94 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



this amount by one hundred, and the quotient 

 will he the price per ton. The decimals in the 

 analysis below 0.5 may be disregarded, and 

 those above that amount reckoned as an ad- 

 ditional unit." — Boston Cultivator. 



From the Cotton Planter and Soil. 

 CORN AND COB MEAL AS A FOOD FOR 

 STOCK. 



Dr. Cloud — Dear Sir: In the last number 

 of the Cotton Planter, (November,) I noticed 

 an article on corn cobs, taken from the Western 

 Agriculturist, with comments on it by the 

 "Ohio Cultivator," and the "Farmer and Me- 

 chanic." A word on this subject if you please. 



Dr. Jackson's analysis of the corn cob gave 

 a true or false result. Judging from his char- 

 acter and qualifications as a chemist, it is fair 

 to presume it gave a true result. Now, although 

 I have not the most implicit faith in all the con- 

 clusions of scientific experimenters, it would 

 seem unreasonable to doubt the correctness of 

 a fact like this. If chemistry can do any 

 thing, it surely can resolve substances into 

 their constituent elements : and if in doing this, 

 Dr. Jackson found in a hundred parts of the 

 corn cob cmly four and a half of nutritious 

 matter, I can see no reason wbw we should 

 doubt the conclusion drawn from this fact by 

 the "Western Agriculturist," that "it is of i 

 scarcely more value to consume as food than as 

 fuel." 



I think, Mr. Editor, there is some misappre- 

 hension in regard to the value of the corn cob 

 as food for live stock ; and as I have a very 

 small modicum of experience on the subject, I 

 ask leave to give it to your readers for what it 

 is worth. First, the fact, and second, the in- 

 ference. 



A few 3'ears back being very short of corn, I 

 determined to economise in the fattening of my 

 pork by having my corn ground in the ear, and 

 then feeding it in the form of swill. The ears 

 were first mashed or crushed in a common 

 plaister mill, and then run through a corn mill 

 and ground as line as meal is usually made. 

 My hogs did not fatten kindly. Indeed, I 

 finally believe the same amount of corn thrown 

 to them in the ear would have made better 

 pork. The excrement which passed from them 

 had exactly the appearance of the meal of the 

 cob, undigested. So much for the fact—nm\ 

 now for the inference. I do not believe that 

 corn cobs will fatten hogs, whatever they may 

 do to some other kinds of stock. In hog feed- 

 ing, I regitrd them as a positive injury. On 

 this subject I draw the following conclusion. 

 That class of animals which from their inter- 

 nal organization requires a great deal of that 

 kind of food, familiarly termed by farmers, 

 roughness — such as corn blades, husks, straw, 

 and the like, maybe profitably fed on cob meal, 

 'provided the corn be ground with it. If I were 

 called upon to decide between feeding cows or 



horses on the cob meal alone or making fuel of 

 the cob, I should send them to the kitchen fire. 

 So thinks your friend, Clod Thumper. 



From the Southern Farmer. 

 TOBACCO BEDS— QUANTITY OF SEED. 



Messrs. ' Editors: As the time for sowing 

 tobacco seed is at hand, I conclude to say a few 

 words about the proper quantity of seed to be 

 sown. My reason for this communication is 

 that all the directions I have seen on the sub- 

 ject, refer to the pipe or spoon; and as they 

 are so various in size, I think the directions 

 too indefinite. Therefore, say one ounce of 

 clean seed, avoirdupois weight, to every hun- 

 dred and seventy-five square yards, or in that 

 proportion to the contents of the patch is suf- 

 ficient. As it seems, modesty requires from 

 custom a veil to be throAvn over the name of 

 the communicator, I sign myself an 



Old Tobacco Maker. 



THE CULTIVATION OF HORSE-RADISH. 



Horse-radish [cochlearia armoracia — from co- 

 chlear a spoon — the form of the leaves being 

 rather hollow) is a valuable plant, and an al- 

 most indispensable occupant of the kitchen 

 garden. It is but little cultivated in the South, 

 I and its uses to many modern housewives are 

 I unknown. The horse-radish delights in a rich, 

 deep mould, and regular moisture is conducive 

 to its growth. If the soil is poor, the roots will 

 never grow to a large size, and although it re- 

 vels in moisture, it must never be grown in a 

 shady place, or under the drip of trees or 

 houses. In such situations, the roots spindle 

 too much. Knight, the famous English Horti- 

 culturist, recommends leaf mould, or any other 

 vegetable substance thoroughly decayed; as 

 good manure for this plant. If animal manures 

 arc used, they should be in a highly decom- 

 posed condition, as unfermentod manures have 

 a tendency to create a large leaf-top, at the ex- 

 pense of the root — the portion for which it is 

 cultivated, and which it should always be the 

 aim of the gardener to expand and improve. 

 The first preparation necessary for making' a 

 horse-radish border, is to thoroughly spade and 

 manure the soil to the depth of two or three 

 feet. As it never perfects seed — though it fre- 

 quently blooms — it must be propagated by sets, 

 which are made by cutting the roots into 

 lengths of two or three inches. The tops or 

 crowns, furnish the best slips for propagation, 

 soon furnishing roots of fine growth fit for use. 

 The sets should have several eyes, as it will 

 never vegetate if these arc not developed. — 

 Knight recommends, in order to procure a sup- 

 ply of crowns, to plant a poor spot rather shal- 

 low, and by allowing the plants to grow with- 

 out extra cultivation, an abundant supply will 

 be obtained. In fact, it will become a nursery, 

 lasting several years, requiring no other trou- 

 ble than to keep the weeds down. This is 



