58 



have been as likely to get a barrel of the spu- 

 rious article as any other person, and I infer that 

 I did not, because every one who knows Mr. 

 Woodfin, knows that he is incapable of practic- 

 ing a trick, and if capable of it, he would not 

 be silly enough to do it upon a friend, to whom 

 he was making a donation for the purpose of 

 experiment ; and if Mr. Minor's article had been 

 spurious, it would have been detected in the 

 comparison with Mr. Woodfin's. 



I must say, however, that I am satisfied that 

 poudrette is too expensive, at present prices, for 

 extensive field use, though most probably highly 

 beneficial and profitable in gardening. 



Very respectfully, L. 



January 2, 1844. 



To the Editor of the Southern Planter: 



Dear Sir, — I obtained from you last spring a 

 barrel of poudrette, with the view of making 

 an experiment of its action on tobacco plants, 

 and promised to report the result, which 1 have 

 heretofore omitted to do from circumstances be- 

 yond my control. I failed to receive the article 

 until the 14th of May. 



On the 15th, I applied two-thirds of the bar- 

 rel broad-cast on a plant bed of about six hun- 

 dred square yards, never previously manured. — 

 There was a portion of the bed of about twenty- 

 five square yards, where the plants looked better 

 and were on an average about double the size 

 of the others, where the soil was much better, 

 and to which no poudrette was applied. A few 

 hours after the application, there came on a gen- 

 tle shower, of some hours duration. 



Seven days after, I examined the bed, and 

 found that the plants on the spot where the ap- 

 plication had not been made, had no advantage 

 in size, whereas the growth on the rest of the 

 bed had every evidence of greater luxuriance, 

 and such was the character of the experiment 

 throughout the planting season. I am so well 

 satisfied with the result of this experiment, that 

 I expect to profit by it on a much larger scale 

 this year. 



The rest of the poudrette was applied to a 

 smaller bed, but nothing satisfactory could be 

 ascertained from it, as it had been previously 

 manured and destroyed by grass. 

 Yours, respectfully, 



David McCaw. 



Powhatan, Jan. 12, 1844. 



On the other hand, we are bound to say that 

 we have received a communication from Dr. R. 

 H. Nelson, of Hanover, stating that he had ap- 

 plied, last spring, five barrels of this poudrette 

 to plant beds, corn, and tobacco, according to 

 the printed advice of Mr. Minor, without pro- 

 ducing in any instance the least perceivable be- 



nefit. He concludes with the following remark : 

 " From the foregoing experiments I am decided- 

 ly of opinion, that there never was a greater 

 imposition put upon the farming community." 



SOCIETY OF ARTS— CONSUMPTION OF 

 SMOKE. 



A numerous meeting was held yesterday 

 evening, Mr. Hobly, Vice President, in the chair, 

 when Mr. Dicks gave a description of a new 

 furnace for the combustion of fuel without the 

 production of smoke. This subject is now ex- 

 citing considerable attention on account of the 

 recent select committee of the House of Com- 

 mons appointed to investigate the cause, and 

 point out means for the prevention of smoke. — 

 The plan proposed by Mr. Dicks is to adopt the 

 same principle to furnaces as the common ar- 

 gand lamp, or to diffuse as large a quantity of 

 air from as many orifices as possible upon the 

 burning mass of fuel. In such a case the che- 

 mical means necessary for complete combustion, 

 are as perfect as possible, and the result is that 

 the whole of the vaporisable matters which, un- 

 der ordinary circumstances, are given off either 

 as black or colorless smoke, are made available 

 for the support of combustion. This plan for 

 obtaining complete combustion is already in ex- 

 tensive use in different parts of the metropolis, 

 and with entire success in the total suppression 

 of smoke. — English paper. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 HERDSGRASS. 



Mr. Editor, — Though not a farmer profes- 

 sionally, my circumstances have been such as 

 to afford me an opportunity of knowing some- 

 thing about herdsgrass. I appreciate the diffi- 

 culties of your Powhatan subscriber in relation 

 to herdsgrass, respecting which he requests in- 

 formation ; and, although the request is ad- 

 dressed, especially, to your Nottoway corre- 

 spondent, P. B. W., as it is not confined to him, 

 I may, without indecorum, suggest the follow- 

 ing for his consideration. On thin ground, to 

 secure success, the seed should be much thicker 

 sown, than is necessary on good ground. Un- 

 der the most favorable circumstances, spring 

 sowing is not so likely to succeed as fall sowing. 

 Because in a very tender state, it has to con- 

 tend with the drought of summer, and the na- 

 tive weeds. But to the point. 



1st. " In what proportion should the oats and 

 grass seed be mixed?" Much will depend on 

 the quantity of oats seeded to the acre. Some 

 would say half a bushel is enough for "thin 

 land ;" others, three pecks ; and others, a bushel. 

 Again, much depends on the quality of the 

 seed — whether well cleaned, or a half or three- 



