146 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
grov/ing wants, we shall find ourselves more hide-bound in 
our means of life than we are by the narrowness of these 
isles. We know that the thread of our national dynasty } 
is cotton. We know that for all mercantilepurposes Eng- 
land is one of the States; and tluu, in elfect, we are part- 
ners with the Southern planter. Yet, as a nation, we are 
abolitionists, fete Mrs. Stowe, cry over her books, and 
pray for an anti-slavery President. We thank God that 
no slave can exist on British soil, and only the other day 
some of our soberest statesmen were denouncing and pro- 
hibiting slave-grown sugar. But all this time we are cloth- 
ing not only ourselves, but all the world besides, with the 
very cotton picked by Uncle Tom and his fellow sulterers. 
It is our trade. We are Mr. Legree’s agents for the manu- 
facture and sale of his cotton crop. Should anything hap- 
pen to Mr. Legree, and should he be so unfortunate as 
not to keep up his black stock, we shall all be ruined, 
and shall have to take our place in the second rank of 
nations.” 
LEVELING, OK HILL-SIDE TRENCHING. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Much has been said 
through the Cultivator, and as there remains something 
(to my mind at least) important yet unsaid, allow me, 
through your columns, to pick up what may be termed a 
few dropped stitches. In doing so, however, it will be 
best understood by your readers by giving the whole plan 
or system; then each, with his own plan before him, will 
be enabled to see wherein they may differ from the one 
intended to be presented in this. 
Allow me to i-enmrk further, that I have tried several 
plans, none of which are without objection; but, perhaps, 
fiwer in this than any other. 
First, then, on arriving at the ground, select the highest 
point of a natural drain, if any ; place your level, (rafter 
plan preferred, both ends of the same length, having a 
plumb-bob in the centre) ; follow the level to the right or 
left, until you reach the end of the field intended to be 
leveled, followed by a boy with a grubbing-hoe, who will 
give a deep chop as near the hind end as may be, without 
disturbing the earth under the foot thereof; return 
v/hence you started; place one foot in the place or point 
made by the level at starting and then go the opposite way. 
Remember we started first on the lowest part of the upper 
end of the natural drain. We now go the other way 
from the drain or starting point, by the same rule and 
plan as the first half— this ended you have located the first 
trench, and that, too, upon a perfect level. Next go low- 
er dov/n the same natural drain, and repeat the operation 
as before; then again, until, in your judgment, you have 
located a sufficient number to serve the purpose of leveling 
and draining (by draining is only meant to do so by di- 
viding the rain water that falls and the seep water from 
wet places, thereby preventing the water from collecting 
in bodies, and at the same time distributing it as equally 
among the rows as possible. Running streams, of course, 
belong to another class of work, and should be done be- 
fore this is commenced, which, however, when done, 
adds to and benefits this. Indeed, streams that overflow 
must be constrolled before the plan of hill-side trenching 
can be connected with it; if done, however, the hill sides 
and bottoms can all be placed together under the same 
plan and rules as above. 
This places meat a stand point, from v/hich I can now 
bring up the .subject of running or laying off rows, which 
is the dropped stitch among your correspondents. The 
trench having now been cleaned out, which appears to be 
understood by them, we will commence with the plow at 
(ons end of the trench and on the lower side of the same, 
junning parallel the whole length thereof, the distance 
being the width the row is wanted. Turn — go back and 
forth, running rows until you reach the halfway ground 
I 
between this and the trench below it. Change — let the 
plov/man fall on the upperside of the next trench below ; 
run off by the same plan as above, until the rows meet in 
the centre, on any part of the ground ; he will then and 
there change his plan by starting from the narrow point 
w'hence the rows met — following the rows on his right 
from the narrow point to the fence, return to the narrow 
point, running a row as he does so ; then turn to the set 
of rows on his left; go and return as before — continue 
first on the right and then on the left, in the same way 
until the ground is finished. The object in all this is to 
preserve the centre and keep half way between the 
trenches — retaining for the short rows the very same level 
the long ones have. 
If the rows as described above meet in more places than 
one, in filling out, the same rule must be observed in go- 
ing and coming, first on one side and then on the other. 
Allow me to remark that the leveling system commenced 
under the advice given in a book, by Tayloe. When I 
was a boy, I assisted my father in leveling a piece of 
ground, but as the water would, in places, collect in 
bodies and break over, doing much damage, he abandon- 
ed it entirely. The next plan introduced was the one now 
in general use, viz: Hill-Side ditching with a fall, running 
the rows parallel with them. This I tried some 12 or 15 
years ago, but soon abandoned it because every row at 
one and a half inch fall for every twelve feet, soon pro- 
duced a “sharp” little gulley in its middle. 
I have now gone back to the level system, taking from 
the hill-side plan the only good thing about it — its trench- 
es, or, more properly, guard drains. So, with level guard 
drains and level rows, none need fear. Each row, if it 
has a perfect bed, will hold all the water that falls in it ; if 
imperfect and one or more should break and bring the 
water of several together, it can go but a short distance 
before the water will be caught by the guard drain or 
trench. 
If the above will aid you or our brother farmers and 
planters, they are yours. JoN^s M. Gunn. 
Dfl.llas Co , Ala., 1857. 
SHANGHAIS— SWELLED FEET-SEEDS, &c. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I have lost, recently, 
[ several of my very largest Shanghai Cocks. They at 
first show a slight lameness, then their toes begin to swell 
j and as the disease advances the toe perishes away so there 
j is nothing but the cone left. The disease seems entirely 
! confined to the foot, and one foot at that. I have examined 
! them aftor death, and find the foot one mass of corruption. 
I split the foot of one when first taken, and found it full of 
matter ; I put Iodine on several times, and it was a benefit, 
but did not cure. The hens are not attacked with the 
disease. 
Now, Messrs. Editors, can you or any of your wise 
readers give me the cause and a cure ; if not the cause, the 
cure will be very thankfully received. 
Can you inform me where, and from whom I can pro- 
cure seed of the Frijoles, or Turtle Soup Beans?- Also, 
the Hco Sung seed "I fMas. M. K. J. 
* Tdscuvibui, Ala., 1857. 
Remarks. — We have never seen but few fowls attacked 
as our correspondent describes, and have no knowledge of 
the proper remedy. The authorities are generally silent 
upon the subject, and the only remedy we have ever 
heard was a thin slice of sally l)acon bound upon the 
sole or bottom of the foot with a cloth bandage. Do any 
of our readers know of ac?4?-c? Who can furnish the de- 
sired seed ? — Eds. 
