ADULTERATION OP FOOD. NO. 8, ETC. 
43 
plows, should be passed through the fields about 
once in ten days, in order to keep down the grass 
and weeds. Should the season be so backward as 
to prevent you from finishing the planting of your 
cane, it may be done at the close of this month. 
But do not cover it at a depth exceeding two 
inches. 
Preparation and Plowing Gotton Lands. — Em- 
ploy your hands in cutting up and rolling logs — 
knocking down , cotton stalks with a stick, when 
not too large — firing log heaps, and burning stumps 
and brush, clearing up hollows, &c, and be in 
readiness to commence plowing your cotton fields, 
as soon as the season will admit. By the latter 
end of the month, if the weather be favorable, and 
the ground in proper condition, keep as many 
plows running as may be convenient. 
Sowing Tobacco Seed. — If not done before, pre- 
pare your ground and sow your tobacco seed, as 
directed last month. 
Feeding Cows, fyc. — Give your cows boiled cot- 
ton seed, with a little corn-cob or Indian meal 
added. This will give the butter a rich flavor, and 
a fine color. The seed must be well cooked, 
which will require but a few minutes. As most of 
the directions for the management of stock given 
in the work for the north and west, this month, 
will apply to the south, it is unnecessary to repeat 
them here. 
Kitchen Garden. — Plant seeds of vegetables, as 
recommended for January, according to the climate 
and latitude of the place. Also cucumbers, Lima 
beans, bunch beans, squashes, muskmelons, water 
melons, pumpjdns, Indian corn, beets, leeks, celery, 
and okra. Plant aromatic and pot herbs; also, at a 
distance from varieties of the same family, carrots, 
parsnips, and turnips, intended to produce seeds. 
Fruit Garden, Shrubbery, Ifc. — Graft fruit and 
other trees. Plant cuttings of grapevines, roses, 
quince, fig, pomegranate, and the various kinds of 
fruits and ornamental shrubs. Plant Osage-orange 
seeds for hedges, as recommended at p. 105, vol. 
vii., of the Agriculturist. 
THE RUST IN WHEAT. 
The following remarks from the Annual Report 
of the St. John (N. B.) Agricultural Society, as to 
one of the causes of rust in wheat, are thrown out 
rather as a supposition than an opinion, with the 
view of exciting inquiry. 
The oat draws nutriment from the earth by side 
roots, which spread over the ground. The wheat 
plant has similar rootlets ; but in addition thereto, 
when about to head, sends down a tap root into the 
earth, for the purpose, it may be presumed, of pro- 
curing that additional nutriment which its large, 
rich ear requires ; and this tap root has been known 
to go down to the depth of four feet. We may ob 
serve, that up to the time of sending down the tap 
root, the wheat is the hardiest and thriftiest of all 
the cereals, but afterwards, the most liable to dis 
ease. This delicacy is accounted for, when we 
consider that land is generally undrained — that not 
more than a few inches of soil get the benefit of 
sun, air, and manure, and that, therefore, the root 
must encounter, in its downward travel, nothing but 
disappointment. It comes in contact with the cold 
clay, or a soar, wet subsoil, turns back in despair, 
and dies. In accordance with the laws of nature, 
insects, or rust, which is itself a fungus, or vegeta- 
ble insect, come to finish the work of devastation 
on the dying plant. The forlorn farmer rails at the 
climate, and cries out that his wheat is killed by 
rust, while, in fact, it has died from starvation — 
from the want of that food, which, as a provident, 
husbandman, it was his duty to have provided for 
it. 
ADULTERATION OF FOOD.— No. 8. 
Black Pepper. — This substance, also, is often 
subject to adulteration, the nature of the materials 
usually employed for the purpose, merely sub- 
duing its strength, and generally are not injurious 
to health. Such a course, however, is much to be 
condemned, so in every species of fraud. 
The falsification of pepper is not confined to its 
ground, or pulverulent state ; for fraud has taken 
up a higher position as regards this condiment, 
than even any other. Factitious pepper corns, it 
is stated, are made and sold, sometimes alone, and 
in other cases mixed with those that are genuine, 
from which, indeed, by their outward appearance, 
they can scarcely be distinguished. They are 
made of linseed oil cake, and mustard, with a con- 
siderable quantity of clay, and a little Cayenne pep- 
per as a flavoring matter. This fraud, however, is 
easily detected, as the genuine pepper corns suffer 
no change when immersed in water, whereas, the 
counterfeit article, treated in the same manner, falls 
to pieces. 
When purchased in a state of powder, pepper is 
almost always adulterated by the admixture of sub- 
stances sold for the express purpose. It is often 
mixed with the pulverized husks of black mustard 
obtained at the mustard mill, as well as with the 
sweepings of pepper houses, which are bought un- 
der the name of P. D., or pepper dust. Earthy 
matters are also often mixed with pepper powder 
to increase its weight. The faded leaves of autumn 
and common rice are sometimes finely powdered 
and mixed with pepper to impart a paler color, in 
order to suit the taste of the public. In fact, it has 
been ascertained that the ordinary ground pepper 
of the shops does not contain more than |th of gen- 
uine pepper, or 2 oz. in the pound. 
Cayenne Pepper. — Genuine Cayenne pepper con- 
sists of the pods of a variety of capsicum ground 
together with equal parts, by weight, of common 
dry salt ; but is often subject to a very deleterious 
fraud. When exposed to light for any consider- 
able length of time, it always loses the fine bright 
red color it at first possesses, and therefore becomes 
deteriorated in the eyes of the purchaser. In order 
to prevent this, a quantity of red lead is added, 
which not only causes it to keep its color for a 
greater length of time, but also adds to its weight, 
and consequently, to the profit of the vender. 
The Cayenne of the shops is commonly a spuri- 
ous article made by grinding a mixture of any of 
the reddish woods, or sawdust, with sufficient cap- 
sicum pods to give it flavor. 
Ginger. — This substance, when purchased in 
a ground or powdered state, is almost always adul- 
terated, in this country, with Indian meal. 
Mustard. — The substances employed in the adul- 
teration of this condiment, it is believed, are not 
