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  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  and 
  molasses 
  required 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  use, 
  and 
  some 
  to 
  

   spare 
  to 
  their 
  neighbors. 
  

  

  The 
  cane 
  is 
  obviously 
  becoming 
  gradually 
  acclimated, 
  

   and 
  may 
  at 
  no 
  distant 
  period 
  be 
  grown 
  advantageously 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  for 
  home 
  

   consumption. 
  

  

  The 
  sugar-mills 
  are, 
  of 
  course, 
  rude, 
  and 
  of 
  small 
  

   dimensions, 
  consisting, 
  in 
  fact, 
  of 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  

   rollers 
  for 
  grinding 
  the 
  cane, 
  which 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  seasoned 
  

   oak 
  timber, 
  and 
  stand 
  generally 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  air; 
  a 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  shed 
  suffices 
  for 
  a 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  kettles, 
  which 
  

   are 
  common 
  iron 
  ones, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  stock. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  of 
  these 
  mills 
  in 
  Pike 
  County, 
  and 
  as 
  

   many 
  in 
  Amite, 
  where 
  molasses 
  has 
  been 
  made. 
  In 
  

   Marion 
  County 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  eighteen 
  or 
  twenty, 
  and 
  

   several 
  in 
  Perry. 
  

  

  Should 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  army 
  worm 
  and 
  the 
  rot 
  

   continue 
  to 
  increase, 
  and 
  the 
  present 
  price 
  of 
  cotton 
  not 
  

   be 
  maintained, 
  the 
  period 
  is 
  not 
  remote, 
  perhaps, 
  when 
  

   the 
  cane 
  will, 
  to 
  considerable 
  extent, 
  supersede 
  the 
  culti- 
  

   vation 
  of 
  cotton 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  plantations 
  as 
  high 
  up 
  as 
  

   Natchez 
  or 
  Vicksburei;. 
  

  

  SWEET 
  POTATO— 
  BATATUS 
  EDULIS. 
  

  

  The 
  esteem 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  sweet 
  potato 
  is 
  held 
  may 
  

   be 
  estimated 
  by 
  the 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  produced, 
  

   4,742,000 
  bushels, 
  worth 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  millions 
  and 
  a 
  

   quarter 
  of 
  dollars, 
  being 
  the 
  crop 
  of 
  Mississippi 
  of 
  1849. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  this 
  esculent, 
  Mississippi 
  ranks 
  

   fourth 
  among 
  the 
  States 
  of 
  the 
  Union 
  ; 
  Georgia, 
  North 
  

   Carolina, 
  and 
  Alabama 
  only 
  excelling 
  her. 
  

  

  Five 
  varieties 
  are 
  cultivated 
  with 
  us, 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  

  

  