174 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



ever, we presume it is unnecessary to give any 

 caution on this head. But what we intended 

 more particularly to recommend, when we com- 

 menced this article, but which we had very 

 nearly lost sight of, was, the great value of the 

 vine of the tomato as food for cattle, especially 

 cows. We have tried the experiment, and be- 

 lieve it can be proved to a demonstration, that a 

 cow fed on tomato vines, will give more milk, 

 yield butter of finer flavor, and, in greater abun- 

 dance, than on any other long feed we have 

 ever tried. We have heretofore only used it in 

 small quantities from our garden, but intend 



this year, should God grant us health and 

 strength, to experiment more largely, as we do 

 not entertain a doubt but that more food for cat- 

 tle, and of better quality, can be raised from a 

 given portion of ground, and at less expense, 

 when planted in tomatoes, than any other vege- 

 table known in the Southern country. This is 

 our opinion, but if we are wrong, having expe- 

 rimented, as we before observed, on a very 

 small scale, we are open to conviction, and 

 will cheerfully publish any communication shed- 

 ding light upon this or any other subject con- 

 nected with the interests of the agriculturist. 



There is nothing more ornamental or more 

 necessary to the comfort of the homestead than 

 a good enclosure about the yard. A straggling 

 fence can only be tolerated by an individual to- 

 tally wanting in taste and refinement, who is 

 utterly unconscious of the thousand comforts 

 and innocent pleasures that a cultivated mind 

 can form for itself out of the simplest and cheap- 

 est materials. It is from these simple and ele- 

 gant pleasures that civilized life derives its great- 

 est charm ; they constitute the great sum total 

 of human happiness; without them civilization 

 would be the most arrant humbug upon the face 

 of the earth: in quitting a state of nature, we 

 gave up much to attain them ; and the man, 

 who asks what is the use of this elegance, or 

 that refinement, and who can see no value in 

 any thing that does not directly fill his money 



bags, is a kind of demi-savage, suffering all the 

 evils, without enjoying any of the blessings, of 

 civilization. 



The engraving represents a pretty and cheap 

 method of enclosure taken from the "Cultiva- 

 tor," and we introduce it with these remarks s 

 because, we know that too many are inclined to 

 despatch such things with the passing remark, 

 that "the} r may do very well for those that 

 have a plenty of money, but that they are of 

 no manner of use? 1 We should like to know 

 of what use is money itself, but to procure the 

 pleasures and comforts of life, and yet many a 

 man will toil for money , whilst he neglects those 

 comforts which can be obtained directly at much 

 less expense of labor. Besides, not only are 

 these neat and elegant arrangements about the 

 homestead productive of the purest pleasure, 



