224 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
Secondly, 'I’hat the subdivision of lands adds to their 
value. 
Thirdly, That high cultivation, which subdivision and 
large population gives as in Pennsylvania, adds to the 
value 
The various circumstances of the several States enable 
us to see these things very well illustrated in the United 
States. The true principle of agricultural prosperity can 
here be well understood; and ii will be svell for the peo- 
ple of the United States, if they shall understand that 
solid prosperity of any nation depends physically on the 
success of its agriculture — Railroad Record, 
€JAME ys. SHANGHAI FOWHS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— I notice an article in 
•the May number of your incomparable Ordtivaior from 
the pen of “Mrs. M. K J.” of my former residence, Tus- 
cumbia, Alabama, on the subject of “Shang-high” chick- 
■ens. My wife has been raising such fowls for several 
years, and always consults me when anything happens 
to them. Several of hers are troubled with diseased feet at 
the present time, and I am satisfied there are two causes 
for It, viz : cold weather, their legs being so long that they 
oannot cover their feet with their bodies; and Besides, 
their bodies are very heavy and they have not wings suf- 
ficient to support themselves in flying down from the 
roost, if you have noticed their cairiage, ihey would 
walk exactly like a boy does when he has a stone-bruise 
on his foot. 
As to the treatment, they are such trifling fowls that I 
dislike to recommend any. The preveuiive treatment is 
all that can be adopted. Have houses for them in cold 
weaiher : and do not fix up any arrangement .for them to 
get higfi off the ground on account of the inconvenience 
they sufl'er when tliey fly down from the roost. I 
have seen thein disabled from walking several minutes 
on this account. But for the benefit of Airs. M. K J , and 
all others who are unfortunately ui possession of such 
bipeds (bhanghai chickens), let me recommend the very 
sensible plan my wife is pursuing with them, blie is 
feediiiii them tc> the negroes, and has sent to the neigh- 
bort ood ofMrs. M.K. .J., for several pairs of Game Chic k- 
ons lo raise in their stead, i have never yet seen the ad- 
vantage of Shanghai chickens over tiie Game ; in fact they 
tire inienor in every respect. 
I have planted half an acre of the seed of what is called 
■here the “China Humbug,” and if I can procure a mill I 
will send in my experience after a while, it you think me 
compeient to make a report of it. 
I hope you may live as long as I do, so that I can al- 
ways have the pleasure of reading the Southern CuUiva- 
tor. Hespecifully, A. T, G. 
Taylors Creek, Ark , May, 1857. 
' -• 
IMPROVEMENT OF EANO. . 
Editors Southern Cci.tiyator. — There is a problem 
in rny mind wf.ich I would like to have solved, and as edi- 
tors are expected to know everything, to whom could I go 
wnh more coufldeuce tiiau to tlietul But to llieproulem 
Which has a firmer the inost time to do, to wear out 
hisliudorio iupirove it"? '3'his problem was suggesteti 
to my mind from reading an extracr of a speech, delivered 
bef re the "Farmer's Club.” of Tsew Ibtrk. I'he speaker 
said that no iVee man could ajjor^l |o cultivate his land in 
such a manner as to ciiuse it lo deteriorate in v.due, nor 
could he artord to grow '20 bu>!)eis ofcorn,per acre, when 
by proper management he could make 40. And ag.ain 
the .speak'-r remarki d, no man can aflord to keep up the 
fencing on 100 acres of land when he could keen betier 
fences on 50 acres and ma.lte rnore.oflT tjtf the 50 tii.m IflO. 
Kow all this is emphaiicully true to the letter, and yet not 
one-half of us believe it. I say we don’t believe it, be- 
I cause our actions prove the reverse. A faiih that don’t 
prompt to action is no faith at all. If 1 had faith to be- 
lieve that there was thirty thousand dollars for me in Jack- 
son, Miss., I wo del go for it, as a matter course. And if 
I believed that I could make more corn and cotton off of 
60 acres with 4 hands by putting the work of ihe half of 
120 on the 60 would I not do it instead of cultivating or 
hufliering 120 acres. 
I Properly speaking no man h^s time to wear out his 
j land. To wear it out he must do more work to make less 
I than if he improved his land. Reflect a moment; do you 
I believe it. It is more trouble and expense to wear out two 
i plantations than to improve one — all the same size. This 
j fact can be proven, and then but few would believe it. 
They think there is some humbug about this plant less to 
j make more money. Everything here is looked on with 
1 su.‘<picion. If I should start out to-morrow with my hat 
full of 20 dollar gold prices, I could not, to save me from 
death, /^ive Ihem away. They would think that there was 
s,ometrick in it — the money was counterfeit, and 1 wished 
to get some advantage ofthern, some bewitchery or some- 
thing. else. At any rate, I would return with my hat full 
of gold. 
What is Agricultural improvement 7 Is it to be found 
in the theory of planting 25 acres to the hand and making 
a “big crop” for 4 or 5 years, and wearing out your land 
and being compelled lo clear the balance of your wood- 
land that you had left for timber or move to anotlier 
j country 7 If •this is what Agricultural papers, society 
1 fairs, writers and speakers call Agriculturul Improvement, 
I away with all of it! The country will be ruined soon 
enough by politicians and abolitionists without your aid. 
Good night. 
I A'^ours, &c., G. D. H.armon. 
I Vlica, Miss , April, 1857. 
I TO WHAT FREE EABOR READS. 
In a paper r^^ad before tin Institute in the city of New 
A’^oik, not long since, says the Alew f ‘rleans Delta, by D. 
D Denting, on the “ Power of Cotton,” the following 
statement occurs : 
Twenty-five years ago, Patrick’s dollar would buy 
twice the amount of necessaries that it can now. What 
is the cause of this 7 The price of food has gone up, and 
ilie value of white men has gone down. 
In 183! the ratio of paupers in this State was 1 to 128. 
In 184! the ratio of paupers in this State was 1 to 29. 
In 185! the ratio of paupers in this State was 1 to 24. 
In 1856 ib.e ratio of paupers in this State was 1 to 17. 
In twenty five years the laboring class "bf New York 
ha.s paid for tlie luxury of “Freedom” double price for 
food, and an increased paupeiism of over one hundred 
per cent. Dining all this time, the anti-slavery philoso- 
phers of that State have not ceased to jubilate over the 
more abundant wealth and prosperity of the Northern 
States, compared with the relative devi lopment of the 
Soulii. Very well ; but they tail to show that the labor- 
ing class o! the South w'as put on a lialf allowance of 
food, . and tliat, a brilliant culioination of our prosperi- 
ty, one in seventeen of tiiehi was thrown upon fculflie 
charity as a pauper. They failed to show^ that the labor 
of thb South could, e ver suffer d'esfi'tution, while the capi- 
tal whirfi owned i mb employed It could ccmimand .nibsis- 
te'nce, Lastly., they failed to sliow that Fn e Labor may 
not starve while capital is swiicming in boundless pictny 
an ! luxury, and that the c.o-existeiiQe of the greatest ag- 
gregate prosperiiy and theexirtine destituiiou among th» 
iabonng class is an impos.silile eonditinn in n free State. 
Difl'ert nt results flow necessarily from dilTcrent princi- 
ples The principle of “ Freedom ’ — such as vjc find it 
in Eingland and the North— has a necessary tendency to 
