THE SOUTHERN PLANTER; 23ebot*r& ta ^srfeulturr, horticulture, antr tftr fi^ouselirjUj &rts. Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. Xcnophon. Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the State.— Sully. i C. T. BOTTS, Editor. Vol. III. RICHMOND, SEPTEMBER, 1843. No. 9. FARMERS' CLUBS. We are much pleased to find that the benefits of association begin to be appreciated by the agricultural community. Annual fairs and ex- hibitions are well enough in their way, but they are too few and far between to be productive of any very important results. It is to the con- tinued and repeated influence of those neighbor- hood associations, which, under the name of " farmers' clubs," are beginning to be so popular, that we are to look for those benefits to agricul- ture that all other arts and sciences have derived from the union and association of their members. One of these clubs has been gotten up in this vicinity, and a single attendance was sufficient to satisfy us that these meetings are admirably calculated to minister not less to the sociability than the improvement of a neighborhood. To a man groaning under the heat and dust of a city, nothing can be more delightful than one of these rural excursions ; where, amidst the song of birds, the odor of flowers, and the shade of trees he may enjoy the delightful hospitality of the members of the Henrico Farmers' Club. — The forenoon is devoted to social intercourse, and it is not until the cloth is removed, and the physical man fully provided for, that the spiri- tual being is considered to be sufficiently subli- mated to take into consideration the profound truths of agriculture. Then it is, that some question selected at a previous meeting, is made the topic of conversation, and an opportunity is afforded to every member to avail himself of the experience of his friend and neighbor. It is our lot to fill the honorable post of Secretary to this Club, and from our notes we shall probably, from time to time, make a few extracts for the benefit of our readers. For instance, at the first meeting the question for discussion was, "what is the best mode of cultivating indian corn v This question was handled very ably by some of the oldest and most successful corn growers in the county. Although it was universally Vol. III. — 25 agreed that much depended upon soil and sea- son, yet a great diversity of opinion prevailed, upon almost every point that arose, between men living side by side, either of whom would have been considered by his neighbors good au- thority upon any question connected with the making of corn ; particularly upon the question of the proper distance for planting, did our com- pany essential^ differ. One gentleman, whose head would have been grey, if it had not been bald, a man too of very profound observation, declared, that, one year with another, six feet by three, would yield more in our climate and soil than any lesser distance. This doctrine, which would hopelessly condemn us to a short crop, we are happy to say found very few sup- porters. Five feet and eighteen inches was the distance that seemed to be most generally pre- ferred ; the prevailing opinion was, that nearer than that, in ordinary seasons, the corn would " fire," and the crop would be shorlened. We were pleased to hear one gentleman declare that experience and observation had perfectly satis- fied him of the truth of the doctrine of Dr. Sams, of South Carolina, to which we called the attention of our readers in the last volume of the Planter. The amount of this doctrine is briefly this ; that the natural tendency of the roots of the corn is downwards, and that such will be their invariable direction in a deep, rich, mellow soil, but that when the earth is scratched only to the depth of a few inches and the hard pan underneath is left undisturbed, then it is, that the roots of the corn begin to wander in a horizontal direction, and that their length will very much depend upon the distance within which they can find their proper supply of food. The inevitable and valuable conclusion from this position is, that as the soil is deepened and en- riched, that we may plant closer and closer, un- til we obtain a crop that perhaps has never yet been dreamed of in American husbandry. Fir- ing, say the advocates of this doctrine, is neither more nor less than dying for want of nourish- 194 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER merit. Corn, like cattle, must have something to live upon, and if your land is poor, and the season unfavorable, you must be careful that you allow sufficient latitude of range to both the one and the other. In other words, a cer- tain degree of nutriment is required, and the corn never travels without the space in which it is afforded. A gentleman present, whom, although a young farmer, we'know to be a very skilful and successful one, remarked, that he had of late years dispensed entirely with the use of the hoe in his crop. He breaks his ground up deeply and thoroughly, leaving it as freshly stirred as possible at the time of planting: he plants early, and as soon as the growth will enable him to do so with impunity he runs the plough, with the bar close to the corn, on both sides, turning the dirt from the corn ; the middle part of the rows are worked with cultivators. In a few days he puts in his ploughs again, reversing the first operation, and throwing the dirt to the corn ; whereby the weeds between the plants, which are usually removed with the hoes, are completely covered and smothered. Again, and for the last time, he resorts to the cultivators to clean the rows ; and he seldom or never finds any thing more necessary than the several work- ings here described, provided the ground is well and thoroughly broken in the first instance. By this system and the free use of manure, he had succeeded in making an average of ten barrels to the acre upon thin, light Chickahominy up- land. The next subject worthy of note which our memoranda furnish us is THE CURING OF CLOVER HAY. Here again we find a diversity of opinion. — One member of the Club is an extensive and well known hay grower, and his views accord- ingly commanded great attenl ion. He premised by saying, that he conceived the great object to be to cure as much with the air, and as little with the sun, as possible : his practice was, to commence cutting just when the blossoms be- gan to turn brown ; after permitting it to lie in the swath about a couple of hours, he drafted three swaths together thereby forming a winrow, in which the clover was permitted to remain twenty-four hours longer ; it was then put up into large shocks, which, as soon as they were sufficiently cured, were carted to the barn or stack. These general rules were, however, much modified by the weather. There was no portion of the farmer's business that required the eye and critical judgment of the master more than the curing of clover hay. Seasons would some times come, in which, in spite of the greatest care and precaution, it would be impossible to save the crop except in a very in- jured condition. This gentleman slated that as good clover hay as he had ever seen, he had known to be cured by stacking it, as fast as it was cut, about two poles or rails, in such a manner, that when they were drawn out, a per- fect vent would be left, by which the air might circulate freely through the stack : in this man- ner, the hay was soon sufficiently cured without losing a particle of its fine green color. An- other gentleman here remarked, that upon the same principle he had frequently known clover in new lands to be piled upon the stumps, and he felt assured that any plan which might be used to enable the air to circulate freely through a large mass, would afford the means of curing clover hay with the least possible degree of risk or labor. Another gentleman stated, that from a friend in the county of Loudoun he had ob- tained the following mode, which he had prac- ticed for several years with great success. In the evening he threw into large cocks whatever hay had been cut during the day : by 10 o'clock next morning, he would find the heap in a high degree of heat ; he would then throw it open and spread it, in which state he would leave it for an hour or two, when he would proceed to stack or house it. It was stated by another member that in the Valley of Virginia, which is as celebrated for the quality as the quantity of its hay, it was the universal practice to permit the clover to lie in the swath, as it was cut, for twenty-four hours : it was then turned bottom upwards, and thus exposed for an hour longer, when it was considered sufficiently cured to be carted to the house, where it was salted in the layer, a gallon of salt being used to about a wagon load of clover. In that section of country, it was never considered fit to be cut until at least half the blossoms had turned brown and died. Another gentleman stated, that last year he had put in practice a plan that he had learned in Illinois, where it universally obtained. This was simply to carry the hay as it was cut and pack it green, taking care to salt the laj'ers as it was put up. Layers of straw, if it could be THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 195 conveniently had, were interposed between the layers of hay. Although in his experiment he had lost a small portion of the bottom of his heap, in consequence of his having packed it too clw by trampling, the balance was cured in a very superior manner, and he was satisfied, that when properly conducted, it was the very best and cheapest mode of curing clover hay. The better to settle the various questions that arose both with respect to the corn and hay, particular members were selected by the Club, and requested to institute a set of experiments the next season, and report the result as soon as practicable. From the character of the indivi- duals selected, we hope hereafter to obtain infor- mation that will go far to set at rest the contra- dictory opinions on these subjects, which now divide the agricultural world. EFFECTS OF SOAP-SUDS ON CABBAGES. I believe it will be a thankless piece of ser- vice for one gardener to teach another how to grow cabbages and cauliflowers, yet as these crops of vegetables have failed this season in various parts of the country, the following no- tice may perhaps, be of use to our cottage read- ers. Wherever soap-suds have been used plen- tifully, cabbages and cauliflowers have grown luxuriantly. I have made several inquiries of others who have used them, and in no one in- stance have I heard of a failure where soap-suds have been applied. I intend to try them over brocoli, to see if they will prevent them from clubbing. Others may do so likewise, and make known the results. Whether the alkali in the water has prevented the enemy from destroying the roots, or given the roots more vigor to resist the attack, 1 do not know ; but one thing is cer- tain — where such matter has been applied, it ha3 produced the most beneficial results. I think cottagers may take a lesson from this, and save that which would nourish their lan- guishing crop, for it is a pity to see a pool of filthy water polluting the neighborhood with its stench ; while, within a few yards of it, the ve- getables of a garden are dying of starvation. Gardener's Chronicle. COTTON AND FLAX. The following is extracted from a letter from a friend in Lunenburg. We shall be obliged to any of our readers who will furnish the infor- mation required : " I have been an attentive reader of your va- luable paper from its earliest infancy to the pre- sent moment, but I have never seen the first hint about the cultivation of cotton or flax, two (I think) very important crops, at least, I think every farmer ought to make enough to clothe his negroes ; it can be spun and wove at such times as the women could not be otherwise pro- fitably employed. Will you get some of your numerous correspondents to give us some prac- tical information concerning cotton and flax? and oblige, &c. R. H. Allen. TO PREVENT THE RAVAGES OF FOWLS. On a visit lately to a friend, whose wife is an excellent manager, our attention was attracted to a device by which the lady managed to se- cure her flowers, to which she is devoted, from the ravages of her fowls, to which her husband and children are devoted. Around the yard en- closure, from post to post, about twelve inches above the tops of the palings, a small wire was extended. Barn-yard fowls are not very aspir- ing birds, and seldom attempt a flight higher than necessary to accomplish their object. The imperceptible wire, therefore, operates as a com- plete rebutter to their attempts to skim the paling .tops, and the unexpected check forever quiets the aspiring hopes of their vaulting ambition. This plan, which might be extended to the garden as well as the yard, is the next best we know to that of a poultry-yard, in which the fowls are constantly confined. SWEET POTATOES FOR HOGS. It is generally admitted, that our sweet pota- toes constitute an excellent article of food for hogs, and it is well known too, that few plants yield a greater amount of nutritious matter to the acre. Heretofore, however, planters have generally neglected to avail themselves of the advantages of this crop for their stock. It is true, if the potatoes are to be dug and thrown to the hogs, the planter loses much valuable la- bor from his crop, at a very important season. But this is not necessary; by making the pota- to patch long and narrow, (say a half or a fourth acre wide,) and a few hours labor once a week in running a cross fence, a stock of hogs may be kept fat from the first of August until the pea fields are open, with very little expense. — For example, let him run a low fence across, so as to cut off a small portion of the patch and turn his hogs on this. While they are consum- ing the vines and roots on this portion, the pota- toes in the other part are still growing undis- turbed. When this portion has been eaten out entirely, let the planter have his cross fence 196 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, moved up a little farther, and thus give his hogs access to a fresh portion of the potato field. — This plant, we think, commends itself to the attention of planters on several accounts. The cheapness of the food ; its being ready for use at an important season for pushing forward young hogs, (and nearly every southern planter kills his hogs young,) the greater amount of pork it enables him to raise, and the less corn it requires in the fall to make his hogs fully fat. — And we may add to these, that every hog is thus made to gather his own harvest. The cheapness of this article of food, (when the labor of harvesting is saved,) certainly cannot be questioned. For from two to four hundred bushels of roots, besides the vines, per acre, is no small amount of nutritious matter for the la- bor bestowed in culture. If any one needs to be convinced that August is an important month for pushing forward hogs that are to be killed in the fall, let him try to fatten a very poor hog ; he will eat more than his bacon will be worth. And, in fact, a year old that has been kept poor until the pea fields are open, will yield very little bacon. This plan enables the planter to keep his hogs fat and growing rapidly from the first of August until killing time. For by the time the potatoes are fully eaten out, the pea fields may be opened, and by the time they are done and the hogs confined ten days on corn, to har- den the fat, the weather will probably be cold enough to kill. And here another advantage is gained. For the most successful curers of ba- con we know, all agree that the earlier you can kill your hogs, the surer you are to have your bacon free from bugs in the summer. — Planter. GUANO. Upon the South American shore of the Pa- cific Ocean and the adjacent islands, is found a substance called Guano, which is supposed to be the accumulated dung of birds, that in count- less myriads range that extensive coast, seeking their prey in the finny tribe of the great ocean. The fertilizing effects of the article are well known to the Peruvians, and have induced its transportation six thousand miles to the shores of England. Occasionally for the last twenty years, a ship load would find its way to the English ports, and although, perhaps, the pro- duction is too limited, and the cost of transpor- tation too great, to permit it ever to become an extensive article of commerce, its extraordinary fertilizing properties render it a subject of ex- treme interest to the inquiring agriculturist. It sells in England for about five dollars the hun- dred weight, and from two to four hundred weight is used to the acre, One bushel is reckoned to be equal to thirty or forty of the best rotted stable dung. This product has been analyzed, and its constituents have been found to consist of those salts, which modern discovery has shown to be most instrumental in aiding the growth of vegetable products. Indeed, so ex- actly does this substance seem adapted for the purpose to which it is applied, that an attempt has been made to produce it by an artificial com- bination of its constituents ; and it is yet hoped that this attempt will lead to a chemical com- position, that will afford us an artificial manure with all the properties of the guano, at a much lower price than the natural product can be im- ported. When this article is fresh, it is said to be of a light greyish color, but exposure soon gives it a brownish cast. It probably only ex- cels the dung of our pigeons and domestic fowls, because of the animal food from which it is ela- borated. A ship load of guano was lately brought into the port of Baltimore, where it was sold at seven cents a pound ; a friend, who hap- pened to be in the city at the time, was kind enough to bring us a little box of it, a part of which was applied to some geraniums and other plants by way of experiment. Much as we had heard of its marvellous effects we were asto- nished at the .magical result upon our flower bed. We are yet groping in the dark upon the subject of agriculture, but a spirit of inquiry is awakened that we are satisfied will never slum- ber until the most astonishing and most satisfac- tory results are obtained. From the Farmers' Cabinet. FLORICULTURE. An intelligent friend, long accustomed to the pursuits of floriculture, and remarkably fortunate in raising plants from seed and cuttings, attri- butes his success, in a great measure, to the plan he has invariably adopted, which is, to keep his plants as near the level of the ground as possible; the windows of his kitchen affording him the best situation for striking cuttings, &c; after which come his parlor windows, and then those of his first floor ; but above this, his plants never flourish. And the cause for this, he con- siders perfectly plain and natural ; for at, and near the surface of the earth, there is always a degree of moisture floating in the atmosphere ; but above, it is wanting ; while the altitude of a third story, or an attic, is dry and unfriendly to vegetation. When the season arrives for the removal of THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 197 his plants from the house to the open air, he is careful not to set the pots on bricks or a pave- ment, for these are continually extracting mois- ture from the earth in the pots, and in hot wea- ther th° roots of the plants are thereby scorched and dV'.ed up. He places them on the earth, and in watering, pours some between ihem, and thus the pots are kept moist and cogI during the hottest day. It is a fact, that no where have I seen finer plants than his ; nor do I know any one who can raise them with such certainty and with so little trouble or difficulty: and believing that the hint may be valuable to many of your readers, particularly to those whose labors in floriculture are chiefly confined to the house, it is communicated, in the hope that they will re- ciprocate, if in their power so to do. S. Dale. For the Southern Planter. GATE. Mr. Editor, — You have furnished us a great deal of valuable practical matter in the " Planter" upon the subject of gates, but I do not think you have quite exhausted the subject, and there- fore beg that you will re-publish the cut and de- scription that I have marked in the number of the "United States Farmer," that I got from your office a few days since. I think the prin- ciple an admirable one, but will be glad if you will accompany the article with such comments as your better judgment may suggest. Your obedient servant, A. G. S * * * * *. We have turned to the article referred to, and complied with the request of our correspondent by putting the cut in the hands of the engraver. "A circular piece of plank six or eight inches in diameter, grooved after the manner of a pul- ley wheel, is nailed or firmly attached horizon- tally to the top of the heel po3t of the gate, in such a manner that its centre shall be exactly in the axi.s of the gate. To the inner side of this circular piece, (the gate being supposed to open outwards,) in the groove, a rope or chain is attached, which passes over a small pulley fastened to the back part of the gate post, sus- pending a weight sufficient to swing the gate together. It is evident, that if the circular piece be six inches in diameter, the gate may be opened to its fullest extent without raising the weight more than a foot." This is an ingenious, although not entirely novel arrangement ; we have seen the same plan adopted for small yard gates, where it works very admirably, and certainly is the neat- est and least inconvenient form in which a weight can be applied to keeping a gate shut. In a farm gate, a latch would also be necessary to prevent stock from pushing it open. But the weight here answers a double purpose ; it not only keeps the gate shut, but it balances the gate and tends to keep the heel post in an up- right position; so that if the balance of the 19S THE SOUTHERN PLANTER gate is securely braced to this post, it will be prevented from swagging. We have no doubt it is well worthy the fanner's attention. EXPERIMENTS IN COAL ASHES. We applied coal ashes in the drill, mixed with the soil, for turnips, on a moist, clayey soil, and the crop in drills thus dressed was nearly twice as much as in drills without any dressing. For each peck of ashes we got nearly three pecks extra turnips. Our memorandum is not at hand, but we think about one peck was applied to a drill about three rods in length. The effect was precisely like that of wood ashes. We used coal ashes, plaster, and salt, mixed on a light, gravelly soil, for turnips, and they increased the crop nearly one half. Which ingredient was most beneficial, we know not. We used coal ashes on a light sandy soil for potatoes, and per- ceived no effect, excepting the potatoes were more smooth, being protected from the worms. A gardener once showed us the effects of coal ashes. He had potatoes very fair and smooth in a garden where they used to be much injured by the worms before the use of ashes. He found that the grass grew in and around a path which was a disadvantage in wet weather, or when the dew was on, and to prevent this he covered the path a few inches deep with coal ashes, and in consequence the grass grew far more luxuriantly than before. In a low place coal ashes had been thrown to fill up, till it was fifteen or eighteen inches deep ; in this soil, composed wholly of coal ashes, potatoes and beans were growing very luxuriantly. Boston Cultivator. LIME. Doctors Dana and Jackson, of Massachu- setts, both of whom are celebrated for their at- tainments in agricultural chemistry, have under- taken to respond to some inquiries, from an ano- nymous writer, as to the action of lime upon the soil, and especially as to its agency in pre- venting the growth of sorrel. They both ex- press the opinion that when properly applied it neutralizes the acid from which the sorrel springs. Dr. Dana says, that when the lime bears only a small proportion to the acid, a super-oxylate is formed that rather promotes thari prevents the growth of sorrel. When a thick coating of lime, even a pile, is laid on the surface, but a small portion of it enters the soil and unites with the acid, probably just enough to form the super-oxylate and promote the growth of sorrel ; consequently, it is not surprising to see sorrel growing luxuriantly through such a pile. From Dr. Jackson's remarks upon this sub- ject, we make the following extracts : " It is not contended that lime alone is capable of conferring fertility upon a barren sandy plain, or that it will meet every possible case. It will, however, do much more than is generally known, when employed in a proper manner, by skilful hands. Its principal use with the farmer should be as a chemical agent in decomposing his com- posts, so as to render them fit for immediate use. I have advised the farmers generally in this pri- mary region, so poor in calcareous matter, to mix into their composts of peat or swamp muck and barn-yard manure, which have stood one winter, a bushel of recently slacked lime to a wagon load of the compost, while digging it over in the spring, preparatory to spreading it on the soil. So far as I have heard, the result of this experiment has been universally favora- ble, and in all the cases where I have personally directed the operations, it has proved satisfacto- ry. A much larger proportion of lime may be advantageously employed than what I have above mentioned, but even that small quantity produces a very good effect. " Top dressing with lime is liable to many objections, which do not present themselves when the lime is put into the compost, and thus at once neutralized. Top dressing with lime requires several years to make manifest its ac- tion, and it is not certain to act favorably, unless there is already a sufficiency of organic manures in the soil, for it to act upon. "So long as lime is attracting carbonic acid from the atmosphere, it must act unfavorably on growing plants, but when this ceases and the acids generated in the soil by the decay of ve- getable matters begin to act on the carbonate of lime, then a very favorable influence is perceived, from the disengagement of carbonic acid gas, and the formation of the organic acid salts of lime. " Owing to this fact being overlooked, we have had much erroneous statistics on the use of lime as a manure, or amendment." GAPES IN CHICKENS. The following is an extract of a letter received from a friend in Caroline : "In writing to you, it will probably not be amiss to communicate a fact which will be of some interest to the lovers of fried chickens. — Some of my neighbors have entirely prevented, and others have speedily cured that destructive malady, the gapes in their chickens, by mixing a small quantity of spirits of turpentine in their food. From five to ten drops, added to a pint of meal to be made into dough, are the propor- tions used. I have no doubt of the universal THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 199 and certain success of the remedy, relying, as I do, upon the character of those who have com- municated it to me. Yours, Benj'n Anderson." TO PREVENT DECAY OF WOOD. Take twelve ounces of rosin and eight ounces of roll brimstone, each coarsely powdered, and three gallons of train-oil. Heat them slowly, gradually adding four ounces of beeswax, cut in small bits. Frequently stir the liquor, which, as soon as the solid ingredients are dissolved, will be fit for use. What remains unused, will become solid on cooling, and may be re melted on subsequent occasions. When it is fit for use, add as much Spanish brown, or red or yel- low ocre, or any color you want, first ground fine in some of the oil, as will give the shade you want : then lay it on with a brush as hot and thin as you can ; some days after the first coat is dried, give it a second. It will preserve plank for ages, and keep the weather from driv- ing through brick-work. Common white paint may be used on top of it, if required, for the sake of appearance. Two coats should always be given ; and in all compound machinery, the separate parts should be so varnished, before they are put together ; after which, it will be prudent to give a third coating to the joints, or to any other part which is peculiarly exposed to the action of moisture ; such as water-shoots, flood-gates, the beds of carts, the tops of posts, and all timber which is near, or within the ground. Each coat should be dry before the parts are joined, or the last coat applied. The composition should be applied when the wood is perfectly dry. It is necessary to mention that compositions made of hot oil, should, for the sake of security, be heated in metalic vessels in the open air. For when oil is brought to the boiling point, or 600° of Fahrenheit, the vapor catches fire : and though a lower degree of tem- perature should be used in this process, it is not always possible to regulate the heat, or to pre- vent the overflowing of the materials ; in either of which cases, were the melting performed in a house, fatal accidents might happen. — Archives of Useful Knowledge. CULTIVATION OF THE RASPBERRY. The plants are frequently set out in light and poor soils, crowded together, left untrimmed, choked up with a profuse growth of weak sterns, and what little fruit they produce is nearly dried up, from the arid situation in which they are placed. On the contrary, in cool, deep, and moist .soils, in a sheltered and partially shaded place, the plants throw up suckers to the height of six or eight feet, and produce a profusion of large, handsome, and well flavored berries. So well assured are the most eminent English cul- tivators of the raspberry, of its love of a cool and moist soil, that some writers have strenu- ously recommended the .use of bog earth and rotten leaves, in the place of the richest loam. We are well assured that the many complaints which are made of the meager produce of many raspberry plantations may be attributed wholly to the light and droughty soils in which they are often planted? A cool aspect is of material consequence, and to secure this the north side of a fence or trellis, which will form a screen from the sun, is the most favorable ; on the north side of a shrubbe- ry or row of fruit trees is also a suitable place. If neither of these situations is to be had, an open spot in the garden may be chosen, always being careful to avoid the south or east side of a fence. A temporary shade may be effected in the open garden by planting a row of run- ning beans on the south side. — Hovtrfs Mag. For the Southern Planter. Richland, July 27, 1843. Mr. Editor, — In conformity with a resolution of the joint meetings of the two agricultural clubs of Mecklenburg County, I transmit to you for publication a copy of the proceedings of their first annual meeting, held on the 4th of July, at Cabin Point. With many good wishes for the success of your valuable paper, and for the cause of agri- culture, I am, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Henry E. Lockett. Cabin Point, July 4, 1843. At a meeting of the two agricultural clubs of Mecklenburg County, held this day, pursuant to a previous arrangement, on motion of Richard Boyd, Esq., A. C. Morton was called to the chair, and H. E. Lockett appointed Secretary. After the meeting was duly organized, the President, Anderson C. Morton, rose, and in his peculiar, and forcible style, delivered to an atten- tive audience an address, characterized through- out with sound and practical good sense and a thorough and intimate knowledge of the subject on which he treated. It may with truth be said that they were for- tunate indeed, who had so good an opportunity of being profited by his experience as an agri- culturist, and his ability as a writer. On motion it was resolved, unanimously, by the two clubs, that the President be requested to forward a copy of his address to the Editor of the Southern Planter, and that he be requested to publish it. 200 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. On motion, Resolved, That Dr. Tingnal Jones, Hon. William O. Goode, Capt. H. E. Lockett, Richard Boyd, Esq. and Richard Russell, Esq., be appointed a Committee to draft an address to the Farmers and Planters of Mecklenburg, re- spectfully requesting and urging them to form agricultural clubs or associations for the purpose of promoting the improvement of the land, and all the interests of agriculture, and inviting them to unite with us in our annual meetings, and in such other efforts as may be (Jeemed necessary for the advancement of these objects. On motion of Dr. Jones, Resolved, That the President be added to the Committee. In accordance with the above resolution the Committee, after retiring a short time, presented themselves, and through their chairman, A. C. Morton, reported the following address, which was adopted : To the Farmers and Planters of Mecklenburg : Gentlemen, — The undersigned have been ap- pointed a Committee to address you on a sub- ject they deem of general interest and impor- tance. A few of your fellow-citizens have as- sociated themselves in clubs for the purpose of promoting agricultural improvement, and they flatter themselves that their plan, if carried gen- erally into effect, will be of great practical uti- lity. The clubs contain each a dozen members, who hold monthly meetings on the farms of the members, and dine always at the house of the member on whose farm they meet. At these meetings they inspect the farm, applaud what they consider praiseworthy, condemn what they regard as erroneous in practice, and discuss such agricultural subjects as may be agreed on or brought incidentally before them. This plan is well calculated to inform the members as to the best modes of cultivation, and of managing all the various departments of the farm, and to promote those social feelings which ought to be cultivated in every neighbor- hood. We are well persuaded that no more ef- ficient plan could be put in operation, and we have reason to believe that although our exist- ing clubs are but of recent origin, good has al- ready been effected by them. We are desirous to see the attention of the agriculturists of every section of the county directed to these important objects, and respectfully invite them to form si- milar clubs, and unite with us in our annual meetings and such other efforts as may be deemed best calculated to promote the objects in view. We deem it superfluous to use arguments to prove, that the situation of our portion of Vir- ginia requires united efforts in the cause of agri- culture. Every field proclaims in language stronger than any we can use, the necessity of exertions to stay the hand of the destroyer. We are favored by Heaven with a naturally fruitful soil, a healthy and delightful climate, and every other natural advantage to stimulate us to ex- ertion. All that is wanting is to rouse the people to examine into this subject and make such efforts as* its importance merits, and the tide of im- provement will roll in its fertilizing waters until every waste place shall become as a garden, and " the desert bud and blossom as the rose." Come up, then, gentleman, and give us the '•' right hand of fellowship," in this cause. We shall be delighted to hear of the institution of clubs all over the county, and shall hail them as harbingers of the rapid improvement of agricul- ture throughout its borders, and would gladly meet all such clubs in general meetings, to be held annually on the "fourth day of July," and unite with thejn in every measure that promises to promote the improvement of our soil, and the advancement of the general interests of agri- culture. The two clubs here assembled, through us invite and urge you to form your clubs, and will hold themselves in readiness to meet you at any central point that may be agreed on, and concert such measures as may be deemed of general interest by such annual meetings. Tingnal Jones, "1 William O. Goode, Henrv E. Lockett I Commto Richard Lsoyd, Richard Russell, A. C. Morton, J Cabin Point, July 4, 1843. On motion of Mr. Williamson, Resolved, That the records of the proceedings of each club, with the reports of investigating committees for the ensuing year, be produced at the next annual meeting for general inspection. On motion of Mr. Haskins, Resolved, That Capt. Henry E. Lockett be appointed to read the Declaration of the Ame- rican Independence, and that the Hon. William O. Goode be invited to attend and deliver an ad- dress at the next annual meeting. On motion of Mr. Richard Boyd, Resolved, That a copy of the proceedings of this meeting be transmitted to the Editor of the Southern Planter, with the request that it be published. On motion, the meeting adjourned, to meet at this place at 10 o'clock on the 4th day of July, 1844. A. C. Morton, President. Henry E. Lockett, Secretary. This is certainly a most novel and interesting mode of celebrating the fourth of July, and to a community of farmers none could be more ap- propriate. We can scarcely resist the desire we THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 20 L feel to comply with the request of the Club, backed as it is by the intrinsic excellence of the production, to give Dr. Morton's address entire to the public ; but the nature and limits of our work admonish us that we must be content to confinL ourselves to such portions of this elo- quent production, as are most strictly of an agri- cultural character. Upon the benefit of agri- cultural association the Doctor with great point and force, remarks : "All great objects are effected by similar com- binations. Would you construct a railroad, open a canal, establish a bank, your individual con- tributions would be brought up to raise a fund for the purpose, and what individual strength could not accomplish, your collective force would easily achieve ; and each individual would share in the profits in proportion to the amount of his investment. But in agricultural associations, when each one contributes his mite of informa- tion, we have at once a common fund or capital, whence each one ma} 7 not only draw the whole amount of his investment, but may appropriate to his own use the whole capital stock of the whole company, and yet leave that capital not only undiminished, but rapidly augmenting. — We must not be content to appropriate this va- luable capital to our exclusive use. Sharing it with our neighbors and countrymen cannot ex- haust it j like the widow's cruise, the more we dispense from it, the more rapidly will it be re- plenished." To arrest the tide of emigration, the Doctor makes the following eloquent appeal: " Emigration, like a blight, has thinned our ranks. What but bad tillage and neglect of our lands has entailed this evil upon us? The father, as a consequence of the destructive abuse of his native soil, seldom enjoys the reflection, that the home of his youth, of his manhood, and of his old age, is to be the home of his off- spring, or that the bones of the generation that succeeds him, who have been his solace in life, in death, will repose by his side. Too often, alas ! he finds that his own reckless waste of bis patrimonial soil has driven them even in his lifetime to seek in the wilds of the West an asy- lum from poverty and want, and in all probabi- lity, whilst they wander there, the last sad offi- ces due from his beloved ones, are left to stranger hands. This should not be. Thus has Virginia been robbed of her hardy yeomanry and the brightest gems and flowers of her population to fill up other lands, to people other nations ; her glory has departed with them ; while her spa- cious fields, her widening deserts, where howl the wolf and herd the wild deer, might still have been the home of her departed sons. Vol. ITT. — 26 " Shall this unhappy state of things continue 1 Shall the plea of necessity still carry off those who might adorn the public or the private sta- tion ? Shall the listening senates of other lands admire and applaud, while their halls ring with the eloquence of Virginia's expatriated sons? — Shall the young West cast the world in shade by the greatness of her statesmen and the brightness of her historic page, and all this at the expense of this their mother country ; and shall nothing be done to stay the destructive tide? Improved modes of agriculture might have prevented this ; the tide may yet be rolled back. It is you and such as you ; it is the pa- triot hearts of Mecklenburg, of old Virginia, that must come up to the rescue. It is the cause of our country, of our public and private interests, of our native soil, of our beloved old Common- wealth. The happiness of the family circle, of the social bond, is at stake. Let family then unite with family, friend with friend, farmer with farmer, club with club, in the great work. Our lands still possess the elements of fertility ; they are only crippled, not killed. Industry and en- terprise, guided by intelligence and skill, with the stimulating the enlightening, the reviving influence of social combinations, will do much towards the great work of restoring them to their original fertility, and raising the Old Do- minion again to her high and enviable position among the nations of the earth. Ought not every patriot to aspire to this? Should not every good citizen labor for it ? I may be deemed an enthusiast in this interesting subject, but I glory in such enthusiasm. " My grey hairs admonish me that I am growing old, but I hope to live yet long enough to see, under the influence of the redeeming spirit of the age, guided by the intelligence and enterprise of the great body of our agriculturists, this whole county clothed in new garments; the meadow, instead of the broom field, fattening grasses for pasturage, instead of the poor and impoverishing natural weeds and herbage, and* the merry whistling ploughman coming home at eve rejoicing in the prospect of the plenteous fruits of his labor, instead of the dull, cheerless wight, who is ever haunted with dreams of cat- tle on the lift, jaded teams, and starvation, oi? the West. " We have seen in the progress of the last five or six years ample encouragement to press on. I, for one, will not be discouraged. I am resolved to do all I can, not only at home, but wherever I go, in forwarding the great woik of improvement, and I feel assured, gentlemen, that you will join heart and hand with me in this laudable pledge, and that you, equally with me, look forward to the day when our fields shall bring, instead of three, four and five for one, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred for one." 202 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, If every neighborhood could boast of an in- dividual possessed of the intelligence, the zeal, and the warm-hearted devotion of the author of this address ; of one, who would strengthen his precept by example, and by ocular proof demon- strate the advantages of an improved system of husbandry, how easy would it be to satisfy the public mind that the hidden resources of our State, much as they have been wasted, are not yet exhausted, and that upon no portion of the world has Providence more liberally bestowed its bounties, than upon the land of our nativity. CURE FOR WHAT IS CALLED A RUN- ROUND ON THE FINGER. That disease of the finger or toe, which is commonly called a run-round, may be easily cured by a remedy so simple that persons who have not tried it are generally incredulous as to its efficacy. The first symptoms of the com- plaint are heat, pain, swelling, and redness at the top of the nail. The inflammation, if not checked very soon, goes round the whole of the nail, causing intense pain, accompanied by a gathering of yellow matter, which, as soon as it appears, should be punctured or opened by a needle, not waiting till it has extended its pro- gress ; otherwise the finger will become exces- sively sore and intolerably painful, and the nail will eventually come off. All this may be pre- vented at once, if as soon as the swelling and inflammation begin, the finger is laid flat on a table, and the nail scratched all over (first length- ways and then crossways,) with the sharp point of a pair of scissors or of a penknife, so as to scratch up the whole surface of the nail, leaving it rough and white. This little operation will not give the slightest pain, and we have never known it fail in stopping the progress of the disease ; all symptoms of which will disappear by next day. We have proved its efficacy by experience, and believe that every person who has tried it has found it a positive cure, if done before matter begins to appear; and even then it will generally succeed if that part of the ga- thering which has assumed a yellow color is first opened with a needle and the nail afterwards thoroughly scratched all over with the point of the scissors. — Miss Leslie. PROGNOSTICATIONS OF THE WEATHER. A friend of ours, a captain in the United States navy, has handed us the following table for foretelling the weather, which he says he has consulted for twenty years in different lati- tudes in America, and has generally found it to be relied upon. It was originally composed by that eminent astronomer, the elder Herschel, and added to somewhat by the late Dr. Adam Clarke. A knowledge of the weather a few days in advance, is of considerable consequence to the farmer, and especially during harvest- time ; and we should be glad if our readers would make their observations in accordance with these tables, and give us any information that they may happen to possess on this inte- resting topic. A Table for Foretelling the Weather, THROUGH ALL THE LUNATIONS OF EACH YEAR, forever. — This table, and the accompanying remarks, are the result of many years' actual observation; the whole being constructed on a due consideration of the attraction of the sun and the moon, in their several positions respect- ing the earlh, and will, by simple inspection, show the observer what kind of weather will most probably follow the entrance of the moon into any of its quarters, and that so near the truth, as to be seldom or never found to fail. If the new moon, the first quarter, the full moon, Dr thel ist quarter, happens tdtd to tdtd >W td td co td td a o CD CD CD c* CD CD CD CD CD CD e-t- £3" I 4 3 to 3 1 < 3 ? < CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD g CO CD CD CD CD q CD CD CD CD CD CD P P P 3 P c£ P P 3 3 3 P K c° 0J >£.. W o t-L GO Oi rf^ CO cd r^ 3 3 B o P P 3 3 pa p P P 3 3 o o p P p B P P 3 3 O p. to P p !_, -P° o tojp P P 3? P? CD CD p CD -J P p — . ~- CD CD 3 3 O o ►tip • o 3 _0 3 o >-1 3 o 3 3 3 2. « 3 3 p p- S > o H 3 P P o p 3 P, p_ 5" 3' 3" DO O O O O o J3 O O 3 i 3 5' cp Oq 0=5 CR 5" a p *^f**. W3 %a r»^* *3 < *] O 3 P< P !330 -=3 E. S* P g p P" CD CD s. CD c CD p- p CD- P o b'P- £. 3^ ~3 m , - because his opponent's lever has been shortened by his new position : and this, as is demon- strated by "the drawing and explanation, in conse- quence of the points of draft, (a) and (b), not being in the same straight line with the point of attach- ment. ('). For the Southern Planter. MEDITERRANEAN OR FLY-PROOF WHEAT Mr. Editor, — The best wheat for seed, being one of the proper subjects for discussion in your journal, 1 beg leave to call the attention of its numerous readers to that kind known as the Mediterranean or fly-proof. Samples of this va- riety came frequently under my notice last year, and in this and in every instance, presented an unfavorable appearance ; being dark and dull in complexion, and long and irregular in shape ; in short, the reverse in every respect of the sound, plump, and bright variety known as the Red May. I regard the Mediterranean as being ! in every particular a coarse wheat, and totally j unfit for the manufacture of flour of a superior J grade. In saying this, I acknowledge that I ; speak of it from appearance only, never having ! had it tested by grinding ; but to this test I shall submit it, if opportunity permits, and re- port to you in time for your next number. The ■ impression 1 now have in regard to this wheat, led me to believe that no experienced buyer in this market, would purchase it, except at a re- duction of ten to twenty cents per bushel from the current value of other kinds. Mr. John England, Flour Inspector of this city, and a practical miller of high reputation, has examined samples, and condemns it as unfit for Richmond flour. This Mediterranean wheat has recently been highly recommended in this neighborhood for its astonishing productiveness, and 1 have no doubt it has merited in particular instances all that has been said of it ; but if the inference be drawn from particular instances that such is its general character, I am sure far- 214 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. mers will find themselves mistaken. I can assert upon the authority of Dr. Gaines, of Powhite, Hanover, that last year he sowed two kinds of wheat, the Red May, and Mediterranean, and from his experiment, he decides in favor of the superior quality and greater productiveness of the former, and the latter he will not sow again. He offers it for seed, not upon his own, but upon the recommendation of others. On this subject I expect to collect further information, which shall be communicated through your pages in good time. Very respectfully, &c. R. B. Haxall. This fly-proof wheat is an old acquaintance ; two years ago, we obtained and sold in this market a large quantity of the seed . at a very extravagant price, and we are now authorised to sell a crop at a much lower rate. But inde- pendent of Mr. Haxall's opinion, which would be potential with us and with all who know him, we had begun to consider it pretty much an exploded humbug. At any rate, those who purchased it in 1841 seemed to esteem it very little in 1842. It has obtained a good deal of notoriety this year from a crop made by Mr. John Poe, in this vicinity. Mr. Poe informed us, that, sowed side by side with the common varieties, it proved itself to be extremely hardy and vigorous throughout its growth, being free from fly and rust, and nearly twice as productive as any other kind he had ever cultivated. This, however, is by far the most favorable account we have had of it. When Mr. Haxall handed us the above, con- sidering that his interest was identical with that of the farmer, and that his great experience in the milling business must have made him fami- liar with the different varieties, we asked him what kind of wheat he would recommend to the farmers of Virginia. He gave the preference decidedly to the Red May. This is, as its name imports, an early variety, and is a great favorite with Mr. John Watkins, of Ampthill, whose name it sometimes bears. It comes to maturity two weeks earlier than other kinds, and thereby, of late years, has generally, in a measure, escaped both fly and rust. It is a tender wheat, and somewhat liable to be winter killed ; it should, therefore, be sowed always on strong land, and seeded thick, probably not less than two bushels to the acre. Mr. Haxall states, that it is the heaviest, and thereby the most productive, wheat that has ever passed through his mill ; it is not unusual to find, it weighing from Bixty-six to sixty-eight, and he is yet to see the first bushel that weighs less than sixty. The quality of the grain is very superior. We have no doubt, seed of this valuable variety can be obtained from Mr. Watkins, probably at the mill price. — The Mediterranean, or fly- proof, we are au- thorised to sell at $1 25 a bushel. SIGNS OF THE TIMES. More will be done for the cause of agricul- ture in the next twenty years than has been ac- complished in the thousands that have preceded them. There are many evidences of the fact, that the public mind is awakening, not only to the importance of this fundamental art, but to the field of discovery it opens to the speculator and the philosopher. At this time of day, the press is the best index to the cunent of the public mind, and this is teeming with work upon work on the practice and science of agriculture. That art, which was formerly considered almost beneath the dignity of a "book," is now in danger of being overwhelmed beneath the pile of learning that the press is showering on it. — We have just received from the publisher, Mr. D. K. Minor, a neat volume of 280 pages, con- taining a re-publication of five lectures delivered by Mr. J. F. W. Johnston, " On the Improve- ment of the Soil by Mechanical and Chemical Means." This is a part of a series on " The Applications of Chemistry and Geology to Agri- culture," which has won for its author a most enviable reputation amongst the farmers of Eng- land. We have not had time to examine the contents of this volume, but we see that it meets with the unqualified approbation of the press both in this country and in Europe: the 16th lecture, particularly, on " The Use of Lime as a Manure," has been pronounced to be the best treatise on the subject extant. The publisher has proposed to send us a few copies for sale, which at the extremely low price at which they are offered, Z\\ cents a copy, cannot fail to find a ready market. We have at our office a number of the Pic- torial Times, London, containing an illustrated description of the meeting and dinner of the Royal Agricultural Society at Derby : it is well calculated to impart an idea of the magnificent scale upon which these things are conducted in Great Britain, and we think the ideas of some THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 215 of our friends may be considerably enlarged by an examination of its pages. We are much indebted to the Editor of the "Agriculturist" for the courtesy which prompted the transmis- sion of this number, and shall rejoice in any opportunity to reciprocate his kindness. SOWING WHEAT. An impression prevails that our wheat is gen- erally too thinly seeded, and that much larger crops would be the result of a freer use of grain. Captain Barclay, the intelligent Scotchman who made an agricultural tour of the United States in 1841, earnestly urged upon Mr. Marx, whose farm he visited in this vicinity, to increase his allowance to four bushels an acre, the quantity usually given by British farmers. He thought the liability to winter killing in this country, made even a greater allowance desirable. We find an editorial on this subject in the last number of the "American Farmer," which, with all our respect for the wisdom and expe- rience of its conductor, we must be permitted to consider, in part, visionary and impracticable. — We allude especially to the advice, or sugges- tion, as the Editor modestly terms it, that, there is no necessity for delaying the sowing of wheat to avoid the fall attack of the fly, for, says he, if the progress of the insect be carefully watched, it may be taken in its p upa, or worm state, and mashed by passing a heavy roller over the field. We would suggest to our friend that his finger and thumb would constitute a much more effi- cient implement for the purpose, and that it re- quires a much "nicer fit" than a roller makes with the inequalities of ploughed ground, to mash a worm. After sobering down again to his usual style of practical wisdom, the Editor concludes with the following remarks, the excellence of which more than excuses this unwonted flight of ima- gination: " We would suggest that in every instance where wheat may be sown, that the ground un- dergo thorough preparation, and that all should consider deep ploughing and repeated harrow- ings essential operations. " We would advise, that if the land may not have been previously limed, that from five to ten busheLs of lime per acre be sown thereon, or an equal quantity of ashes. These quantities are small, but will be found sufficient for the uses of a season. And wherever wheat may be sown on a clover-lay, we would sow from two to four bushels of salt to the acre. "We would, by all means, be particular in the selection of good seed, having due regard to weight of grain, strength of straw, earliness of maturity, and quality of flour. " We would not have any wheat sown, with- out having it first thoroughly washed in pure water, and then soaked in a brine of salt that would bear an egg or potato, for twenty-four hours, which when taken out should be drained, and then dried in lime. We are the more par- ticular in insisting upon this mode of preparing seed wheat, because we have noticed many ac- counts of injury to the crops during the late sea- son from smut, a disease perfectly within the control of the wheat grower, and which can never occur but from culpable neglect, as the means we have pointed out, we do know, will prevent its occurrence. " While we are upon the subject, let us ad- vise all wheat growers to give to his land a bountiful allowance of seed, as should he fail to do this, the bare portions of his soil will call into being some of those numerous weeds, the seeds of which are always at hand, to occupy spots left by the neglect of the husbandman. — He that wants a clean field of wheat must fill that field with wheat plants. If he does not com- mit a sufficient quantity of seed to the earth, nature vnll not supply them, but she will supply a crop of pestilent xoeeds to rob his xoheat plants of their food, diminish his crop, and thus punish him for neglect of duty." RIVER MUD. We make the following extract from a letter received from Mr.J3. H. Magruder, of Albemarle: " While I am writing, I will state the result of an experiment I made in hauling river bank mud or deposite on sandy land. My farm is on the Rivanna River, and last October I hauled out 150 horse-cart loads on an acre and a quar- ter of very sandy land, which had never pre- viously borne a crop worth gathering. It was spread in the winter and ploughed in with a three-horse plough, and planted in com last spring. The result is, that the corn on this por- tion is now better than that on the land conti- guous to it, which has always produced a good crop. So that I fully agree with your corre- spondent, Richard G. Morris, in his estimate of the immense value of river bank deposite." MAKING FRUIT TREES. When you wish to procure young trees of a particular kind of fruit for transplanting, dig around the old tree until you come to a healthy, growing root, which cut off, and turn the end 216 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER of the detached portion out of the ground. It will produce shoots the first season, and in a few years bear fruit of the same kind as the pa- rent tree. For the Southern Planter. AGRICULTURAL APHORISMS. NO. v. Partly Copied. Annihilate the implements of husbandry which have been brought into existence in the course of a few hundred years, and the recollection of their uses, and starvation would be the conse- quence. So in a few hundred years from this time, the then inhabitants of the earth would starve on the practice of our present system of husbandry. We are all born in sight of the mountain of plenty, and all desirous of climbing to its sum- mit ; but let me tell you, that you can only do this by holding on to a plough or hoe handle. If you attempt to climb up by any other means, you will surely tumble. He who never attempts to climb up this mountain is a brute, he who attains half way, is a mart, and he who mounts the summit, is a hero. With him who has " learned enough," I claim no kin ; nor will I keep his company. Nature works for the agriculturist whilst he is sleeping ; who else can claim the benefit ? Equally sill}' is he who is killing his land, to fill his purse, with him who killed his goose to get the golden egg. We learn not so much by our own experience as by the experience of others ; and it is much easier to procure this by reading than by tra- velling. He who seeks more light the more he finds, and finds more the more he seeks, is worthy to be called a sage. You never saw a vulgar character disinterest- edly sensible of the value of time. Neatness begets order. He who assumes the air of patronage, should know, that unattended by delicacy, his services are affronts. Prejudice and conceit, are the offsprings of ignorance, and the great barriers to agricultural improvement. A cent expended in money or time, in the promulgation of agricultural knowledge, will add many dollars to the public stock. Those who exert themselves in the diffusion of agricultural knowledge, receive the approba- tion of all the real friends of their country. Nothing injures agriculture more than whim- sical novelties ; except bigoted adherence to old and bad habits. If you treat your land badly, it will return the compliment. Never plant on foul ground, to save a plough- ing, or on wet ground to save time. The best way to convert an agricultural bigot, is to put good examples before him, and be silent. If we make large crops at the expense of our land it becomes every year more evident that our apparent gain is real loss. Manure is to a farm, what daily food is to an animal ; it must be procured at any sacrifice. It is necessary often to be reminded of what we already know. Argus. Amherst, August, 1843. CHOOSING BEES. Place your ear close to the hive, and give it a tap : if the inmates give a short and sudden buzz, all is right ; but if it be a languid hum, or rather a purring sound, the hive must be re- jected, for the bees are weak. — Wrighton. CONTENTS OF NO. IX. Farmers' Clubs — Establishment of the Henrico Far- mers' Club, p. 193. Indian Corn — Different methods of cultivating, p. 193. Clover Hay — Various modes of curing, p. 194. Soap Suds — Their effect on cabbages, p. 195. Cotton and. Flax — Information as to the cultivation asked for, p. 195. Fowls — To keep them out of yards and gardens, p. 195. Sweet Potatoes — Recommended as food tor hogs, p. 195. Guano — Some account of it, p. 196. Floioers — Some suggestions relative to the cultivation of, p. 196. Gate — Another described, with a cut, p. 197. Coal Ashes — Experiments with, p. 198. Lime — Its action upon sorrel, p. 198. How it should be used, p. 198. Gapes in Chickens — To cure, p. 198. Wood — To prevent decay, p. 199. Raspberry — Remarks on the cultivation of, p. 199. Mecklenburg Club — Report from, p. 199. Association — Value of, p. 201. Emigration — Deprecated, p. 201. Run-Round — To cure, p. 202. Weather— To foretell, p. 202. Marl — Apparatus for testing described, with a cut, p. 203. Machinery — Can it be adapted to the art of agricul- ture'? p. 205. The Potato— -The history of, p. 206. Cattle — Proposition to establish standard of form, p. 206. Fish Ponds — Communication concerning, p. 208. Economy of Farming — A new work noticed, p. 208. Cabbages — To make them head during winter, p. 209. Corn — Mr. Tucker's mode of cultivating, p. 209. Cooking — Apparatus for cooking food for stock de- scribed, p. 211. Woollen Factory — Established in Richmond, p. 211. _ Comments— On. August number, p. 212. Bomrner's Manure — Inquiries, p. 213. Wheal — Mediterranean, p. 213. Johnson's Lectures — Noticed, p. 214. Wheat — Observations on sowing, p. 215. River Mud — Its value as manure, p. 215. Aphorisms — No. 5, p. 216. Bees — How to choose a hive, p. 216.