From the Albany Cultivator. 
Agricuiture aiid Rural Economy of the 
South. 
Dear SiR:~Press of business, alone, has 
prevenled my carrying out my intention of ad- 
dressing von, as 1 promised in my last, on va- 
rious subjects ot interest to us here; and in 
particular of replying to Mr. Camak’s call for 
aid in introducing the olive to the south. He 
does me but justice in supposing that no effort 
on my p.art, within my power to make, would be 
wan ing towards the introduction of any plant 
that would add to the wealth of my adopted 
country. Among others 1 have often thought 
and spoken of the olive; but felt so much dis- 
couraged by the fact that my father-in-law, Mr. 
Isaac Dunbar of this place, has repeatedly in- 
troduced varieties of that plant without success, 
the frost destroying them, that I entirely over- 
looked the extract in Kenrick’s worh. Since 
reading Mr. Camak’s article, I am resolved to 
make an effort to procure the Nikita olive and 
give it a fair trial here. The difficulties, how- 
ever, which a private individual has to contend 
with in such an effort, are very great. In ray 
own case, the only course I can pursue, is to 
request my correspondents in Paris to make 
every exertion to procure some plants for me. 
If some others would do the sa ne, we might, 
some one of us, ulti.mately succeed. I have 
long ceased to expect that the General Govern- 
ment will give any such aid to the farming in- 
terest. 
That every effort slieuld be made by the south, 
to introduce other staple crops than cotton, is 
very certain. The over-production is so great 
that prices cannot improve; at present prices 
this troublesome crop cannot be grown with 
profit— in fact not without loss — and the only 
possible means of lessening this over-produc- 
tion, is to induce the cotton planter to turn his 
attention to and employ a portion of his farce in 
o;her crops, or in auxiliary branches of econo- 
mical husbandry, if evum these pay no better 
than cotton does now. Here it is that a State 
Agricultural Society and farm, liberally sup- 
ported bv the State, would give proof of their 
value. Those experiments in 'he introduct on 
of new staple crops could be tried there, which 
cannot be well done by individuals to any ex- 
tent, with justice to themselves. Any planter 
can, however, after a few years, carry on upon 
his plantation many practices of economical 
good management— to some of which I will 
presently advert, 
1 prepared a series of resolutions some weeks 
ago, which 1 intended submitting to our Ag. 
Society at its bu-siness maeting after our lajst 
Fair. But so great was the political e.xcite- 
ment at this time, that I regret to say a sufficient 
number of the members did not attend on that 
day to form a quorum. As another business 
meeting will be held about the time your Janu- 
ary number will have reached us, ".hen I in- 
tend bringing the matter forward, I wilt give 
you these proposed resolutions here: 
“Resolved, That it is the opinion of this So- 
ciety, that the pre.sent ruinously low prices of 
cotton, ari«e almost wholly from inordinate 
over-production. 
“■ That a committee be appointed to prepare 
an address to the farmers of the cotion-growirg 
region; setting forth the absolute necessity that 
exists for an entire change in the system of 
farming pursued among us, so as to lessen the 
quantity of cotton produced — to employ a con- 
siderable proportion of the labor of our slaves 
in the production of other staples ; and of all 
the supplies necessary for the plantation which 
can be so produced, if not with profit, at least 
without loss. 
“ That they shall include, in their address, 
all the information they can procure as to the 
staple crops which may be so introduced; with 
short notices ol the system of culture necessary 
for each ; cost of production compared with cot- 
ton, &c. 
“That the use of cotton bagging, in baling, 
be particularly considered ; information acqui- 
red as to the cost, in plantation labor, of its ma- 
nufacture; strength requisite, &c. ; and the par- 
ticular grounds that may exist tor objections, if 
any there be, to its use. 
“That they also inquire, whetlnr the esta- 
blishment of cotton factories generally within 
the cotton-growing States, would not have the 
■effect of counieractiog the combinations which 
are formed in the foreign markets to keep down 
the prices ol the staple. — Whether, such a de- 
mand for provisions may not thus be created at 
home, as to render their production at least as 
profitable as that of cotton, and thus divert a 
considerable portion of the labor nowemploved 
in the over-production of the latter — And if, in 
the judgment of the committee, manufactories 
within the cotton region would produce these 
results, what mea.sures can be best adopted to 
encourag-e their introduction. 
“ That they shall submit their address and 
report at the next regular meeting of this Soci- 
ety.” 
In all enlightened governments^ but our own, 
agriculture receives powerful aid and support; 
nntso much by means of protective duties and 
imposts, as by the wise measures taken for its 
relief when in any manner oppressed. Witness, 
in Great Britain, the frequent appointments ol 
committees of the House of Commons, to ex- 
amine into the causes of results the most trivial 
when compared with that now in question, and 
with power to call before them for information, 
individual and documentary evidence from eve- 
ry part ot the country. Although we, in this 
country, have no such powerful aid given us, 
we migtil do much good by such a plan as this 
here proposed. 
Some weeks ago, I had some inquiries made 
of me by a gentleman in Natchez, who inlormed 
me that be was one of a company formed with 
the view of shortly erecting an oil mill there ; 
chieflv with a view to making castor oil. 1 as 
sured him, at once, that the bean can be gruwn 
with profit by the planter; and promised to 
grow, next year, an acre or so, each, of the cas- 
tor oil bean, sunflower, and Bene; also to try 
the Madia sativa, of wbR-h I have a small 
quaniiti of seed. In Illinois large quantities 
of.the Palma Christi bean are grown, and the 
manufacture of castor oil is carried on with 
much profit. The farmers, there, so far as my 
recollection goes, found the bean, a verv remu- 
nerative crop. I neither remember the ave- 
rage yield per acre, nor the usual price, but 
have taken measures for refreshing my memo- 
ry. Canyouaidme? Ifyou have files of the 
(Chicago) Union Ag. and Prairie Farmer, I 
think you will there find all the information 
wanted. It grows spontaneously along our 
road side, producing, I think, quite as good 
crops as those I have seen in Illinois. I have 
a variety of it in my garden of extraordinary 
and productive growth. A plant of it, which 
made its appearance in one of the borders, a 
volunteer, quite late in this present season, has 
attained a large growth. At five feet Irom the 
ground the stem is 15 inches in circumference; 
there it throws out three branches the tops of 
which are 17 feet from the ground, and spread 
to a diameter of 12 or 14 feet. Where the 
branches spring out, a spike of seeds has been 
ripe this three months; and now at the top of 
each of the three branches is a very heavily la- 
den spike, the seeds in which are not quite ripe ; 
though they certainly would have been had the 
seed been planted sufficiently early. The beans 
of this variety are very large. \ find on trial 
that they weigh an average of six grains each. 
The stem and leaf-stems have a reddish tinge; 
the plant altogether forming quite a handsome 
tree. Last winter was so mild with us here 
that plants of this variety stood uninjured, and 
in the spring threw out multitudes of flower 
spikes. I am perfectly aware that a plant of 
such gigantic growth would be illy adapted to 
field culture, as a crop in rich land ; I mention 
it merely as a prool that there is nothing un- 
congenial in our climate to the growth of the 
Palma Christi; and because 1 think that this 
»ort would do well as an aftercrop, say on oat 
stubble; and then have abundance of time to 
ripen iis seed. 
The Bene grows vigorously, and produces 
an abundance ot seed; so, I am fold, does the 
Madia sativa, although 1 have no knowledge of 
it myself; the sunflower I know will do well — 
all of these yield a very large proportion of va- 
luable oil. 
I have grown a small crop of Havana tobac- 
co this season, which is said to be of fine quali- 
ty by those who profess to be judges, When 
prcperly cured and made into cigars a better 
opinion can be formed. I cut this three times, 
and each culling was good; if planted early, 
and a handful of cotton seed or some other 
equally portable and effective manure ht-ed in 
round the plants at the second cutting, I have 
no doubt but lour cuttings could be had at each 
season — the two last of course of inferior tobac- 
co. 
The gentleman before spoken of, Mr. Isaac 
Dunbar, has for many years made his own 
wine. That which he exhibited atour last Fair 
was pronounced decidedly superior to any he 
has ' ef'ore shown. I think it was the best na- 
tive wine I hav^. ever met with. Mr. D. has a 
vineyard of sufficient extent to make a few bar- 
rels of wine, and leave enough of grapes to give 
even his negroes a fair share. His favorire 
grape is the Herbemont Madeira — as being 
perfectly hardy and requiring but little atten- 
tion. At our summer Fair, this season, oae 
gentleman exhibited seven varieties of grapes, 
principally European sorts. The variety that 
does best with us, is one kn own the 
gra.pe. What it is I can on,ly guess at. The 
vine is of a vigorous, healthy habit; young 
wood having a reddish tinge, resembling the 
cigar box and Norton’s seedling; the bunches 
quite large and shouldered; the berries, which 
are entirely without pulp, are of sizes varying 
from that of an eighty-to-the-pound rifle bullet, 
to that of an ordinary sized buckshot; juice a 
