86 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
A tree, like a child, will need attention from the birth 
till it can care for itself. It must have proper prun’mg-, 
and this must be done at the proper lime. But if allowed 
to attain size and age, as is common in the cities, and suf- 
fered to be trimmed by a rough negro with a dull axe, you 
may expect to see just what you do see— a mangled thing 
that should be cut down and used a;.- fire wood. Lei the 
matter be well considered, and I feel well satisfied this 
once popular tree will again find its way. around our dwel- 
lings, V, L. 
Near Augiisla, 1857. 
vSHABE TREES ABOUT B WELUiNGS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — My viev/s in regard 
to the effect of shade trees around dwellings coincide with 
yours — that, to a certain extent, they do engender sick- 
ness — butthismust depend in a measure upon the local- 
ity of the place, as well as the nature of the tree produc- 
ing the shade, A friend residing in a neighboring coun- 
ty had a large number of the barren Mulberry growing in 
his yard, casting so dense a shade that the rays of the sun 
never reached the ground. I called his attention lo the fact, 
and advised him to remove every alternate one, but he 
chose to let them stand; the consequence was he lost his 
wife and his only three children, and came very nigh 
losing own life. Now, w^hether this is to be attributed to 
the dampness caused by the shade or not, I arn not pre- 
pared to say ; but my impression certainly bears in that 
direction. I may be mistaken in ray notion, but it seems 
to me that the leaf of the Mulberry retains moisture longer 
and is more difficult of decomposition than the leaf of any 
other tree, for which reason I have always looked upon 
it as a species of Upas, and have never allowed the wood- 
man to spare it on my premises. On a high, sandy, ele- 
vation, I cannot think that shade would be so apt to pro- 
duce sickness as on a low place, but in either case the 
trees should not be suffered to stand so closely as to pre- 
vent the sun from drying the ground, and again they 
should be trimmed sufficiently high to permit a free circu- 
lation of air. I believe, too, that if the housewife v/ould 
be careful in having all fallen leaves immediately lemoved 
to the manure pit before they commence decaying, a very 
great cause of sickness would be removed with them. I 
would also recommend a similar disposition to be made 
of all slops, dead chickens, &c. This includes a part of 
my rural management, and I think the bakers will attest 
that my family has enjoyed a goodly share of health. 
V. L. 
C^dcr Urecti, near Augusta, 1857. 
TO CURE FOOT-EVIE AND SCRATCHES IN 
Horses. 
Ed/tors Southern Cultivator — A contributor in the 
January number gave a prescription for the cure of the 
“Foot-Evil,” a disease which I am well aware has al- 
ways been dreaded, and looked upon as incurable after it 
has “raw rouiidA the hoof. 1 have seen it treated very 
barbarously with hot soft soap, hot grease, tar, &c., and 
as I had some knowledge of the power of medicines, I 
thought sometliing better could be applied. 
My plan of cure is simply this : No matter at what 
stage of the disease you may meet with it, have the parts 
well washed and thoroughly cleaned ; then apply pure 
Nitric Acid with a small vag mop on a stick, and be sure 
that the acid touches every part of the sore surface. I 
have used the acid diluted one-half, and even one part to 
three of water, and it was quite as efficient, 1 could de- 
tail many cases, but it is needless ; all that is required is a 
trial It changes the color of the hair and the sore flesh. 
It seldom needs repeating, if well put on. Turn the ani- 
mal in a dry lot, and have him watered with a bucket, or 
m a teough. 
I have seen bad cases of ^-Big cured with Ni- 
tric Acid, by applying it continuously to one spot o/i the 
face, so as to make an issue, or artificial ulcer. It is a 
sudden and certain remedy for Scratches. 
Respectfally yours, &c. A, R. K 
Concordia Parrish, La., Feb. 3, 1857. 
METEORDEDCY FOR FAmiERS-.-EETTER 
IVom Eieut. Maiii-y 
Observatory, Washington, D. C., ) 
January 23rd,. 1847. ) 
Editors Southern Cultivator. — The great snow- 
storm of 1857 commenced here about midnight of the 17th. 
Where did it begin I which way and how fast did it 
travel, and where did it end '? 
These with other circumstances connected with it, are 
interesting points of inquiry ; and if those of your readers 
who keep meterorologicai journals will send me an extract 
from them for a week commencing January 14th ; and if 
those who do not keep journals will report when the storm 
began and ended with them, the amount of snow that fell, 
and the way the wind blew, I shall have materials 
enough to go into the investigation. 
Will you do me the favor to say that I will be much* 
obliged to any of your readers who will have the kind- 
ness to give me such information tlirough the post office. 
Respectfully, &c., M. F. Maury, 
THE MISFORTUNES OF JAMAICA. 
The property holders of .Jamaica are moving to effect 
some change in their social and political relations that 
will enable them to cultivate the earth with more success 
than they can at present. The Fabnoniii Post of a recent 
date, has the following : 
Five gentlemen who have resided for many years in 
Jamaica, and desire a change in its social and political 
condition, having addressed a letter lo M. Labouchere, the 
Secretary of State for the Colonies, directing his attention 
to certain suggestions which they offer, with the object in 
view of arresting “the wide-spread and annually increas- 
ing distress which overshadows the entire population, and 
has sunk a large portion of its inhabitants into actual des- 
titution.” The gentlemen whose names are attached to 
the letter stale that the condition of the colony is at the 
lowest possible point, short of universal bankruptcy and 
ruin — that real estate has no market value — that dwelling 
houses are gradually decaying, and money can with diffi- 
culty be raised, even in return for personal property — 
that most of the neceesary articles for consumption are 
imported from the United States, while the nataral pro- 
ducts are neglected — and that the money capital of the 
country is drained, in the absence of any exchange of 
trade. They add that the industrial condition of the in- 
habitants is at the lowest ebb, and that their moral and 
social condition is not a whit more elevated. 
Liquid Manures. — One cow will void every month 
about 1000 pounds of urine, containing seventy-five lbs. 
of solid matter, or guano. Partially rotten pasture turf, 
thrown daily upon the stable floor, is an excellent absorb- 
ent of this valuable manure. Human urine mixed with 
sulphuric acid in the proportion of one part of the latter 
to twenty parts of the former, and absorbed in a compact 
heap of pasture swards, and the whole applied as a top- 
dressing for wheat, will produce a great increase cf crop, 
It has been calculated by chemists that in every pound of 
urine there are the elements of a pint of wheat. — Ohio VaL 
ley Farmer. 
