364 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 LIMING AND BRINING WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor,— In a late number of your valu- 

 able paper 1 noticed a communication, relative 

 to liming and brining wheat in order to pre- 

 vent smut, signed Thomas Meaux. I have 

 been in the habit of using; both lime and brine 

 for the last twelve or fifteen years with per- 

 fect success, not having suffered during that 

 period from smut in the slightest degree. In 

 the fall of '51, I seeded several varieties of 

 wheat, viz. half-bearded white, early purple 

 straw, Zimmerman and Woodrin, not using 

 either lime or brine with either variety — in the 

 harvest of '52, the half-bearded white wheat 

 was very materially injured by smut, amount- 

 ing to at least one-fourth of the crop; the other 

 varieties were entirely exempt. 



In the fall of '52, I soaked the whole of my 

 seed wheat in a solution of blue stone, per- 

 mitting the wheat to remain from eight to 

 twelve hours in the blue stone, then rolling it 

 in lime, in order to test perfectly the merits of 

 the blue stone. I seeded a portion of the half- 

 bearded white wheat that was much injured 

 by smut, also, twenty bushels of Zimmerman 

 wheat obtained from a neighbor that was af- 

 fected by smut, and in the harvest of '53, though 

 a portion of each variety suffered from joint 

 worm, I am happy to inform you that no part 

 of my crop was in the slightest degree affected 

 by smut. In the solution, I allowed a pound 

 of blue stone to five bushels of wheat. From 

 the little experience I have, I am decidedly of 

 the opinion, that the blue stone wash is a valu- 

 able and effectual remedy against smut, as 

 some of my neighbors, seeding the same vari- 

 eties of wheat, neglecting to use the remedy, 

 suffered a good deal from the disease of which 

 my crop was exempt. The blue stone which 

 I was then, and am now usin?, can be obtained 

 at the drug stores of either Fredericksburg or 

 Richmond for ten or twelve cents per pound; 

 and I would strongly advise all farmers to test 

 the matter for themselves, feeling confident 

 they will be satisfied with the result. 



W. C. J. Rothrock. 



Roclc Spring, Spottsylvania, Va. 



From the New England Cultivator. 



GOOD MILCH COWS. 



A writer in the Middletown, Connecticut, 

 Sentinel and Witness, urges upon the citi- 

 zens and farmers of that vicinity, the ne- 

 cessity of forming an association for the 

 improvement of the breed of milch cows — 

 a branch of improvement to which but lit- 

 tle attention, has, as yet, been paid in this 

 country. 



The great object of the principal breed- 



ers of cattle in England, has been to pro- 

 duce animals of fine form and symmetry, 

 which will mature early, and fatten at the 

 least expense, with little or no regard to 

 the milking properties of the females. 



From herds bred for this purpose, most 

 of our expensive importations have been 

 made. 



The results have proved in the highest 

 degree, beneficial so far as the production 

 of beef is concerned; and in greater or 

 less degree in the milking properties of our 

 native cattle. 



But we want a breed of uniform good 

 milkers; and we know of no field, which 

 affords a better prospect of a fair reward, 

 than the breeding of such a race; any in- 

 dividual or association which would under- 

 take the work, would deserve the praise of 

 the country. 



The writer above alluded to, says: 

 "But we cannot ask any one to take 

 shares in this, or any other project where 

 money is wanted, without meeting the ques- 

 tion, 'Will it pay?' The answer may be 

 gathered from what follows: 

 "A good cow, to be worthy of the name, 

 should yield, on an average, for the first 

 100 days after calving, 1\ quarts at a 

 mess, or 15 quarts per day, amounting 

 to - - - 1500 



For the next 100 days, she should 



average 5 qts. at a mess, - 1000 

 For the succeeding 100 days, she 

 should average 4 qts. at a mess, 800 



Total number of qts. - 3300 

 Giving her a respite of 65 days before 

 calving. 3300 qts. of milk, at 3 cts. 

 per quart, is very near - $100 

 "The cost of keeping may be reck- 

 oned as follows: 



For pasturage, the season, - $12 

 2 tons hay, - 26 

 S00 lbs. corn meal or its equivalent, 12 — 50 



Leaving a balance of - $50 

 or one hundred per cent, on the cost of 

 keeping, to pay for attention and expenses, 

 without estimating the value of her calf, 

 or the manure she may make. If the bu- 

 siness be done on a liberal scale, we think 

 there is a chance for some profit. A cow 

 that will do this may be called good. 



" It is common for persons keeping cows 

 to say, they will give ten to twelve quarts 

 at a mess; but this is not always true — for 

 not one in ten of the cows in Middlesex 

 county, so far as the writer's knowledge 

 extends, will average so much, for three 



