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78 
THE SOUTHERN CUT.TIVATOR. 
On motion, Resolved, That Maj. Wm. Y. 
Hansel), be and is hereby appointed onr dele- 
gate to the approaching Agricultural Conven- 
tion, to be holden in the city of Milledgeville, on 
Monday the 3lst ulr,, and requested to represent 
our Society in that body, which was unanimous- 
ly agreed to. 
' On motion the Society then adjourned, sub- 
ject to the call of the executive committee. 
Hardy Pace, ^ 
A. J, Han'sell. Sec. Jas. Lemon, (| 
Agricultural Society. 
The Barbour County Agricultural Society 
met in the Town Hall, Eufaula, Ala., on the 
13th Marchj the President, Col. McDonald, in 
the chair, John Gill Shorter, Esq., Secretary, 
pro tern. 
The committee appointed last meeting to re- 
vise the constitution of the society, reported a 
substitute, which was adopted. 
John A. Calhoun, Esq., Dr. C. Battle, and B. 
Gardner, Esq., were appointed a committee to 
dratt by laws lor the society, and to report the 
same to the next meeting. 
Standing committees, to examine and report 
on crops, horticulture and improvement in me- 
chanism, were appointed by the President, as 
follows : 
To examine crops below Eufaula, Gen. R. 
C. Shorter, Mr. Wm. Abney, Mr. John W. 
Raines. 
To examine crops above Eufaula on the 
river. Major Thomas Flourno}'-, Dr. C. Battle, 
Mr. A. McGehee. 
To examine crops on the Barbour Creek, 
Mr. William DeWitt, Mr. James Tucker, Mr. 
Treadwell. 
To examine crops on the Cowikee Creek, 
John A. Calhoun, Esq., Dr. A. P. Crawlbrd, 
Gen. Wm Wellborn. 
Committee on Horticulture, John Gill Shor- 
ter, Esq,, Mr. Wm. S. Paullin, Dr. William H. 
Thornton. 
Committee on Mechanic arts, Z. J, Daniel, 
Esq., Mr. E. C. Holleman, Mr. W. Archer. 
Messrs. B. Gardner, J. G. L. Martin and 
Thor. Cargile, were appointed a committee to 
select a suitable person to address the society at 
its next meeting. 
On motion, it was ordered that the President 
also appoint four persons todiscu'^s, at the next 
meeting, the following question; “What are 
the benefits to be cleriyed Irom Agricultural So- 
cieties 1” Messrs. Buford, He.’nphill, Calhoun 
and J. G. Shorter were appointed debaters. 
A letter from Dr. Richan'dson, to the Presi- 
dent, wms read, on the culture of cane.and the 
manufacture of segars, and a sample of sugar 
raised by Dr. R. in Barbour county, shown to 
the society. 
The society then adjourned to meet again in 
the Town Hall on the' second Wednesday in 
May, the day of the Horticultural fair. 
A. McDonald, President. 
John Gill Shorter, Secretary pro tem. 
Agricultural Meeting. 
In pursuance of a previous notice a meeting 
ot the Barbour County Agricultural Society 
was held in Glenville on the 22\ inst , when, on 
motion of Major Deriard, Col. A. McDonald 
was called to the chair, and George D. Conner 
was requested to act as Secretary pro. tem. 
The Chair explained the intention of the 
meeting to be, to submit to the consideration of 
the citizens of Glennville, a hearty co-operation 
with the Barbour County Agricultural Society 
in its objects to improve and develope ourfarm- 
ing resources, and of giving them the opportu- 
nity ot adopting the new' constitution ot the So- 
ciety, which was then read. On motion of Dr. 
Richardson, the constitution was adopted by 
a unanimous vote; an opportunity was then 
given for the admission of members under the 
constitution, and twenty-two additional names 
were announced. 
The following gentlemen were appointed com- 
mittees to examine crops and their condition, 
&c. in the vicinity during the ensuing season, 
and report at the next regular meeting of the 
Society. 
1. On the Cowikee Creek, Dr. Dubose, Col. 
Sanford and Massalon Glenn. 
2. On the Hachachubee Creek, Dr. Richard- 
son, Major Denard and J. B. Baird. 
3, In Browder’s neighborhood, M. A. Brow- 
der, Malachi Ivey and Nathaniel Roach. 
4, Glennville neighborhood, W. H. Owens, 
Dr. J. G. Byrd and Richard T. Morrison. 
Committee on Horticulture, Dr. George D. 
Conner, A. S. Glenn, J. G. Conner, Thomas 
Denard and Dr. Flake. 
Maj. Dent and Col. Ott were appointed a com- 
mittee to examine the crops on the upper part of 
the South Cowikee, with power to appoint some 
other farmer to act with them. 
After the regular business of the meeting had 
been disposed of, the President entertained the 
meeting in an appropriate manner, in explain- 
ing his views on the importance of well organ- 
ized societies ; their importance at the present 
time of the depressed price of cotton; the ad- 
vantage of patronizingagricultural papers ; the 
expediency of devoting special attention to the 
quality as w'ell as quantity of our chief staple. 
The address abounded with most excellent sug- 
gestions relative to a well regulated system of 
farming, and was delivered with a zeal worthy 
of the occasion. It was listened to with inter- 
est, that gave evidence that it was highly appre- 
ciated by a larger meeting than common on such 
occasions. 
Fifteen dollars were immediately handed in 
by way of a commencement in getting up a 
Fair next fall. 
Glennville, Ala., March 22, 1845. 
Breaking Young Cattle. 
The people of New England, and none more 
than those ot Massachusetts, have always been 
celebrated for the breeding and management of 
oxen, and as the following plan, from the pen of 
Mr. Buckrninsler, the enlightened editor of the 
Massachusetts Ploughman, appears to us to 
contain much good sense and sound philosophy, 
we commend it to our readers: 
“ It is sport, rare sport, for boys to yoke young 
steers, and fret them, till they are tame; and tire 
them down, till they are tame; to whip them 
hard for obbtinacy--for moving too fast or too 
slow. Boys will teach them a bushel of tricks 
sooner than a peck of good manners. Boys 
must not handle steers till they have been han- 
dled by men ; and men have not all philosophy 
enough to make steers kind and obedient. 
There is not so much risk lun in breaking 
steers as in tutoring colts. The ox is so patient 
he “ will endure all things,” even ill tutoring. 
In the yoke, in the centre of a strong team, he 
must go, will ye nil ye, and in time he w'ill think 
it piudent to draw a moderate load rather than 
feel the Issb or the goad. 
But what a vast difference you find between 
oxen that have been properly broken and such 
as have loosely “ borne the yoke in their youth,” 
and had their ow'n way at a hill or in the mire? 
Gan they back a loaded cart, or will they know 
your voice at a plow ? 
Ill tutored oxen will fail you in your utmost 
need. They are as bad as untrained men at the 
raising of a broad side of a barn ; they never 
draw even, and one is not ready to put forth his 
strenvih till his yoke fellow has exhausted all 
his store. Then you leave your loaded sled in 
the woods and go for the mare ; or you unlade a 
part and hie home in a pel. 
Oxen should never know but that they can 
draw any load you put them to, and they will 
never suspect it under a perfect teamster. He 
will never let them draw w'hen he finds the load 
quite too heavy, and by crying out to them to 
stop when they cannot go he persuades them 
that they are stopped by his command alone. 
Steers may be yoked at a very early age. 
When it is convenient, shut them up in a shed 
or strong pen, and gently place a light voke on 
them there. Do not attempt to force them to 
march now, but wail till they have becon'e used 
to this burthen. Feed them with something a 
little better than every day fodder, and satisfy 
them that you intend no harm. If your shed is 
large, it will be prudent to pass a rope around 
the hind part of their bodies to prevent their 
turning their yoke upside down, and making the 
near one the off ox. A rope will prevent this, 
for it will keep their hips as near to each other 
as their necks are. Some tie their tails together 
for this purpose; but a rope is better. 
When your steers have become a little used 
to the yoke, you can put a chain on and let them 
be used to the clanking of the link.s. Chain 
them fast to a post in your shed, and let them 
feel that this front chain and the yoke are stron-' 
ger than they are. They may stand lor half a 
day chained fast, and you need to look to them 
only occasionally. 
Now you should unyoke gently and let them 
have their liberty, evidently by your own con-' 
sent. On the morrow, yoke them again in the 
same place and with the same care. Then yoke 
up your oxen, and driving to the shed, make fast 
your steers to the oxen instead of the post. Let 
the whole four stand awhile, that the steers may 
see no harm is intended. 
Soon you may urge them forward close after 
the oxen, and without using a whip. Let them 
follow round and round the yard, chained to the 
oxen, never putting them to draw till they have 
learned to follow without fear. 
Alter this exercise you can bring a light sled, 
or a pair of wagon wheels and tongue, and 
gently fasten your steers on this tongue. Let all 
St. nd a few minutes ; then move forward gent- 
ly, not to terrify the young fellows too much on 
finding a moving pole between them, and a pair 
of rolling wheels behind. Keep them in gear 
four or five hours to-day, having a rope on the 
horn of the nigh one to make both follow direct- 
ly after the oxen. 
In this way you can use your steers to follow 
your oxen without striking a single blow. For 
the only cause ot obstinacy which we so often 
find in steers, is ignorance and fear. They know 
not what you would have, they fear giving of- 
fence, and they will prefer your lashing and 
beating to any motion they can make. You 
know this is the case, for, unyoked, you can 
drive one, or two, or a dozen, through any part 
of your field, and no one thinks it advisable to 
stand and endure the lash in preference to 
moving. 
But you must teach your steers to lead as well 
as to follow your oxen. This requires skill, to 
prevent bad habits. When first put to lead they 
will incline to run from you, unless you have a 
rope on the near horn. But you will soon habitu- 
ate them, if you avoid beating, io march straight 
forward; and they v/ill suffer you to advance 
and come to their heads without attempting to 
sheer off', if they find you friendly. In a snow 
path you will find it moie easy to make them 
tractable thin in a plow field. 
It is quite important that young cattle should 
be loaded so light that they can overcome all ob- 
structions without great effort. They should 
not suspect that any load can stop them. If they 
have not been set, and whipped, and bothered, 
by vicious teamsters, you will find them ambi- 
tious to do all in their power for you on rising a 
hill, or in miry carting. You will command 
their whole stiength without striking a blow, 
and you will be more sure of getting out of the 
mire than by the use of all the whips you can 
command. 
But yourcattle will not go ; nor will they stop 
when you desire, unless you use good language 
to them; not Greek, or Latin, or Hebrew, but 
good plain English. You may use the Hebrew 
well enough, provided vou understand it, and 
provided you alone are to be the driver. But 
if you do not; or if you intend that others, who 
know nothing but English, shall drive your 
oxen occasionally, you will find the “English 
Tongue” the “Only SureGuide,” as Perry said 
of his spelling book, when it treated of that 
tongue. 
