242 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
up JoHHsoN and Walker’s Dictionaries, then Webster’s 
unabridged, and found them all entirely ignorant of the 
gentleman’s classification. They think that evei-y descrip- 
tion of land that is fit for the plow or tillage is arable. “Nap- 
per’s” philosophy of vegetable physiology, porosity^ non- 
conductors, &c., may suit the latitude oi Columbus, but it 
will never do for Livingston. 
But to turn from this digression. Last winter was un- 
usually hard upon potatoes ; they rotted in this vicinity to 
such an extent that a supply of seed was not to be had 
and the present crop will be a short one on that account. 
iiVIine never saved better ; I, therefore, take the liberty of 
describing the manner in which I put them up. I raised 
the foundation of the hill about. six inches above the sur- 
rounding surface, then covered it with shucks and placed 
a pole, about two and a half inches in diameter, in the 
centre ; then piled around the pole about forty bushels of 
potatoes and covered them with straight corn stalks; then 
covered all v/ith a good coat of earth ; then drew out the 
pole, leaving an air hole in the centre and put a shed of 
boards over the hill to keep off the rain. When I opened 
them in the spring I found them perfectly sound. 
As to the longevity of Peach trees, much depends 
upon the manner of planting them. The seed ought to be 
planted where the tree is expected to remain, and it ought 
not to be transplanted.* 
I bought out four small planters to make my settlement 
three of whom had peach orchards, one of which was 
well selected fruit, arranged with ordinary care and taste, 
the other two were without arrangement, and presented 
the appearance of having been sown in a wundy day. The 
former of W’^hich, I husbanded with usual care, and the 
latter two, I abandoned to the mercy of the public, and to 
the stock of every kind. The one that was cared for 
dwindled away and partially died out, and I was under 
the necessity of planting a new orchard. The two aban- 
doned ones are (some of them) living and bearing fruit in 
spite of the want of care and depredations of stock, the 
public, &c., and are now twenty-three years old. The 
reason of the difference is this : the first mentioned or- 
chard had been transplanted, and the tap roots injured or 
destroyed ; and the latter were standing where they first 
regetated ; have tap roots half as large as the body of the 
tree, penetrating some two feet into the earth, from which 
the tree derived moisture, sustenance, and longevity. 
I am acquainted with a gentleman residing in Kemper 
county, Mississppi, who tells me that he has a peach or- 
chard that is now fifty years old, apparently in all the 
*We differ with our correspondent on this point. The 
raising of Peach trees from the seed, is only admissible 
where we desire new varieties, or need the stocks for 
budding or grafting. The progress of Fruit Culture in the 
South has been retarded at least a century by the futile 
attempts so constantly made to perpetuate established 
varieties by the seed. It cannot be done with any certainty 
— and the sooner our people abandon it and go to grafting 
and budding, the better. We admit the superior thrifti- 
ness of seedling trees that are permitted to stand where 
they sprouted ; but the character of the fruit is generally 
zno uncertain to make that method of propagation at all 
desirable, except for the production of nevr sorts — a matter 
which should receive the systematic and persevering at- 
tention of all Southern Nurserymen and Fruit Growers. 
The ca reful transplanting and good after culture of grafted 
or budded Peach trees will secure all desirable advantages 
and produce the maximum of productiveness and longev- 
ity. We think our correspondent lays too much stress 
ttpon the advantage of the tap root. His remedy for the 
freezing of Fig trees strikes us as being rational and well 
worthy of a trial. — Eds, 
vigor of youth and bearing abundantly of the most de- 
licious fruit. It was planted by the Indians. 
As for Fig trees; when young they areliable to be killed 
by frost in the winter season. To prevent this, score the 
limbs in thefall longitudinally; let out the milk, or jo ice,, 
and there will be no danger of the frost injuring then.. 
J. HAta. 
Livingston, Ala., June, 18-56. 
EMASCULATION OF HOESES AND MULES. 
Editors Southern Cultivator: — This is the third 
year thatl have been a subscriber to your vaiuable period- 
ical, and I expect to continue a subscriber as long as I 
follow the occupation of a farmer. Its monthly visits are 
always looked for with anxiety, and its contents examin- 
ed with interest and profit. Every number of the Cxdti- 
vator is freighted with information on almost every sub- 
ject of interest to farmers. And the receipts furnished in 
even one number has doubtless paid many a subscriber 
by preventing loss to the amount of what the subscription 
price would be for one hundred years. I have had occa- 
sion to prove the efficacy and value of your receipt in the 
February No., on the 68th page, under the caption, To 
relieve choked cattle.” Also, in your April No., page 
132, under the caption of “ Colic in Horses,” the prescri- 
bed remedy gave instant relief The May No. also con- 
tains, according to my experiments, an excellent remedy 
for distemper in horses. But the object of this article, 
Messrs. Editors, is not so much to eulogise your invalu- 
able periodical as to elicit information through its medium 
on a subject which certainly belongs to farm and planta- 
tion economy, which is almost, if not quite the only sub- 
ject which has occurred to me of importance on which 
the Cultivator gave me no information since I have been 
taking it. 
Can we not, Messrs. Editors, get, through the medium 
of the Cultivator, a dissertation on the most approved 
method of castrating horses, and the subsequent treatment 
to prevent inflammation, and to reduce it when it does 
take place, before it produces monification and death. I 
recently lost a fine young mule, worth ST25, from the 
effects of castration, which loss I might have avoided had 
the Cultivator given information on this subject, as on 
others. 
In many sections of the country it is difficult to get a 
person to perform the operation who understands the best 
and most approved method ; and sometimes, when it is 
done right, inflammation ensues from the unhealthy state 
of the system, or some other accident, which will end 
seriously if not timely and skilfully managed. I think, 
therefore, that something on this subject in the Culii'-'ator 
would be highly proper and important, as it would not 
only circulate it far and wide, but would also be a present 
help in time of need. 
In castrating, there are quite different notions and prac- 
tices among operators. Some throw the animal down and 
tie him ; others operate standing ; some sear; others tie 
a thread around the cord ; some scrape tlie cord in two, 
and do nothing more ; others cut it smooth off, and leave 
it so ; others clamp and cut the cord and leave the clamps 
on a few days. 
Cannot some of the knowing ones tell us which is the 
best and safest of all these methods'? and be sure to give 
the subsequent treatment, should much inflammat.lon and 
swelling ensue. 
I believe, Messrs. Editors, that the idea pretty general- 
ly obtains among farmers that knowledge is comnion pro- 
perty ; at all events, I believe it is so among die si 'oscri- 
bers of the Southern Cultivator; therefore, while I am 
asking for information, I would ask for a receipt for dissi- 
pating, or removing in some way, a lump under the j.'uu 
of a horse, caused by having the distemper. I ha-'-e a cob 
