736 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



For the Planter. 



Humbuggery the Order of the Bay. 

 Mr. Editor : 



In glancing over the contents of your 

 November number my attention was ar- 

 rested by a notice of "a miraculous corn ;" 

 that being a favorite plant of mine, with 

 which I have been experimenting for up- 

 wards of forty years, with as many varie- 

 ties as years I turned to the page contain- 

 ing its description, when lo, and behold! 

 I met with an old acquaintance, (from 

 whom I am seeking a divorce,) the " Wy- 

 andotte prolific corn." Some three years 

 since I was presented by a gentleman with 

 an ear of that variety, the most beautiful 

 I had ever seen, and in my judgment 

 promised to rival wheat in the manufac- 

 ture of flour, with a product promised 

 equal to the one certified in the above 

 number. I then considered a desidera- 

 tum obtained, in quest of which I had made 

 so many experiments, and my labors ended 

 in them. A favorable spot in my garden 

 was selected for the reception of the grain, 

 and that prepared in the best manner my 

 judgment sanctioned. The corn came up, 

 grew apace, and threw out the sprouts as 

 advertized. I awaited anxiously the pre- 

 sentation of ears promised without the 

 fulfilment of my expectation; at gather- 

 ing time I received something like a peck 

 very badly matured, with a promise on 

 the stalk of a better yield, should the ma- 

 turing season continue several months 

 longer; but the season did not delay, 

 hence I was minus the yield. The corn 

 continued to be puffed in the agricultural 

 and political papers, and being loth to 

 abandon it on the above experiment, and 

 finding the "pure seed" advertised in Bal- 

 timore bv its agent, I procured a quart of 

 it, which cost at the rate of $240 per 

 barrel, planted it as in the first instance, 

 with a corresponding result. During the 

 present year I have planted the Peabody 

 corn, and from present appearances I shall 

 gather rather more than the seed planted, 

 of the most unpromising appearance. This 

 is not the extent of my being victimized 

 to humbuggery. A few years since I was 

 presented with the Oregon pea, a beauti- 

 ful one in appearance ( with a promise of 

 an unprecedented yield, on rich or poor 

 land, and an unparalleled fertilizer, in all 

 of which I was wofully disappointed. The 

 pea was advertized at $80 per bushel, 



and I advised my farming brethren not to 

 make a large outlay in that article, at 40 

 cents per bushel, for which I received a 

 castigation from a correspondent of the 

 "American Farmer" upon the ground that 

 his experiment had been more successful 

 than mine, and that he had not seen the 

 pea as early as I had made the experi- 

 ment. Supposing from his premises that 

 it was necessary for him to inspect the ar- 

 ticle and pronounce it pure or spurious, I 

 yielded him the field, since which time I 

 have heard no more of the Oregon pea or 

 its advocate, as a bearer or fertilizer. 

 Next in course came the Japan pea, beau- 

 tiful in appearance, and highly recom- 

 mended as a fertilizer, but its yield was 

 no better than the Oregon. In its train 

 followed the Chinese prolific, with a worse 

 return than those above named. Tn view 

 of the above, I am inclined to think I 

 have contributed to humbuggery my full 

 portion, and shall surrender the ground to 

 such as may be as credulous as I have 

 been. Richard Rouzee. 



Oakland, Essex County, Va. > 

 November 2nd, 1858. f 



A Hard and Durable Soap. 

 A patent has been granted in England 

 for an improvement in the manufacture of 

 soap, by the addition of sulphate of lime 

 to the usual ingredients employed in its 

 manufacture. The sulphate may be added 

 with any of the usual ingredients employ- 

 ed in the manufacture of soap. The pro- 

 portions of the sulphate which it is best to 

 employ, vary according to the article man- 

 ipulated upon, and the quality of the soap 

 to be produced. Thus about twelve oun- 

 ces of dry sulphate is sufficient for one ton 

 of best soap, whereas, in common or 

 highly liquored soap, six or eight pounds 

 maybe used with advantage. Soap, made 

 with the addition of sulphate of lime be- 

 comes hardened, keeps dry, and is not lia- 

 ble to shrink while in water, its durability 

 is increased, and it does not wear or waste 

 away before its cleansing properties are 

 brought into action.— -Scientific American. 



The Early Dead. 

 Some one has said of those who die 

 young, that they are like the lambs which 

 Alpine shepherds bear in their arms to 

 greener pastures, that the flocks may fol- 

 low. — Maine Farmer, 



