THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



25 



offices last season much corn might have 

 been saved, even by drying one or two 

 cart loads daily. This desideratum might 

 be effected by running a flue through the 

 barn, level with the floor, its upper surface 

 being covered with iron plate or tiles. By 

 means of a small quantity of fuel a barn 

 full of corn in sheaves, properly disposed, 

 might be dried in a few hours. The arti- 

 ficial method of drying grass here sug- 

 gested will of course be unnecessary when 

 the grass can be deprived of its w T ater by 

 the heat of the sun with sufficient rapidity, 

 and without being exposed to the drench- 

 ing influence of the rain of our northern 

 climate. That rapid drying can be ef- 

 fected, even in wet seasons, in Scotland, I 

 have had an opportunity of witnessing, 

 in the case of an excellent sample of hay 

 prepared during the summer of 1845, on 

 the grounds of Mr. Fleming, of Barochan, 

 for a specimen of which I am indebted 

 to that gentleman. The only complaint 

 which I have heard offered to the Eng- 

 land plan of haymaking is the additional 

 amount of labor required, but surely any 

 rational excess of labor is preferable to the 

 complete deterioration of the hay crop." 



GAPES. 



We have always succeeded in curing 

 the gapes by timely exhalation of a strong 

 tincture of assafoetida, which we used 

 under the supposition that worms were the 

 cause of the disease, and that the smell 

 and taste of that noxious tincture would 

 dislodge them, and as a prevention of the 

 disease we have successfully placed a 

 small portion of the drug in the vessel in 

 which the chickens received the drink. 



American Farmer. 



A HAY PRESS. 

 The question is frequently asked us, "How 

 and where can I get a good hay press T' We 

 see in some of our Northern exchanges one 

 invented and manufactured by Mr. W. S. Bul- 

 lock, of New York, very highly spoken of. 

 Indeed, we have had some opportunity of in- 

 specting this press in person, and have formed 



a very favorable opinion of its merits. We 

 believe such a one as would suit the hay 

 packer of Virginia, would cost about one hun- 

 drft and twenty dollars. For further infor- 

 mation, address S. W. Bullock, 27 Peck Slip, 

 New York. 



TO DESTROY RED ANTS. 



As every housekeeper may not know 

 how to get rid of these troublesome little 

 intruders, I will state my experience.— 

 Place a piece of fat bacon, or a pan of 

 grease or butter near the place where they 

 enter the kitchen or pantry. This will 

 soon attract them together, when they 

 can be easily removed, or destroyed by a 

 little hot water. Thousands may be de- 

 stroyed in this way in a few days. — Ohio 

 Cultivator. 



THE PROPERTIES OF MANURES. 



BY R. L. PELL, ESQ., OF PELHAM. 



Read he/ore the Farmers' Club of the Ame- 

 rican Institute. 



Gentlemen, — You could not possibly 

 have selected a subject for discussion of 

 more vital importance to the country than 

 manure. Without it in some shape, the 

 agriculturist cannot by any possibility suc- 

 ceed in his avocation. It never was in- 

 tended by the Deity, that man should 

 annually take from the soil its productions, 

 and make no return. Such has been the 

 case in Virginia. The tobacco grower 

 has successively taken from his fields the 

 tobacco plant, root and branch. Mark 

 the consequence; a curse has pursued 

 him, his fields have ceased to produce, he 

 has become impoverished, and at this mo- 

 ment vast tracts that have once been fer- 

 tile, are now barren wastes. 



If our farmers paid proper attention to 

 their interests, there is scarcely one among 

 us, who has not, in his immediate vicinity, 

 or on his very farm, almost every requi- 

 site to grow the cerealia, — and instead of 

 producing fifteen bushels of wheat to the 

 acre, might obtain sixty. We all have 



