THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



113 



strength, and scent, are superior. I am aware 

 that exposure to the saline air, in the passage 

 across the ocean, may be the cause of the loss 

 of fragrance to imported silk : but the brilliancy 

 is peculiar to American silk ; if reeled in proper 

 manner, with cleanliness." 



That the silk business has proved a disas- 

 trous failure with several of our acquaintances, 

 judicious, managing men too, we know; but 

 this by no means proves that it may not be ul- 

 timately made very profitable. The truth is, 

 that induced by expectations of exorbitant gain, 

 men rushed into the business without experience, 

 skill, or information, what was to be expected 

 when they had to contend with those that had 

 all three ? 



We make the following extract from a letter 

 received from a correspondent : 



GRUBS AND COLIC, 



It may be of interest to some of your readers 

 to know that the remedy spoken of in one of your 

 numbers for last year, (not having the paper at 

 home I cannot refer to it) recommending rubbing 

 the big vein in the neck with spirits of turpen- 

 tine for either the colic or bots in horses, has 

 been tried by me in a very violent case, with 

 entire success, giving relief in about thirty mi- 

 nutes. I rubbed the spirits also between the 

 upper lip and the gums. I believe the disease 

 to have been the bots. 



I read, with interest in your December num- 

 ber, the reasons assigned for abolishing the bear- 

 ing-rein in work horses, and mean, so far as I 

 am concerned, to abolish it forthwith as being a 

 useless and painful appendage. 



In haste, M. L. Spencer, 



BOMMER'S MANURE, 

 The claims of Mr. George Bommer to the 

 discovery of a process, by Which masses of ve- 

 getable and other matter can be readily and 

 cheaply converted into manure of the most fer- 

 tilizing qualities, has attracted much attention 

 in the agricultural world, for the last twelve 

 months. We were disposed, at first to ridicule 

 it, as one of the numerous humbugs of the day; 

 we never doubted the value, if we could have 

 been assured of the authenticity, of the disco- 

 very. When, therefore, we were at the North 

 last fall, and heard Mr. Bommer spoken of as a 

 scientific gentleman, and any thing but the char- 

 latan we had imagined him to be, we were in- 

 duced to inquire farther into a subject which 

 was likely to prove so interesting to our readers. 

 We met with many who had purchased the 

 Vol. III.— 15 



right, and who anticipated the most beneficial 

 results, but with none, who had had an oppor- 

 tunity of reducing the experiment to practice. 

 After our return, attracted by various favorable 

 notiees in the northern papers, we were requested 

 frequently by our subscribers to ascertain the 

 particulars of method, price, &c. Accordingly, 

 we opened a correspondence with Mr. Bommer, 

 the result of which is, that he has appointed us 

 his agents for the State of Virginia, and we are 

 now prepared to dispose of the right of using 

 this invention, with full and particular directions, 

 upon the terms indicated below. 



Manure is the farmer's sheet anchor, and he 

 who affords facilities, whereby its production 

 may be increased, is certainly in a fair way to 

 rival him, "who causes two blades of grass to 

 grow where only one grew before." But rn 

 increase of quantity is not all ; the capability of 

 getting up a pile of manure in a few days, just 

 where it is wanted, presents advantages almost 

 incalculable in its consequences. The foreign 

 substances (by which we mean those that the 

 farmer would have to purchase) necessary to 

 convert one thousand of straw into four thou- 

 sand of manurej will not cost more than fifty 

 cents. 



We make the following extract from Mr. 

 Bommer's statement with respect to his inven- 

 tion: 



This invention is the fruit of many years of 

 exertion and chemical labor, and the result of 

 repeated and various experiments. 



The secret of the invention to make the ma- 

 nure, is accurately described and specified in 

 my method secured by patent. The preparation 

 of said manure is very simple and easy, and 

 every farmer, by following my method, can ex- 

 actly count upon certain success. 



This manure is a composition of animal, mi- 

 neral, and vegetable substances, consequently 

 designed by nature for the nutriment of plants. 



We may, therefore, abandon for the future, 

 the partial use and application of every kind of 

 merely stimulating manure,, such as lime, plaster 

 of Paris, ashes, &c. 



The merit of my method essentially consists 

 in the following important points : 



1. In being able to reduce in a short time all 

 kinds of straw and ligneous weeds to a rich, 

 unctuous and durable manure, such as wheat 

 straw, barley, rye, buckwheat, and other black 

 grains ; stalks of Indian corn, rice, and other 

 plants ; dried or green potato tops, leaves, stalks, 

 and roots of all kinds of plants ; green or dried 

 seeds, green rushes, sea-weeds, sea-rushes, hea- 



