THE 



SOUTHERN 



PLANTER. 



71 



ing machine. His body, like that of most of 

 Boston's sons, is very fine. His bones are 

 small, and hi3 muscle very light indeed; his 

 arms and second thighs are thin almost to a 

 delect. His action is round and remarkably 

 elastic, in fact it is the perfection of that style, 

 and is particularly adapted to deep ground and 

 mud. As a race horse, at all distances, he has 

 few equals— There is but little difference be- 

 tween Lexington and Lecomte, but that little 

 is in favor ef the latter. 



Lecomte was bred by Gen. T. J. Wells, of 

 the Parish of Rapides, in the State of Louisi- 

 ana, and was got by Boston, out of Reel ; she 

 by imported Glencoe, out of imported Gaiopade 

 by Gatton. He is a rich chestnut, with white 

 on one hind leg, which reaches a little above 

 the pastern joint. He stands 15 hands 3 inches 

 in height. Is in fine raring form, and well 

 spread throughout his whole frame, with such 

 an abundance of bone, tendon and mucsle, that 

 foe would be a useful horse for any purpose. 

 His temper is excellent ; he is easily placed in a 

 race, and yet responds promptly to the extent of 

 his ability. He never tears himself and jock y 

 to pie«es by attempting to run away. His ac- 

 tion is low, smooth, and easy. His stride is 

 about twenty-three feet, he gets away from the 

 score l.ke a quarter horse, and is equal to any 

 weight. He has a constitution of iron, the appe- 

 tite of a lion, would eat sixteen quarts of feed in 

 twenty four hours, if it was given to him, and 

 can stand as much work as a team of mules. 

 In a word, he has all the good points and qual- 

 ities of both sire and dam, without their defects; 

 consequently, he is about as fine a specimen of 

 a thoroughbred as ran be found in this or any 

 other country. 



MR. EPES' CHESTER HOGS. 

 We have been furnished by Thos. W. Epes, 

 Esq., of Powell's Hotel, with a memorandum of 

 ©ales of brood sows and pigs of this celebrated 

 variety, made within a short time past, namely : 

 1 brood sow, 2 years, 4 months old at $50 

 1 brood sow, 1 year, 4 months old at 50 



1 brood sow, 6 months old at 30 



2 pigs, 4 months old at 40 

 We have spoken of Mr. Epes' Chester swine 



before, and have only to repeat that they are as 

 perfect and symmetrical animals as we have 

 ever seen. They have been bred with the 

 greatest care, and from the best of their kind 

 that could be selected, of either sex — the great 

 object being the improvement of the stock. 

 Unfortunately, for Mr. E. and the community, 

 the municipal law relating to swine in the city, 

 imposed such restrictions upon him that he has 

 had to reduce his number— but for which he 

 would not have taken a hundred dollars apiece 

 for his sows. 



The above prices indicate the high estimation 

 in which the Chester hogs are held, as well a? 

 Mr. E.'s skill as a breeder If any of our other 

 friends can supply us with statistics, either ol 

 prices or weights we should be obliged to 

 them. — Soutfitrn Farmer. 



Communicated to the Virginia Slate Agricultural 

 Society. 



GUANO AS A FERTILIZER, AND AS CON- 

 NECTED WITH SOIL, IMPROVEMENT, &c. 

 By Dr. P. B. Pendleton, of Louisa. 

 [A Premium of Twenty Dollars.] 



The use of Guano by the undersigned through 

 a series of years and to no small extent, — on 

 i variety of soils, and under various circum- 

 stances — at different depths, and on all sorts of 

 crops; together with an observation of its ef- 

 fects under applications by others, induces him 

 to speak of its proximate and ultimate action, 

 on much of the soil and vegetation of middle 

 Virginia, with some degree of confidence. 



It is not the design of the writer, however, 

 to entertain the curious with any plausible theory 

 of its action, but simply to present for the con- 

 sideration of the practical farmer and planter, 

 a practical and concise expose of the subject. 

 Nor is it intended to insist that all the facts and 

 c inclusions he may present will be found true 

 and legitimate as to the soils of all sections of 

 the State. This communication is especially 

 addressed to the farmers oi' middle Virginia, to 

 many at least of those who farm it in that sec- 

 tion of the State lying between the blue ridge 

 ind the falls of our eastern rivers, which, except 

 occasional strata of stone lime, is, as far as hag 

 been ascertained, wanting in any of the ordi- 

 nary ealcareous deposits. 



Hitherto a standing and stereotyped prescrip- 

 tion, with agricultural writers, for renovating 

 poor land, has been a heavy application either 

 of shell or stone lime, or ol the impure carbo- 

 nate of lime in the form of marl. It is proposed 

 by the undesigned in the outset briefly to show 

 that the signs hy which these writers have theo- 

 retically determined the precise condition of such 

 soils, and from which they have inferred and 

 urged the necessity of such lime application*, 

 in reality are no reliable indications ofeither the 

 one or the other. And, indeed, it is insisted 

 that to prescribe lime as a sine qua nan to im- 

 provement, would be practically, as to a large 

 section of middle Virginia, quite as absurd as to 

 prescribe marsh mud for a farm in the moun- 

 tains, or plastic clay for one in tide water, sim- 

 ply for the reason that the high cost of lime ia 

 the section in question makes its use to any 

 extent impracticable, and therefore, on such 

 soils, some other agent, or agencies, — must be 

 employed. 



The external signs by which the farmer re- 

 cognises a poor soil, seldom deceive him; but 

 ;i8 was intimated, it is contended that neither 

 these nor any other mere outward indications 

 can reliably determine what is the precise 

 chemical constitution and condition of such a 

 soil, nor what are its real deficiencies and re- 

 quirements ; and that these questions cannot be 

 determined definitely by any other means, than 

 hy a minute chemical analysis of the soil itself; 

 Arid', farther, that. it. ia only by a series of experi- 

 ments, carefully conducted, that even a rational 

 inference on the subject can be deduced. 



