300 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
ENLARGING THE CULTIVATOR — A PROPO- 
eition— Manures— Hill Side Ditching^ &;c* 
Editors Southern Cultivator— We have had a glo- 
rious “season” to-day — rained nearly all day. Cotton 
and corn look remarkably well — cotton rather too late — 
no blooms yet that I have heard of, but full of squares, 
short pointed, and well limbed. 
There will be a heavy crop of corn made in this coun 
try. This “season” will make all early planted corn. 
I notice that you propose to enlarge and improve the 
C'uUivator, provided its circulation is increased so as to 
enable you to do so. The CuUivaior siiould be the fire- 
side companion of every Southern planter and gardener. 
It has dene more to improve Southern Agriculture than any 
other Journal in the United Spates, and deserves the ever- 
lasting groMude of every lover of his country, ] propose, 
therefore, to be one of 5,000 of your subscribers, who 
will send you one new subscriber, at least, and as many 
more as we can. Send them il we have to pay the dol- 
lar ourselves — one dollar is worth only 100 cents to each 
of us, whilst it would be worth $5*000 to you ; and the 
Cuitiva/or enlaiged and improved would refund our 
dimes tenfold. 
Please respond to this proposition, one and all, 
I notice in your July No. your Blakely correspondent, 
C.” intends to adopt a system of manure making, 
&c. The object is a laudable one. I am glad to see an 
increased interest manifested on this subject throughout 
the land, and hope such interest may continue to grow 
warmer and warmer, until the last red hill of the South 
shall be graced with a luxuriant crop of cotton, corn, or 
wheat upon its bosom. 
But permit me to say to “J. C.” that this desirable ob- 
ject cannot be acct mpiished unless the system adopted is 
such as to differ very materially from the plan ordinarily 
pursued in this country (I mean the South). 
If you had an inexhaustible pile of manure all ready 
for the field laying at your barn yard, it would not pay to 
haul il to the field most distant from the lot, in the planta- 
tion. It is just as easy to make the compost in the field 
or near it, where it is needed, as it is to make it at tho 
barn. In every field that you pasture, have a stuck lot 
built on the highest point, into which haul leaves, corn 
stalks, &c., in which never (ail to pen your stock every 
night, until the vegetable matter is composted, then move 
your lot to another point, and so on. 
When your compost is made, rake it up in large bulks 
and plow the lots, and with the loose plowed earth cover 
your manure piles. Let them remain there until you 
wish to use them, and you will find that you have a fine 
lot of composi that can be carted out at very little expense 
This is ihe only plan, in my opinion, by whic h a plan- 
tation may be manured by the “wholesale,” Manure 
may be made in ihe horse lot and barn yard for the fields 
which surround them. 
Now, the above will not pay, unless the manure can be 
retaiuea in the soil, and on the identical spot Vr’here it is 
puh 
It is a hopeless job to undertake to improve land, if the 
manure is fieroiitted with ihe soil to wash off. A proper 
system of hill side dimhing end horizontal culture must 
accompany any system of composiing to insure success. 
This is a fact as applied to hills that no one will deny. 
In conclusion, permit me to thank Col H J. Cannon, 
for seBiimenls expressed in bis last. Let us do all we can 
to save our country from ruin. Col C. has done much 
good since he itajk the field f'oi level culture. It is the only 
system that is worth anything in my estimaii(»n. Good 
Sight. G. D. iiAUMON, 
Viiea, Miss., 1857. 
[We heartily thank our h^end, Haemon, for his liberal 
proposition respecting the CuUivaior, and will say that 
if it is responded to in the right spirit, prior to the first of 
December, we will, next year, give our readers a jourral 
as large and handsome, as it is admitted to !)e useful and 
practical , — Eds. 
HABITS AND PRIVILEGES OF SEA JSLAN3)» 
Piantersj. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — On reviewing the 
back numbers of your interesting journal, I have been^ 
surprised to observe how seldom £\ny con inunication ap- 
pears from Sea Island Planters. Why this is so, I find 
difficulty in conjecturing It cannot surely be that from- 
their contiguity to the sea they have become so salted that 
there remains nothing /mA. in them. As we do not be- 
heve or admit this, we will set about “guessing” some- 
other reasons. Doubtless, atmcspiuric influence during 
a portion of the year occasions ranch of the inactivity and 
supineness of our region. The samedisposition we know 
belongs, in part, to almost every locality durwg the warra 
months of ihe year; but no where so strikingly as on the 
sea coast. There the climate is peculiarly stimulative during 
certain hours, with corresponding opposite effects at other 
hours. Indulged with the delightful “sea breeze” for 
most of the dayy while the nights are usually warm and 
still, the system experiences a degree of languor for want 
of refreshing and invigorating repose whicti indisposes to 
any exertion, especially any of a mental character. But 
this climatic effect, however correctly staled, and how'eveF 
general in its application, is almost exceptional to the class 
of whom we write, or at least exerts over them so slight 
an influence that it can be easily overcome. Judging from- 
appearances, young planters seem but little affected by it 
and we must “guess” some other reason for their delin- 
quency. 
We guess, then, that idleness and love of pleasure de- 
ter many from improving themselves, more than aught 
eLe. To fbe proof; and first, we hold that every man, if 
be, be a man, will w’ish to improve in whatever occupation 
he engages, both for the attainment of success, and from, 
self-respect. And again we hold that no set of men en- 
joy greater privileges for the accomplishment of those 
ends than Sea Island Planters. To none other is granted 
so much immunity from toil, and so much leisure for the 
improve ment of their minds. Their interests are concen- 
trated within a small area of space, and by observing sys- 
tem, as every oneshould whoexf'ects to accomplish much, 
in life, but a small portion of each day is requisite for the 
performance of out door duties. 
How, then, should the greater and remaining portion of 
his time be employed 1 Much of it certainly lor the im- 
provement of his mind, his god-like nature. L it so 
spent] By some we know it is. But is it not so by the 
majority", tor it is equally obligatory on all ? Alas! would 
that we were able to leply affirmatively, but truth de- 
mands the negative. Laziness characterizes most, in de- 
fiance of the advantages surrounding them. And is not 
this the bane of Southern life, that which brings more just 
reproai b on us, as a people, than all else besides. Nui^- 
lurtd in idleness and luxury, how apt we are to pursue the 
tracks made lor us, and thus perpetuate habits which 
should be abolished. 
How sad to behold vonng planters content to do so little,, 
Many of them liave enjoyed opporiuniiies of education, 
which should have fitted them for much usefulness, and 
while, in Academic or College halls, they gave great en- 
couragement for the future. But alas ! what' bece mes of 
iho.-e hopes and picmises when they are possessed of 
iheir ‘ plantation and niggers !” Do they, l>etore becoming 
plantei.-^, take a bath at the “fountain of Lethe,” that the 
memory of foimer things might no longer disturb theia^ 
