266 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
ture may be as follows : The first spring, early, plow and 
cross-plow the young orchard with long rooters, keeping 
beyond the holes in v^^bich the trees are planted, and care- 
fully avoiding all injury to the trunk or branches. Sow Cow 
Peas, broadcast in the open spaces betvveen the trees, and 
keep the earth loose and mellow about the roots with a 
pronged hoe. If mulching material can be obtained, apply 
it thickly after the first hoeing, as far as the roots of the trees 
extend. This will obviate the necessity of any further 
working for the season. When the Peas ripen, pick and 
save them, turning the vines under and sowing another 
crop, to be gathered m the same manner. These repeated 
plowings and cross-plowings, with the abundant supply 
of nutritive matter furnished by the decomposing Pea 
vines, and an occasional dressing of ashes, will in- 
sure the most vigorousand healthy growth of the 
trees, and force them into early and prolific bearing. Other 
low crops, such as Sweet Potatoes and Pindars, may after- 
wards be grown profitably in the orchard, and the vines 
returned to the soil as above recommended. We confi- 
dently recommend a trial of this plan to those who desire 
the quickest and most satisfactory return for their labor in 
PTuit Raising, and who have no old land elevated enough, 
or otherwise suitable. November and December are the 
best months for planting trees. Particular directions for 
planting Trees, Grape Vines, &c., in our next. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Milk is produced 
from the females of all warm-blooded animals which are 
enumerated among the manumaliee ; milk contains every 
element of nutrition necessary to animal existence; and 
man can subsist, with unimpaired health and strength, 
if limited to this food alone, and from time immemorial 
milk has been recognized as an article of food. 
There is said to be a tree on the coast of Venezuela, 
called the Palo de Vaca, or Cow Tree, the sap of which 
much resembles milk. Baron Von Humboldt and Bonp- 
land say they drank considerable quantities of it, and des- 
cribe it as thick, glutinous, perfectly bland, destitute of 
acrimony, and possessing an agreeable and balmy smell 
This vegetable milk forms a principle part of food with the 
negroes and poor people, who work on the plantations 
They take it along with their bread, made from the root of 
the Capova, {^jamipha manchoV) or Indian Corn, {^Zoey 
Meyz), and grow sensibly fatter during the season in 
which the milk is obtained in its greatest abundance. . 
To the east of Caraccus, in the valley of Concagua, it 
is known by the name of Arbol d) Seche, or the Milk Tree, 
and the inhabitants make cheese from it. In the Valley 
of Caucus the milk, by solar inspissation, is converted in- 
to a black gum, highly prized for its medicinal virtues, and 
sold at the high price of one dollar an ounce, or one doub- 
loon per pound. Such is the accounts given by those 
celebrated travellers — Humboldt and Bonpland. 
But what I would call the reader’s attention to is, the 
article which was our first food ; that which nature has so 
superabundantly provided for all young animals, and what 
has become, to us, one of the true luxuries of life— good 
milk. 
From a table, by M. Pareira, we find that the milk of 
the ewe is richer than any other in the total of its contents. 
That woman’s milk gives the greatest per cent, of butter, 
and the mare’s milk contains the most sugar of milk; but 
slightly exceeding, however, woman’s in this respect. 
Nature, seeing the wants of the young animals, has 
placed within its reach, and by instinct has guided it to 
such food as is most congenial to their health, strength 
and rapid growth. And the first milk, or “boastings, ” are 
particularly adapted to their wants, as the young animal | 
will take only a very small quantity at first — it is of so 
strong a character that this little will effectuate the desired 
purpose. It is well known that this first milk or beestings 
contains a great quantity of casein. With most of our cowe 
the boastings contain about 15 parts casein, while in ordin- 
ary state it gives only about 3 to 5 1-2. As the quantity di- 
minishes in the farrow cow, the qualities improve within, 
certain limits. 
My attention was called, some time since, to an article-, 
in one of the leading agricultural journals, asserting that 
the boastings of the cow v;ere, in a degree, poisonous,, 
and that by feeding the breeding sow with them they 
would produce abortion. There can be no doubt that a 
moderate quantity of this milk would be beneficial to the 
sow, and even of material service to the whole stock — act- 
ing as a laxative to them. But the idea of one’s giving 
the pregnant sow a full gorge of beastings is extremely re- 
diculous, and only an unskillful manager would do so. 
Experience teaches many a planter wise lessons, which 
could be found in the agricultural journals of the day at 
half the cost. 
Being in conversation v/ith a friend the other day. he gave 
the me following bit of experience that happened to him : — 
He had a valuable cow ; gave her, after calving, all the 
beastings that he could get from her — this being the ad- 
vice of some moon cow doctor. His cow soon after died; 
he opened and examined her, and found the milk had gone 
into the fourth stomach, and but little else in there ; the 
folds of the stomach so closely stuck together that nothing 
could pass, and it was his opinion that the milk given 
and that only, caused the death of the cow. He was right 
in his opinion, and he paid dearly for it at that. In the 
first place, he had no right to give her the beastings, and 
the next, he ought not to have meddled with her unless she 
showed some signs of sickness. 
There seems to be a prevailing opinion throughout a 
good portion of the Southern country that the milk of the 
cow, for the first three or four weeks following the drop- 
ping of the calf, is not fit for use, and that one using such 
will be liable to sickness. At the period of yeaning the 
dam does not get sick — is not prostrated — unless by some 
mismanagement Her udder does not get out of order un- 
less the milk is suffered to remain too long. This milk 
has been a long time collecting and, of course is very rich 
— contains a large quantity of casein. But when this 
milk is once drav/n out thoroughly and effectually, there 
is no cause of sickness, then the milk comes naturally 
and is as good as ever, which will be in two or three 
days— four at the utmost — if the cow is healthy. 
The dairy farmer is well aware of this fact. The first 
is drawn out and disposed of among the hogs ; the second 
milking is sent to market. The calf is either killed or 
sent off to be brought up by hand — never allowed to suck 
at all. We can find m.any instances that would go to 
verify this fact. There are many families who use the 
milk of the cow in the morning for breakfast, when she 
drops her calf before supper of the same day. Why is it 
that they are not sick 1 if the assertion is true that the 
milk is poisonous at this time. It is true that this treat- 
ment of cows does not increase the quantity of her milk 
from year to year, and is the only objection to the general 
adoption of this plan. 
When we take the young cow with her first calf, and 
with some pains and feed if need be, keep up her supply 
of milk all the year round, until one or two weeks before 
the time for her to drop her next calf, we are more than re- 
paid for this extra trouble, in the supply of milk the en- 
suing years, and the cow will not fail, unless by the gross- 
est neglect on the part of the milker. As lor the truth of 
this I will refer to any unprejudiced dairy farmer. 
The question may be asked. Why is the milk of one 
cow richer than that of another I This much depends 
