i68 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



puts the paper upon ihe safest footing and se- 

 cures us a small reward for our labor, but over 

 and above the additional profit, we feel some 

 pride in having it said that the State of Virginia 

 affords to her agricultural papers as fair a sup- 

 port as her sister Stales. We are every day 

 receiving the most convincing proof that there 

 are thousands who only want to know the woik 

 to subscribe to it. 



Under the new postage law each number of 

 the Planter is declared to be a newspaper, and 

 as such, is subjected to the following postage: 

 Within thirty miles of the city of Richmond it 

 goes free of charge. Within one hundred miles, 

 or within the State of Virginia, each number is 

 taxed with one cent; over one hundred miles 

 out of the State, it pays one and a half cents. 



will contain six hundred pages royal octavo, 

 and will no doubt be worthy the well earned re- 

 putation of the editor and publishers. 



5^=- Subscriptions received at the office of the 

 Planter, and forwarded free of charge. 



From the American Farmer. 



SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE USED IN 

 MAKING CANDLES. 



Mr. Editor, — Taking the hint from a late 

 number of the Ploughman, my "better half 3 

 tried the experiment of dipping her candle wicks 

 in spirits of turpentine before making the can- 

 dles, and found it quite an improvement. I 

 mentioned this fact that it might be tried by 

 others to their advantage, which 1 have no he- 

 sitancy in affirming will be found to be the case. 

 The saving as I reckon it, is forty or fifty per 

 cent.; besides we find the candles emit a clearer, 

 brighter light. 



Remember the wicks are to be made about 

 half the usual size, dipped in spirits of turpen- 

 tine and dried in the sun. Try it, ye that count 

 it worth your while to save the pennies, and let 

 us hear from you if it be not so. 



Respectfully, B. F. Wilber. 



Butters Vala, Feb. 15, 1845. 



BROOM CORN. 



The seed is excellent to fatten sheep. Albert 

 Hibbard, of North Hadley, tells us he makes 

 use of the seed of his broom corn to fatten 

 sheep; that they are very fond of it, and will 

 fatten better on this than on Indian corn. Broom 

 corn is raised in great quantities in the river 

 towns, where the brooms are made up and dis- 

 tributed to all parts of the country. We have 

 ofien raised the corn for the sake of the brush, 

 but we have never made much account of the 

 seed, though we think it has seldom been con- 

 verted to meal for hogs. Mr. Hibbard thinks 

 the broom corn seed more valuable for sheep, 

 than oats, or any grain, pound for pound. — Bos- 

 ton Ploughman. 



CONTENTS OF ~SO, VII. 



THE FARMERS' LIBRARY. 



In our office may be found a prospectus and 

 subscription list, to which we would most gladly 

 append the name of every subscriber we have. 

 Under the title of the "Farmers' Library," that 

 veteran Editor, John S. Skinner, proposes to re- 

 publish in a cheap form, with notes and anno- 

 tations that we will guarantee will be worth as 

 much as the text, the best standard works on 

 agriculture that are published in Europe, fre- 

 quently at a cost too great for the means of the 

 ordinary American farmer. 



For five dollars a year, he also proposes to 

 publish a monthly Journal of Agriculture, which 



Subsoil Ploughing — Editorial remarks on, p. 145. 

 Snake Bite— Ho cure, p. 146. 

 Cockle— To get rid of, p. 146. 

 Okra — Cultivation of, recommended, p. 147. 

 Manure — Liebig's patent, p. 147. 

 Sheep— Mr. Nolting's, p. 147. 

 Chickens — Cause of gapes, p. 148. 

 Food — How to preserve animal food, p. 148. 

 Beer Powders — Good for nothing, p. 148. 

 Mowing — Directions for using the scythe, p. 148. 

 Agricultural Schools — Mr. Schermerhorn's system, p. 

 149. 



Stumps — An extractor, p. 152. 

 Wool — Statistics of American wool, p. 152. 

 Agricultural Club — Another, p. 153. 

 Horses — Proper conformation of, p. 153. 

 Moth— A lure for, p. 154. 

 Wagons — A new lock for, p. 154. 

 Horses — Farcy cured by homoeopathic treatment, p. 

 154. 



Virginia — Yankee emigration to, p. 155. 

 Manufactures — Ought to be more general at the South, 

 p. 155. 



Horses— Cut and description of the Suffolk Punch, p. 

 157. 



Wood^-An incombustible coating for, p. 158. 

 Cows — To prevent abortion, p. 158. 

 The Tuckahoe— Again, p. 158. 



Asparagus— The Arabian method of cultivation, p. 

 159. 



Cockle— A screen for, p. 159. 

 Virginia — A foreigner's opinion of, p. 159. 

 Lightning Rods— To put up, p. 161. 

 Razors — Directions for honing, p. 162. 

 Cows — Food for, p. 162. 



Agricultural Papers— Their proper scope and value, 

 p. 162. 



Root— A curious one, p. 163. 



Wheat— Great production of, p. 164. 



Soap — Its connexion with civilization, p. 164. 



Wwd Mill— Inquiries for, p. 165. 



Overseer — An ansM'er to "A Farmer," p. 166. 



Agricultural Society — Formed in Amherst, p. 167. 



Postage and the Planter — p. 167. 



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