210 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



were both slightly affected by the fly as well as 

 the rust. His next object was to ascertain the 

 flour making qualities of the two. For this 

 purpose he sent to Mr. Govan's mill five bushels, 

 by measurement, of each. The Red Ma}' 

 weighed 317 lbs., the Mediterranean 308 lbs. — 

 From the Red May he received 199 lbs. of flour 

 of the first quality, and 28 lbs. second quality. 

 From the Mediterranean he got 173 lbs. of the 

 first and 32 lbs. of the second quality. 



From this statement it would appear that the 

 five measured bushels of Red May, yielded 26 

 lbs. more of good flour than an equal quantity 

 of Mediterranean — this at 2| cents a pound, 

 would amount to 65 cents, or 13 cents a bushel. 

 Against this we must offset the 4 lbs. excess of 

 second quality in favor of the Mediterranean, 

 which maybe worth 1^ cents a pound: this 

 would leave a clear difference in favor of the 

 Red May of nearly twelve cents a bushel. But 

 this, as Mr. Sydnor remarks, is the miller's and 

 not the farmer's business. The Mediterranean 

 is undoubtedly the most productive wheat, ano 1 

 as long as he can get the same price for it per 

 bushel, he is determined to make it constitute a 

 large portion of his crop. 



From the American Agriculturist. 

 CULTURE OF ASPARAGUS. 



Since the Spanish method of cultivating as- 

 paragus by the seashore has become known in 

 England, a complete change has taken place in 

 the manner of growing it there, salt being added 

 now in moderate quantities to the manure used 

 to enrich the beds ; it is also spread broadcast 

 upon them, at the rate of one to three pounds 

 per square yard, after forking them over in ihe 

 spring. This makes it much more palatable 

 and tender. The month of April in this climate, 

 as soon after the frost is well out of the ground, 

 is the best time to apply the salt dressing to the 

 beds. A compost of horse manure, mixed with 

 leaves and vegetable mould from the woods, to- 

 gether with a little charcoal, is one of ihe best 

 manures we ever made use of for enriching the 

 asparagus bed. 



Visiting Dr. King's fine farm at Perth Am- 

 boy, last summer, we were walking with him 

 one morning along its boundaries on the bay, 

 when within a few yards of the water on a 

 slight ridge of sand, which was subject to be 

 wet by the, salt spray, and inundated by a high 

 tide, Dr. King pointed out to us a natural aspa- 

 ragus bed ; and although it was late in the. sea- 

 son for ihis Vegetable, and most of this before 

 us too much grown for good cuttings, upon our 



mentioning to him ihe Spanish melhod of culti- 

 vating it, he directed ?ome of this to be cut and 

 cooked for dinner. To our surprise, notwith- 

 standing it was so old, it proved very delicaie 

 and palatable, and completely satisfied us ihat 

 its superior laste was ow 7 ing to the salt dressing 

 it received from the sea water. Gardeners, in 

 the interior of ihe country, will do well to try 

 the experiment here recommended with salt ; it 

 will cost but a trifle, and do no harm if ii pro- 

 duces no good. Y\ e scarcely recollect eating 

 delicate asparagus in the valley of the Ohio; it 

 was generally of large growth, tough, and hit- 

 ler, and none that we ever lasied at the West, 

 did we find to possess the peculiar flavor of that 

 growing naturally at Dr. King's. 



OUR FRIENDS. 

 We should be wanting in common courtesy 

 if we did not thank our friends for their success- 

 ful exertions to increase our subscription list. — 

 The many kind and flattering expressions with 

 which they have accompanied ihe lists sent in, 

 have a hundred fold enhanced their value. One 

 gentleman has sent us a list of twenty, another 

 of eighteen, and so on, until altogether they 

 have added about five hundred subscribers to 

 our book, within the last sixty days. For this 

 increase we know that we are solely indebted 

 to the exertions of the best and kindest friends 

 that ever came to the support of a paper. We 

 are now so arranging our domestic concerns as 

 to enable us to spend ihe greater part of our 

 time hereafter in the midst of those scenes it is 

 our business to describe. The hospitality of 

 Virginia renders such a life a most agreeable, 

 even if it should not prove a very profitable, one. 



TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. 



We give ihe following valuable suggestions 

 on ihe authority of the celebrated Denton Offuit, 

 and recommend them to the attention of gentle- 

 men engaged in rearing stock : 



TO MAKE GENTLE COWS. 



First halter ihern with a strong rope to a suit- 

 able place, then commence salting and feeding 

 them from ihe hand. Afterwards rub ihem all 

 over at different times, for three days, feeding 

 and watering them ihree times a day. Do not 

 feed them high, but keep ihem always ready to 

 receive food and water. Rub them every time 

 you feed. Do not strike them one blow, as that 

 will make them fearful; nor will cattle milk 

 kindly that are beaten or roughly used. 



The above treatment will make the worst 

 cows gentle. A little attention to calves, when 



