20U 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



and industry, .Mr. L. has brought his farm to a 

 high state of improvement, and has accumulated 

 a money capital of three or four thousand dol- 

 lars. Mr. E., on the contrary, by an entirely 

 opposite course of conduct, has exhausted bis 

 land, and involved himself in debt. He is very 

 desirous of selling and thinks he can do much 

 belter in the West. Fie offered his land to Mr. 

 L. at a very low rate, and urged upon him the 

 propriety of making this investment of his capi- 

 tal. It was the gaod sense of his reply with 

 which 1 was struck. " it is," said he, " by great 

 economy and by bestowing all the means 1 could 

 save upon the improvement of my farm, that I 

 have been enabled to accumulate a little sum of 

 money. This sum is devoted to the further im- 

 provement of the land I already possess, and 

 experience has thoroughly satisfied me that it 

 is by far the best investment I can make of it. 

 But suppose, instead of this, I devote it, as you 

 would have me, to the purchase of your land ; 

 What is the consequence'? I shall only.be 

 lending my assistance to deprive myself of a 

 kind and useful neighbor, whilst I encumber 

 myself with an extensive landed property, a 

 considerable debt, and am totally without the 

 means of improvement. No, Mr. E., take my 

 advice ■ let your wife and children stay amongst 

 those who love and honor them: Turn your 

 attention to a more judicious system of hus- 

 bandry — seek, in agricultural works and in agri- 

 cultural newspapers, the most improved modes 

 of cultivating the earth ; use one half of the 

 economy, and suffer one half of the privations 

 to which you will be subjected in the West, and 

 you will soon be, not only out of debt, but as I 

 am now, with every thing smiling, happy and 

 comfortable around you." 



It is not only the advice but the example of 

 Mr. L. that I commend to your readers. 



Your obedient servant, S. H. 



Louisa, July 10, 1844. 



From the Boston Cultivator. 

 DESTROYING LICE ON CATTLE. 



Messrs. Editors, — About a year ago, if I 

 rightly remember, I read in your paper an article 

 on the means of destroying these troublesome 

 insects, by applying a mixture of lime and ashes 

 to the floor on which the cattle stand and rest. 

 My cattle doubtless like all others, have ever 

 been more or less infested with this hateful spe- 

 cies of vermin. I have tried various expedients 

 for their extermination, such as Scotch, or yellow 

 snuff, lard, decoction of tobacco, &c, none of 

 which have ever proved sufficiently adequate to 

 effect the object intended. 



Last fall when my cattle came to the barn, I 

 resolved upon trying lime and ashes, as a pre- 

 ventive of lice amongst them. Accordingly I 



mixed them in about equal quantities, and spread 

 them upon my stable floors, directly under my 

 cattle's forefeet. When what 1 had applied at 

 first was exhausted, I then made another appli- 

 cation of the same mixture and so continued to 

 do duiing the winter. 



As to the effect this practice has had in pre- 

 venting lice amongst my cattle, I can candidly 

 state that they were never more free from them, 

 than they are this spring. 



1 will mention one fact in confirmation of the 

 utilily of this application for destroying lice. 



In February last I purchased a pair of four 

 year old cattle that were exceedingly lousy. I 

 was particular to keep the floor upon which they 

 stood well strown with these ingredients, and 

 upon examining them several weeks after, I 

 could not discover a solitary individual of the 

 numerous host remaining. 



The lime of which I made use, had lain open 

 to the action of the atmosphere until it was re- 

 duced to a powder, or nearly so before using. 



M. - 



Editorial Remark — The above seems to 

 be a very simple and effectual remedy, and it 

 may be practised without the least injury to the 

 cattle, which is not the case with some remedies 

 used, such as mercurial ointments, a decoction 

 of tobacco, oil, &c. In cold weather oil has a 

 bad effect, as it keeps the hide moist for a long 

 time, readily conducting off the animal heat and 

 producing a chill. As vermin are so destructive 

 to the peace, comfort and thrift of cattle, no 

 pains should be spared in guarding against them 

 and applying a remedy wherever they make 

 their appearance. 



ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT. 



We listened to some very interesting remarks 

 from Dr. Lee on this subject at an agricultural 

 meeting in Albany, last spring, and made some 

 notes of them which we intended for publica- 

 tion. If we understood the Doctor correctly, 

 his idea was this : That the domestic animals 

 were valued for certain functional properties that 

 they possessed, as the cow for her property of 

 secreting milk, the sheep for his wool producing 

 ability, &c. These products are elaborated from 

 the food consumed, and their elements should be 

 sought in the food with which the animal is fed. 

 The ox cannot elaborate muscle and fat from 

 the same constituents which afford wool to the 

 sheep. By a proper selection of food not only 

 is a greater quantity of the constituents for the 

 required product afforded, but an additional sti- 

 mulus is constantly given to the particular or- 

 gan, whereby its action is greatly improved and 



