32 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



vated by cutting its roots like the sweet 

 potato. It is almost impossible to destroy 

 it after it has taken root, and unlike cotton, 

 it has no worm, its enemy, to destroy it. 

 It is probable it may be produced from the 

 seed. I almost fear that I have drawn 

 too long upon your time on this subject ; 

 but the deep interest I take in the ad- 

 vancement of every thing which relates 

 to the prosperity of the agricultural in- 

 terest of the country, will, I hope, be a 

 sufficient excuse. Should I be so fortu- 

 nate as to succeed in drawing the atten- 

 tion of the farmers to the cultivation of 

 this plant, I will feel that I will be suffi- 

 ciently rewarded by its success. 



You will see by the above extracts that 

 the cultivation of the bear grass is no 

 longer an experiment, but a practical re- 

 sult, and that its introduction will no doubt 

 supersede manilla and sisal — an amount 

 of which is imported into this country 

 equal to tioehe thousand tons annually, 

 and the demand is greater than the con- 

 sumption. The South may as well have 

 this source of wealth as a foreign coun- 

 try ; and should Georgia be the pioneer 

 in its introduction, she will be the first not 

 only to gain in wealth, but add another 

 blessing to the working classes, as well 

 as increased wealth to the rich planter, and 

 introduce another incentive to industry. 

 1 have the honor to be, 

 Most respectfully, 



Your obedient servant, 



David Myerle. 



CURE FOR THE CATERPILLAR. 



A gentleman at Galashiels, Scotland, 

 has discovered that exhausted bark spread 

 on the surface round the roots of goose- 

 berry bushes, is an effectual remedy for 

 caterpillar. A more simple and cheap 

 remedy could scarcely be wished for. A 

 cart loard of the bark, which costs about 

 sixpence, is amply sufficient for the largest 

 garden. 



WHEAT REAPERS. 



The success of M'Cormick and Hussey 

 have brought various competitors into the field 



and there is every reason to believe that Ame- 

 rican ingenuity will soon supersede the labo- 

 rious and imperfect work of the cradler. In 

 the last number of the Western Farmer we 

 find ajgkice of a.new reaper, the invention of 

 Mr. Js^. Cook, of Indiana, which is highly 

 commended. Neither the cut nor the descrip- 

 tion afford a very clear idea of its construction. 



TO OUR PATRONS. 



We congratulate our subscribers on the new 

 form in which the Planter for 1847 makes its 

 appearance. This modification has cost us 

 some trouble and has delayed the appearance 

 of the first number in consequence of the new 

 fixtures that were required by the change; but 

 it is such an alteration as has been long de- 

 sired, and will, we are sure, give universal 

 satisfaction. We have increased the number 

 of pages from twenty-four to thirty-two, and 

 have put the paper in such form as to bring it 

 within the law of newspaper postage, even 

 according to the strict construction of the 

 Postmaster General. The amount of postage 

 charged upon the pamphlet form was a grievous 

 burden, and the universal complaint led us to 

 adopt the present arrangement. 



Whenever occasion and opportunity permit 

 we will embellish the paper with elegant and 

 useful engravings, but the stereotyped repre- 

 sentation of a fat sow or a patent bull, which 

 has appeared before under another name, is a 

 custom we think more honored in the breach 

 than in the observance. 



To make the Planter a worthy representa- 

 tive of the farming interest of the South we 

 only ask the assistance of the farmers them- 

 selves. Give us good communications and 

 we will trust to our subscription list. The 

 February number will be issued as soon as it 

 can be hastened through the press, and by the 

 first of April we hope to make up the ground 

 we have lost. 



TO POSTMASTERS. 



All orders for change of office or discon- 

 tinuance of the paper, must specify the post 

 office to which the paper has been sent. 



