230 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ter can be made in such places. But another 

 revolution is taking place, even amongst the ad- 

 vocates for the cellar : it is no longer thought 

 necessary to dig the cellar very deep, or to arch 

 it over with stone or brick, with an air passage 

 through it for ventilation — -a vault, as it is more 

 properlv then termed: it is found sufficient, if the 

 cellar be sunk a few feet below the surface of 

 the earth, with a wide and shallow window on 

 each side, the bottom of it level with the ground 

 outside; well protected with a wire guard to 

 keep out vermin, large flies, &c, and provided 

 with a close glazed sash, which can be opened 

 and closed at pleasure, by lifting it up to the 

 ceiling, which ought to be no higher than the 

 top of the windows ; so that the air of the cel- 

 lar can be ventilated by opening the windows 

 of the two opposite sides, according to the way 

 the wind sets at the time, shutting them quickly 

 when necessary; for in cold, windy, or damp 

 weather, the sooner the windows are again 

 closed, the better. Indeed to the management 

 of the cellar in this particular, much of the suc- 

 cess of dairying is to be attributed ; cold and 

 damp air being unfriendly to the secretion of 

 cream, and its proper and entire separation from 

 the milk. Hence, therefore, it is a bad practice to 

 set the pans on the brick floor of the cellar ; they 

 ought always to be placed around on shelves, 

 about three feet in height, and these, after being 

 well washed in hot water, should be wiped quite 

 dry, that no mouldy evaporation might take 

 place to spoil the butler. The air near the floor 

 of the dairy is always impure, being loaded with 

 acid vapors and putrid exhalations, the density 

 of which confines it. to the lowest part of the 

 room ; hence it is, that the doors of some dairies 

 are made with lattice work, that the air near the 

 floor, as well as that near the ceiling, might be 

 ventilated at the same time; these lattices being 

 furnished with sliding pannels, to be kept close 

 in bad w T eather. The milk cellar ought always 

 to have a northern aspect, and be well shaded by 

 trees, not growing too near the windows, so as 

 to impede a dry current of air, or to create a 

 moist atmosphere ; this consideration being of 

 more importance than would readily be ima- 

 gined. 



Cellars thus constructed and carefully attend- 

 ed, will no doubt supercede the use of spring- 

 houses generally, before many years have passed 

 away ; by which the business of the dairy will 

 be rendered more agreeable, less laborious, and 

 far less inimical to the health of those, particu- 

 larly of females, whose occupation it is to attend 

 to its never ceasing duties. 



T. Miller. 



Delaware, June \3tk, 1843. 



INDUSTRY. 

 The following anecdote may give encourage- 

 ment to the industrious. Not long ago a coun- 



try gentleman had an estate of <£100 a year, 

 which he kept in his own hands until he found 

 himself so much in debt, that, to satisfy his cre- 

 ditors, he was obliged to sell the half and let the 

 remainder to a farmer for twenty years. To- 

 wards the expiration of the lease, the farmer 

 coming one day to pay his rent, asked the gen- 

 tleman whether he would sell his farm. " Wrry, 

 will you buy it T said the gentleman. " If you 

 will part with it, and we can agree," replied the 

 farmer. "That is exceedingly strange," said 

 the gentleman. Pray tell me how it happens 

 that, while I could not live upon twice as much 

 land, for which I pay no rent, you are regularly 

 paying me a hundred pounds a year for your 

 farm, and are able, in a few T years, to purchase 

 it ?" " The reason is plain," answered the far- 

 mer, "you sat still and said go — I got up and 

 said come — you laid in bed and enjoyed your es- 

 tate — I rose in the morning and minded my bu- 

 siness." 



For the Southern Planter. 



Mr. Editor, — Some of your correspondents 

 have been advocating the skinning old field pine 

 for posts, others burning them into coal for ma- 

 nure, but I prefer making coal of them for the 

 purpose of curing tobacco. Suitable wood for 

 curing tobacco has become scarce, and the labor 

 of getting it to the barn is also considerable ; 

 but the coal may be carried from the kiln with 

 but little labor. I have seen stoves, flues, &c, 

 in operation, but am of the decided impression 

 that curing with coal, and a small portion of 

 wood, is the most perfect system I have ever yet 

 seen. It makes a strong regular heat, free from 

 sweat, and will cure the leaf uniformly through 

 the house. My mode of using it is, first, to put 

 down, what we planters call, bed logs, kindle the 

 fires in the usual way, and then keep them up 

 with coal alone, until the leaf is cured ; the stalk 

 and stem I cure with wood. The coal will burn 

 more freely than a person unaccustomed to its 

 use has any idea of, and those who have never 

 adopted this mode of curing, will be almost, cer- 

 tain to fire too hard the first trial, but practice 

 will guide him after that. My motive for using 

 a portion of wood is, to get the benefit of the 

 smoke, which is said to be a necessary preserva- 

 tive to the plant. Three rows of fires, and never 

 more than four, is sufficient for a house 20 by 

 24 feet. I cured the last year about 8000 sticks 

 from the produce of four ordinary kilns, with 

 the addition of wood, as above stated ; and when 

 the seasons are favorable for making tobacco, I 

 get liberal prices. 



Whilst on this subject, I will slate that I think 

 it a great error to have tobacco houses so close 

 as to admit of scarcely any air ; tobacco cured 

 in houses of this sort, I think, go through too 

 hard a sweat, but by having them moderately 



