210 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
Editor, who has said so much in the right time and place, 
on the subject making, will mix his remarks— in future 
— and dwell sometime on the right use or appropriation. 
But some of your contributors may say, what has this to 
do with farming. I will tell them. The safety and good 
progress of governments may be said to be in the hands 
of farmers. By a proper use of the treasure procured by 
our industry and skill, we might avert the dangers that 
await and control the destiny of society ; but what are we 
now doing 1 We farmers and parents are ourselves la- 
boring properly, (as we say) for our children; but, in 
reality, ruining them by the use of it. We send them into 
the world with pockets full of money to ride over commu- 
nities, with three hundred dollar horses, and buggies of 
two or three hundred — strangers to business — less and 
less perfect in education — but with enough to see and fol- 
low the paths to the deterioration of society— unto the 
defacing of communities — and the loss of all hope in man 
kind — moreover, we are, by a sort of waw-education, ed- 
ucating our girls a/" native modesty to suit the 
taste of our spoiled young men; and where are our hopes 
either for comfort in our children, or for preserving the 
purity of communities, effected only by raising better 
sons and daughters. The wickedness of a world was re- 
buked by the destruction of a “Sodum and Gomorrah,” and 
by perseverance in sinning, that world was destroyed by 
a deluge. Through the means of a “Noah and his family 
preserved” we have arisen to live, to thrive, and (in 
America) to do well for nearly the last century — we are 
noao improving in agriculture and the mechanic arts; but 
we are certainly on the wane in true religion, and the at- 
tributes that make good men and women. I have no 
doubt that man’s selfish interest carries him further and 
longer in the improvements of the arts of living in luxury, 
pride and show, than he is found improving in the morali- 
ties of his nature, and devotion to his God. This is (as 
I think) our situation at the present time, growing worse 
and worse. We must soon come to a close — “ wipe out, 
and begin of the new.” Cannot farmers do something to 
pvi off, if not avert the evil. I hope they will try ! by 
governing their households better. W. R. 
Culloden, Mov. 
THE L.AWS OF TKAOE. — NO FAILURE OF 
The Great Producing Powers of the 
Sugar liUnds of liOuisiana. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — But a small number 
of persons, especially among Planters, give sufficient at- 
tention to the laws of trade, to appreciate, or fully under- 
stand what is meant by the laws of trade ; and as good 
proof of this position, we see it often happen that popular 
expectation is disappointed, or many plenters raising cer- 
tain articles with the expectation of obtaining high prices, 
but often disappointed, and consequently discouraged, thr 
victim often throwing the blame on others, saying A., B., 
C.,andD. recommend it. At this time some are plant 
ing increased quantity of cotton, thinking to obtain 15 o) 
even 20 cents — others are planting Chinese Sugar Cam 
seed, believing they will obtain 60, 70 or 80 cents p r 
gallon for Molasses. Twelve or fourteen years ago. Lead 
actually sold at some of the mines of Illinois and Mi.'- 
souri at $l per hundred, which low price suspended ope 
rations at many of the mines, and the laws of trade or 
dained that this low extreme should produce the other o 
high prices. Hence, by the laws of trade is meant, tha 
effect will follow cause, or low prices will kill off comne 
tition, and high prices will excite the same. At this tiru' 
tha Sugar, and Syrup, and Molasses makers of every elas; 
are excited, and straining every nerve to raise increased 
quauiiiies, and the liost who are pitching into the raisin 
of Chinese Sugar Cane have more need of caution thai 
farther encouragement, for many of them are doomed tt 
disappointment in consequence of the low prices that 
will rule at no distant day, when the world will almost 
welter in sweets. Let those who doubt this stick a pin 
in it. And here I would correct a great error that many 
have fallen into, respecting the exhausted condition of 
Louisiana for making Sugar, The two last crops were 
short, and the last one almost, or quite unprecedentedly 
short, and such wide extremes of the last four crops con- 
clusively show that the Sugar crop is subject to greater 
uncertainty than either Corn or Cotton, but little more so 
than Wheat or Tobacco. But how came Lonisiana to 
be exhausted when scarcely half of her richest of alluvial 
land have ever been put in cultivation. These lands ex- 
hausted ' What a humbug. The very lands that possess 
the most complete recuperating power of any on the 
globe, in the muddy floods of the Mississippi valley, ma- 
king vast and rich of deposits wherever her mighty 
floods overleap the frail, yet useful protection of levees, 
dooming many to ruin for the present, but sowing tha 
blessings of plenty for ages to come. Let those who be- 
lieve that the sun, moon and stars will fail their usual 
course, believe also that the great Mississippi valley, the 
greatest Egypt of the world, will fail to be the garden pro- 
dneing valley of the world ; that the levees of Louisiana 
will be overrun once or twice in a century, T think no one 
need doubt; to doubt it, would be to doubt the Divine 
care for keeping fruitful the most fruitful valleys of the 
world. 
Now, in conclusion, a word of considerative advice io- 
Chinese Sugar Cane raisers will be in good time to pre- 
vent much mischief. Go on, your excitement and enter- 
prise is good to assist in developing the resources of your 
country; but expect low prices for the years 1858, ’59 
and ’60. Then the too excitable competitors will be kill- 
ed off, but the persevering will be well taught, and ready 
to reap the harvest of good prices that will follow the 
next low extreme. M, T. McGehee. 
Bradley Countv, Ark., Man, 1857. 
HIVES AND HIVING OF BEES.— THE CHINA 
Beery, 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Mr. Stevenson de- 
sires further information about Bees, and I cheerfully com- 
ply. In making Bee hives, I do not dress the plank, ii 
would be rather a disadvantage to the inside, causing the 
Bees to labor harder, to crawl and fasten their combs to a 
smoother surface; but it would give additional beauty 
and durability to dress and paint the outside. Ido not 
perfume or rub the hives with anything. 1 have often put 
Bees in hives that other families have worked in, and 
they remain as well as in new hives. In order to hive 
Bees and keep them with the least trouble, it is necessary 
that there are no large or tall trees in 40 or 50 yards of the 
apiary, but there should be a sufficient number of thick 
top or wide branching small trees, or sapplings to shade 
the ground about the apiary. Such is the situation of 
mine, and about nine times out of ten my Bees settle on 
some small limb from seven to ten feet above the ground. 
1 set my gum on the ground, or on a table, so leant and 
propped to one side, as to give a large opening at the 
mouth to receive the Bees. I next assistid, by a ladder, 
ind one hand to help me hold steady and saw off the 
imb containing the Bees, convey them to the mouth of 
me gum, and giving the limb a slight but sudden shake, 
hey drop off, and immediately they commence running 
nto and up the gum ; and if they, as they sometimes 
vill, crawl up in part on the outside of the box, a gentle 
Hushing down with a broom will soon induce tlnrn to 
aka the riiiht direction, and when fairly in, the mouth, 
hould be closed down, so as to leave only room enough 
or a free passage. As a preventive to tlieir flight and 
re-settling again, they should be well sprinkled with wa~ 
