THE SOUTHERN? CULTIVATOR. 
horse of Asia can never be tamed il not captnr-- 
ed when' young, and that ihe same animal in 
South America, at any age, surrenders himself 
in a few days to his captor and is domesticated. 
It is believed that in regard to the South Ame- 
rican, the animal has not yet lost the eSecl of 
his early civilization, (if the word may be al- 
lowed.) 
The Ass.— The native country of this ani- 
mal is the same as the horse, but while the lat- 
ter extends as far north as 56 degrees ol lati- 
tude, the former does not voluntarily pass the 
45th degree, but descends south to the Persian 
Gulf and the southern extre.mity of Hindostan; 
he is therelore fi-.ttd by nature to warm lati- 
tudes. The ancients were well acquaintea 
with him, and valued him as well lor his grave 
.good nature as his strength, and for his easy 
means of subsistence.. Job says of him — 
“whose house I have made the wilderness, and 
the barren land his dwelling, the range of the 
mountains is his pasture, and he seeketh alter 
every green thing.” 
The Hog . — The wild bo^r from which our 
domestic breed is supposed to bederived, occurs | 
in many parts of Europe, Asia and Africa, in 
the South Sea Islands and in the Chinese do- 
m nmim, but is not a na'ive of America. In a 
wild state he is exceedingly fierce and savage. 
It is deemed needless to descant on the value of 
this animal, which, notwithstanding his un- 
couth appearance and filthy habits, constitutes j 
in his improved and domestic state, one of our i 
most valuable quadrupeds. The fecundity of 
the race — the omnivorous character of his food | 
— readiness with which he takes on fat, and the | 
delicacy and healthiness of his flesh, are every- i 
where highly valued. i 
Tk”. Sheep . — This valuable animal, like the | 
cow, is found in its native wildness in both the i 
old and new world — and in both, in that state, 
was rather a hairy than a tvoolly animal. It 
may be remarked of this creature, that he is re- 
corded as the first who owned the dominion of I 
man — “'and Abel was a keeper ol sheep, and 
Cain wms a tiller of the ground.” The gentle- 
ness of his temper, the excellence of his flesh 
for food, and above all, tlje abundance and 
warmth of his fleece, make him to man of ines- 
timable, almost indispensible value. The va- 
rieties are numerous, adapted to evei'y climate, 
and the w'onder seems to be that so little atten- 
tion is now bestowed on him by the people of 
Georgia. One of the Committee has a speci- 
men of the fine wool used at Lowell for broad- 
cloth, and another of wool raised in the pine 
w'oods of Sumter; the last is considered by ma- 
•ny as the finest. How easy to multiply in our 
fine climate this valuable animal, which, most 
of the year, would require no other care but to 
be protected from worthless curs. 
This short and imperfect history of the ani- 
mals from which our domestic breeds have ori- 
ginated, is not deemed by the Committee of any 
value except to show the effect of domestication 
and the modifying and meliorating influence 
produced by the hand of man. The tame ani- 
mal is a very different being from the wild, not 
only in the perfection of his form and his size, 
but still more remarkable in his temper and 
disposition. It may be said without violence to 
language, that the savage has been ci^'ilized. 
The animals ol the cow kind in their native 
state, are fierce and dangerous, and ready lor 
battle; the horse of indomitable temper and vi- 
cious; the hog not less wild and ferocious than 
the wolf; the sheep inhabiting mountain re- 
gions, fleet and ti.mid, and covered with hair in- - 
stead of wool. The great difference in the ori- 
ginal and the domesticated animal, is lo be at- 
tributed to ihe skill and care which have been 
bestowed on them by man in selecting and pre- 
serving the most perfect specimens, by crossing 
the diflerent varieties, and by food and shelter. 
To illustrate this, let a comparison be made bs'- 
tween the wild horse of Asia, or mustang of 
South Antfrka, and the thorough bred British 
races. Compare the buffalo, the wild animals 
of India or Europe, of the ox kind, with the 
Durham-s, or Herelords, or Devons of England 
Observe the difference between the wild boar, 
wherever found, and the fat, good nat.ured Berk- 
shire. And finally, compare the hairy sheep of 
the mountains with the merinos of Spain. It 
would seem therefore clear that the best mode of 
improving the breed of the stock of Georgia, 
would be to pursue the same system which has 
been pursued by all enlightened nations, and 
which have produced such remarkable results. 
This system is careful b.^eeding, good and plen- 
tiful food. This will be done by the Georgians 
when they get willing to make less cotton and 
more grain and giass. 
The animal that remains to be spoken of, 
(and none is more worthy,) ;s 
The ilJwfc.— He is seldom found in a state of 
nature, and it has been supposed by some to be 
a violation of the laws of nature to produce 
him. This however, is a mistake; for we find 
it written — “ and these are the children of Zi- 
beon, both Ajah and Anak ; this was that Anak 
that found the mules m the wilderness as he fed 
the asses of Zibeon his father.” The Commit- 
tee are quite persuaded that there is not only no 
objection to the production of mules, but that 
it should be extended and the breed improved. 
The mules ol Spain are said to be very supe- 
rior to those of any other country, being much 
larger and more beautiful — so much so, that 
ihey are used chiefly for travelling, carriages 
and stage coaches. The fine Andalusian horse 
is used for parade and for war; for our purpo- 
ses of agriculture, the plow and wagon, they are 
believed to be uecidedly superior to hofses. The 
remarkable condensation of bone, muscle and 
tendon, give them great strength. His thriftiness, 
his love of coarse food— -in oiher words, his easy 
keep gives him surpassing value; besides this, he 
is exceedingly sagacious, and seldom makes but 
one difficulty with his master, and that is, when 
first subjected to labor; he does not like lo sur- 
render his liberty, but when he has been com- 
pelled to do itTe goes to work, and like a sen- 
sible creature, never after reluses to do his duty 
— pity il i.s that the same thing cannot always 
be said of his master — independent o-f his 
strength, his long life, his docility and hardi- 
ness. The Committee believe from the history 
above stated ol the jackass, that he is particu- 
larly adapted to Southern latitudes, and hence 
the value, in part at least, of his descendant. 
For purposes of the saddle or pleasure carriage, 
the mule is not considered, as he is found in 
this country, suitable. 
In these particulars the horse is everything 
that is needed. The variety of this animal best 
suited to the Southern Stales, is halt or three 
quarters thorough bred, and the Committee are 
of opinion, that large horses are less hardy than 
those of medium size. Perhaps the range in 
height miglit be from 4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 
2 inches. It has been ascertained by chemical 
analysis, that the bones of the Arabian or tho- 
rough bred horse are more compact or harder 
than those of tlm larger variety or dray breed; 
the muscles and tendons are more elastic, the 
chest deeper, and therefore more room for the 
lungs, and hence the power of long continued ac- 
tion and better wind. The Committee are of opi- 
nion that the same rule will holdgoodin regard to 
cattle; large coarse an imals have less muscu- 
lar activity, require more food, .and seem to en- 
dure heat with more difficulty. They would 
iheretore recommend short legged cattle of com- 
pact forms and clean small bones. They are 
usually better milkers, and it is thought that 
their fle-h is more delicate for table use. They 
are therefore inclined to the opinion that the 
Devon, or other small cattle, are belter suited 
to'Georgia, than the Durhams. 
Of hogs, the Committee believe that the rule 
should be, to obtain the greatest quantity' of 
meal for the least food. And here the same 
rule seems lo hold. The very large breed of 
swine are not so thrifty, or so readily fatted. It 
may be that the Berkshire is near the mark ol 
the best hog, especially where there is much 
pasture land; besides, it is believed that he fat- 
tens more readily and certainly when put up for 
that purpose. 
In regard to sheep, the Committee are of opi- 
nion, thalfor common coarse clothing, the com- 
mon sheep of the country, with a cross of the 
Colswold, or Leicester, w'ould bathe best; it 
would give them increased size and heavier 
fleeces. The Cotswold are said to yield from 8 
to 12 pounds of good wmol at a shearing. For 
fine wool, the Saxony, or Merino, or a cross 
between them would no doubt do well, and 
make a good return for the capital invested, as 
both varieties are known to do well in Georgia, 
better indeed than in colder climates, where the 
Saxony is found to be a delicate animal. 
In regard to the improvement and value of 
all domestic animals, the Committee are entire- 
ly convinced that a plentiful supply of good 
food and kind treatment are indispensable, and 
that in this particular, the planters and farmers 
of Georgia are signally deficient : many of them 
are hardly exempt from the charge of cruelty, 
in the permitted poverty and suffering to which 
their domestic animals are subjected, and in be- 
half of the dumb beasts, they will put into their 
mouths this saying, worthy of all acceptation — 
“a merciful man is merciful to his beast.” 
Reports on Manures. 
T.he Committee appointed on manures, know'- 
ing the great diversity' of opinion existing upon 
this important subject, seeing the opposition 
w'hich any object of improvement meets with 
from many agriculturists, and feeling the re- 
sponsibility which rests upon them, approach 
this duly with diffidence; but deploring the 
ruinous system of culture which has been pur- 
sued by our citizens for many years past, and 
acknowledging the advantages which would re- 
sult from reform, beg leave to make the follow- 
ing as their repot t : 
Cotton seed, in the opinion of your Commit- 
tee, is regarded as one of the best manures wdth • 
in reach of the planter. The ease with which 
it may be carried on the farm, the facility wnth 
which it may be distributed, together with its 
astonishing effects, particularly upon grain 
crops, have long since brought it into general 
use as a manure; and yet your Committee be- 
lieve, that for want of a proper understanding 
of its valuable properties, it has been in many 
instances improperly applied and wasted. For 
instance, most farmers believe that less than a 
quart of cotton seed to a hill of corn, will be of 
no use, and is consequently thrown away; 
w’hile your Committee brlieve that where the 
land is thin a half pint is as much as ought to 
be applied. The quality ofour land should re- 
gulate the quantity. When the land is capable 
of producing two and a half or three barrels of 
corn to the acre without the assistance of ma- 
nure, a pint of seed to the hill of corn is admis- 
sible, but on a poorer soil much less must be 
applied. This opinion of your Committee is 
the result of experience, and they feel safe in 
recommending it to public notice. We would 
also suggest the propriety of forming compost 
of cottonseed by banking it in alternate layers 
w'ith swamp muck or alluvium. By this means 
the quality of the manure is decidedly intpro- 
ved, the quantity increased, betterresults are ob- 
tained in the crops, and the soil is more perma.- 
nently benefitied. It is a well ascertained fact, 
that all grasses and grain require large quanti- 
ties of silicate of potash, and it is an equally 
certain fact, that the reeds and species of cane 
which thrive so luxuriantly on marshy grounds 
contain large quantities of silicicus earth. The 
potash evidently exists in all ground of this 
character, and is furnished with dis.solved sili- 
ca continually by the change of water; hence 
w--e cannot recommend too strongly the general 
use of these substances— peat, swamp muck, or 
alluvium, in the formation of all manures. — 
A compost .formed of either of these suf- 
slances and one third animal manure, con- 
tains most of the fertilizing salts and gasses 
which the ordinary crops of our country require 
for their development and maturity. With a 
compost of this kind, a free use of pulveriged 
charcoal w'ould be highly beneficial, as it fixes 
and retains permanently the vclali’e gasses for 
