THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
169 
true to its kind in all respects, except a stripe from 
end to end of about one-fwurth its circumference, 
which was beyond all question of the Red Ber- 
muda. The yams had blossomed in previous 
years, but the Bermuda never had with us. How 
did this mixture of the two kinds occur 1 
The Maine Farmer. 
The editor of the Maine Farmer, in his paper 
of October 9th, copies from the Culpivatoh of 
September, our commentaries on his articles 
therein inserted, and replies as follows : 
In relation to the neglect of the South in the 
disbursement of the public money, Dr. Holmes 
answers — 
(1.) Alas, friend Camak, the answer is too ob- 
vious. We are, both of us, precluded by the neu 
tral stand which agricultural papers ought to 
take, from going into these subjects in detail, be- 
cause it would of necessity expose the “ rotten- 
ness in Denmark" — the utter and shameless rot- 
ten-heartedness of the political leaders of each 
and every party. It would carry us into the 
very depths of the slimy and miry slough of par- 
ty tactics, and party discipline. We may not do 
this: but we may say, or shall at any rate say, 
that the day of pure* political principle and ac- 
tion has gone by. Men are not now as in the 
days 01 Washington, and Henry, and Franklin, 
and Sherman, chosen to high offices because 
they loved their country and their whole coun- 
try ; but because they will subserve some selfish 
purposes of this or that clique. The practice of 
politics has become a game, and he is moat suc- 
cessful who is most skillful in the shuffle, cut and 
deal of the political cards. A government ought 
to distribute its favors and requirements equally 
— ^justly and without partiality all over this terri- 
tory, The meanest and most humble spot 
should not be neglected — the poorest citizen 
should be cherished and protected. That it is 
not so, we grieve to say is the case, and we see 
not ho w either of us can help it, any further than 
our individual influence and exertions for truth 
and justice can go. If mere complaining were 
the order of the day, every section of the Union 
could find veritable cases enough for stock to 
work upon.” 
About the six per cent, and the one mill per 
cent. Treasury notes: 
(2 ) “ This is new to us, and we really do not 
see what right those who did the deed had so to 
do. It is customary for governments, both State 
and national, to issue scrip at diflerent times, 
bearing different rates of interest ; but that scrip 
should be issued with reference to any particular 
section of the Union is new doctrine.” 
To the last paragraph of our article, he re- 
sponds thus : 
(3.) “ If we felt aggrieved, as our friend Ca- 
mak appears to be, we should probably utter the 
tallest thunder we could muster. At the same 
time we should think it a duty to “be patient, 
be advised.” We should endeavor, while we la- 
bored hard to remove any injustice which bore 
heavily upon our own particular section, to let 
reason take a calm survey of the whole ground, 
from “Maine to Georgia,” and strive to so ba- 
lance matters that the prosperity of all should be 
promoted, and the rights of none infringed. We 
live together, as a nation, bound by a chain of 
mutual concessions. The union depends upon 
such bonds, and while each section, from natural 
locality, must vary more or less in its interests, 
they should cheerfully yield a little, each to each, 
and by thus yielding, become strong in their 
mutual bonds. Leaving subjects of a more pub- 
lic political character, permit us, friend Camak, 
to both encourage and sympathize with you in 
your efforts to rouse up the good people of the 
South to a sense of their own interest, and to 
urge upon them the duty and necessity of well 
directed and w dl concerted action, in agricultu- 
ral, as well as other reforms. We have had some 
experience for the last fifteen years in this busi- 
ness; for in our own section, as well as yours, 
there is much to reprove and to censure. Idle- 
ness is the besetting sin of man the world over, 
and all the concomitant evils of apathy and su- 
piuenees bring with them the results of comfort- 
less want wherever they prevail, whether it be 
North or South, East or West. On the contrary, 
industry, frugality and perseverance, will finally 
surmount both national and political obstacles — 
clothe the old fields with verdure, and make the 
wilderness blossom like a rose. While we find 
ourselves laboring under many difficulties, and 
sometimes ready to become sick and faint amia 
the battle with prejudice, obsdnacy and ignor- 
ance, we would, nevertheless, bid you God speed 
in your own endeavors to bring back the flour- 
ishing and palmy days of the South, and hope, 
ere you die, you will see your labors crowned 
with a success far beyond your most sanguine 
hopes; and not only your own, but evcrv ^tate 
in the Union blessed with prosperity and filled 
with a virtuous, contented and happy people.” 
Hill-Side Ditching. 
Hard as it is to charigc old habits, and much as 
our people may dislike to abandon their slovenly 
and wasteful processes of cultivating their soil, 
they have it to do. There is no mistake about it — 
they have either to mend their ways, or starve, 
or go to Texas. They must, as one of the first 
steps towards amendment, stir the sub-soil. We 
hope we have convinced them of that. Then 
they must go t^ditching their hill-sides, to pre- 
vent any more of the cream of their soil going to 
enrich the bottom of the Atlantic, where it is not 
needed just now. Q,uite enough has been already 
sent off, by our bad management, on that mission. 
If you want encouragement in this reform, look 
at the example set you, by Mr. Cunningham, of 
Greenesboro’, Mr. Hardwick, of Hancock coun- 
ty, Capt. Eggleston, of Mississippi, and Mr. 
Calhoun, of South Carolina. We have told you, 
in the pages of the Cultivator, something o^ 
what all these gentlemen have done, or are doing^ 
with hill-side ditches, except Capt. Eggleston. 
Mr. Solon Robinson, in the last number of the | 
Albany Cultivator, enables us to add to the others, 
an account of Capt. E’s. practice: 
“His place is all hilly, thin, oak land, very | 
light soil, that melts away in water not quite so 1 
easy as salt or sugar; and yet he has scarcely a j 
gully upon the whole farm ; but he has more than 
20 miles of hill-side ditches, which are so con- 
structed, that they take up all the surface water, 
before it passes far enough over the ground to 
form gullies. While riding over the plantation, I ' 
found one of the overseers engaged, with a large i 
force of hands, laying oft’ and making ditches 
upon some new ground, it being a rule never to 
putin a second crop until the land is ditched. * '■* 
The rows have to conform to the ditches, how- 
ever crooked; and the manner of plowing, is to 
lay off the rows in the first instance, the middles 
being often left unbroken, until after the corn is 
planted, and perhaps up. Capt. E’s. plan is, to 
plow deep directly under the corn, and plow shal- 
low while tending the growing crop His motto 
is to plow deep for all crops. He assures us that, 
since he has adopted the level system of ditching 
and plowing, that in addition to the advantage to 
the land, that his crops are better and the soil im- 
proving instead of deteriorating.” 
In the Southern States, some persons, as w^e 
have noticed in our travels, have tried the plan of 
horizontal plowing, omitting altogether the hill- 
side ditches. This is a ruinous error. Those 
who have tried it, have found it so ; indeed, in the 
nature of things, it cannot be otherwise. It is 
far better to continue the old system of plowing 
straight up and down hill, bad as that is. Let 
hill-side ditches be made first ; then, and not till 
that is done, should any one attempt to plow his 
ground horizontally, unless he wants to send his 
soil on the bootless mission hereinbefore men- 
tioned. 
The way to get credit is to be punctual; the 
way to preserve it is not to use it much ; settle 
often— have short accounts. 
The North-West. 
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the whole re- 
gion thereabouts, would seem to be a very para- 
dise for grain-growers. The extreme fertility of 
the soil, theenormous cropsit produces, thesma.l 
outlay of labor necessary to make and gather a 
crop — the high price it commands when taken to 
market, the salubrity of the climate, every thing 
seems to conspire to make the Northwest a most 
desirable region to those who can endure its cold. 
The Racine Advertiser says : 
“Two farmers from Jamesville, in Rock coun- 
ty, whose farms adjoin, last fall conjointly had 
200 acres of prairie broken and sown in wheat — 
the work being performed by two young men, 
with ten yokes of oxen, and two boy^ to drive a 
few weeks. These 200 acres of wheat have re- 
cently been cut by means of a machine, occupy- 
ing only 12i days, with an extra expense of fifty 
cents an acre for binding and stacking. The 
wheat turned out an aggregate of 5000 bushels, 
worth S2.500, or an average ot 25 bushels to the 
acre. On Friday the owner came to Racine with 
two wagons, loaded with an aggregate of 205 
bushels of wheat, which he sold to Mr. Richmond 
at 62i cents the bushel.” 
Then we have an account of the soil of this re- 
gion by Mr. Whitney, who has lately gone over 
it, from Lake Michigan to the great bend of the 
Missouri. He, it wall be remembered, has been 
looking out for the route of his great Railroad to 
Oregon. Hear what he says of the country : 
[From Mr. Whitney’s teller in the Nat. Intelligencer.l 
. “ Before leaving Pra’rie du Chien I fixed upon 
a route I would like to pass to the Missouri, and 
with compass in hand made it w'^thin five miles 
of the point started for. By Burr’s map of Wis- 
consin, embracing Iowa &c. (which I found 
more correct than any I have seen,) w'e crossed 
Turkey river at Fort Atkinson, north latitude 43° 
15'; thence we crossed the different jjranches of 
the Wabisipinica and the Cedars in about the 
same latitude to Cl -ar Lake, in west longitude 
93° 25'; thence northwesterly until wm came to a 
branch of the 3f. Peter’s, running northeasterly — 
and I will here remark that we did not find the 
Cedar’s or St. Peter’s branch to correspond with 
Burr’s or any map I have seen ; thence due west 
to the Des Moines, in latitude 43^ 20', and west 
longimde 95®, which streams we crossed bv fell- 
ing trees for a bridge ; thence due west to a num- 
ber of small beautiful lakes forming the head-wa- 
ters of the Little Sioux, and emptying into the 
Missouri; thence across Floyd’s river ; thence 
due west across the branches of the Calumet and 
the Calumet; thence to the Whitestone or Ver- 
milion, then .lacques river, and then to the great, 
the grand Missouri, fifteen m'les below the great 
bend ; making a distance from the Mississippi of 
more than five hundred luilcs, over the finest 
country upon the globe, capable of sustaining 
more than three times the population of the same 
space in any other part of the world : no sw’amps, 
no marshes, no flooding of rivers, except in the 
vicinity of the Wabisipinica, and then only for a 
small distance, and undoubtedly the mostheal'hy 
country in the world. I have never found the 
atmosphere so pure; the surface gently rolling to 
an almost level ; alwmys, however, enough undu- 
lating to let all the water off. 
“While on this subject I will remark that none 
of the rivers we-t of the great takes are natural 
rivers, but have formed themselves and beds by 
the constant wash of this vast and almost level 
plain. The soil of this vast wilde ness is as rich 
as It can be — none richer in the whole distance. 
I did not see half an acre of useless or bad land ; 
all covered with the finest ot gmsses, and,, when 
cured, good hay. The farmer will want but the 
plov/, ihe s“ed, the scythe, and sickle. Ar far 
as the Cedars (ninety miles west of the Missis- 
sippi) are considerable tracts of good timber, but 
none beyond to the Missouii, and then very little, 
till nearly down to Fort Leavenworth, and then 
only about three miles wide, and sometimes none 
on the river; but coals are abu idant, and the 
growth of timber so natural that, without the 
fires, (which now spread over the whole prairies 
yearly, consuming even.’ thing.) in .fifteen years 
