SOUTHEKN CULTIVATOR. 
293 
planters into the truth of this remark. The value of sheep 
as an instrument of enriching land may be learned from 
Mr. S. S. Bradford, of Va,, who says in a letter to us : 
“My own land cost me about S25 per acre in 1853. I 
introduced sheep with a view of getting the largest profit 
compatible with constant progression towards fertility, at 
he smallest expense of labor and capital. I should be 
very sorry to sell it now, (1859) at SIO per acre, and its 
present yield of icTieal and corn is larger than lehen these 
cereals alone were groiony Mr. Bradford’s flock consists 
of 1,000 Merino sheep. This gentleman, with others of 
high authority, considers the droppings of 1,000 sheep 
for one night equal to 200 pounds of Guano. 
Mr. Wallach, in the August number of the American 
Farmer gives his method of using sheep in the improve- 
ment of his land. “About the 1st of May, I commence 
folding the flock in the open air every genial night. To 
this end, I use eight hurdles made of pine poles, of per- 
haps an inch and a half to two inches in diameter, which 
hurdles are easily handled by a boy of fourteen years of 
age. At night a servant sleeps within a few yards of 
them, in a light shantee or watch house built on wheels, 
in order to protect them from all intruders: a few bells on 
them give notice of any stirring about in the hurdles 
when they should be at rest. They are, of course, thus 
folded on galls or portions of the field requiring most 
manuring. I permit them to rest three nights only on the 
same spot. The first night, ere folding them, I cause 
clover and orchard grass seed to be sprinkled where they 
are to lie. That night their little hoofs harrow the seed 
in far better than can possibly be done by the use of any 
machine. Next morning a light covering of straw is put 
upon the ground in the fold, and on that covering they 
lie two nights more, saturating it with their urine and 
leaving really an astonishing deposit of manure in it; for 
one who has not hurdled sheep will be surprised at the 
extent of their voiding in a single night. Wherever I have 
thus folded them, young clover and orchard grass are 
rapidly showing themselves from beneath the straw.” 
In order to sustain a flock of sheep of sufficient size to 
render it an object in the improvement of the soil, we 
must have good pastures. For summer it is not difficult 
to provide. For winter, we must prepare wood pastures, 
sowing them first in rye and afterwards with grass seeds 
to be trampled in by the grazing animals. Our now idle 
woods may be thus made the easy instrument of reno- 
vating our old lands. Will the cotton planter think of 
this suggestion ? How will it interfere with his cotton 
crop'? Two old negroes can well take care of 1,000 good 
sheep. They will manure from two to three hundred 
acres of land annually. There is, in this case no purchase 
of manure — there is no difficulty about hauling barn- 
yard manure up steep hill sides. The wool crop will keep 
if we wish to hold it over — it will always command cash 
if we wish to sell at once, It is our firm belief that on 
a farm of 1,000 acres, with the usual proportion of wood 
land, the keeping of 1,000 sheep, (besides the value of the 
fleece) provided with proper pasture, will enable the far- 
mer to raise more cotton than before the sheep were kept. 
Such a farm would improve in value rapidly. 
We had designed to incorporate into this paper the 
answers to some questions proposed by us to a gentleman 
in Germany, and which will be found in another column 
— but our already extended remarks forbid it. Let him 
who contemplates removal, pause and give the old farm 
another trial. Let him estimate the cost of his journey 
of exploration— the loss to his interests from want of the 
master’s eye durmg his absence — the expense of a removal 
of his hands — the value of their time during the journey 
and during their period of forming a settlement in a new 
country— the sacrifice of articles too bulky for transporta- 
tion, and the re- purchase of the same at a high price, and , 
then let him invest this sum in a judicious improvement 
at home, such as preparing woods pasture, draining, 
flooding, or purchase of manures. He will get back his 
investment with a handsome interest. Mr. David Dick- 
son tells us in the August number of the Cultivat ' Or , to 
buy “Guano for cotton the last of March or the first of 
April; commence selling cotton in September— in six to 
nine months you will have the money invested in guano 
back with the profits.” 
The suggestions we have offered are upon the presump- 
tion that the designed improvements are of a permanent 
character. It is a part of a system of improvement to 
consider that a field onoe put in good heart, is afterward 
by a judicious rotation of crops to be kept in a constant 
state of amelioiation. A fitful, spasmodic effort, followed 
by the same system of culture v/hich has brought the 
land to its present condition, is little worth, and might as 
well be omitted, for it will end in disappointment. It is 
a feature of the proposed system to consider it as neces- 
sary a part of a good year’s business to make money by 
the improvement of our land, as to make money by the 
sale of a largo crop. 
We have spoken of the pleasure enjoyed by the emi- 
grant in surveying the fields which he has won from the 
forest. This pleasure is the result very much of self- 
denial, fortitude and muscle. He who contemplates an 
impoverished farm rescued by himself from sterility, be- 
holds the results of mind as well as labor, and his gratifi- 
cation is therefore of a higher order. Agriculture is ra- 
pidly becoming a pursuit not of idlers who inherit and 
squander estates, an occupation not of men who know 
no other exercise of their powers but the employment of 
animal force, but a profession dignified by its require- 
ment of varied and commanding knowledge. 
For our young planters there is an honorable and lofty 
mission. Let them worthily perform it. Not by inglo- 
riously deserting their native soil, but by devoting their 
manly energies to its improvement, thus ministering at 
once to the increase of their own fortunes and the pros- 
perity of the. State, H. 
PIE- APPLE 3IELON. 
We r^ublish the following from a former number of 
our journal, by request of a lady subscriber: 
Let the melons remain on the vine until they begin to 
turn yellowish — then gather them carefully, without 
bruising, and put them away in a cool place lor winter 
use. When you wish to cook them, peel off the skin and 
cut up the melon small, taking out the seeds, soft pulp, if 
any, &c. Put them in a preserving kettle, with just 
enough water to keep them from burning, and stew over 
a tolerable brisk fire for three or four hours, or until the 
whole is reduced to a soft, pulpy mass, free from lumps, 
and thoroughly done. You have, then, a substance re- 
sembling green apples stewed, and by adding a little sugar 
and lemon juice to it, and making it up with the crust in 
the usual way, it is impossible to tell it from a fresh apple 
pie. The lemon juice is necessary to give it flavor, as it 
is rather insipid without it. 
If you desire a pumpkin or custard pie ol the melons, 
stew as above directed, but omit the lemon, and bring the 
pulpy mass to the proper richness and consistency by the 
addition of sugar, milk and eggs. Little of either of these 
ingredients will be found necessary— only sufficient to 
give the melon color and flavor. If skillfully prepared, 
these melons will be found an important auxiliary to the 
housewife, during several months in the fall and winter. 
We have kept them sound and hard until March. 
^^Though the great book of nature lies open to all, 
how few there are who so read as to understand it. 
