SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
53 
and I might say a Carolina mill, have used Eastern stands, 
Carver, &c., Georgia and Mississippi, and I hesitate not 
to recommend the above as equal, at least. I prefer 
them, decidedly, laid down here even at a greater cost. 
As to PloxfS, I have tried, I have no doubt, the make of 
fifty different Plow makers, and have many, many good 
plows. The Peacock, from the first inventor, as well as 
several imitators, Prouty & Mbars’ Centre-draft, 
Noorse, Ruggles & Masont, Hall’s, &c., &.c., and I 
will, for neatness, strength, durability, draft, and qualit)’- 
of work-plow, against any other plow, give the preference 
to the plow ofT. E. C. Brlvley, of Simpsonville, Ky., now 
for sale by Smith & Thorp, in Vicksburg. I have used 
the two horse and the one horse this year. They will 
cost S12 and SS, but the dui’abihty will make ample 
amends. 1 speak of this, having had two-horse Peacock 
plows in use for fourteen crops — from 1843 until now. 
The Brinley plow is equal, in all respects, finer finish 
and steel mould. The steel mould will make them pecu 
liarly adapted to lands in Cherokee Georgia and the 
swamps of Louisiana, where the iron mould will not 
cleanse well — steel cleaning perfectly. Thus far we have 
Southern working tools of excellent make and perform- 
ance, costing no more than others of the same quality. 
Of Hoes, the Scovel Hoe, on sale by Geo. W. Sizer, 
New Orleans, and Agricultural Warehouses generally, I 
have used since the first was brought out, and have some 
of them now in use. I gave the pattern to R. L. Allen, 
in 1847, 1 think. They are not made as large as the Car- 
olina hoe. Nine inches is large enough ; eight inches 
generally preferable. I hope planters will examine. I 
need not assure you, or many, very many friends, that I 
do this for the cause. Yours truly, 
M. W. Philips. 
Edwards, Miss., 1855. 
“CULTIVATOR”- “HORSE HOE”— BOTS IN HORSES— 
BUCK-EYE FOR PILES, ETC. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I am a subscriber to 
your valuable journal, and would not be without it fox fixe 
times the subscription ; and therefore I take the liberty of 
writing to you, which you can dispose of as you choose. 
I have been a subscriber before, and from some unaccount- 
able reason got but three numbers of the Southern Culti- 
vator, until it stopped. It was three or four years since. 
But all’s right, for the paper this year has paid me for 
five years’ subscription. 
In your journal, you frequently speak of a ''Cultivator.” 
I want you to describe the article in your paper, that I 
may know how to have them correctly made. In cultiva- 
ting here, we use the bull tongue, shovel, winged and 
solid sweep, and turning-plow; but nothing of the kind 
to which I presume you allude. 
I see a variety of opinions in regard to the Botts killing 
horses. From my experience for fifteen years, and from 
the experience of many old planters, I am satisfied that 
the bots do kilt the horse, xxuXess relieved. My own expe 
rience for five or six years, and of an old overseer for many 
years, gives a certain remedy for a cure. It is as simple 
and harmless as certain. Take a quart bottle, and fill 
two- thirds with lard or oil of any kind, and one-tliird tar, 
made warm enough to be a drench, and give it, after cool- 
ing sufficient to be drank by the horse. 1 have never 
known it to fail in eflfecting a speedy cure. 
Now, a word about the controversy of the “Buck-eye 
cure for Piles.” I have known the carrying of the Buck- 
eye in the pocket to effect the cure of three persons, who 
had suffered greatly for years, and had failed to be cured 
by the best physicians. The three were all incredulous, 
but as the remedy was so easy and simple, it was tried, 
and all were cured, I have never known it to fail. The 
writer was one of the three. There is no mistake about 
this matter. It might have been accidental, but if so, the 
accidents were in regular succession, and the failure “has 
not been yet.” Very respectfully and truly yours, 
James S. Lauderdale. 
Lowndes Co., Miss., 1855, 
Remarks. — We cannot, without an engraving, describe 
a “Cultivator,” so that our correspondent could have one 
made. Knox’s “Horse Hoe” is an improvement on the 
old fashioned “Cultivator,” an I Messrs. Carmichael & 
Bean, of this city, will furnish either to order. We pre- 
sume they can also be obtained at any of the large hard- 
ware stores in Montgomery or Mobile. — Eds. 
HOUSE FOR DRYING FRUIT. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— I notice in a late num- 
ber of the Cultivator a call for a plan of kiln for drying 
fruit. Like friend L., I am going to build one next year, 
and with the hope of eliciting a better one, will give a 
plan of one which I constructed very roughly, of logs, in 
the back-woods of Tennessee. And as expense is not a 
difficult thing to add, of course it may be improved in that 
particular, ad infinitum. But 1 shall be sure, in this plan, 
not to get above any one’s “pile,” as I believe all can find 
logs and dirt plenty, 
I would remark, at the outset, upon the diflerence be- 
tween a and a dry-house, as understood in that re- 
gion. A kiln was constructed of rock, laid in clay-mortar, 
consisting simply of one or two flues, 18 inches in width 
and height, and of any length desired. Large flat rock 
formed the top of the flues. The joints were stopped with 
the clay-mortar, and on this covering the fruit was laid to 
dry. Usually, an open, rough shed was built over it, to 
protect from rain. I considered this a very poor way to 
dry fruit, from the liability to scorch the under side when- 
ever the fire burned unusually brisk, and also the mortar 
crumbling off, in stirring the fruit about, became mixed 
with it, making it gritty. Hence, I added the structure of 
logs, which I am going to describe, and which entitled it 
to the distinctive name of d.ry-house. 
On the top of flues built as above described, the side- 
walls widened, to form a foundation, a rough building was 
laid, 13 feet long by 7 feet wide, in the clear, and 8 feet 
high — of logs, notched up “log-cabin” fashion, doors 6 feet 
wide sawed out on each side, in which the door-frames 
were set, closed by double doors opening each av ay, and 
secured when shut by buttons ; cloth in strijjs pasted over 
the joints of the doors, rendering them perfectly tight. The 
house was then “chinked” up Aviih bits of wood and clay- 
mortar, with a good plastering of the same on the inside, 
making all tight around the sides. A floor or loft on the 
top, covered with mortar two or three inches thick, and 
then rafters and a roof, completed the whole. I forgot to 
mention that in laying up, straight poles were laid length- 
wise, four in each tier, on every log; making the tiers 
about six inches above each othei'. These were to sup- 
port the baskets or frames upon which the fruit is spread. 
The baskets were composed of a frame-work three feet 
square, made as light as possible, and bottomed over with 
Linden bark on the under side, something like a splint 
chair-bottom, only single. This made a shallow basket, 
say an inch and a quarter deep, three feet square, and 
capable of holding about a peck of fruit, eight of these bas- 
kets forming one tier. Probably willow or white oak 
splints would be preferable to the bark for the baskets, 
