THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



407 



affinity for Chlorine, and the result of giving 

 chloride of lime is to produce a combination of 

 the chlorine and hydrogen thus forming, and 

 "setting free," muriatic acid which produces 

 no injury to the horse. 



I generally add one tablespoonful of lauda- 

 num to this drench. If this does no good it can 

 do no harm. J. E. W. 



Wheat Drill. 



The following short letter will "be as good as 

 a volume to those who know the author. We 

 can only say to those who do not that he is one 

 of the best farmers and most reliable men in 

 the State of Virginia. Mr. May's advertise- 

 ment will be found in this number. 



I see in your May number an inquiry as to 

 the best wheat drill with guano attachment. — 

 The Bickford & Hoffman is the best drill in use 

 in this section of country. It is a cylinder 

 drill which will deposit the grain more regu- 

 larly than a slide drill. The guano attachment 

 is better calculated to feed regularly. My 

 neighbour, R. H. Dulaney, and many others 

 have used them with entire satisfaction. They 

 are sold by Wm. H. May in Alexandria, Va. 

 Respectfully yours, &c. 



WILLIAM BENTON, 



Loudoun Co., Va. 



From the Maine Farmer. 

 Benefits of Sawdust. 



Mr. Editor — I propose to give you some of 

 my views of the benefit of sawdust for agricul- 

 tural purposes, together with my method of ap- 

 plying it. The first use I make of it is in bed- 

 ding for my stock — such as cattle, horses and 

 hogs — not forgetting even poor biddy's quar- 

 ters. I am satisfied this is economy in more 

 than one point : — first, it is so comfortable for 

 the poor creatures to rest their weary limbs 

 upon. Why, sir, it would do your heart good 

 to^ see how comfortable and happy they look, 

 lying there upon it chewing their cud ; then, 

 when you come to make your daily draft upon 

 poor mooley for that indispensable requisite to 

 give your coffee its delicious flavor, you can do 

 it without being under the necessity of scrap- 

 ing and digging through, or, with sponge and 

 tub of water, washing off the accumulated 

 filth, before you can find where she keeps her 

 deposits of milk and cream. I think even you, 

 Mr. Editor, will admit that it may be used for 

 other purposes than making sawdust puddings. 



Second, it absorbs all the urine of the cattle, 

 which i 8 a very great item, as it adds at least 

 100 per cent, to the yearly amount of manure, 

 aside from the sawdust itself. This, with the 

 manure, is all thrown into the cellar, where / 

 the hogs take charge and commence their ope- 

 rations, which have thus far been to my entire 

 satisfaction, their work being thorough ; for, 

 with a sprinkling of corn, by way of encour- 



agement to them, it becomes well incorporated 

 into a mass of excellent manure. There it re- 

 mains until I want to put it into the ground — 

 not on it, to dry up and evaporate and be car- 

 ried off in the atmosphere, until my neighbor- 

 ing farmer gets more than I retain for my own 

 benefit — by plowing or cultivating it in as soon 

 as practicable — for I think it bad husbandry to 

 allow manure to lay exposed to the sun, wind 

 and rain, either in the field or barnyard. 



Again, I think sawdust profitable to apply 

 to all clayey soils, on account of its capacity of 

 absorbing moisture in time of excessive rains, 

 consequently preventing the clay from becom- 

 ing so moist as to apparently form mortar, 

 which, when it becomes dry, will be so hard 

 that vegetation will find it difficult to subsist 

 upon, much more to grow and flourish luxuri- 

 antly in, notwithstanding the soil otherwise 

 might be in a condition from which under fa- 

 vorable circumstances, the farmer might expect 

 good crops. 



Again, sawdust well incorporated into clay 

 soil serves to keep it loose and porous, so as to 

 admit light and air, which are necessary to the 

 growth of vegetation, as well as to early matu- 

 rity, which is very esssential in this region. — 

 Where the land upon side-hills is liable to be- 

 come washed badly with rains, I am satisfied 

 that a liberal application of sawdust will great- 

 ly improve the condition of the soil, by pre- 

 venting the rains from carrying away the best 

 and finest portions as well as the most nutri- 

 tious, by holding together the particles of soil, 

 and allowing the water to pass through. You 

 will see all the cavities upon the surface become 

 filled, forming a sort of filter, through which 

 the water will pass, leaving the fine soil upon 

 the surface. 



Again, if it be a receiver — which no one will 

 doubt — it is also a retainer ; hence its value, 

 by holding a supply of moisture to be appro- 

 priated to vegetation in time of severe drouth. 

 Every farmer knows that our hard clay soil, 

 unless it has been subsoiled or trenched, is af- 

 fected more by drouth than many other kinds, 

 consequenly it may be more profitable to use 

 sawdust on clay soil than on others, although I 

 have no doubt that it may be beneficial on any 

 soil. I have used sawdust to some extent for 

 the above purposes the three past years, al- 

 though I have to transport it five miles. This 

 year I shall use, probably, more than I have 

 during the two previous years. I intend ex- 

 perimenting with it by preparing it with the 

 salt and lime mixture so highly recommended 

 by Professor Waring and others, and using it 

 as above. I will communicate the result. 



Yours, &c, A. Ho ag. 



Gardiner, March 6, 1857. 



To Clean Kid Gloves. — Wash them in a mix- 

 ture of equal quantities of ammonia and alco- 

 hol. Then rub them dry. 



