SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
13S 
praiseworthy woik of Agricultural Improvement go on 
and prosper ! 
AGRICULTiniAL CHEMISTRY. 
It is to be regretted that agricultural chemistry receives 
so little attention in this country. Almost every asricul- 
tural paper we read furnishes lamentable proof that per- 
sons generally well informed in practical farming, and 
some of the natural sciences, are ignorant of the element- 
ary principles of chemistry in their application to tillage 
and husbandry. Witness the article on page 96 of the 
March number of this journal, under the head, “Leached 
Ashes,” in which it is gravely urged that the substance 
named owes its value as a fertilizer to ‘^Carbon.’’' From 
what is said of the falling of carbonic acid to the ground 
by I'eason of its greater weight than atmospheric air, it is 
obvious that the author knows nothing of the law which 
causes all gases to diffuse equally among themselves ; so 
that a hogshead of carbonic acid disingaged in the bottom 
of a well will not stay there, but rise up out of it, although 
heavier than common air. 
In all cases where carbonic acid is found in wells in 
such quantities as to jeopard the lives of those that ven 
ture into them without first letting down a lighted candle, 
the bad gas is generated in the well, and does not enter it 
from above by its specific gravity. 
In reference to the good effects of leached ashes, it 
should be satisfactory to know that, coming from plants, 
they contain, in a sparingly soluble condition; some six 
or eight of the indispensable constituents of all cultivated 
crops. So far as dripped ashes are soluble in rain water, 
they are as much the food of plants as any other manure ; 
but they are not worth over half price as compared with 
unleached ashes. We buy all of the latter that can be had 
at 15 cents a bushel ; while we would hardly give 5 cents 
a bushel for leached, or dripped ashes. The last named 
are worth most on sandy land, and for meadows. We 
have used both kinds for thirty years. 
Chemistry alone informs one of the relative value of 
the different kinds of vegetable and animal food. Without 
the assistance of this most important science, we should 
know next to nothing of the elements that form our soils, 
our grain, cotton, root, fruits, meat, and other provision.':. 
The wise adaptation of substances to the natural wants of 
living and growing plants and animals would be entirely 
beyond our comprehension. Hence, we see an intelligent 
but unscientific farmer in New’ England use leached 
ashes to give his crops available carbon. Read his rea- 
soning on the subject ; it is a fair sample of more than a 
moiety of our rural literature. L. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
Advance Payments. — “The Cash principle is sound, 
and I regret my forgetfulness of its truth in so long neg 
lecting a renew’al of subscription to a periodical meriting 
the support especially of Southern Agriculturists. Suc- 
cess to your eftbrts in this cause !” — A. H., Villida, Ala. 
A Lady Farmer. — “Although no agriculturist myself, 
yet my wife, having met with an odd number of the 
Southern Cultivator, finds so much to interest her in con- 
nection w’ith the garden, poultry yard and matters of do- 
mestic economy generally, that she wishes to subscribe to 
it. You w’ill, therefore, oblige me by sending it — begin- 
ning W’ith the number for January of the current year.” — 
W. T. W., Mobile Ala. 
A Fireside Friend. — “This is my sixth annual contri- 
bution for the Cultivator — and don’t consider this delay 
in remitting it as indicative of a coolness on my part for 
the paper. On the contrary, I feel a deep and abiding 
friendship for the Cultivator', indeed, it has become a 
family fireside friend, \n so cheerfully and fa- 
miliarly once a month, and discoursing so intelligently and 
interestingly on the topics nearest our hearts, we cannot 
commence a New Year without giving him the annual 
general invitation to call, which we know he wfill accept. 
We have had no mails since Christmas, and, therefore, no 
means of remitting. I will look around and try to increase 
your usual club at this office in a few days. — Yours, &c., 
J. G. R , Bailer, Ala. 
The Winter in Florida. — “ I am quite an old resi- 
dent of Florida, having resided here over twenty years, 
and have never experienced as long and severe a spell of 
cold w’eather as we have had (and are now having) since 
Christmas. I am quite an advocate of deep plovdng, as 
you recommend, but the earth is so frozen that a plow 
can scarcely penetrate it at this time. 1 fear our Orange 
trees will be very much injured by the frost. Though it 
is very favorable weather for our Pork making, and I have 
taken advantage of it.” — S. S., AJontecello, Fla., Jon. 25. 
Value of the Cultivator. — “I can only add that I 
wish you an increased subscription list, but I suspect that 
many like myself have neglected, up to this time, to renew 
their siibsenptions from mere inadvertence. Deprive them 
of the Cultivator entirely, they would then realize its im- 
portance and value, and pay S'5 or SIO rather than lose 
its instructive lessons.” — W'. P. W., Savannah, Ga. 
Horse Show. — There is to be a grand Horse Show at 
Louisville, Kentucky, this spring, under the auspices of 
the South Western Agricultural and IMechanical Associa- 
tion. The exhibition commences on Tuesday, May l3th, 
and will continue three days. 
ilarticaltnral Sc-jartiatat. 
FRUIT CULTURE AT THE SOUTH. 
BY J. VAN BUREN, OF CLAKKSA'ILLE, HABERSHAM COUNTY, GA. 
Within the last three years, public attention has been 
directed to Fruit culture in this section wfith more enthusi- 
asm and success than it had at any previous period. A 
new feature of the science has presented itself, which 
hitherto had not received the attention it merited, and 
which thus far has fufilled the expectations of the most 
energetic and sanguine experimenters. This is the substi- 
tution and production of seedling varieties raised here, to- 
gether with Southern raised trees, in lieu of Northern 
raised ones, as heretofore practised, which are found to be 
more productive, vigorous, and less liable to disease than 
those from the Noith. 
In reply to the interrogatory, “What varieties of sum- 
mer, fail and winter fruits are cultivated with the best 
success I” I will commence w’lth i\\q Apple, which hither- 
to has been deemed a fruit peculiarly Northern, and one 
that could not be successfully grown in our Southern 
climate, but which opinion is now demonstrated to be er- 
roneous. Many choice variet es have, from time to time, 
been discovered on places and farms once owned and cul- 
vated by the Creeks and Chcrokees, previuus to their re- 
moval to the country they now occupy. These specimens 
are all seedling fruit, as they either knew nothing of, or 
never practised the art of engrafting to propagate desirable 
varieties as we do; for the same kinds have never been 
discovered in more than one place which had been occu- 
