation of the grasses greatly increases the 
labor of the hoe crop, and that if he would di- 
minish his arable surface in proportion as he in- 
creases his grass and his manured surface, his 
nroducts would be greatly enhanced ; that he 
would be able to carry on his schemes of ma- 
nuring more extensively and successfully ; that 
he would not be in danger of acquiring the dis- 



tinction of having two blades of grass in his 
corn-field where one ought not to be, and that 
when the future meetings of the Club are held 
at "Wheatland," he will have the pleasure of 
showing what the Club with equal pleasure 
will behold — the corn-crib and the forage-house 
teeming with com, &c. as his cows now teem 
with milk, and the sheep with their ample 
fleeces. 

AH which is respectfully submitted. 

A. C. Morton. 

H. L. Jeffjues. 

We take the liberty of considering ourselves, 
ex officio, a member of every agricultural club 
in the State of Virginia, and as such, we exer- 
cise our privilege of commenting upon the re- 
ports made by our committees. We think we 
detect in this report the attempt to poke a little 
good natured fun at Dr. Venable on account 
of a suspected vacuity in his corn-crib. Now, 
we are highly pleased with the system pursued 
by the Doctor, and do not perceive the relation 
of cause and effect between that system and an 
empty corn-crib, and we see no fair ground for 
the inference of the Committee. There was no 
exhibition of the corn-crib, but there was an ex- 
hibition of stock, in such order as to call forth 
the warmest admiration of the Committee. Is 
there any one of those gentlemen that can pro- 
duce a similar result with an empty corn-crib ? 
If so, it only proves that grass, so far as stock 
is concerned, may be advantageously substituted 
for corn. When the mother of the Gracchi was 
asked for her jewels, she pointed to her chil- 
dren ; when the Doctor is asked for his corn- 
crib, he may point to his cattle and his sheep. 

We feel bound to defend the grazing system 
which has excited the raillery of the Commit- 
tee, because we have recommended it heretofore, 
and because we believe that to it Virginia is 
yet to be indebted for the greatest agricultural 
blessings. We confess we have been a little 
amused at the exhibition in the Committee of 
that principle so peculiarly characteristic of our 
Southern people, which inclines us to cling so 
tenaciously to the customs of our fathers, even 
in spite of our better judgment. It is an amia- 
ble weakness, and one that we should dislike to 
see wholly eradicated ; but a little modification 
of it would sometimes probably enure to our 
benefit. This Committee visit the Doctor's 
farm and find a new system which substitutes 
grass and cattle for grain, in full operation. — 
The garden, the orchard, the character and 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



173 






keep of the stock, elicit their warmest admira- 
tion, and the improvement in the soil is truly 
astonishing ; and yet they evidently more than 
doubt the benefit of the system which has lead 
to these results. 

In & particular county in this State it has 
been the custom, it is said, from time immemo- 
rial, to keep a large stone on every farm, which 
is put in one end of the bag when it is sent to 
mill to balance the corn or meal in the other 
end. A benevolent traveller meeting the mill 
boy once with his horse thus encumbered, sug- 
gested to the little fellow the advantage of dis- 
pensing with the stone, and dividing the corn. 
With all the pliancy of youth, the boy took to 
the innovation, and determined to try the expe- 
riment ; delighted with the result, he hastened 
to inform his father of the wonderful discovery, 
and to prove by ocular demonstration the ad- 
vantage of the riddance, in which old Dobbin 
seemed to rejoice. The old man admitted that 
the new theory looked plausible, " but, my son," 
says he, shaking his head, " let us beware of 
new-fangled notions ; go back and bring home 
that stone, and remember that it is dangerous 
to attempt to be wiser than our fathers." To 
this day, in that county, the corn goes to mill 
in one end of the bag, and the stone in the 
other. 

The Committee doubt whether the improve- 
ment is worth what it cost. A " barren waste," 
be it remembered, by means of grass and cattle, 
has been in a few years converted into the beau- 
tiful farm so glowingly described by the Com- 
mittee. Could the same result have been ef- 
fected in any cheaper mode ? None is pointed 
out, and surely the Committee do not mean to 
doubt the value of any improvement ? But the 
Committee fear that the young grass will trou- 
ble the Doctor in his corn crop. We do not 
doubt that if the Doctor manures highly, and 
turns under a heavy sod of artificial grass on 
which to plant his corn, he will be infinitely 
more troubled both with grass and corn than he 
would have been if he had left his land in the 
state in which he found it ; but we hope he 
will permit the fear of the excess of neither the 
one nor the o„her to delay him in his system of 
improvements. 

There is reason even in the roasting of an 
egg, and we do not mean that pasturage may 
not be substituted for tillage to too great an ex- 
tent ; but we do mean to express the opinion 



that an excess of tillage, to the exclusion of 
pasturage, has skinned our lands, and that to 
the reverse of that system we are mainly to 
look for improvement. 

We hope that the Mecklenburg Club will 
admit our claim to fellowship, and excuse the 
freedom we have exercised in commenting on 
the report of their Committee ; it is in many 
respects a very valuable one ; especially, would 
we invite attention to their well-timed remarks 
upon the Doctor's fish-pond. 



PRESERVING EGGS. 

It would be quite a valuable discovery to far- 
mers in the neighboihood of a large market, as 
well as to household economy, if a cheap and 
easy method of preserving eggs could be prac- 
tised, whereby the price would be more equal- 
ized through the various seasons of the year. — 
Reaumer, the inventor of the thermometer which 
bears his name, tried many experiments for this 
purpose, and found that the cheapest and most 
effectual method was to apply oil or grease, 
with which they were rubbed, or into which 
they were dipped. He found that they were 
preserved quite as well by the thinnest layer of 
fat, as by the thickest coating, so that every 
part of the shell, (which is porous and admits 
air,) was covered. All sorts of fat, grease or 
oil, he found well adapted to preserve eggs, and 
kept them in this way, he says, for nine months, 
as fresh and good as the day they were laid. — 
Will some of our readers try a few dozen in 
this way, and let us know the result 1 

Neivburyport Herald. 



From the Cheraw Gazette. 
THE TOMATO. 

Few people have any idea of the great value 
of this very common and easily cultivated plant, 
although there are still fewer, perhaps, espe- 
cially in the South, but who esteem it one of 
the most pleasant and useful of vegetables. — 
The ease with which it is raised is no inconsi- 
derable recommendation, and its medicinal qua- 
lities render it still more valuable. As a pre- 
serve, the tomato has few superiors in the vege- 
table kingdom, and it is an excellent substitute 
for the fig, which, when dried and packed in 
boxes, it very much resembles in many particu- 
lars ; while the ketchup from tomatoes is known 
and approved by the gourmand everywhere. — 
There are three varieties of fruit — the large 
common, the egg, and the golden drop — the 
two latter of which are the most highly es- 
teemed for their delicious flavor. The soil in 
which tomatoes are planted should not be very 
rich, or they will run too much to viqe ; how- 



174 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ever, we presume it is unnecessary to give any 
caution on this head. But what we intended 
more particularly to recommend, when we com- 
menced this article, but which we had very 
nearly lost sight of, was, the great value of the 
vine of the tomato as food for cattle, especially 
cows. We have tried the experiment, and be- 
lieve it can be proved to a demonstration, that a 
cow fed on tomato vines, will give more milk, 
yield butter of finer flavor, and, in greater abun- 
dance, than on any other long feed we have 
ever tried. We have heretofore only used it in 
small quantities from our garden, but intend 



this year, .should God grant us health and 
strength, to experiment more largely, as we do 
not entertain a doubt but that more food for cat- 
tle, and of better quality, can be raised from a 
given portion of ground, and at less expense, 
when planted in tomatoes, than any other vege- 
table known in the Southern country. This is 
our opinion, but if we are wrong, having expe- 
rimented, as we before observed, on a very 
small scale, we are open to conviction, and 
will cheerfully publish any communication shed- 
ding light upon this or any other subject con- 
nected with the interests of the agriculturist. 



YARD ENCLOSURE. 




There is nothing more ornamental or more 
necessary to the comfort of the homestead than 
a good enclosure about the yard. A straggling 
fence can only be tolerated by an individual to- 
tally wanting in taste and refinement, who is 
utterly unconscious of the thousand comforts 
and innocent pleasures that a cultivated mind 
can form for itself out of the simplest and cheap- 
est materials. It is from these simple and ele- 
gant pleasures that civilized life derives its great- 
est charm ; they constitute the great sum total 
of human happiness; without them civilization 
would be the most arrant humbug upon the face 
of the earth: in quitting a state of nature, we 
gave up much to attain them ; and the man, 
who asks what is the use of this elegance, or 
that refinement, and who can see no value in 
any thing that does not directly fill his money 



bags, is a kind of demi-savage, suffering all the 
evils, without enjoying any of the blessings, of 
civilization. 

The engraving represents a pretty and cheap 
method of enclosure taken from the " Cultiva- 
tor," and we introduce it with these remarks, 
because, we know that too many are inclined to 
despatch such things with the passing remark, 
that "they may do very well for those that 
have a plenty of money, but that they are of 
no manner of use." We should like to know 
of what use is money itself, but to procure the 
pleasures and comforts of life, and yet many a 
man will toil for money, whilst he neglects those 
comforts which can be obtained directly at much 
less expense of labor. Besides, not only are 
these neat and elegant arrangements about the 
homestead productive of the purest pleasure; 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



175 



but they are useful in imparting a tone of order 
and system to the general conduct of the farm, 
that is highly advantageous to the quantity of 
its products. A neat enclosure, a clean yard, a 
tasteful display of flowers, a freshly painted 
dwelk g, will, by the force of example, impart 
a spirit of neatness and order that will be mani- 
fest in the humblest negro on the plantation. 

To those, then, who are impressed with the 
value of such things, we give this illustration 
of an enclosure, the construction of which may 
afford a delightful recreation to any gentleman 
who is not ashamed to handle a saw and a 
hammer. " The gate posts are 10 feet long, 10 
inches square, and set 3 feet into the ground, 
with a bed piece between, into which the inner 
posts are mortised. The fence posts are 4 feet 
long, 10 inches square, and made of 1£ inch 
plank, well spiked together. A long stone is 
set solid in the ground, the hollow post placed 
over it, and the cavity between the stone and 
the inside of the post filled with pebbles. I 
know of posts set in this manner which have 
lasted ten years, and continue as firm as ever." 



For the Southern Planter. 
MANAGEMENT OF SERVANTS. 

J\lr. Editor, — The management and conduct 
of servants in a family, especially about a house, 
has been a source of much trouble and vexation 
to the housekeeper or manager ; and to an ob- 
serving person, the turmoil and labor of the 
mistress of a family, in the management of her 
servants seem to warrant the conclusion, that 
the trouble of housekeeping more than counter- 
balances the comforts and enjoyments procured 
by the labors of her domestics. Indeed, very 
few Virginia ladies, comparatively speaking, are 
brought up in a way calculated to make them 
what we would call good managers. Now 
what I want to suggest, is, the propriety of 
adopting the following advice. 

First, let me remark, that most servants are 
incapable of understanding the explanation of 
ixrry thing which they cannot see with their eyes ; 
therefore it is useless to tell them to do any 
thing which requires a long explanation, or 
which they are not daily accustomed to do. It 
is by far the best plan, to allot to each his parti- 
cular duties, and to have their affairs so arranged 
that one will not be dependant on another. Let 
not more than one be employed about the same 
thing; for if there is more than one, they will 
depend on each other ; and, moreover, one can do 
more work than two or three if they are em- 
ployed closely together; probably some will not 
believe this, but let them try it. 



Never change your servants from one line of 
business to another, for it takes them some time 
to get into the habit of doing things regularly. 
Be always as concise as possible in giving or- 
ders ; for servants cannot retain many things 
in their heads at one time. Never scold when 
a servant neglects his duty, but always punish 
him, no matter how mildly, for mild treatment 
is the best ; severity hardens them. Be firm in 
this, that no neglect go unpunished. Never let 
a servant say to you, " / forgot it." That sen- 
tence, so often used, is no excuse at all. Fi- 
nally, let regularity mark every action, and the 
consequence will be, that every thing will be 
done in its right place and at its right time ; and 
the comforts and happiness of the family will be 
secured. 

Cecilia. 

We set our fair correspondent down as a tip 
top manager, and if we ever visit her section of 
country, as we hope one day to do, we shall 
carry with us her " card," that we may partake 
of that hospitality, which her system so surely 
enables her quietly and sweetly to dispense to 
her friends and neighbors. But it is not in that 
important department, the household, alone, that 
" management" is required. One of the most 
important, but least regarded, points in the con- 
duct of any business requiring the manual labor 
of others, is the control and management of de- 
pendants. In a manufacturing business, where 
numerous operatives are employed, (and such a 
business is farming) no one who has not tried it- 
can imagine the difference in the amount of pro- 
duct to be effected by order and system. Though 
human ingenuity, in the shape of labor-saving 
machinery, has done much, the reduction in the 
price of manufactured goods is chiefly to be at- 
tributed to the division of labor, by which one 
task is regularly and daily repeated by one in- 
dividual. This system, as far as possible, should 
be introduced into our farming operations. We 
know an individual in this city, who, if he was 
as well versed in the science of agriculture as 
he is in the mechanical art to which he was 
raised, would be worth his weight in gold to 
any farmer in Virginia : sagacious and thought- 
ful, he is ever on the alert to accomplish his 
ends in the best and most economical manner ; 
calm and dispassionate, but firm and active, the 
operatives under his charge know that punish- 
ment will certainly follow disobedience, and the 
consequence is, that, comparatively speaking, 
there is no disobedience and no punishment. — 
His nature is especially kind aad gentle, and he 



176 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



says he punishes the first fault to save him from 
the necessity of inflicting ten times as much, 
which would be the necessary consequence of 
the omission. As he is unflinching in punish- 
ing a disobedience of his orders, so is he espe- 
cially particular that his commands shall be ex- 
plicitly defined, that they may be clearly under- 
stood. The great object, he affirms, is to sepa- 
rate the mental from the manual labor ; so that 
the superintendent may do the one, and the 
operative the other. No laborer should have 
his attention distracted or his time occupied in 
thinking what he shall do next ; the process of 
thought and arrangement should devolve wholly 
upon the superintendent, and the manual laborer, 
to be most effective, should, by constant repeti- 
tion, perform mechanically, and almost without 
the effort of thought, his daily task. It is by 
this system, that, that degree of intellect, which 
alone can be obtained from the great mass, is 
rendered sufficient to the accomplishment of the 
greatest and most complicated effects. But to 
do all the thinking for fifty individuals requires 
no common power of intellect, and, consequent- 
ly, it is not every stupid fellow that can make a 
good manager. The gentleman that we have 
described, for although born in an humble sta- 
tion and a self made man, he is in every respect 
worthy the title, is a highly informed and well 
read man ; otherwise, he could never have at- 
tained his acknowledged excellence in so simple 
a matter, as some would esteem it, of conduct- 
ing a small manufacturing establishment. Such 
a man, we verily believe, could go upon any 
farm in Virginia, and treble the products, solely 
by the discipline and system he would carry 
with him. 



From the Tennessee Agriculturist. 

SOAP MAKING. 

As soap making is a matter of no small in- 
terest to every house keeper, a few suggestions 
on the process of manufacturing will be of uti- 
lity. Soap, as every one knows, is made of al- 
kali and fat or oil of almost any kind. Al- 
though grease and lye are common in every 
kitchen, yet few can combine them with accu- 
racy ; and frequently much more labor is be- 
stowed, than is necessary. The first considera- 
tion is the obtaining a sufficient quantity of al- 
kali. This requires good wood, green is best, 
and if it be cut in the winter or while the sap is 
down, the lye will be much stronger. Old rot- 
ten wood should not be burnt when the ashes 
are to be used for lye. 



The ashes being ready, put them into a hogs- 
head, barrel or old fashioned hopper, and put on 
water till the strength is exhausted. Next com- 
mence boiling to evaporate the water, and con- 
centrate the potash. To be assured there is 
enough potash, make a trial with an egg. If 
the egg is supported, all is right, but if it sinks 
to the bottom, the boiling must be continued. 

But often it occurs that the lye is sufficiently 
strong and yet soap cannot be made. This is 
generally owing to the fact, that the potash of 
the lye is not sufficiently caustic, or capable of 
corroding the skin. This lack of causticity is 
owing to the existence of too much carbonic 
acid, in combination with the potash. To pre- 
vent this, use the ashes fresh, or before the acid 
is absorbed. The cure for the evil is quick 
lime. It has a greater affinity for carbonic acid 
than potash, and if a half bushel unslaked lime 
be placed at the bottom of the hogshead of 
ashes, the lye will be free from the acid. The 
proper causticity will be shown by dipping 
a feather into the lye, while boiling. If the 
more delicate parts are consumed, the lye is 
ready for the oil. The fat should be as clean 
as possible. The proportion of fat should be 
about three pounds to one gallon of the alkali. 
The fat of course is to be put in while boiling 
and the whole should be constantly stirred, till 
the soap is finished. 

Hard Soap is made by adding salt to soft soap 
while boiling. Tallow soap is perhaps the best, 
but too expensive for common use. The Wind- 
sor soap is made of tallow and potash, scented 
with caraway seed. Butter, lard and the finer 
oils are used for making the fancy toilet soaps. 

T. F. 



HESSIAN FLY. 

In the last number of the American Farmer, 
we find a communication from Mr. Samuel 
McKenney, of Georgetown, D. O, advancing 
a doctrine somewhat striking and original. He 
contends that the insect found in vegetable pro- 
ductions, as the fly in wheat, the worm in the 
garden pea, and the maggot in the chesnut, are 
not, as has been supposed by naturalists, the 
growth of the egg deposited by the parent fly 
in the embryo seed, but are the immediate re- 
sult of vegetable action ; that animal, as well 
as vegetable life and growth, is the result of 
vegetation ; that the two principles are always 
present, and that the perfection of the grain de- 
pends upon the proportion in which they exist ; 
which proportion is modified by weather, climate, 
soil, &c. 

Mr. McKenney puts his case very boldly and 
strongly, and startling as his doctrine is, he sup- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



177 



ports it very ingeniously. He puts some tough 
questions to the eggists ; whatever they may 
have been imagined to have done, he denies that 
any insect in nature has been seen, guilty of the 
gross absurdity of poking its bill into the bur of 
a chesnut, for the purpose of laying its egg in 
the erloryo fruit ; in short, he seems to think 
that the king was not more puzzled to imagine 
how the apple got in the dumpling, than his 
opponents will be to explain the introduction 
of the egg in the grain. For our own part, 
we Gandidly confess it was always a mystery 
to us, and one of those kind of things that, 
without understanding, we have been in the ha- 
bit of believing, upon the faith of other men's 
assertions. If the thing is as ridiculous as Mr. 
McKenney seems to suppose it, in spite of its 
antiquity and authority, we shall gladly see it 
exploded. 

The practical deduction that Mr. McKenney 
draws from the supposition, that the insect is 
the product of the vegetable growth, is, that 
there is no means of avoiding its ravages, but 
by high manuring and superior tillage, which, 
in spite of season and weather, may push the 
vegetable fibre beyond the degree of tenderness 
required to satisfy the delicate appetite of the 
little epicure, who is then driven to the tender 
shoots of the young grass, with which he is 
surrounded. 

If our readers only knew how many theories 
we have to pore over, not one in a hundred of 
which, after all the sifting, is worth even the 
condensation we have bestowed on this, they 
could then form some idea of how little of an 
editor's labors is apparent upon the face of his 
work. 



TIME FOR CUTTING TIMBER. 

Many persons finding that timber cut in the 
spring is not durable, have been careful to cut 
at a season as far from that as possible, and 
acting on this principle, the fall or first of the 
winter has been fixed upon as a good time for 
this purpose. But so far as experiments have 
been made, they generally show that June is the 
best time for cutting timber, provided the bark 
be taken off, and this can be done convenienily 
at this season. In June the sap is passing into 
the leaves, and after becoming elaboraied inio 
suitable juices for ihe forming of wood, it is re- 
turning and forming a new layer of wood be- 
tween the wood and bark. This sap causes a 
rapid decay of wood if the bark remain on, but 
when the bark is taken off the wood seasons 
Vol. III.— 23 



very fast, and as the sap has been constantly 
passing into the leaves, there will be but little 
in the wood to cause its decay. 

A "Jack at all trades" who had used timber 
for more than twenty years, for various purposes, 
which had been cut at different seasons, re- 
marked that timber cut in June was harder, 
heavier, and more durable than that cut at any 
other season. When the tree is in its greatest 
vigor the sap is thin and rapidly passing through 
the wood, and if the tree be then cut and peeled, 
the sap will readily escape through the pores of 
the wood. But in the winter and spring, the 
sap contained in the tree is thick, having been 
prepared the previous year and reserved to com- 
mence the new growth. This thick sap will 
not so readily escape, but remains stagnant in 
the timber and becomes the principle of its de- 
struction. 

A gentleman who has been considerably en- 
gaged in ship building informed us that he had 
used in the same vessel, timber cut at different 
seasons, and that cut in June was the most du- 
rable. Numerous experiments in cutting tim- 
ber for ships and other purposes show the same 
results. — Boston Cultivator. 



BUTTER. 

There is no article of provision with which 
our market is so poorly supplied as that most 
necessary condiment, good butter. In the pro- 
duction of the good things of life, our country 
people generally excel, but in this most impor- 
tant one, with a few exceptions, we entirely fail. 
And to such an extent does this failure exist, 
that a great many have never seen, and do not 
know what good butter is. We have known 
many a neat and tidy housewife, an excellent 
provider too, pride herself upon her butter, 
which, in comparison with some that may be 
had from Northern dairies, was not fit to feed 
a dog upon. Such stuff as is sold in the Rich- 
mond market at this time for twenty-five cents 
a pound, would not bring, in Philadelphia, more 
than nine or ten : much of it would hardly be 
thought good enough to grease a cart-wheel. — 
We can assure our readers that we do not ex- 
aggerate this matter, and if they could only 
taste the sweet, rich, and marrowy butter that 
can be had in the Northern and Eastern mar- 
kets for seventeen cents a pound, they would 
ever afterwards appreciate as it deserves the 
miserable grease they have been accustomed to 
dignify with the name of butter. 

A few days since, we happened to meet with 
an article in a celebrated grocery of this city, 



178 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



from the mountains of Virginia, twelve months 
old, full}'' equal to any it had ever been our good 
fortune to encounter anywhere. We did not 
fail to avail ourselves of the opportunity to foy 
in a large supply for family use, and so superior 
did we find the flavor and consistency of this to 
the best of the fresh butter which is brought 
daily to our market house from the surrounding 
country, that we applied for the name of the 
maker, that we might obtain for general use the 
process by which its superior excellence was 
obtained. The grocer refused to gratify us; 
" for," says he, " if the individual was aware 
how little of such butter comes to the Richmond 
market, and the estimation in which his product 
is held, my customers would have to pay two 
prices for it." We then asked what quantity 
of such butter could be sold in this market; his 
reply was, "I myself will contract for ten thou- 
sand pounds of such butter annually, at twenty 
cents a pound. Now, to this circumstance we 
would wish particularly to call the attention of 
Northern dairymen ; they who think they are 
doing well to get fifteen cents a pound for their 
butter. Our lands are better and cheaper, our 
climate more favorable, and our market higher 
than any they have been accustomed to, and 
we doubt if in the Union there is an opening 
for a better business, than a well conducted dai- 
ry establishment at the foot of the Southwest 
mountains, in Virginia, would afford. We have 
been too much accustomed, in this part of the 
world, to overlook what are called "In tie mat- 
ters :" with even those who sell most butter, the 
manufacture is, at best, a secondary thing, and 
an almost unimportant item in their products. 
Such a thing as a dairy establishment proper, 
is not, to the best of our knowledge and belief, 
to be found in the State. 

The art of butter making is one requiring a 
good deal of skill and attention ; that is, there 
are ten ways of making bad butter to one of 
making good ; and if done at random, there are, 
of course, nine chances to one against the pro- 
duction of the good article. We have, there- 
fore, taken great pains to give our readers all 
the authentic information upon this subject that 
we could obtain, and we now append some re- 
marks from an English paper, the "New Far- 
mers' Journal," that we consider worthy of at- 
tention. 

There are already to be found in the Planter 
views and opinions upon this subject very much 



opposed to the common practice of the country ; 
are they right or wrong 1 We receive commu- 
nications upon almost every other subject con- 
nected with rural economy, but nobody ever 
says a word about butter. Will not some good 
housewife take up this question, and tell us, of 
the many methods recommended, which is the 
best? 

The following is the English article to which 
we alluded : 

Highland and Agricultural Society of 
Scotland. — The monthly meeting was held 
on Wednesday, the 1st inst., Sir Geo. Macpher- 
son Grant in the chair. The first paper, entitled 
"Experiments and Observations on the Produc- 
tion of Butter," by Professor Traill, was read 
by the author. These experiments were made 
in connection with the late Dr. Gerard, of Li- 
verpool, who had paid much attention to the 
subject, and assistance was occasionally given 
by Cr. Bostock, now of London. 

One of the principal objects in view was to 
ascertain the comparative advantage of churning. 

1 . Sweet cream alone. 

2. Sweet milk and cream together. 

3. Sour cream, or that slighily acid. 

4. Sour milk and cream together. 

5. Scalded cream, or what is called clouted 
cream, as practiced in Devonshire. 

The principal results of the experiments are 
the following: 

1. That the addition of some cold water 
during churning, facilitates the process, or the 
separation of the bulter; especially when the 
cream is thick and the weather hot. 

2. That cream alone is more easily churned 
than a mixture of cream and milk. 

3. That butter produced from sweet cream 
has the finest flavor, when fresh, and appears to 
keep longest without becoming rancid ; but that 
the buttermilk so obtained is poor, and small in 
quantity. 

4. That scalding the cream, according to the 
Devonshire method, yields the largest quantity 
of butter, which, if intended for immediate use, 
is agreeable to the palate, and readily saleable; 
but intended to be salted, is more liable to ac- 
quire, by keeping, a rancid flavor. 

The process of scalding is troublesome, and 
the milk, after the removal of the cream, is poor, 
and often would be unsaleable from the taste it 
has acquired from the heating. 

5. That churning the milk and cream toge- 
ther after they have become slightly acid, seems 
to be the most economical process on the whole ; 
because it yields a large quantity of excellent 
butter, and the buttermilk is of good quality, a 
point of some importance where buttermilk is 
largely used as an article of diet, as it is in 
Lancashire. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



179 



6. That the keeping of butter, in a sound 
state, appears to depend on its being obtained 
as free from uncombined albumen, or caseine, 
and water, as it can be, by means of washing 
and working the butter when taken from the 
churn. 



The author mentioned the interesting fact 
that, in the course of his experiments, he found 
when sweet milk and cream were churned 10- 
getner, and though cold water was added, after 
an hour and a half, and then after three hours' 
churning not a particle of butter was obtained. 



FORMS OF CATTLE 



S^0 




A. 


Forehead. 




B. 


Face. 




C. 


Cheek. 




D. 


Muzzle. 




E. 


Neck. 




F. 


Neck Vein. 




G. 


Shoulder Point. 




H. 


Arm. 




I. 


Shank. 




K. 


Elbow. 




L. 


Brisket, Bosom, Breast 




M. 


Shoulder. 




N. 


Crops. 




O. 


Loin. 




P. 


Hips, Hucks, Hooks or 


Huckles 


a. 


Crupper Bone, or Sacrum. 


R. 


Rumps, or Pin-Bone. 




s. 


Round Bone, Thurl or ' 


Whirl. 


T. 


Buttuck. 




U. 


Thigh or Gaskit. 





V. Flank. 

W. Plates. 

X. Back or Chine. 

Y. Throat. 

Z. Chest. 

Observation and attention have satisfied skil- 
ful and experienced men, that there are certain 
conformations of outward structure that, in cat- 
tle, are indicative of peculiar properties; and 
thus a guide is obtained for the judicious 
breeder, by which he may almost unerringly 
select and perpetuate his stock. It is not im- 
possible to convey this valuable information, ob- 
tained only with great labor, by means of writ- 
ten communications; but in all attempts of the 
sort, certain technical terms for certain parts of 
the animal are necessarily resorted to, which 



180 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



are generally incomprehensible to the unini- 
tiated. To assist those who entertain the lauda- 
ble desire of profiling by the experience of others, 
we have had an engraving made in which the 
"points" are marked and the technical names 
appended. 

As a fit accompaniment to this engraving, 
we have selected the following extract from a 
communication from that distinguished Kentuc- 
ky breeder, Dr. Martin, to the Editors of the 
" Farmers' Cabinet" : 

The two principal objects in raising cattle, 
appear to be beef and milk. And as certain 
forms are found to possess particular qualities, I 
shall proceed to give those forms, and the de- 
sirable qualities generally connected with them. 

The head should be small — the muzzle fine — 
the countenance calm — horns fine — neck light, 
pariicularly where it joins the head — breast 
wide, and projecting well before the legs — shoul- 
ders moderately broad at top, and the points 
well in, so as to leave no hollows behind them 
when the animal is moderately fat — the girth 
behind the shoulders should be deep, so that if 
the carcass should be cut across here, the sec- 
tion would be an ellipse, blunt at both ends — 
back straight, wide and flat — ribs broad, and the 
space between them and the hips small — flank 
full and heavy — belly well kept in — hips globu- 
lar, wide across and on a level with the back — 
twist wide, and the seam in the middle of it 
well filled — thigh straight, tapering well down 
to the hock — the legs straight, short jointed, 
clean, fine boned, and standing wide apart — tail 
broad towards the top, tapering down small to- 
wards the bottom — body long,and joined smooth- 
ly to the quarters before and behind — skin soft 
and elastic — veins large. 

1 shall now proceed to show the advantages 
of the above form. The reason why the head 
should be small and muzzle fine — a small head 
facilitates birth — and as the head is composed 
mostly of bone, it shows fineness of bone, the 
advantage of which is fully appreciated by the 
grazier, who has learned that no animal fattens 
kindly that lacks them. Calmness of counte- 
nance also denotes a disposition to be contented, 
and is generally possessed by a gentle milch 
cow, and also denotes an animal that will fatten 
easily. The light neck will be very advan- 
tageous to the butcher, who will get much less 
coarse meat, in such ; short neck generally de- 
notes a thrifty, hardy animal. A lone:, or ewe- 
neck, — that is, one falling off from the top of 
shoulders — denotes a tender constitution. 

The wide breast and deep body, give greater 
room for the lungs, the importance of which 
will be seen presently. A straight back is indi- 
cative of strength ; a weak animal is generally 



hump-backed ; poor keeping will produce these 
deficiencies in a calf that was at first well formed. 
The straight back also, denotes aptitude to fat- 
ten. Much depends upon the room the lungs 
have ; no animal can be a good one, whose 
lungs occupy a small space ; and as the lungs 
occupy all the space inside the ribs, so it is im- 
portant that this space should be large. For 
this reason, the ribs should spread wide, be deep, 
and extend well back to the hips. The full, - 
heavy flunk of the cow, is a most cenain indi- 
cation of a good milker; this, connected with 
large veins, particularly those on the side of the 
belly, generally called the milk veins, is a certain 
indication of a good milch cow. The milk is 
formed from that portion of blood that circulates 
on the external part of the cow; and as large 
veins denote a large circulation, so it is indica- 
tive of a good milker. The bull with a deep 
flank, generally produces good milk stock. The 
belly being nearly straight, shows that the plates 
of which it is composed are thick and strong; 
when the plates are thin, the belly sinks from 
the weight of its contents. Thick plates are 
of great advantage to the butcher, when the 
animal is killed, as it adds much to the weight 
of meat. Globular hips hold much meat, and 
it is much easier put upon them, than on those 
that are sharp. Wide hips give a broader loin 
and more capacity to the pelvis, which is of much 
importance in the cow, giving the calf more 
room. The hind-quarter that is long from the 
hip to the rump, and straight with the back, 
will weigh very heavy ; and for the same rea- 
son, the twist (that is the space between the 
thighs) should be wide and well filled up, which 
gives great weight to the upper part of the 
thigh. Straight legs are now the fashion, and 
are said to be stronger than crooked ones — 
Clean legs, small bones, tapering tails, show 
fine bones — and such animals are easily kept, 
and when not in milk, fatten easily. A short 
I legged animal also, is more easily kept and fat- 
tened, than long legged ones. When the bris- 
ket and twist are large, the legs will be wide 
apart. 

I somewhat doubt the propriety of insisting 
upon a long body ; but a good animal with a 
long body, will weigh much heavier than one 
with a short body; but it is much easier to 
breed good animals with short bodies. There is 
a continual tendency in the produce of the long 
bodied animal to be narrow in the breast, which 
is not the case with the shorter animal. And 
as a general rule, the shorter animal fatiens 
much more easily. However, if the width of 
the carcass can be kept up, a long body is to be 
preferred. Round bodies were formerly the 
fashion, but the deep body is now thought to be 
decidedly best. The limbs do not join to the 
body of the round animal, as smoothly as to the 
oval — there generally being a hollow behind the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



181 



shoulder; neither is the carcass as heavy. — 
Round animals too, generally carry the fat upon 
the surface, and do not mix it as well with the 
flesh. A soft and elastic skin, is one of the most 
certain tests of an animal that will fallen kind- 
ly. An animal may have the finest form and 
the rnos: perfect symmetry, yet if he lacks, the 
proper feeling" he will not fatten kindly. On 
the other hand, if he has the proper " feeling" 
he may lack much in form, and still will fatten 
kindly. By "feeling" is meant certain sensa- 
tions produced by "touching or handling" an ani- 
mal; the easiest learned of which, is the soft- 
ness and elasticity of the skin. The elasticity 
is occasioned by the quantity of cellular sub- 
stance (that is, little elastic bags to hold fat) 
that is placed between the skin and the flesh. — 
As this cellulah substance can be discovered by 
an experienced " handler" even down among 
the muscles, (lean flesh,) so he can tell whether 
an animal will fatten in such parts, and whether 
the fat will be well mixed with the lean. But 
this knowledge is not to be obtained without 
much practice. 

I have above described the most approved 
form for cattle, and have given the reasons why 
this shape is preferred. There is another reason 
not yet mentioned. When the cow has ceased 
to give milk, and has been fattened, it will be 
found that she will not only weigh heavy, but 
will carry her weight upon the most valuable 
parts. For it is known, that the butcher sells 
some pieces of beef for twice as much as others. 
And she can be fattened upon half the food ne- 
cessary to fatten an inferior animal. 

I have said nothing about the shape of the 
v.dder and teals, as these can be best judged of 
when the cow is in milk ; and then the best 
proof is milking her. Still it may be servicea- 
ble to say, the udder should rather be round 
than long ; should lay up close to the body ; 
should spread forward — teals about equally dis- 
tant, of moderate size, say about two inches in 
diameter, next the udder, and taper down to the 
point, which should be blunt rather than sharp: 
they should be from four to six inches long. — 
The udder, when empty, should be greatly re- 
duced in size, and the skin should contract so 
as not to leave it flabby ; — it should not feel at 
this time hard and knotty; as this would indi- 
cate that it might become thickened and scirr- 
hous, so as to make the cow liable to inflamma- 
tions, and probably loss of some of the quarters. 
Samuel D. Martin. 
Colbyville, Kentucky, April 3, 1843. 



VIRGINIA FARMING. 

It may be remembered, that in an early num- 
ber of our second volume, we had occasion to 
publish and comment on a certain communica- 



tion made by Mr. Simon Brown to the Editor 
of the "Farmers' Visitor." This communica- 
tion was a severe, but not unjust, criticism upon 
such portions of Virginia farming as had come 
under Mr. Brown's observation. In the course 
of our review, we undertook to invite the author 
to accompany us in a contemplated tour on 
James River, where we thought we could show 
him some things that would impress him w'uh 
a more favorable opinion of the country. This 
invitation, it seems, has just fallen under Mr. 
Brown's eye, and has drawn forth the following 
response : 

For the Southern Planter. 

Washington, D. C, June 9, 1843. 

Mr. Editor, — Feeling a necessity for a little 
"air and exercise," and a desire, not easily re- 
pressed, to luxuriate in the freshness of the 
country, amidst the songs of birds, the flowers, 
and the glorious assemblage of nature's beauti- 
ful things at this season of the year, I resolved, 
without much debate, to leave this " City of De- 
bate," and look out once more upon the world 
around me. But, where to go, was the ques- 
tion which arose for decision ; East, West, North 
or South 1 There was likely to be a sharp con- 
flict within, when fortunately, the recollection of 
the fat things which whilom graced the hospi- 
table boards in that land of hog, hominy and 
honey, dear old Virginia, came back and settled 
the difficulty at once. If those good old people 
who once fed upon quails and manna (food for 
the gods) could not refrain from sighing for the 
"leeks and onions," and the "flesh pots of 
Egypt," is it wonderful that I, who had ban- 
queued upon corn bread, fresh butter and clab- 
ber, should also sigh to return to my first love? 
No. So here goes for Virginia. I wont detain 
you long by the way. I could spare only an 
hour to chat with the Fairfax folk about the 
"Yorkers" who have planted themselves in their 
midst, and who have taken root and are flour- 
ishing like a green bay tree. But, en passant, 
I wish you would write a lively, generous edi- 
torial, encouraging the good Fairfaxians to open 
their hearts, and if need be, their hands, too, to 
the new comers ; tell them to evince a confiding ; 
liberal disposition ; to trust them with every 
"secret in the trade," both about root and branch — 
falloioing and following — soil and sub- soil — muck 
and manure, and every thing else which will 
have a tendency to facilitate the operations which 
I understand they have commenced with much 
flattering promise of success. And then, if they 
do not appreciate this confidence and good feel- 
ing, and reciprocate such favors bj' a free inter- 
change of knowledge for knowledge, " write 
them down asses," "cute Yankees," or any 
thing else you please, except " gentlemen and 



182 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



scholars." In the brief stay which I made at the 
Court [louse, much was said, I confess, in favor 
of the strangers, jet there was a slight curling 
of the lip and tossing of the head, with some- 
thing approaching an arrogance of feeling, a 
kind of "stand-aside" air, "I am holier than 
thou," which I regretted to see. And when 
they inquired (jocosely, of course,) the price of 
wooden nutmegs and hams, 1, believing "that 
a soft answer turneth away wrath, merely re- 
plied that, my iv/fe soys, she has never heard of 
any Yankees purchasing such articles them- 
selves-, how many soever, they may -have sold ! 
However, all this is merely seed sown bj T the 
way side, which will soon perish for lack of 
depth of loot. Well, let us jog along. 

Imagine me then, at. the house of my old 
friend, (and yours too, I believe,) Alfred Ball, 
Esq., in Prince William, on this 1st day of June, 
1843 — present, host and hostess, two charming 
young ladies (bless their hearts) my compagnon 
da voyage, J. T.B , the king of good fellows, 
and your humble servant, all sitting by a rous- 
ing fire which was not at all uncomfortable, 
while we were eating green peas and strawber- 
ries. Various were the subjects briefly dis- 
cussed on that happy evening. Literature, 
state and national policy, crops, frosts, and agri- 
culture, all delightfully interspersed wiih lighter 
"lady talk," while delicate fingers, wiih com- 
mendable indusiry, plied the useful needle. In 
the midst of our agricultural chat I was intro- 
duced to the "Southern Planter," a gentleman 
of good, fair proponions, of some pretensions 
and considerable promise. The following day 
I look occasion to hold several hour's commu- 
nion with the said Planter, and am happy to 
say that I am highly pleased with the acquaint- 
ance. And while I beg you to excuse my dul- 
ness in not becoming earlier acquainted with so 
excellent a work, I hope you will hatch out some 
apology for not sending me the number contain- 
ing your strictures upon a communication of 
mine published some time since in the Farmer's 
Monthly Visiter. How did you expect me to 
peregrinate with you, and how to make my 
heart glad, with a sight of those goodly things 
on the banks of James River, with such a side- 
way invitation 1 It reminded me at once of my 
good old aunt Hetzy, who, being a little shy of 
some of her poor relations, when she wished to 
omit any of them, was sure to send their invita- 
tion in such a round-about way as to make it 
impossible to reach them before the party was 
over !* Now if you will break that " bottle of 

* We can assure Mr. Brown that we are not at 
all like his aunt "Hetzy," for we had every desire 
that he should receive our invitation at the time it 
was given, but as he was a wanderer, with only a 
name, and, as far as we knew, without a "local ha- 
bitation," we did all we could, and sent the invitation 
to his friend, Governor Hill, with a request that he 



wrath," which you have been keeping warm, 
and will shed somewhat, gentler ink upon what 
you conceive to be my errors, 1 will pass a re- 
solution nem. con. to consider your invitation 
"just as good as new," and will present myself 
to your honor the first opportunity, when we 
will embrace all those rare delights which you 
have so felicitously hinted at. 

Some of your strictures upon my remarks on 
Virginia Farming, are a little too strict, and some 
phrases a " leetle too sewere." Burdocks and 
nettles ! You are as sharp as a newly-set prun- 
ing hook. Nevertheless, I am willing to let the 
"justice and liberality" which you do acknow- 
ledge, go (all in the farming way) as a little 
pure lime to neutralize the acids of "asperser," 
" ignorance," and a few such gentle terms, which 
your remarks contain. That's the way we do 
in the soils, you know. 

I have carefully examined the contents of the 
Southern Planter, and am happy to add my tes- 
timonj' to its value. You have able correspond- 
ents, and the style and tj^pographical appearance 
of the work is neat and attractive. Extensive 
travelling, by the Editor, among the planters, 
will snve him opporiuniiy to note observations 
which, Written out, will give the work a fresh- 
ness and value which it will be difficult to ac- 
quire in any other way. It is impossible that 
the science of agriculture shall not advance with 
rapid strides when such works as the Planter 
and several other papers devoted to the subject, 
are scattered plentifully among the farming po- 
pulation. I consider the man who communi- 
cates any improvement in agriculture or agri- 
cultural implements to the public, as conferring 
a lasting good to his kind, and as infinitely more 
worthy a niche in the temple of fame, than 
thousands of those whose names are rung 
through the land for deeds whose benefits die 
with the day. 

My excursion was too hurried and brief to 
afford me any material facts. I strolled over 
the plantation of my friend Ball, and was gra- 
tified at the success which has attended his ef- 
forts. His example I found contagious, and 
will prove of great advantage in that section. 
The crops, however, at this juncture are unpro- 
mising, in consequence of the cold and wet wea- 
ther. There was a heavy frost on the night of 
the 1st instant which did considerable damage 
to the tenderer plants. The practice of tilling 
a less number of acres and of cultivating ihem 
highly, is gaining rapidly, as is also that of im- 
proving their breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and 
swine. In short, every thing is promised, and 
already a great work is begun. 

If I find opportunity, and the materials which 

would forward it to its destination. But in Virginia 
a "good fellow" is always welcome, and it is never 
too late here to accept an invitation once given. — Ed. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



183 



I need, I will send you a communication or two 
of a somewhat graver cast in the course of the 
summer. In the meaniiine, allow me to thank 
you for the kind invitation coniained in the 
Planter, to gossip agriculture with you on the 
banks of your beautiful river, and believe me to 
be, with, great respect, 
/ - Truly your?, 

Simon Brown. 

We hope Mr. Brown will not forget his pro- 
mise to let us hear farther from him, and that 
our touchiness will not prevent him from animad- 
verting freely upon what he sees of an objec- 
tionable character amongst us. We are a little 
restive under the accents of reproof, but when 
administered gently by the hand of a friend, it 
is a wholesome medicine, and one we should 
try to swallow without a wry face. 



sist of worms, grubs and insects; one hundred 
crows then, in one season, destroy 4,780 pounds 
of worms, grubs, insects and larvae; from this 
one fact, some slight idea may be formed of the 
usefulness of this much persecuted bird, the far- 
mer's best friend : but a thousand more well-at- 
tested facts might be stated to show the value 
of birds to the farmer, if more were needed. — 
Let then, every farmer, and every one who is 
interested in the labor of the farmer— and who 
is not 1 do what he can to protect them, and the 
face of the country will no longer present the 
appearance of a scorched and blasted wilder- 
ness, but. will preserve its beauty to the e}'e, and 
the trees will produce their fruit in season. 

New England Farmer. 



BIRDS ON FARMS AND ORCHARDS. 

An extensive experiment has been made on 
'.he Continent, the result of which has been, the 
opinion that farmers do wrong in destroying 
crows, jays, &c, and the small birds on their 
farms, especially where there are orchards. — 
That birds occasionally do mischief amongst 
ripe grain, there can be no doubt ; but the harm 
they do in autumn, is amply compensated by 
the good they do in spring, by the havoc they 
make amongst the insect tribes. The quantity 
of grubs and bugs destroyed by crows, and of 
caterpillars and iheir grubs by various small 
birds, must be annually immense. Oilier tribes 
of birds which feed on the wrnig, destroy mil- 
lions of winged insects, which would otherwise 
infest the air and become insupportably trouble- 
some ; even those usually supposed to be mis- 
chievous in gardens, have actually been proved 
to be innocent, for on examination they have 
been found to destroy those buds only, which 
coniained some destructive insect. On some 
very large farms, the proprietors determined a 
few years ago, to offer a reward for the heads 
of crows, but the issue proved destructive to 
their farms, for nearly the whole of their crops 
failed for three succeeding years, and they have 
since found it necessary to import birds to re- 
stock their farms ! And of late years, the ex- 
tensive destruction of the foliage and young 
fruit trees in orchards, by a species of caterpillar, 
has excited the attention of the naturalist; and 
it has been found to have arisen from the habit 
of destroying those small birds about orchards, 
which, if they hud been left unmolested, would 
have destroyed or kept down these destructive 
insects. 

Every crow requires at least one pound of 
food a week, and nine-tenths of their food con- 



REAPING MACHINES. 
During our late harvest we have had in our 
vicinity two rival machines for reaping wheat. 
Messrs. M'Cormick, of Rockbridge, and Hus- 
sey, of Baltimore, were the competitors for pub- 
lic favor. On one or two occasions they met 
by agreement in the same field and a considera- 
ble crowd assembled to witness the contest. A 
field belonging to Mr. Ambrose Hulcheson, a 
few miles above the city, was the arena of the 
first trial. Here, the palm was awarded to 
M'Cormick, as will be seen by the following 

KEPORT. 

The undersigned were called upon, at the 
farm of Mr. A. Hutchcson, to witness ihe per- 
formance of the wheat reaping machines, in- 
vented by Cyrus H. M'Cormick and Obed Hus- 
sey, and to decide upon the met its of the same. 
We are unanimously of opinion, that boih of 
them are valuable inventions, and richly merit 
the encouragement of the farming community. 
They both performed most admirably. The 
Committee feel great reluctance in deciding be- 
tween them. But, upon the whole, prefer 
M'Cormick's. 

C. W Gooch. 

W. H. Roane. 

James Pae. 

Curtjs Carter. 

Francis Staples. 
June 30, 1843. 

Mr. Hussey, however, contended that he had 
not had a fair chance, inasmuch, as the field 
had been selected by his adversary, and was 
not calculated to test those qualities in the ma- 
chines in which his excelled; moreover, he 
said, that circumstances compelled him to 
come to the trial with a low priced, inferior ma- 
chine, which was not at all the one generally 



184 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



known as Hussey's reaper: he, therefore, in- 
vited Mr. M'Cormick to meet him again at Mr. 
Roane's on the following Wednesday. At this 
exhibiiion we were present, and we were much 
pleased with the operaiion of both machines. — 
The company, consisting of some fifteen or 
twenty gentlemen, seemed pretty equally di- 
vided between the two. For our own part, we 
thought that there, were some advantages ap- 
pertaining to the one that did not belong to the 
other, and vice versa. For instance, M'Cormick's 
is the lightest draught, being worked by two 
horses, whilst Hussey's requires four. From 
all we could learn and judge from the construc- 
tion of the two, we should infer that M'Cor- 
mick's would cut best in damp grain ; but on 
the other hand, in lodged or tangled grain, Hus- 
sey's certainly possesses great superiority. It 
is also a heavier, stronger, and more efficient 
machine, cutting, we should suppose, if well 
attended, from a fourth to a third more in a day. 
The price of Hussey's machine is $160, that 
of M'Cormick's $100. 

The greatest advantage we conceive about 
these machines is the extreme cleanness with 
which they both cut. They shatter, too, infi- 
nitely less than the cradle. Either is worth 
more than its cost to any farmer, who cultivates 
a large tract of smooth, level land in wheal or 
oats ; still, we would advise no one to go into 
his harvest relying upon his machine alone; 
what with wet wheat, tangled wheat, gullies, 
and hill sides, he will find that the cradles can- 
not be dispensed with, and it will be necessary 
to have them ready to take the place of the 
machine where such circumstances oppose its 
operation. 



which lay some brush ; it makes a fine harbor 
for the chickens ; they run under from the hawks, 
and go under them frequently to enjoy the shade. 
By keeping the ground ploughed up, the chick- 
ens never have the disease called the gapes, 
which I have seen thousands die with. They 
should be fed upon dough which is made up 
With butteimilk, and sometimes grease may be 
put in to an advantage. I have no doubt but 
the same plan would be equally as good for tur- 
keys when young. Ducks and young geese 
require grass to feed on : it is said that there is 
a very fine worm, not larger than a thread, in 
the grass, which the young fowls get in their 
throats, and which is one cause of the gapes; 
in other cases, it is said to be occasioned by the 
dew or wet grass after rains. 

Yours, respectfully, 

J. W. M. 
Tye River Warehouse, July 2, 1843. 



For the Southern Planter. 

CHICKENS. 

Jslr. Editor, — Having a friend from Missouri 
with me last night, we were talking over many 
things ; among the rest, he mentioned a plan of 
raising chickens which had proved very suc- 
cessful, and gained great popularity in that sec- 
tion of the country. Being very much pleased 
with it, and placing a high estimate upon the 
profit and convenience of raising all kinds of 
fowls, I communicate it to you for the benefit of 
the readers of the Planter. Have a lot of suffi- 
cient size enclosed, so as to keep your chickens 
in it, and keep it regularly ploughed up, to pre- 
vent any grass at all from growing in the yard ; 
set some little forks in the ground, about one 
foot high ; lay some poles across them upon 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 

We have received the June number of the 
above work, published in Richmond, Va., by C. 
T. Botts, and have perused its pages with much 
interest. It is neatly put up in pamphlet form, 
contains about twenty-two pagesand is published 
once a month, at the unusually low price of $1 
per annum. We are well aware that many 
agricultural works are of no manner of use to 
the agriculturists; as they are poorly edited; 
filled with communications from tyros and fancy 
farmers ; or, with immoderate puffs of new in- 
ventions, new wheat, new potatoes, new kinds 
of hogs and cattle — the first calculated to mis- 
lead the young reader and make him too fid- 
gety in farming — and the latter, to drain his 
pocket. There is a great deal of humbuggery 
in this world, and we have men who practice it 
as a calling. They go upon the idea that, "all 
the fools are not dead yet," and put at our pock- 
ets, with multicaulis, then with Italian Spring 
wheat, next with Dutton corn, and now with 
Berkshire pigs, Durham cattle, and T. H. Btckes' 
plan of making luxuriant crops on poor land 
without ploughing and without manure. How- 
ever, from the spirit of the Southern Planter, 
we th ; nk it will at once expose to derision and 
contempt each new humbug as it is presented ; 
and thus guard inexperienced persons against 
parting foolishly with their money. The late 
Judge Buel warned the readers of the Cultivator 
against the multicaulis fever, and said specu- 
lators were at work, long before the disease had 
reached this part of Virginia. Had the editors 
of agricultural papers been equally candid, mil- 
lions might have been saved to the unwary — 
We think Mr. Botts will pursue the same course, 
and cause his publication to be useful, instead 
of detrimental, to the agriculturist. 

An agricultural work, suited to the farmers, 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



185 



in this region of Virginia, would be of great 
service to them. Mr. Bolts by obtaining sub- 
scribers and procuring correspondents, between 
tidewater and the mountains, could make his 
work valuable to persons, whose attention is 
turned to grazing and restoring worn-out land 
to fert..ity by (he use of clover and plaster. — 
The products and system of farming pursued in 
lower Virginia, differ from the products and sj's- 
tem prevailing in this region. They rely on to- 
bacco and corn as their money crops ; we on 
wheat and cattle : — they have inexhaustible 
flats; we have hills, which require improve- 
ment. His correspondents are tobacco growers, 
and what they discuss would have been useful 
in thi3 section, when it was under process of 
being worn out by tobacco ; but now, is nothing 
but mere reading. On the other hand, the Cul- 
tivator is published for a region of country, 
where slave-labor is not known ; where the 
farms are small, and roots and vegetables culti- 
vated very extensively. Hence it is that there 
is more about turnips and potatoes than is of 
interest to us. There are in the counties bor- 
dering on the Blue Ridge practical farmers and 
graziers, whose intelligence and experience, can 
furnish a variety of useful information ; and if 
Mr. Botts will only enlist them in his service his 
publication will suit all Virginia better than any 
other yet sent out. We have in this county 
men who know how to farm, and how to keep 
their land rich, and make money besides. Thou- 
sands of acres hereabouts, which, twenty years 
ago were poor, are now producing heavy crops 
of clover, timothy and grain. To such as these 
we refer Mr. Botts. 

We extract the above from the " Flag of '98," 
published at Warrenton, Fauquier, chiefly for 
the purpose of saying, that our great ambition 
is to publish an agricultural work that shall be 
entirely of a practical character, and acceptable 
to every portion of the State of Virginia. To 
enable us to do so we must rely upon the as- 
sistance of the friends of the cause in every 
section of the State. Nothing would please us 
mere, than if, through the assistance of our 
friend of the " Flag," we could grace the Planter 
with the experience and wisdom of the farmers 
of Fauquier and Loudoun ; especially upon the 
subject of the clover, plaster and cattle system, 
which has enriched the proprietor and the soil at 
the same time, wherever it has been introduced. 



FEEDING HORSES. 

Various opinions are entertained as to the best 

and most economical mode of feeding horses, 

and many experiments arc on record that have 

boon instituted to settle the question. The result 

Vol. III.— 24 



seems to be, that at the ordinary prices of grain 
and hay, it is cheaper to keep horses on grain, 
than on hay or on hay and grain. There is an- 
other important matter to be considered, how- 
ever, and that is — is feeding entirely with grain, 
as conducive to the health of the animal, as a 
mixture of hay and grain 1 We do not believe 
it to be ; and the general result of the experi- 
ments has been to show that it is not. Our 
own experience too would lead us to speak de- 
cidedly upon this point. We have tried feeding 
horses upon grain alone, and upon grain and 
hay, and found the latter the best for the animals. 
They were not so shrunk up or gaunt, there 
was more muscle and consequently more weight, 
and whatever may be thought of this latter 
quality in a race horse, where nothing but sinews 
and bones are required, every farmer knows that 
the road or farm horse is worth but little with- 
out weight. Feeding horses on grain alone, is 
like keeping a man on wheat bread solely ; he 
will live for a time, but will finally sink under 
the experiment. In this case, the finer the flour 
the worse for the man. We have never had 
horses in better condition for labor, than when 
we have fed them with cut wheat straw, wet 
up in a tub with Indian corn meal. It is evi- 
dent there must be some proportion between the 
bulk and the nutritive power of food, and grain 
alone gives too much nutritive matter for the 
bulk. Oats, perhaps, approach nearer the stand- 
ard than any other grain ; but the use of these 
alone will in a long run be found unadvisable. 
One of the most carefully conducted experi- 
ments we have noticed was the one made by 
Mr. Brotherton, near Liverpool; and he came 
to the conclusion that horses cannot be kept in 
a condition fit for work, if fed on grain alone. — 
For nine years Mr. Brotherton allowed eight 
horses, three Winchester bushels of oats and 
one of beans, but no hay or chaff. During this 
period he annually lost more or less horses, 
which he attributed to the quantity of grain 
being greater than the stomach could digest. — 
This induced him to adopt feeding hay with his 
grain in the following proportion : — To eight 
horses he allowed one bushel of oats, one bushel 
of beans, and three bushels of cut hay, straw, 
or clover ; and he found them better able to do 
their work than before, and for several years af- 
ter adopting the plan lost but one horse from 
disease. Farmers, we are confident, have much 
to learn on the subject of feeding animals, and 
the health and good condition of the latter will, 
we doubt not, be found compatible with greater 
degrees of economy than has generally been 
practised. — Cultivator, 



OPwIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
We have been much complimented lately 
upon the greatly increased quantity of our or%- 



186 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



ginal communications. For our own part, we 
think there is an idle prepossession existing in 
the public mind in favor of what is called an 
original communication. If we can find a good 
thing, should we decline to publish it because it 
has been communicated first to some other pa- 
per 1 Would our readers cut us off from the 
prolific source of agricultural information af- 
forded by our exchange papers, from the benefits 
to be derived from the experience and informa- 
tion of the correspondents of the agricultural 
papers with which our table is daily covered 1 
On the contrary, we often discard an original 
communication, and select an extract which we 
think conveys information of more value to the 
reader ; and yet there are readers so senseless 
as to object to such articles that they are all 
" copied." We humbly conceive it to be our 
duty, diligently to examine all the material af- 
forded us, and to select the best for our sub- 
scribers, from whatever source it may originate ; 
and as the aggregate of the contributors to 
other papers is to the number of our own cor- 
respondents, as an hundred to one, it stands to 
reason, if we labor as we should do and go over 
the whole ground, that each number of the 
Planter should contain at least ten selected for 
one original article ; and but for the public taste, 
it should be so. Nothing would tend so much 
to abridge our editorial labors as the resolution 
to fill our columns with original matter ; to do 
which, we would only have to hand over to the 
printer one half of the manuscript copy we re- 
ceive from the post office. 



For the Southern Planter. 
SEED WHEAT.— CAUTION. 
Mr. Editor, — Let me advise any farmer, who 
intends to purchase seed wheat, to do so of the 
raiser of the wheat, who is bound to know whe- 
ther he is disposing of a good article or a bad 
one. I, with two of my near neighbors, in this 
immediate vicinity, (and I understand a consi- 
derable number of persons in different parts of 
the country) purchased a part of our seed wheat, 
in October last, from a commission merchant, in 
the city, at the round price of one dollar and 
twenty-five cents per bushel, thinking we were 
getting a most superior article ; when lo ! what 
is the result ! my two friends have ploughed up 
considerable portions of theirs — one re-sowing 
with good seed, the other seeding the land with 
oats, and both considering the remainder of the 
land seeded with the wheat spoken of, as thrown 
away for the present crop. For my own part, 



having seeded my land with clover and grass 
seed, I was compelled lo let it remain ; and now 
have the daily mortification of seeing one-sixth 
of a crop on my best land, while I have even an 
abundant crop upon land adjoining, but seeded, 
with wheat purchased of a. farmer. Upon men- 
tioning my mortification to the person of whom 
I purchased it, but whom I freely and willingly 
acquitted of all knowledge at the time of the 
seed having been heated, as it must have been, 
my only consolation was, "He could not help 
it ; if I had not purchased it, some one else 
would, as plenty more wanted it." So after 
this, say I, buy of the raiser. 

A Sufferer. 
Henrico, June 26, 1843. 



GAPES IN CHICKENS. 

A writer in the Farmer's Cabinet, says, posi- 
tively, that the gapes in chickens, which cause 
so many to die, are occasioned by worms in the 
windpipe ; and that if the poulterer is pleased to 
take a feather, strip the sides all off except a 
small tuft at the end, dip this in spirits of tur- 
pentine, catch the chicken, open its mouth and 
just touch this turpentine to the mouth of the 
windpipe, which may easily be seen at the top 
of the tongue and near its roots, the worms will 
almost instantly die, and the chicken as instantly 
recover. He says there is no danger to the 
chicken from this course. — N. E. Plough Boy. 

We believe with the writer of the above that 
it is worms which occasions the gapes, and 
think that the application of the spirits of tur- 
pentine would prove effectual, but we deem it 
proper to add the remedy which we have al- 
ways found effectual. Whenever we found our 
chickens laboring tinder the disease, we gave 
them each a tea-spoonful of a strong solution of 
assafretida, which invariably cured the disease, 
and as we supposed, by dislodging the worm, 
which we took it for granted was the cause of 
the disease. — American Farmer. 

We never fail to disseminate information that 
has the slightest tendency to increase the quan- 
tity or quality of fried chicken. 



ITEMS IN DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 

Use spirits of turpentine to remove grease 
spots from clothes. It dissolves the grease, and 
then soap the more easily removes it. Grease 
may be removed from undyed woollen by a so- 
lution of pearlash. 

Lime spots on woollen clothes may be com- 
pletely removed by strong vinegar. The vine- 
gar effectually neutralizes the lime, but does 
not generally effect the color of the cloth. Dark 
cloth, the color of which has been completely 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



187 



destroyed in spots six inches square, has thus 
had its original color perfectly restored. 

The whiteness of ivory handled knives may 
be restored by rubbing' them with fine sandpaper 
or emery. 

The oftener carpets are shaken, the longer 
theyjgst, as the particles of dirt and sand which 
collect upon them grind the threads. Sweeping 
them also wears them. 



Dry wood will produce on a moderate esti- 
mate, twice as much heat as the same amount 
of green wood ; and saves much trouble in 
kindling fires on cold mornings. To prevent its 
burning away too rapidly, the sticks should be 
large. To suppose that green wood will actu- 
ally cause more heat in burning than dry, is as 
absurd as to suppose a vessel of hot water will 
freeze sooner than a cold one. — Cultivator. 



GEARING HORSES 




In the various occupations of the farm we 
make use every day of the result of scientific 
inquiry, frequently without noticing the where- 
fore of the peculiar process we adopt, and fre- 
quently losing all the benefit of the scientific 
principle from ignorance or forgetfulness. In as 
simple a matter as the gearing of horses there 
is an important principle of mechanics to be 
noticed, without an observance of which it is 
impossible to get a team to work to the greatest 
advantage and ease. 

The annexed cut represents an ordinary dou- 
ble-tree; and our object here is to illustrate the 
importance of constructing it so that, the point 
at which the tree is fastened to the load shall 
be considerably behind the point at which the 
horses are fastened to the tree. The horses are 
here hitched at a and b, and the tree draws the 
load at c, considerably behind a line which 
would pass from a to b. The advantage of this 
construction is this: as soon as one of the 
horses goes ahead of the other, his part of the 
lever the double-tree forms, becomes the shortest, 
and the other, working to far greater advantage 
by a longer lever, is soon able to come up, or 
if still lagging behind is able with even inferior 
strength to fully divide the draught with the 
other. Suppose the horse at b starts ahead and 
draws his part of the double-tree forward to d; 
a, at the other end then of course falls back to 
e, and the line d, e, will represent the position of 
the double-tree. In this position, the fulcrum 
being still the same at c, and the horses still 



drawing straight ahead, it will be seen that the 
right hand horse will have a lever rather longer 
than before — perpendicular to the line of draught 
and at which he works to the greatest advan- 
tage ; whereas the left hand horse, has a lever 
at which he exerts part of his force in pulling 
lengthwise with the wood, the real mechanical 
length of which is only c,f, nearly a third shorter 
than that of the other horse. 

Important as this principle is in constructing 
double trees and working two horses abreast, it 
is far more important in single-trees and the 
working of one horse. If the horse pulled like 
the ox, by some point of his body on which the 
load bore in all gaits with an equal pressure, it 
would not be necessary to give his single-tree 
any swing, or adjust the lever power in the 
manner above illustrated. But a horse by his 
gait in harness is continually advancing one 
side ahead of the other as he moves his shoul- 
ders. When a horse plants one of his fore feet 
the exertion to draw the trace on that side is 
comparatively nothing. He merely leans him- 
self forward, and his weight, the exertion of his 
hind legs as well as the fore leg planted, all aid 
in facilitating the steady pressure the shoulder 
of that leg makes against the load. It is when 
his fore foot rises to be advanced another step 
that he is taxed the worst ; and he must then 
by the muscles of one shoulder alone move the 
whole load the distance he advances his shoul- 
der, unless the single-tree is given a swing. By 
reference now to the above cut and a recollec- 



188 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tion of a horse's gait, it will be perceived that 
when a horse thus raises his foot to make an- 
other step, the lever of his single-tree on that 
side will correspond with that of/, c, in the 
double-tree above, and hung longer than that of 
the opposite side, make the resistance to the 
shoulder exerted much lighter. The only way 
in which horses could work at all in single har- 
ness without having a swing to their single- 
trees is in drays or carts where the pressure is 
so great on the back that they pull more by 
that than by their shoulders. V\ e have little 
doubt that many of the cases of swiney, big- 
shoulder, &c. — diseases produced by over-strain- 
ing the muscles of the shoulder, are produced 
by a neglect of the principle we have here at- 
tempted to illustrate in gearing the horse. 

South Western Farmer. 



For the Southern Planter. 

Mr. Editor, — In your June number "Inves- 
togator" remarks, " If I lived in or near Rich- 
mond I should undoubtedly seek the privilege 
of saturating plaster with urine, at the capitol." 
"Also, that of composting dead animals with 
marl near Rocketts." I am composting dead 
animals with ground plaster. Will he be so 
good as to give his reasons for preferring marl? 
Is not ground plaster better ? 
Very truly your friend, 

Geo. Woodfin. 

July 7, 1843. 



CUTTING TIMBER. 

Editors of the Cultivator, — I have long wished 
to hear an opinion expressed by some of our 
scientific men, in regard to the proper time of 
cutting timber, and the cause of worms in wood. 
I have frequently observed axe handles, and 
handles of other farming implements, almost 
eaten up by worms, and perhaps not a hole to be 
seen on the outside of the wood. The question 
is, how come the worms in the wood, and what 
time of year must timber be cut, to prevent the 
worm from attacking it? Adolphus." 

There are a multitude of insects that deposite 
their eggs in wood. In process of lime the egg 
changes to a worm or grub, which feeds on the 
wood for a time, when it emerges from the tree 
and becomes a perfect insect. Of these borers 
those that prey on the apple, locust, &c. are 
most familiar. There are some kinds of timber, 
such as hickory, ash, and maple, which are lia- 
ble to be injured by worms at times, to such a 
degree as to render them utterly worthless. — 
They become what is called " power post ;" or 
present when broken, or cut into, little more 
than a fine dust, while the outside is apparently 
sound. Hoop poles furnish frequent examples 
of this insect destruction ; and to avoid it, coop- 



ers prefer having their poles cut in the fall or 
winter ; from November to February, being con- 
sidered the best to secure exemption from the 
worm. It would appear, however, that there is 
a short time after the leaf has been fully formed, 
and the bark ceases to peel readily, in which 
wood if cut will be free from the worm. From 
some experiments, this period would seem to be 
in the month of June. The cause of this, doubt- 
less is that the insect depositing the egg is not 
developed so early in the season ; but appears- 
i mmediately afterward. — Cultivator, 



For the Southern Planter. 
AGRICULTURAL APHORISMS. 

NO. IV. 

Partly Extracts. 

You need not go into the house to seek and 
know the farmer ; only look on his farm, and 
you know all, except the height of his body. 

Nature bids you to dislike deformity ; there- 
fore, put your work in order. 

If you ask me which is the real hereditary 
sin of human nature, I answer, indolence — it 
begets all manner of vice, and starvation of man 
and beast. 

Who will not see and act, when he should, 
shall not act when he would. 

Compare carefully and frequently the differ- 
ent propositions and modes of business, and 
choose with prudence. 

Who loses the sunshine, shall not profit by 
moonshine. 

He alone has energy, who cannot be deprived 
of it by misfortune. 

There are but three classes of men, the retro-" 
grade, the stationary, and the progressive. It 
is your right to take choice. 

No despondency, friend, you cannot tell what 
you can do, till you make a mighty effort. 

I would as soon undertake to transpose a 
mountain, as to subdue indolence and obstinacy. 

He who becomes every day more sagacious 
in observing the works of nature, is himself a 
noble piece of work. 

The best time to kill grass and weeds in a 
corn field, is before they have life. 

Who will sacrifice nothing and enjoy all, is 
a fool. 

The discover}^ of truth by slow progressive 
meditations, is ivisdom. 

He who has all confidence in himself, is 
equally a fool with him who has no faith in 
others. 

Who will not plough by reason of the heat 
or cold, shall beg in harvest and get nothing. 

Kiss the hand of him who can renounce what 
he has publicly taught, when convinced of his 
error. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



189 



A bad system is better than no system. 

Avoid him as a friend, who makes a wry 
mouth at the praises bestowed on a good farmer. 

Imitate him whose observation passes not 
over the most minute, whilst it follows only the 
highest objects. 

Th/ more there is of mind in your solitary 
employments, the more dignity in your cha- 
racter. 

Two misfortunes — thinkers are scarce as gold, 
and those who think least are least disposed to 
let others think for them. 

Trust hirn little who praises all, and him less 
who censures all, and him least who is indiffer- 
ent about all. 

Who postpones the business of to-day till the 
morrow will probably postpone his to-morrow to 
eternity. 

He is much greater, who produces one thing 
entire and perfect, than he who does many by 
halves. 

As the captain with a foil on the point of his 
spear, so the farmer with a dull implement — 
hard labor and but little execution. 

If you will put your mark on such of these 
aphorisms as create an uneasy sensation, and 
send me the copy, I will know you right well. 

Argus. 

Amherst, July 8, 1843. 



For the Southern Planter. 

EOMMER'S MANURE. 

Mr. Editor, — The following communication 
I am sure will be read with interest by most of 
your subscribers, and as I have received recent- 
ly, so many interrogatories concerning "Bom- 
mer's Manure," I have concluded to send it for 
publication in the Planter, with such remarks 
as I may make upon it : 

King William, July 6, 1843. 

Mr. Woodfin: 

Dear Sir, — I have seen the result of your ex- 
periment with Bornmer's patent manure, in the 
last Planter, and while I believe every word you 
have said about it, I am not entirely satisfied 
that it will be to the interest of every one to 
purchase the right to make and use it. Virgi- 
nians have been so often humbugged with pa- 
tent inventions, that I am very slow to receive 
any notion that comes secreted under a patent 
right, I will, therefore, be obliged to you to an- 
swer the following questions: 

1st. Can the materials of which the manure 
u composed, and also those required to produce 
such speedy decomposition, be procured in suffi- 
cient quantities on a poor forest farm to make 
it an object on such a farm ; or is it only adapted 
to the neighborhood of towns, where mineral, 



animal, and other substances can be readily pro- 
cured at little cost ? 

2d. From the experiment you have made, do 
you think that labor may be profitably employed 
in making this manure on large farms, or is 
it merely intended for experimenters on truck 
patches, gardens, &c. 1 

3d. As the decomposition is so rapidly pro- 
duced, does not the ammonia (or whatever you 
chemists call it, I mean the strength of the ma- 
nure,) as speeddy pass off, and the manure be- 
come comparatively worthless, as you have seen 
farm-yard manure become by being kept too 
long? 

4th. You say it is not costly, but troublesome; 
how much, and what kind of trouble is it ? Is 
it that kind of trouble with which every suc- 
cessful farmer is acquainted, and for which he 
gets rewarded, more or less, or is it like the In- 
dian's gun, cost more than it comes to ? 

5th. Taking every thing connected with it 
in consideration, would you advise a farmer 
owning some five or six hundred acres of poor 
land, situated twelve miles from navigation and 
thirty miles from any town, employing the la- 
bor of twelve hands, and with a large and 
growing family, and not a cent to spend in hum- 
bugs or costly experiments, to purchase the 
right to make and use this manure? 

You will please pardon the liberty I have 
taken in addressing this communication to you ; 
my only apology is my great desire to use all 
the means in my power, for the improvement of 
our mother earth, and I should like to become 
acquainted with this process of Mr. Bornmer's, 
but do not like the idea of buying a pig in a 
bag. 

Should you think it worth while to reply to 
this, you can do it through the Plantek, if 
you prefer it, (as I suppose it probable you will 
receive other communications on this subject,) 
or by letter privately, by mail, as you may 
choose. 

Yours, most respectfully, 

Wm. S. Ryi.and. 

In answering the foregoing queries I shall 
take them up in the order they are propounded, 
without any farther preliminary remark. 

1st. " Can the materials of which the manure 
is composed, and also those required to produce 
such speedy decomposition be procured in suffi- 
cient quantities on a poor forest farm ?" &c. &c. 
I answer yes — they can be procured in abun- 
dance, both for making the manure, and also for 
their speedy decomposition, with the exception 
of some articles necessary to make the lees.* 

* The articles alluded to in the exception, which 
Mr. Woodfin did not consider himself at liberty to 
specify, are lime and salt; about fifty pounds of the 
former and a couple of pounds of the latter being- 
required to an ordinary heap of the manure. — Ed. 



190 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



The method is not adapted to the neighborhood 
of towns, except where large quantities of ve- 
getable substances can be had. 

2d. " From the experiment you have made, 
do you think that labor may be profitably em- 
ployed in making this manure on large farms?" 
&c. Answer, I do. It is equally well adapted 
" to truck patches, gardens, &c." if they have 
an abundance of vegetable substances, not other- 
wise. 

3d. "As the decomposition is so speedily pro- 
duced, does not the ammonia (or whatever you 
chemists call it, I mean the strength of the ma- 
nure,) as speedily pass off?" &c. To this ques- 
tion I answer, in consequence of the great heat 
produced in the process of fermentation, it is 
quite probable that a portion of the ammonia 
may escape. Ammonia, however, has great 
affinity for water, and as a quantity of water is 
necessary in making the manure, 1 should think 
the escape of ammonia would not be very great. 
Mr. Bommer says " the salts produced in the 
process of fermentation, 'are a quantity of ni- 
trate of lime and caustic potash, ammonia, and 
saltpetre'— four substances which modern che- 
mistry has found to contain the most fecundating 
properties possible." 

4th. " You say it is not costly, but trouble- 
some — how much and what kind of trouble is 
it?" &c. I alluded to the trouble of collecting 
the materials, making the compost heaps, mak- ^ 
ing the "lees," and the several applications andj 
waterings with the same, necessary to complete 
the decomposition of the materials. The labor 
thus expended I am sure would result in a rich 
reward to a skilful and persevering farmer. I 
must most respectfully ask to be excused from 
answering the 5th question. I will not advise 
any one to buy the right, lest for want of proper 
energy and skill on the part of the purchaser, it 
might fail to answer his purpose, and I should 
have the blame ; I will, however, say this much, 
that from what I have heard of Mr. Ryland's 
zeal and energy in doing what he can to im- 
prove our "mother earth," that Bommer's pa- 
tent could hardly fail of success in such hands. 
With him it would neither be like the " Indian's 
gun," nor the "pig in the bag." 

In conclusion, let me remark, that I am no 
way interested in the sale of these patents— I 
own only an individual right, and should there 
not be another sold in the State it would be a 
matter of perfect indifference to me. 
Very truly, yours, 

Geo. Woodfin. 



three times over. Dirty suds after washing, is 
almost universally thrown into the nearest gut- 
ter, to be washed away and wasted, would it 
not be an improvement, and show a laudable 
economy in the good woman of the farm house, 
to have it conveyed to the garden, to enrich the 
ground, and make the vegetables grow more 
luxuriantly? The potash, the grease, and the 
dirt, all of which are component parts of soap 
suds, are first-rate manures, and should always 
be applied to make plants grow, and especially 
when hard times are loudly complained of and 
sound economy is the order of the day. 



SOAP SUDS. 

There is no better manure than dirty soap 

suds; and there is not a farm house in the 

country, but what produces enough of it in the 

course of a year, to manure a garden two or 



For the Southern Planter. 

COMMENTS ON THE JULY NUMBER OF 
THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 

This number as a whole, pleases me well, 
and I congratulate Mr. Botts and the Common- 
wealth on the success and preferment of the 
Planter. I verily believe that it is destined 
to become ere long, equal in every way to any 
thing of the kind in America. And why not? 
Are the people of Virginia less patriotic than 
others ? Are they deficient in intellect or edu- 
cation? Have they less interest in the pros- 
perity of agriculture? Have they less time to 
expend in investigation and communication ? — 
Oh, Virginia ! once thou didst stand erect, in 
health and beauty ; and clad in goodly raiment, 
did look with pride on thy children. Then not 
one stain could be seen on thy garments nor one 
sickly furrow on thy cheeks ; but lo, these many 
years thy condition has caused thee to bow down 
thine head with blushes, and when strangers 
pass by, thou art wont to hide, or disown thy 
name. Nevertheless I pray thee, my good mo- 
ther, hold up thine head a little ; for although 
we have in onr youthful and frivolous days, 
acted ungratefully toward thee, yet since age 
and better judgment have come upon us, we are 
wont to become dutiful children. Yes, although 
my head is growing grey with age, yet I, for 
one, do espouse thy cause ; and surely there are 
thousands more dutiful and competent than I. 
I hope that yet ere I die, 1 may see every wound 
on thy body healed, thy garments renewed, thy 
cheeks glowing with beauty ; and we, thy chil- 
dren, enjoying the pride of owning thee as a 
mother, and the gratification of having returned 
to our duty. Virginia must rise ; yea, may I 
not say, she shall rise and take that stand for 
which nature destined her. And shall not the 
Southern Planter be one of the prime in- 
struments in this consummation, so devoutly to 
be wished for? 

Root Culture.— -Mr. Bement says " If the root 
culture can be made to succeed in Virginia, of 
which I have little doubt, I should not at all be 
surprised to hear that the lands there should 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



191 



double in value in the course of a few years. 
In fact, I am so well convinced of it, that were 
I to sell the farm I now occupy, I should turn 
my face to Virginia," &c. Now, friend Bemem, 
all you have to do is to come hither next fall 
and see for yourself, and I am persuaded you 
will rflubt no longer. Indeed, sir, as altitude 
creates climate, we can give you any climate 
you desire, with the advantages of longer sum- 
mers, and lighter snows ; and that too anywhere 
about the centre of our State. We full well 
know your character, sir, and gladly would we 
adopt you in our family, and embrace you, and 
all such, as brethren. Do come, if only on a 
visit ; and if we do not receive you with open 
countenances, hands and hearts, then we give 
you leave to "publish it in Gath, and tell it in 
Askalon." 

Improvement of Old Land. — Mr. Morton says, 
"plaster, lime, &c. are rather expensive articles 
to be used broadcast." Now, although I like 
this communication very well in the general, 
yet I think this rather too much of a broadcast 
assertion. I wish Mr. M. had told us his 
whereabouts, for the cost of carriage and the 
action of the plaster on the land, should de- 
termine whether it should be used broadcast or 
not. Where judiciously used, I believe that at 
one dollar the bushel, it is the cheapest manure 
which can be bought, to be used broadcast or 
otherwise. 

Fencing. — I wish Mr. Miller would abandon 
his crooked bank, if he will not his crooked 
fence. If the bank were straight and broader, 
the hogs could not root through so easily, the 
fence would stand firmer, and grass could be 
sowed and mowed therefrom. 

Corn. — I suppose I can guess what Mr. 
Tucker means by " barring the corn, lapping 
the grass in the row, and splitting it again," but 
when he adds, " destroying the corn," I cannot 
guess; only that it may be a typographical 
error. Nor can I understand what he means, 
when he says, " In Roanoke we plough every 
other row through the crop, from the beginning ; 
and every other row is of course worked differ- 
ently." I would ask whether half the rows are 
never worked, or whether they are worked al- 
ternately ? How is it they are worked differ- 
ently? And how can a third more be culti- 
vated ? The Roanoke mode of culture may be 
better than mine, but I never suffer a sprig of 
grass to grow amongst my corn, so as to require 
barring or lapping ; nor would I have such a 
plough amongst my corn as a gift. 1 speak 
from experience, yet I may be wrong. 

Hamver Agricultural Fair. — Perfectly right, 
Mr. Botis; you should never gratify localities 
at the expense of the public. The good people 
of Hanover will justify your course, upon re- 
flection. 



Comments on the May and June Numbers. — I 
discover an error in my remarks to "A Young 
Planter." Read, " his assertion that tobacco 
will not take rot," &c. And a word for you, 
friend Botts. You say, "stones indubitably by 
the covering they afford, protect the earth from 
the rays of the sun, and so prevent evapora- 
tion," &c. Now, sir, with equal confidence I 
say you are indubitably wrong, except in case 
of large stones, and these too thick to convey 
unnatural heat to the earth. Then, and in that 
case, I too have often observed "that the most 
luxuriant tufts of grass or wheat in the field were 
those growing from underneath the stones." — 
But I would not attribute this luxuriance to ex- 
tra moisture, but to the extra pasturage under- 
neath the stones; and I must contend, that in 
the general, that pasturage is kept in good heart 
by the decomposition of the stones. But if Mr. 
B. will yet contend that stones are valuable to 
prevent evaporation, I will turn him over to my 
friend Goddin, of Bacon Quarter Branch, who 
I have no doubt will freely give him a few loads 
for the purpose of making experiments. Or if 
nothing else will do, he can send to me, and I 
will furnish him with a few hundred loads of 
boulders, which are now burning my land and 
ciops to death. 

A Ploughing Match. — Success to the pony 
purse, a glorious day for the ploughing, and a 
huzza for the most skilful ploughman. 

Investigator. 

We are extremely obliged to our respected 
correspondent for the liberality with which he 
flings his stones at us, and we would not attempt 
to fling back again, but that we are desirous to 
obtain the benefit of his experience and observa- 
tion upon a question involved in the difference 
between us. This difference, we humbly con- 
ceive, is narrowed down to the cause of the su- 
perior productiveness of land, which is covered 
by large stones ; for that some size of stone is 
productive of fertility, we both seem to agree. 
"Investigator" attributes it to the decomposition 
of the material of the stone, we to the protection 
it affords as a covering from the sun and air. — 
We have long thought that the benefit of a 
cover was not sufficiently appreciated, and that 
the day would come when it would be recog- 
nized as one of the first principles in agriculture, 
that the land should be protected from the bane- 
ful influence of the sun and air. Has any man 
ever seen an instance where ground was so pro- 
tected that it was not enriched ? Where do 
cunning boys go to look for worms, those un- 
erring indicators of fertility in the soil? They 
raise a stone or plank, and is it the decomposi- 



192 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tion of the one or the other that has produced 
the rich, moist earth underneath ? 

May not the consideration of this circum- 
stance, we respectfully inquire, lead to the adop- 
tion of some valuable mode of improvement? 
May it not deter us from turning up and expos- 
ing to the influences of sun and air the subtle 
and hidden treasures of the earth'? If we 
should so carefully preserve our heaps of ma- 
nure from the hostile action of these elements, 
why should not we as carefully guard from 
their blighting influence, the same agents, that 
are constantly generated in the bowels of the 
earth ? If in any manner we protect the sur- 
face of the earth for six months from exposure, 
we know that it is equal to a heavy dressing of 
manure ; why then should we take the greatest 
possible pains to expose it as some of our farmers 
do? 

Without forming a " theory" about the mat- 
ter, ourselves, we should like, as the question 
has incidentally arisen, to pin the attention of 
" Investigator" to its consideration. 



For the Southern Planter. 

ERRATA. 

Mr.. Editor, — Please to correct an error in 
print, in the article sent by me at the request of 
the Club and published in the last number (6). 
On the 130th page, 2d column, 2d paragraph, 
3d line, for "sowing grass 'exclusively'", read 
sowing grass extensively. 

A. C. Morton. 



Richmond Markets, July 19, 1843. 



Tobacco. — Receipts more moderate; no material 
change in prices, except for fine manufacturing qua- 
lities. We quote lugs $2 a $2i and $2-J; leaf, com- 
mon $3 a $3£; middling $3J a $4*; good $4| a $5i; 
fine stemming and manufacturing scarce, and sells 
from $6 to $llf, as in quality; a tew extra manufac- 
turing hhds. have been sold at from $10 to $40. 

Wheat. — A few scattering parcels have been de- 
livered, but no price has yet been fixed. 

Flour. — Canal: quantity in market very small — a 
few sales have been made on the Basin at $5. No 
City Mills flour in market, consequently no quotation 
can be given. 

Corn — 57i cents per bushel. 

Oats — 26 a 29 cents per bushel from vessels, and 
35 a 37i from wagons and depot. 

Provisions. — Bacon: City cured, Todd's hog round 
and Smithfield held at 7 cents. Small sales Western 
sides 6 a, 7, mostly 6|; shoulders 4 a 5, as to quality. 
Lard — 7 a 8, dull — all kinds of bacon rather dull.- 

Butter. — Mountain, wholesale, G a 8 cents per lb. 
for inferior. A prime article commands from 12 to 
15 cents. A very large supply in market. 

Cheese — 5£ a 7 cts. per lb. Very little in market. 

Cattle. — For cattle on the hoof, $4 to $4 J are the 



general prices. Veals — $2 to $6, according to qua- 
lity. Mutton— $H to $2*. Lambs— from $1 to $2, 
according to quality. 

Coal — 10 to 18 cents per bushel. 

Cotton — 6 a 7 cents per lb. 

Cotton Yarns. — Richmond and Manchester (Fac- 
tory Prices,) Nos. 4, 5 and 6, 15; 7, 8 and 9, 16; 10, 
11 and 12, 17; 13, 14 and 15, 18; 16, 17 and 18, 19; 
19 and 20, 20 cents. 

Feathers— 25 a 30 cents per lb. for live geese. 

Fish.— Mackerel, No. 3, $5. Herrings — Cut, No. 
1, $4} to $4£; Roe, $4f to $5. Shad, $6 a $6* per 
barrel. 

Hides. — Green, 4 to 5 cents per lb.; Spanish, 13 a 
16i. 

Iron.— Pig, $25 to $30; Swedes, $95 a $100 per 
ton; English $85 to $90; Tredegar, (Richmond ma- 
nufactory,) $90; Up Country bar, $70 a $75. 

Lumber. — Clear white pine $33; refuse clear $25; 
merchantable $15; refuse last sale $11 a $12 per M.; 
one inch pine plank from $10 to $11 per M.; three- 
quarter inch pine plank $8 to $12; flooring $16 to 
$20; 3 by 4 scantling $14 to $16; joists $20; two 
inch plank $20; weather boarding $10 to $12. 

Lime. — Sales of Thomaston at $1 per cask. 

Plaster. — On the Basin bank $4i; from wharf $3. 

Salt. — Last cargo sold at $1 67 from the ship. 

Soap. — For brown 4 a 6 cts. per lb.; white and va- 
riegated 12 a 14. 

Steel. — American blistered $135 to $140 per ton. 
EXCHANGE. 
Foreign. — On London 8j per cent, premium. 
Domestic. — New York Checks, par a \ premium. 

Philadelphia, par a i premium. 

Baltimore, par a i premium. 

North Carolina Bank Notes large J, small 1 dis. 

South Carolina, 1 discount. 

Savannah, 2 discount. 



CONTEXTS OF NO. VIII. 

Rust — Prevented by the use of ashes, p. 169. 

Wheat — Experiments with old seed, p. 170. 

Plaster — Experiments with, p. 170. 

Potatoes — Improved by removing the blossom, p. 170. 

Bee Hives — Which is the best? p. 171. 

Report— Of the Mecklenburg Club, p. 171. 

Fish Pond — Account of Dr. Venable's, p. 172. 

Eggs — To preserve, p. 173. 

Tomatoes — Recommended as food for cows, p. 173. 

Yard Enclosure — One described, with a cut, p. 174. 

Servants — Management of, p. 175. 

Soap — Directions for making, p. 176. 

Hessian Fly — New theory, p. 176. 

Timber — Time for cutting, p. 177. 

Butter — The quality complained of, p. 177. Direc- 
tions for managing, p. 178. 

Form of Cattle — The points described and illustrated 
with a cut, p. 179. 

Virginia Farming — Letter from Mr. Brown, p. 181. 

Birds — Their value to the farmer, p. 183. 

Reaping Machines — Comparative merits of Hussey's 
and M'Cormick's, p. 184. 

Chickens — Management of, p. 184. 

Horses — Proper mode of feeding, p. 185. 

Original Communications — Their value, p. 185. 

Seed Wheat — Should be procured from the raiser, p. 
186. 

Gapes in Chickens — To cure, p. 186. 

Double and Single Tree— Proper form of,, with a cut, 
p. 187. 

Timber — Proper time of cutting, p. 188. 

Aplwrisms — No. 4, p. 188. 

Bommefs Manure — p. 189. 

Soap Suds — Their value, p: 190. 

Comments — On the July number, p. 190.