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SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
WHEAT RAISING AT THE WEST AND SOUTH. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — It is imagined by all 
or nearly all, persons living East and Southeast, that it 
costs nothing to raise crops on the Western prairies ; 
hence the difficulty of competing with Western farmers in 
raising cereals. From experience, let me give you facts 
and figures. Let us take fifty acres of wheat and estimate 
the cost of putting it into market, from the preparation of 
the ground to the delivery of the grain at the depot. La- 
bor all hired : 
Plowing 50 acres land, at Sf per acre S50 00 
Board of 2 hands and 4 horses 12 days 24 00 
Harrowing and drilling seed 50 00 
Board of 1 hand and 2 horses 10 days 12 50 
75 bushels seed wheat at 90 cts 67 50 
Cutting 50 acres wheat at 75 cts 37 50 
Board of4 horses 5 days 5 00 
Board of hands — 1 driver, 1 raker, 5 binders, 2 
shockers — 5 days 50 cts 22 50 
Threshing 600 bushels (placing the average yield 
at 12 bushels, fully the average) wheat at 6 cts . . 36 00 
Board of 7 hands and 8 horses 2 days 11 00 
Hire of 4 of these hands at Si 8 00 
Hire of 4 of these hands at 50 cts 4 00 
Hauling three miles to railroad 15 00 
Total cost of raising 600 bushels wheat. . .S343 00 
No. 1 wheat now commands at the station 80 cents 
per bnshel, being Chicago prices, less freight 
and commission. This would give for the 600 
bushels S480 00 
Deduct cost of raising S343 00 
Leaving the farmer the extraordinary amount of. Sl37 00 
One hundred and thirty-seven dollars income on 50 
acres of wheat. This is a fair estimate of all the expenses 
incident to the production of the crop, taking the last three 
years as an average and charging nothing for rent of 
land. 
From these data it is easy to calculate the cost of raising 
acrop of wheat, where the farmer of ordinary means, say 
one owning and working 200 acres of land, uses, beside 
his own farm hands, (usually two) horses and machines, 
such extra hiring as may be necessary. 
The average the past two years has been under 12 
bushels, though many fields have yielded 14, 16 and 18 
bushels — the highest I have yet heard of this year (1859) 
being 16, and the lowest 5 bushels to the acre. 
Now, your readers can judge whether wheat cannot be 
raised more profitably in Georgia than in Illinois, under 
existing circumstances, H. Hinkley, 
Prairie Cottage, Assumption, 'i 
Christian Co., Illinois, August 8, 1859, j 
A Disclaimer.— Messrs. H. E. Hooker & Co., of 
the Commercial Nurseries, Rochester, N. Y., write us, 
under date of Aug. 22 : 
We have been surprised in receiving some copies of 
Augusta papers m which our agent, Mr. Workman, has 
been assailed as an abolitionist and prejudice excited 
egainst him in that way. It is needless to assure you 
that we have not the remotest idea of meddling in any 
way, directly or indirectly, with the institutions of the 
South, and we feel sure that Mr, Workman is of the same 
mind. May we hope that you will set us right in this 
particular wherever you have opportunity 1 We only 
wish to prosecute our business legitimately and honor- 
ably with advantage to all parties. 
Yours, respectfully, H. E Hooker &. Co. 
INFLUENCE OF THE MOON. 
As there are many persons (says an exchange paper) 
who most religiously believe in lunar influences upon sub- 
lunary objects, we collect the following useful (1) informa- 
tion for their especial benefit : 
1. Vines, if pruned when the moon is increasing in 
light, will shoot out, spread, and grow fast, particularly 
if done in the second quarter — because, as the light of the 
moon increases, so does the sap in the tree. 
2. Vines, if pruned when the moon is decreasing in 
light, will not grow nor spread fast — particularly if it be 
done during the last quarter, because the sap decreases 
with the light. 
3. Timber cut down when the moon is increasing will 
soon become rotten, particularly if she be in her second 
quarter. 
4. Timber cut down when the moon is decreasing, will 
last for years, and the more durable it will be if cut down 
during the last quarter. 
5. Peas sown during the moon’s increase will bloom to 
the last, and will be full and rich in flavor; still more cer- 
tain if sown during the second quarter. 
6. Peas sown when the moon is decreasing in light will 
be just in the opposite condition. 
7. The age to which a pomegranate will live, depends 
on the moon’s age at the time of planting ; it will live 
just as many years as the moon was days old. 
8. Plants and shrubs shoot up and take little root, if 
planted when the moon is decreasing in light and by the 
zodiacal signs Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius, 
9. If planted in the signs Taurus, Virgo, or Capricornus 
they take deep root and do not grow tall. 
10. Pork killed upon the decrease of the moon, and es- 
pecially in the last quarter, and made into bacon, will 
shrink when boiled, and will be tough, stringy and un- 
wholesome. 
11. Pork killed when the moon is on the increase, and 
especially in the second quarter, and made into bacon 
when boiled will swell, be plump, tender and wholesome. 
12. Soap made on the increase of the moon, and es- 
pecially in the second quarter, will thicken and be service- 
able. On the contrary, soap made on the decrease of the 
moon will not thicken, and will be worthless. 
13. By all means, never go fishing on or near the full 
of the moon,^as they won’t bite then. 
14. But above all, never go a courting except in the 
two first quarter of the moon, as the human family are 
much more liable to moon strokes then than in any other 
of the moon’s phases. 
Observe the above and you will always have vigorous 
vines, lasting fences, prolific peas, long lived pomegran- 
ates, wholesome bacon, clean clothes, plenty of fish, and 
a clear conscience, to say nothing of a wife and many 
children. 
Fruit in Louisiana and Texas. — The idea is extensive- 
ly prevalent, that Apples of a fine quality cannot be grown 
in this vicinity. It is, however, erroneous. We hare 
seen some grown on the plantation of Wm. Hester, Esq., 
on the Jackson Railroad, in Hinds county, Mississippi, 
which for general appearance, body and flavor, cannot 
be surpassed by the best Ohio apples. They settle the 
question. Ere long we hope to see our markets bounti- 
fully supplied with apples, peaches, grapes, etc., by the 
Jackson Railroad. We trust the people of the Pinywoods 
Parishes and the adjoining counties in Mississippi wiM 
look to this matter. They will find it to their interests to 
do so. — New Orleans Bulletin. 
Texas Apples. — The Civilian mentions fine apples 
grown upon Galveston Island, one of which measured 
111-2 inrhes in circumference. 
