228 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
WYANDOT COEN-DESTRUCTION OF MOLES, ETC. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I see several inquiries 
in the Cultivator for the present month, by your subscri- 
bers, one of which I shall reply to. But my main object in 
this communication is to say something on the subject of 
Wyandot Corn. I must confess, after reading the ac- 
counts in its favor, given in the March number of the CuUi- 
va^tor, my “sights were raised” pretty high. I, therefore, | 
: 3 ent the only gold dollar I had to a gentleman who adver- i 
tised it for sale ; he promptly returned me about half a i 
pint, from Staten Island, After receiving and opening j 
the little sack my feathers fell, as 1 saw at once it was a j 
poor article — very light and chaffy. But to insure its 
having a fair chance, I gave a part of it to three of my ! 
friends to plant— the balance I planted at three different i 
times — much the largest part I planted the first day of ■ 
May (the ground in fine order and the weather good) and 
there js but four grains from the whole lot that came up, 
and that looks but little more like making corn than so 
■many plants of Gamma grass. If the lot I received is a 
fair sample of Wyandot Corn, I have no farther use for it, 
and pronounce it to be five times more of a humbug than 
the Oregon Pea or the Rescue Grass. 
One of your subscribers asks for a remedy for the rav- 
ages of moles. The best I can give him is to soak ground 
peas or corn in a strong solution of nux vomica or strych- 
nine and place the bait in the trash where the moles pass 
— they will eat it and poison themselves. Another plan 
is, to make something on theorder of a dead-fall, with two 
•or three rows of sharp spikes, one in the centre, put in 
lengthwise of the block; press the earth down firmly 
wherethemoles have been passingand with triggers set the 
'trap over the track where the moles will pass ; let the end 
of the long triggers be broad and thin, and placed on the j 
ground ; the moles in passing will raise the ground and I 
■throw the trap and be caught by those spikes. j 
Yours very respectfally, 
John Farrar. 
Atlanta, Ga., June, 1856. ! 
PNEUMONIA, OR “iTHUSIPS” IN HOGS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In looking over the 
^February number of the Cidtivator , I see that “Sam,” of 
Arkansas, complains of Pneumonia among his hogs. 
Now, I do not know what it is, unless it is what \xe 
about here call “thumps.” It is evident that the “thumps” 
is a disease of the lungs. If that is it, I have been told by 
a man of veracity that Epsom salts was a certain cure. 
He did not know how much he gave, but thinks it was 
about half a tablespoonful twice a week, mixed in the 
feed or slops. If you think this fits “Sam's” case, or will 
we worth anything you can give it to your readers, and if 
not, lay it aside. Your truly, C. L. 
Hayneville, Go.., Ma.ij, 1856. 
Inirteslit Ctnnaraii' nnii jR-ttijicB. 
MAKING WINE. 
The Editor of the Mississippi Wecldy Tinier, furnishes | 
■the following, in reply to an inquiry of one of our corres- 
pondents, in May nnmber; 
We think w’e can answer the inquiry of this correspon- 
dent of the CuUivaior, in relation to making wine. I 
Without attempting to explain the chemical principles in- 
volved, we will simply state the process necessary in con- 
verting the juice of the grape into wine proper. 
When the juice is pressed from the grape and properly 
strained, the vessel that is to receive it should be placed 
■iDver the fumes of burning sulphur for some ten or fifteen 
minutes, or until the fumes have penetrated every pore of 
the inner portion of the vessel. The juice should then 
be poured into it, and the vessel filled within two or three 
inches of the top. It should be closed air-tight so as to 
prevent the escape of any gas, or the admission of any air. 
In from five to seven days, the vessel should be opened, 
and the fermentation checked by burning sulphur over 
the wine until the space in the vessel is entirely filled with 
the vapor, when it should again be closed. In three or 
four days the wine should be drawn off in bottles or demi- 
johns prepared by burning sulphur as before, filling them 
full and corking perfectly tight. The wine will then keep 
for years, and the older it gets the better it will be. 
[Let those who desire full information on this subject, 
be patient. We shall commence the publication, in our 
August number, of a somewhat rare pamphlet, translated 
from the French, in which the whole matter of Wine 
Making is most minutely detailed ; and nothing that has 
the least bearing upon this important enterprise will be 
withheld from our readers, hereafeer. The Cidtiva.tor 
shall be, emphatically, the vintners’ VoaU dSIecuni . — Eds. 
So. Cult.] 
CIDER WINE-APPLE CORDIAL. 
Being aware that much wine sold for genuine cham- 
paigne was manufactured from cider, we informed a cor- 
respondent a short time since of this fact in answer to his 
inquiry. The following letter was elicited by the reading 
of the answer referred to: 
Alersrs. Editors — I am well aware that imitation wines 
are now extensively made in the State of New Jersey from 
the juice of the apple, and more from Harrison Apples than 
from any other variety, and the most of it is made at New- 
ark. Those knounns ones are correct with regard to its 
being a mixture of poisonous drugs not fit for the human 
stomach. 
Having been in the horticuhural business for over forty 
years, I liave had an eye single to those spurious wines 
from the juice of the apple. 
It is gratifying to me to think that when you come 
to taste and test the wine — which I send you accompanying 
this letter — you will find a wine, a pure article, free from 
all drugs, and not an imitation. The sample I send you 
is eighteen months old, and made after the following pro- 
cess : 
Take pure cider made from sound ripe apples as it runs 
from the press ; put 60 pounds of common brown sugar 
into 15 gallons of the cider and let it dissolve, then put the 
mixture into a clean barrel and fill the barrel up to within 
two gallons of being full with clear cider; put the cask 
in a cool place, leaving the bung out for 48 hours; then 
put in the bung, with a small vent, until fermentation 
wholly ceases, and bung up tight, and in one year the 
wine will be fit for use. This wine requires no racking, 
— the longer it stands upon the lees the better. 
Sterne Brunso.n. 
EUiart, Iruliaiia, April, 1856. 
[It will be observed that our correspondent has, for the 
benefit of all concerned, described the method of making 
pure cider wine, and it is for us to say something regard- 
ing the sample he sent us. It is a good cider wine, the 
best we ever tasted. If it had any fault, it consisted in 
being a very little too sweet. This can be remedied By 
using less sugar than the above-named amount. A bar- 
rel of cider contains 31 gallons. Wine from currants can 
be made in the same manner exactly . — Scientific Ameri- 
can. 
