168 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



papers on ihe vegetable tallow tree (Valeria 

 Indica) of the Malabar and Canary coasts. 

 This tree, which has been fiirnred and described 

 by Rheede, is Ibund in ilio Wynaad and Bed- 

 nore districts, growinfi; abundanily both in the 

 interior and along the coasts, where it is called 

 the Piney, or Dammar-tree. It grows lo a great 

 size, and supplies excellenl wood. It also sup- 

 plies a varnish which is used on the coast in a 

 liquid stale : but, when dry, is commercially 

 termed cojoaZ and am'me. By boiling the seeds, a 

 fatty matter is obtained, which floats on the sur- 

 face, becomes solid, and somewhat resembles 

 tallow; being in its most important characters 

 intermediate between wax and tallow, and well 

 adapted in its properties, as a substitute lor com- 

 mon tallow, both in the manufacture of candles, 

 and likewise for many other purposes to which 

 the latter subtance is now exclusively applied. 

 This vegetable tallow emits no disagreeable smell 

 at any time ; therefore, when candles are made 

 of it, they have not that oft'ensive smell vvhich 

 attends common tallow candles. Dr. Bahington 

 placed a portion of this vegetable tallow in the 

 hands of a candle-manufacturer, who praised it 

 very highly ; he having succeeded in making 

 good candles of it, which came freely from the 

 mould. In 1825, it sold at Mangalore at two- 

 pence-halfpenny per pound. Some brought from 

 rndia, in January, 1838, sold (or £2. 4.s. Qd. per 

 hundred weight — nearly the price given for good 

 Russian tallow. Mr. Solly thought that if it could 

 be obtained at such a price as to admit of its being 

 imported as a substitute for common tallow, its 

 valuable and superior properties would soon obtain 

 it a market. Mr. S. Dyer, of the Madras Me- 

 dical Service, who had long resided at Telliclierry, 

 stated, that the tree will grow readily, even when 

 the branches are put into the ground ; and many 

 of the trees were planted on the roadsides in 

 Malabar, about twenty years since, a greater 

 period than is necessary to bring the tree generally 

 10 perfection. 



NORTHERN OPINIONS OF SOUTHERN AGRI- 

 CULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL PUBLICA- 

 TIO-NS. 



To the Editor of tlie Farmers' Register. 



Shreivsbury, JV. J., 2 mo. 19, 1841. 



Esteemed friend, — In reading the editorial 

 article on a common objection to agricultural peri- 

 odicals, as contained in the number of the Re- 

 gister just received, I was sorry to notice thy 

 opinion, (ibr such I must accept it, although stated 

 as a fact,) viz.: that nearly all the farmers north 

 of "Mason and Dixon's line" hold every thing 

 in and about southern agriculture, and agricultural 

 opinions, in supreme contempt. 



This is, indeed, a grave charge, and did we not 

 verily believe such an opinion of us to be errone- 

 ous, we should be inexcusable. The privilege 

 that I have had of associating with some of the 

 distinguished agriculturists in at least four of the 

 stales north of said line, emboldens me to deny it. 



Thou surely cannot be aware of the esteem 

 in which Ruffin's 'Essay on Calcareous Ma- 

 nures ' is held with us, to say nothing of ihe com- 

 pliments and praises (which thou calls 'unsub- 



stantial food') offered to 'Arator' and other 

 southern agricultur-al writers. 



I have estimated as a prominent advantage 

 attending farming, that of a freedom in good 

 measure from that petty and nairow-minded jea- 

 lousy of the success of others in the same line 

 which so commonly attaches to most other kinds 

 ol business. 



I am proud to say, that the disposition " to do 

 good and communicate,''' as relates to successful 

 modes of improving our practice, is, and I hope 

 will ahvays be, a leading feature of our craft. 



I pray that national, much more sectional feel- 

 ings, may never produce "supreme contempt" 

 lor the honest opinions or practice of one tiller of 

 Grod's earth, wherever his lot may be cast. 



Commending thee to a reconsideration of thy 

 remarks, and. more full inquiry as lo our lack of 

 fraternal regards, and if we are, indeed, alienated 

 from our southern brother farmers, bear with us, 

 we entreat ii of thee, and with our folly as pa- 

 tiently as may be, and trust to kindness, persua- 

 sion and forbearance, to win us back to the bonds 

 of good liillowship. Robert White, Jr. 



We receive the friendly and well-meant rebuke 

 of our correspondent, in a betlcr spirit than that 

 which prompted the hasty and too general ex- 

 pression of ours, which he censures. If the words 

 were to be taken literally and strictly, and without 

 any allowance /or the manner in which they were 

 brought in, we would admit, to the fullest extent, 

 that all the censure of our friend was deserved. 

 But while confessing the wrong of not having 

 mentioned, or referred to as existing, the excep- 

 tions lo the rule which we stated, we must still 

 maintain our opinion as generally, though certain- 

 ly not universally, and, without any exception, 

 true. We could present sundry striking proofs of 

 the very general disregard by northern agricultu- 

 rists, and agricultural journals, of southern agri- 

 culture, (even the most improved and admirable,) 

 and agricultural opinions, which would justify our 

 strong expression of this general opinion amount- 

 \n<f to evincing "supreme contempt." But the 

 evidences are not only uncalled lor, but would 

 be objectionable for very obvious reasons. But 

 though, in the rapidity of uttering a mere.inci- 

 dental and parenthetical remark, we stated the 

 general proposition, without referring to the ex- 

 ceptions, it certainly was not with any intention of 

 denying or concealing them, or because of under- 

 valuing them. On the contrary, our past volumes 

 have exhibited, among the most valued of their 

 contents, the communications of several northern 

 liirmers, and enlightened friends of agriculture; 

 and their good opinion of the work we have the 

 honor to conduct, (which is principally an abstract 

 and exposition of southern agriculture,) has been 

 abundantly proved in their continued support ofit, 

 and also in the excellent contributions of some of 



