•74 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
and yet, what’^has served as his nutriment may be, for 
man, a most destructive poison." It may be so; but as 
I am not physiologist enough to determine the question, 
I must be content with the remark, that it seems strange 
that that which n )urishes a bee may destroy the life 
of a man ! 
“With respect to poisonous honey,” says a writer, “the 
oarliest notice of it we have met with is given by Xeno- 
phon who tells us that, during the memorable retreat of the 
ten thousand Greeks from Persia, the soldiers coming to 
a place near Trebizonde, where there was a great number 
of bee hives, sucked some of the combs, and in conse- 
quence become intoxicated, and were seized with virulent 
cholera morbus.” The historian does not tell whether 
the whole, or what proportion of the ten thousand, were 
made intoxicated, if the whole, it establishes the fact, that 
honey is no drug in Persia, and if a part only, may they 
not have become sick from eating too much, as some men 
are apt to do when the oyster season commences 1 Or if 
old peach" in vogue in that day, I would believe, 
like Dr. Baker, that an undue quantity had been mixed with 
their honey. 
In conclusion, I have to say that I think it more than 
likely that Dr. Baker is correct in his conclusions, that 
the causes of sickness from eating honey is to be traced 
to other sources than to the honey itself; and that if those 
who make the assertion would take more than a superfi- 
cial view, perhaps they would be of his opinion. A glass 
of milk is quite an innocent thing, but a small quantity 
of strychnine or arsenic put in it would change its charac- 
ter, but that ought not to justify us in pronouncing milk 
poisonous ; so if a person eat honey, and in so doing take 
with it a bee sting, or some other unwholesome thing, 
why should we speak of the deleterious effects of honey I 
especially v/hen we know ten to eat of it without any 
injurious effects where one suffers. I could add much more 
to this, to me, interesting question, but am fearful of weary- 
ing the patience of the kind reader; hoping he will pardon 
my uninteresting style, I am 
Respectfully, 
Augusta, Geo., Jan , 1859, V. LaTaste. 
BANGER — AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. 
Editors Southern Cultivator. — There are many 
things, seemingly trivial, and hardly deserving the at- 
tention of the printer, that nevertheless, may be import- 
ant to the farmer. I give you several of them, which you 
can either spread before the votaries of the plow, or con- 
sign to the receptacle of trash, as you think best. 
1. Plowmen riding horses or mules with the gear on, 
not unfrequcntly are thrown down, and becoming en- 
tangled in the traces (sometimes used as stirrups) are 
dragged^to death, even by gentle animals. The remedy, 
(which has saved the life of at least one plow hand on my 
form) is, always to untie the hamestring before mounting 
2. To protect against fire, let the little negroes be dress- 
ed in woolens throughout the winter, clothing them thus, 
before the field hands, and when fires are first needed in 
full. Impress on the minds of all, large and small, field 
and house servants, the importance of not running if they 
catch a-fire, otherwise nine-tenths will run. 1 often cate- 
chise them pleasantly, especially when they are clearing 
up, and burning brush &c., in the Spring, a time of dan- 
ger, and the more so, as women, girls and small boys 
are usua’Iy detailed for that work; I proceed something 
after this fashion : What will you do if you catch a-fire 1 
will you run 1 No, Sir. What then 1 1 11 fall downsand 
roll over and keep a rolling. Why I Because that is 
the best way to put out the fire until help comes, and 
running will make it burn faster. Is that all I No, Sir. 
If we lie down and roll over fast, we only get burnt a little 
on the legs, and perhaps not at all, but if we stand up, or 
run, we may breathe the blaze, and they say that will 
kill, or get burnt all over, and that is certain death. Char- 
ley a boy of five or six years, had the lesson so well by 
heart, that he ran to the rescue of a blazing child of two 
years, threw it down and rolled so energetically, that 
when the frightened mother arrived, the blaze was ex- 
tinguished and the child suffered from only a small blister 
or two. In short, this course, under Providence, has 
saved a large family for many years, from and serious 
burn. 
3. What avast number of recipes are found in print 
for scratches in horses. Only one is necessary, here it is. 
Put one dram or so of Corrosive Sublimate (Chloride of 
Mercury), in about a gill of water, apply some of this to 
the diseased surface with a mop, rubbing the part with a 
cob, if not too tender ; having first washed it with soap 
and water. One application generally cures. If Quinine 
is good for chill and fever, this is better for scratches. But 
it is a virulent poison, therefore take care of your bottle. 
4. There is danger in giving copperas (sulphate of 
Iron) end salt (Chloride of Sodeum) to hogs at the same 
time, though both are good when given at different times. 
Should a hog eat much of the mixture, such a quantity of 
chlorine gas may be disengaged, by the play of chemical 
affinities, as to kill him. I have known hogs to die uhder 
circumstances that render this speculation plausible, and 
the caution justifiable. 
A. Rustic, M. D. 
SALT AND CORN. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— It has been suggested 
to me that three tablespoonfuls of salt put under each hill 
of corn will answer for manure. It is said the corn will 
have a small stalk and a large ear. 
I want to try it this year ; but before I commence I want 
to hear your opinion whether you think salt will make 
good manure or not. Yours respectfully, &c., 
J. T. E. 
Twiggs Co., Ga., 1858. 
Reply to the above. — It is rarely that common salt is 
of much value when used alone as a manure. This re- 
sults from the fact that all agricultural plants require some 
fourteen elementary substances for their growth, of which 
salt supplies only two— chlorine and sodium. Being 
very soluble in water, salt is sometimes rather more wash- 
ed out of a soil than other fertilizers; so that its applica- 
tion to a hill of corn has precisely the effect that would 
follow the use of the best stable manure. We have used 
it a good deal on corn in the hill, but always in connec- 
tion with wood ashes to supply potash, magnesia, sul- 
phuric and phosphoric acids. Apply three tablespoon- 
fuls of salt, and as much good hard wood ashes, to the 
hill, such as will make lye for soap, and you will have a 
reasonable prospect of a satisfactory result. You may, 
however, fail from the lack of ammonia in the soil. 
L. 
Strange Mortality of Hogs and Cattle.— A friend 
living in the neighborhood of Fort Browder, in Barbour 
county, Alabama, informs the Eufaula Express that he 
has within a few days lost some twenty head of cattle, by 
some unknown disease. They were in good condition, 
and would eat heartily even up to the moment of death — 
in fact, one cow was in the act of eating oats and dropped 
dead as suddenly as it it had been shot. Several other 
planters in the same section have lost stock in the 
same way. No clue to the cause has as yet been discov- 
ered. 
