190 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



The method is not adapted to the neighborhood 

 of towns, except where large quantities of ve- 

 getable substances can be had. 



2d. " From the experiment you have made, 

 do you think that labor may be profitably em- 

 ployed in making this manure on large farms'?" 

 &c. Answer, I do. It is equally well adapted 

 " to truck patches, gardens, &c." if they have 

 an abundance of vegetable substances, not other- 

 wise. 



3d. "As the decomposition is so speedily pro- 

 duced, does not the ammonia (or whatever you 

 chemists call it, I mean the strength of the ma- 

 nure,) as speedily pass off ?" &c. To this ques- 

 tion I answer, in consequence of the great heat 

 produced in the process of fermentation, it is 

 quite probable that a portion of the ammonia 

 may escape. Ammonia, however, has great 

 affinity for water, and as a quantity of water is 

 necessary in making the manure, 1 should think 

 the escape of ammonia would not be very great. 

 Mr. Bommer says " the salts produced in the 

 process of fermentation, { are a quantity of ni- 

 trate of lime and caustic potash, ammonia, and 

 saltpetre' — four substances which modern che- 

 mistry has found to contain the most fecundating 

 properties possible." 



4th. £l You say it is not costly, but trouble- 

 some — how much and what kind of trouble is 

 it ?" &c. I alluded to the trouble of collecting 



three times over. Dirty suds after washing,' is 

 almost universally thrown into the nearest gut- 

 ter, to be washed away and wasted, would it 

 not be an improvement, and show a laudable 

 economy in the good woman of the farm house, 

 to have it conveyed to the garden, to enrich the 

 ground, and make the vegetables grow more 

 luxuriantly? The potash, the grease, and the 

 dirt, all of which are component parts of soap 

 suds, are first-rate manures, and should always 

 be applied to make plants grow, and especially 

 when hard times are loudly complained of and 

 sound economy is the order of the day. 



For the Southern Planter. 



COMMENTS ON THE JULY NUMBER OP 

 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



This number as a whole, pleases me well, 

 and I congratulate Mr. Botts and the Common- 

 wealth on the success and preferment of the 

 Planter. I verily believe that it is destined 

 to become ere long, equal in every way to any 

 thing of the kind in America. And why not? 

 Are the people of Virginia less patriotic than 

 others ? Are they deficient in intellect or edu- 

 cation ? Have they less interest in the pros- 

 perity of agriculture? Have they less time to 

 expend in investigation and communication ? — 



Oh, Virginia! once thou didst stand erect, in 



the materials, making the compost heaps, mak- 

 ing the "lees," and the several applications andi health and beauty ; and clad in goodly raiment, 

 waterings with the same, necessary to complete did look with pride on thy children. Then not 

 the decomposition of the materials. The labor one stain could be seen on thy garments nor one 

 thus expended I am sure would result in a rich ! sickly furrow on thy cheeks ; but lo, these many 

 reward to a skilful and persevering farmer. I years thy condition has caused thee to bow down 

 must most respectfully ask to be excused from \ thine head with blushes, and when strangers 

 answering the 5th question. 1 will not advise pass by, thou art wont to hide, or disown thy 

 any one to buy the right, lest for want of proper name. Nevertheless I pray thee, my good mo- 

 energy and skill on the part of the purchaser, it ther, hold up thine head a little ; for although 

 might fail to answer his purpose, and I should i we have in our youthful and frivolous days, 

 have the blame ; I will, however, say this much, I acted ungratefully toward thee, } 7 et since age 

 that from what I have heard of Mr. Ryland's and better judgment have come upon us, we are 



Yes, although 



zeal and energy in doing what he can to im- 

 prove our " mother earth," that Bommer's pa- 

 tent could hardly fail of success in such hands. 

 With him it would neither be like the " Indian's 

 gun," nor the "pig in the bag." 



In conclusion, let me remark, that I am no 

 way interested in the sale of these patents — I 

 own only an individual right, and should there 

 not be another sold in the State it would be a 

 matter of perfect indifference to me. 

 Very truly, yours, 



Geo. Woodfin. 



SOAP SUDS. 



There is no better manure than dirty soap 

 suds ; and there is not a farm house in the 

 country, but what produces enough of it in the 

 course of a year, to manure a garden two or 



wont to become dutiful children, 

 my head is growing grey with age, yet I, for 

 one, do espouse thy cause ; and surely there are 

 thousands more dutiful and competent than I. 

 I hope that yet ere I die, I may see every wound 

 on thy body healed, thy garments renewed, thy 

 cheeks glowing with beauty ; and we, thy chil- 

 dren, enjoying the pride of owning thee as a 

 mother, and the gratification of having returned 

 to our duty. Virginia must rise ; yea, may I 

 not say, she shall rise and lake that stand for 

 which nature destined her. And shall not the 

 Southern Planter be one of the prime in- 

 struments in this consummation, so devoutly to 

 be wished for? 



Root Culture. — Mr. Bement says " If the root 

 culture can be made to succeed in Virginia, of 

 which I have little doubt, I should not at all be 

 surprised to hear that the lands there should 



