159 



York.] The lycoperdon tuber, of Linnaeus, 

 called truffles, grows here and in New Jersey, 

 and we have a place called Tuckahoe. These 

 tuberous productions are not the same. The In- 

 dians made delicious bread from their farinaceous 

 matter." 



Yours, truly, C. Camfbell. 



June 7, 1845. 



From the American Agriculturist. 



MODE OF RAISING ASPARAGUS BY THE 

 ARABS. 



Among the list of fruits and vegetables in 

 the "Treatise on Agriculture,'' by Abu Zacha- 

 ria Jahia Ben Mohamad Ben Ahmad, a native 

 of Seville, in Spain, is mentioned the following 

 singular mode of raising asparagus, as well as 

 a remarkable property possessed by that vege- 

 table: — If a stalk of asparagus be smeared with 

 honey, and after being sprinkled with oak ashes, 

 be committed to the ground, it will produce 

 many stems, particularly white ones, of consi- 

 derable thickness, and sometimes part colored 

 towards the top. 



To Remove the Taint in Meat. — The Arabian 

 author adds, that the pulverized root of the as- 

 paragus, mixed with oil, if rubbed into meat 

 either already tainted, or almost corrupted (pro- 

 vided this be previously washed 3 ) will totally 

 remove its fostor or taint. B. 



For the Southern Planter. 



A COCKLE SCREEN. 



Mr. Editor, — In the May number of the 

 Planter, in a communication from Dr. Wrenn, 

 of Isle of Wight, I observe an inquiry in rela- 

 tion to a screen which will answer for separating 

 cockle and cheat from wheat. I recollect that 

 in the winter of 1843-4, whilst in Richmond, I 

 had a conversation with you about various agri- 

 cultural implements, and among others, men- 

 tioned the fact that an improved screen had been 

 for some years in use in Augusta and some of 

 the neighboring counties, that in ail respects 

 comes up to Dr. W.'s idea on this subject. I 

 think, too, that I promised you a cut and de- 

 scription of it for the Planter, but from negli- 

 gence, I may just as well admit, it has been left 

 undone. The screen is made of the common 

 wire, used for such purposes, and in a cylindrical 

 form, with a hopper at. one end, into which the 

 wheat is poured, and by a crank at the opposite 

 end the cylinder is turned by a very slight 

 power, and the grain passes along the whole 

 length of the cylinder, which is composed of 

 wire of three different textures, and falls out 

 just at the foot of the person turning it, entirely 

 clear of all cockle and chess, and at the same 

 time freed of a good portion of rye, (if any,) the, 



grain of which is thinner than wheat. The ar- 

 ticle is most deservedly esteemed by all farmers 

 who have tried it, and the only wonder is, that 

 it is not in more general use. The usual cost 

 is from ten to fifteen dollars, and it may be pro- 

 cured by addressing George Myerly, the manu- 

 facturer, at Staunton. It is very light, and can 

 be moved or carried about with great facility. — 

 It may be well to add, that in an ordinary crop 

 of six or eight hundred bushels of wheat, the 

 price will be more than saved to the farmer in 

 the light wheat, &c, all of which the miller re- 

 ceives, and the loss of which is too often ob- 

 served in the half starved hogs and poultry on 

 most of our farms. In addition, it is no small 

 saving of labor to those who have been in the 

 habit of picking their seed wheat just before it 

 ripens, by hand, a most tedious, and with the 

 nicest care, a most imperfectly performed task. 

 So well, too, are the millers here pleased with 

 the article, that they have procured one or more 

 for their mills, in order that their customers who 

 are too sparing to buy one, may use it at the 

 mill, and thus relieve the miller of the grievous 

 reflections, so often indulged in when they don't 

 get extra-superfine or family flour made of stuff 

 taken to the mill, scarcely one-third of which is 

 wheat. 



You may use this or any part of it. as you 

 desire, and I shall be gratified if I can be instru- 

 mental in seeing the farming interest benefited 

 by the extension of so valuable an implement. 



With a most sincere wish for your welfare 

 personally, and as the friend of the agricultural 

 improvement of "Poor Old Virginia," I remain, 

 Very respectfully, yours, 



J. Marshall M'Cue. 



Mount Solon, May 28, 1845. 



EASTERN VIRGINIA. 



We copy the following letter, addressed to the 

 Editor of the American Agriculturist, chiefly 

 because it confirms, upon the authority of an 

 intelligent and disinterested foreigner, the opinion 

 we have so often expressed, that no part of the 

 Union offers so good a chance for investment as 

 that portion of old Virginia from which her sons 

 are daity emigrating. 



We have frequently found a very erroneous 

 opinion existing upon the subject of the healthi- 

 ness of Eastern Virginia. Below tide water, 

 the river situations, it is true, are subject to bi- 

 lious disease in the fall of the year, but these 

 attacks, instead of bearing the malignant cha- 

 racter of yellow fever, as some seem to suppose, 

 are mild, and seldom occasion more than slight 

 indisposition for two or three weeks in the year ; 

 and with this exception, the people hardly know 



