THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



mine a solitary instance of the failure o 

 the experiment, but in a conversation with 

 several others, who had been induced by 

 the same article to give it a trial, I learned 

 that they as signally failed. Why did 

 not the worm prey on all my corn 1 Was 

 the solution not as well prepared on this 

 as the other ? My corn was soaked in 

 the solution from forty-eight hours to five 

 or six days, (the weather being cool,) be- 

 ing a longer time than directed. I ac- 

 count for the escape of my other corn in 

 the fact, that the land had been early 

 ploughed and subjected to the winter 

 frosts, while the portion infested with the 

 grub was fallowed but a short time pre- 

 vious to planting. I have observed dur- 

 ing the few years I have been farming, 

 that early fallowing, so that the land can 

 have the benefit of the winter, is gener- 

 ally a good preventive (though not an 

 infallible one) for the cut worm. 



As it is nearly time to plant com, I 

 have written this that others may not 

 subject themselves to the expense and in- 

 convenience of making use of saltpetre 

 with reference to its vermifuge effects. — 

 It would be well to hint to those that 

 make and publish their experiments, that 

 they had better give a more detailed and 

 circumstantial account attending their 

 operations; and then, instead of being 

 forced to take their ipse dixit, and fre- 

 quently have the mortification of seeing 

 our hopes frustrated, we would have some 

 data from which we could be enabled to 

 draw our own conclusions, although it 

 might sometimes happen that we should 

 differ with them. We plain farmers need 

 a good deal of plain teaching, and will 

 not be affronted because it is not taken 

 for granted that we know every thing. 



Publish this, if you think fit ; I have 

 no vain wish to see my name in print. 



Yours, &c. G. 



March 13, 1847. 



TO CLARIFY SUGAR FOR CANDIES. 



To every pound of sugar, put a large 

 cup of water, and put it in a brass or cop- 

 per kettle, over a slow fire, for half an 



hour ; pour into it a small quantity of 

 isinglass and gum Arabic, dissolved to- 

 gether. This will cause all impurities to 

 rise to the surface; skim it as it rises. 

 Flavor according to taste. 



All kinds of sugar, for candy, are boiled 

 as above drrected. When boiling loaf 

 sugar, add a table-spoonful of rum or vine- 

 gar, to prevent its becoming too brittle 

 whilst making. 



You may make birds and such things, 

 of loaf sugar, in this way. By pulling 

 loaf sugar after it is boiled to candy, you 

 may make it as white as snow. 



Loaf sugar, when boiled, by pulling it 

 very well, making it in small rolls, and 

 twisting it a little, will make what is 

 commonly termed little rock or snow. 



Sugar, when boiled to candy, may be 

 twisted, pulled, rolled, and cut in what- 

 ever forms you choose. . 



DO WRITE, AND WRITE ABOUT 

 COMMON THINGS. 



There is an entirely wrong idea preva- 

 lent among farmers about writing for agri- 

 cultural papers, They think that they 

 ought not to write unless they have some- 

 thing new, or surprisi-ng ; some discovery, 

 some phenomenon ; and then that they 

 must write a great article. But every- 

 day matters, — how they plough their 

 fields; how they keep them in good heart; 

 how they manage each kind of crop; 

 how they economise, how they blunder, 

 how they lose ; these things are so com- 

 mon that they are afraid to touch them. 

 You are mistaken, gentlemen ; these are 

 the very subjects we want from your pens. 

 These are the subjects that the bulk of 

 our readers are interested in, and these 

 are the subjects on which you are best 

 informed. Do not be too ambitious, and 

 wish to do something on paper that no- 

 body else ever did ; for the probabilities 

 are, that nobody will ever want to have 

 you do it again. Why, cheese is to be 

 made yet to the world's end, and butter, 

 and pork and beef ; men have yet to plant 

 corn and, sow wheat, and on all sorts of 

 soils, and under all sorts of difficulties. 



