SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
27^^ 
HILL SIDE DITCHING — LEVEL ROWS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Dear Sirs — I have 
just been re-reading in your January number, Col. Can- 
non’s letter on the subject of Level Rows, &c., which has 
suggested an ine^uiry, inasmuch as I feel somewhat in- 
terested in the subject, living as I do in a country which 
is equally susceptible, with any I have ever known, of | 
v/ashing away. If he runs his rows on a dead level what 
becomes of the waterl Now, in this country, our subsoil 
is altogether impervious to water, and it is certain that 
water will go somewhere, and if we do not provide the 
means of its escape it generally takes care of itself and 
makes a break across rows: while by running hillside 
ditches with slight falls and each row below on a parallel 
so as to carry off its own water, only allowing the short 
rows to empty into the next lower hill side ditch, we have 
had better success than in any other way in filling up old 
gullies and preventing new ones being formed. He also 
compares the fall of hill side ditches with that of the vari- 
ous rivers. He has certainly never thought that the 
volume of water in a given channel has as much influence 
on its velocity as the nature of the channel itself. And in 
this connexion I will add that we only want in our hill 
side ditches enough fall to carry off the water which 
usually falls without taking away of the soil, and this 
can only be determined by the nature of the soil and the 
inclination of the hill, W. H. R. 
Madison Co., Miss., July, 1857. 
CHINESE SUGAR CANE IN TEXAS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — My brother gave me 
a few seed of the Sorgho Sucre, which were planted on the 
20th of February last; they came up only tolerable well; 
part ofit, when about 6 inches high, was cut down on the 
12th of March by frost. On the 5th of April another 
planting was made of Sorgho from New York, which 
came up sparingly and overtook the first planting, or that 
which was spared by the frosts of the 12th, 13th and 14th 
of March ; and when I received the bag of Sorgho from 
you the 8th of June a portion of the seed were sufficiently 
ripe to plant another crop, but I was deterred o wing to the 
drouth. Up to that time there had been but two or three 
tolerably good rains from the time it was planted, and a 
slight rain since — no really soaking rains. It has grown 
8 or 9 feet high and the blades are but just now showing 
the effects of the extended drouth. Judging from the 
stalks T have, the yield would be 30 or 40 bushels an acre, 
while Corn along side of it is entirely burnt up, not 
yielding 5 bushels to the acre. Before planting the seed, 
the ground being so thoroughly dry on the surface and 
near it had to be well soaked with water to induce the 
seed to vegetate. 
A gentleman having a farm twenty miles from this 
says he has about an acre of ground planted with the 
Sorgho Sucre; he thinks the produce will be 50 bushels 
to the acre. About three weeks since, there was a good 
rain on it (the first since it was planted), but not until after 
it w’as well seeded. This, I think, would be a good yield 
in a more favorable season ; but, considering the great 
drouth, is an astonishing yield. I do net hear of any per- 
son making sugar from t.be Chinese Cane about here. 
Very respectfully, F. B. 
Lava/^a, Texas, July, 1857. 
To BE Thought About. — Can a farmer find any better 
investment for his money, above what is required for the 
support and education of his family, than to e.r.pend it upon 
ids farm, '\n i\\Q improvement of his stock, in planting 
trees, in draining, enriching, improving and ornamenting 
the place he has chosen as the scene of his labors,,and the 
•enter of his comforts 1— Rural New Yorker. 
WINE PROSPECTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
A gentlemen of our neighboring State, who is deeply 
interested in the culture of the Grape, writes us as follows, 
under date of August 3d : 
Gentlemen — I have but a very sad account to give you- 
of my grape crop ; we are tpld that summer rains are a- 
“blessing from Heaven;” il so, I am particularly favored, 
for we have had innumerable “blessings” showered upon 
our valley. In May we had 15 days of rain ; in June we 
had 18, and in July 21, and in August, so far, every day 
and all day. We have not had one day of warm weather, 
the thermometer never having risen to 90, and seldom to- 
86 degrees; and, strange to say, some of my neighbors, 
4 or 5 miles off, were, last week, suffering for want of rain;: 
and a grist mill not more than a mile and a half off could 
not grind for want of water, while everything here is mud 
and fungus. The consequence is, I am overrun with grass 
and my grapes have rotted four times as much as they 
ever have done ; that is to say, all the oldest vines. My 
Catawbas, which are young, are sound, and so 
are young Isabellas, It is very fortunate the frost des- 
troyed our other fruit, else they might have rotted alsol 
My vintage this season will be very trifling, and with so 
much water I fear the quality cannot be of the best. 
[Since the foregoing was' written, the weather has been 
more favorable, and prospects are better.] 
CRYSTALIZATION OF THE CHINESE CANE- 
The following letters were recently transmitted from the 
Hon. John Y. Mason, U. S. Minister at the Court of 
France: 
Legation of the United States, ) 
Paris, I3th May, 1857. > 
Gentlemen ;-^((Hur esteemed favor of the 28th of March 
last was receivSiPEnd submitted to M. Alexandre Vatte- 
mare, the indefati^\)le friend of international exchanges, 
especially with our ^country. 
He has addressed to me a letter, and placed in my hands 
eight pamphlets, which I send to you. I hope that you 
will find that they contain all the information which you 
desire. I cannot add to it. With best wishes for your 
complete success in your laudable efforts to introduce 
into the United States a plant which will add to the valu- 
able products of the country, 
I am, very respectfully. 
Your obedient servant, 
J. Y. Mason, 
Messrs. Hodges, Mockbee & Co,, Philadelphia. 
Paris, April 20th, 1857. 
His Ezcellency , John Y. Mason, U. S. Minister — 
Dear Sir; — Immediately on the receipt of your favor 
containing inquiries relative to the Sorgho Sugar plant and 
the possibility of crystalizing its sugar, I called on the 
gentleman here who could give me the best informa- 
iiou upon this subject. I enclose a copy of a letter 1 re- 
ceived last night from IM. Louis Vilmorin, one of the most 
learned (theoretically and practically) agriculturists 
Europe, who has made a particular study of the Sorgho 
plant, and is the best authority, I think, upon which we 
may reiy. To his letter M. Vilmorin has added the ac- 
companying eight pamphlets relative to the cultivation 
and extraction of alcohol, sugar, &c., which were publish- 
ed at Paris, Marseilles, Toulon, and also at Constantine 
in Algiers, in 1855, I856and 1857. I trust that these will 
an.swer your purpose. Should you want furdier explana- 
tions I will be most happy to procure them for you. Yet 
1 think that these will be sufficient to prove that Sorgho 
1 Sugar Cane can be crystalized, and that the Sorgho in its 
