THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
2<; 
Dog Traps. 
When government /ails to discharge the duties 
tor -which it was instituted— especially in the 
protection of men in the pursuits of ironest in- 
dustry — those who arc thus neglected are always 
perfectly justifiable in resorting to measures to 
protect themselves. Here in the southern States, 
there are very many men, who, seeing the ex- 
treme folly of a whole people depending on a 
single article — Cotton — for their income, would 
gladly introduce other staples. They would in- 
vest capital in the business of wool-growing, and 
■vv'ould thus add millions to the wealth of the 
country, if they could be protected by law from 
the ravages of -worthless dogs. But such is 
found to be the miserable fear of responsibility 
in our public agents, that the nuisance goes un- 
abated, capital remains crowded into the produc- 
tion of cotton, the production of wool is not un- 
dertaken, and the people are compelled to buy 
from their wiser and more thrifty neighbors of 
the free States, a large portion of their w'oolen 
clothes, and the country is thus drained of trea- 
sure that ought to be kept in it. It would be a 
matter of curious calculation to ascertain how 
much is annually paid by the South to other 
States for woolen goods that ought to be made 
here, at home, among ourselves : — and would be, 
but forthe foo'ish southern notion, that the privi- 
lege of injuring yoiu- neighbor by keeping as ma- 
ny worthless curs as one chooses, is one of the 
privileges our fathers shed their blcod for. Why, 
if a man were to hint at such an idea, in Ver- 
mont for example, or indeed anyrvhere but in 
this same doomed South, he would be compelled 
to seek shelter somewhere else, trom the storm 
of -indignation and contempt that would be rais- 
ed around him. They understand these things 
perfectly in the free States, and laugh heartily, no 
doubt, in secret, at us poor devils for holding to 
such notions, when we ought to sec, even if we 
had but one eye, that by doing so, wo are allow- 
ing them to keep our nose to the grindstone, and 
press it hardei and harder, until -we shall have 
no more nose left to be ground ofl. 
Then as to the means of self protection, -which 
we are forced to resort to by the miserable delin- 
quency of our legislatures, one of the best would 
be to use very fi eely on all occasions the same 
medicine, the use of which made Di-. Bonaparte 
so famous, the wmrld over— and that is the blue 
pill — if it were not that the ravages among our 
sheep are committed in the dark when we are 
asleep. If, however, you can find one of the de- 
predators prowling about, give him, at once, a 
good dose of blue pill of the si-ze of about 100 
to the pound, and you may sleep soundly with- 
out fear of being disturbed by him again. There 
is wonderful efficacy in that same blue pill, when 
properly administered, as the whole practice of 
Bonaparte proved, and as every one will find very 
soon after he tries it. 
In Tennessee, they have, perhaps, a better 
way than this. They first catch the dog in a trap^ 
and then give him the pill. This saves the trou- 
ble of sitting up at night to watch. We find the 
following description of the Dog Trap, and of the 
manner of using it, in the 'Fennessee AgrieuUu- 
ris!, W'ehopc it v ill be broughtinto use at once 
all over the country. 
PogTb.ap. — Gentlemen ; — Some years ago 1 
learned from your paper how to make a dog pen, 
to catch sheep -killing dogs ; which was to make 
it with rails, similar to a partridge trap, drawing 
in every round until it gets about six feet high, 
leaving a hole at the top about two feet square — 
I had occasion to try that plan ; some few dogs 
would climb to the top and go in, I saved a few 
dogs that -way. But necessity is said to be the 
art of invention, and the dogs made such havoc 
among the sheep in my neighborhood, that I in- 
vented' a trapdoor, which is really a nice and 
complete way to coop them. 
I sawed out a door at the bottom, about eight 
or ten inches square, more would not hurt; I then 
drove a stake down in the ground inside of the 
pen on the opposite side from the door; at the up- 
per -end of the stake I made a notch and fixed 
triggers, like those of a bird trap, and tied a piece 
of sheep meat to one of the triggers, (when the 
sheep is gone any other meat v.’ill do;) I then got 
a small puncheon, about two feet long, and tied 
a rope in the upper end of it, suspending it imme- 
diately over the door, and tied the upper end of 
the rope to the top or middle trigger, passing 
over the top of the pen ; when the dog gets hold 
of the meat it pulls the trigger, and down they 
come, letting the puncheon door-shutter fall at 
the same instant. Then he is fast. When a 
dog catches a sheep and leaves it, he is sure to 
comeback the next right, and it you have a trap 
around the sheep you are sure to have him ; next 
morning, rfght soon, go and shoot him and drag 
him off. You may get one nearly every morn- 
ing, until you get all the runabout or sheep-kill- 
ing dogs. I have tiied it, and tried it successful- 
ly, and some of my neighbors have taken pattern 
by my pen, and have saved their sheep. 
Physiology, Health, &c. 
Without health and strength, a farmer cannot 
accemplish mue-h. These blessings depend so 
much on the kind and quality and quantity ot 
our daily food that the following tables must be 
interesting to those who desire to know some- 
thing of the matter. 
The ferst table shows the comparative nutri- 
ment contained in 1000 parts o-t the various ar- 
ticles ol food generally used. We find it in the 
Anglo American,” in a review of a book by 
John Smith, entitled “Frtd's and Farinacea. 
the Proper Food of Alan.” 
Rones 
Mutton 
Chicken 
Reef 
Veal 
Haddock 
While of Egg 
Milk 
Wheat 
Nuts . . 
Peas (dry) . 
Rarley 
Morels 
Reans (dry) 
Rice 
Bread 
Rye 
Oats 
Almonds .......... 
Tamarinds 
Plums 
510 
Pork 
.. 240 
290 
Blood 
.. 215 
270 
Codfish 
.. 210 
260 
Sole . . 
.. 210 
250 
Brain .. 
.. 200 
180 
Grapes 
.. 270 
140 
Apricots 
.. 260 
72 
Potatoes 
.. 260 
950 
.. 250 
930 
Peaches 
.. 200 
930. 
Goosberries 
.. 190 
920 
Apples 
.. 170 
896 
Pears 
.. 160 
890 
Beet Root 
.. 148 
8S0 
Strawberries 
.. 120 
800 
Carrots 
.. 98 
792 
Cabbage 
.. 73 
742 
Turnips 
.. 42 
650 
Melons 
.. 30 
840 
290 
Cueuraber 
.. 25 
Another element of health, says the Reviewer, 
and consequently of strength, is the facility of 
digestion. From Dr. Beaumont’s Tables it ap- 
pears that the following articles were converted 
into chyle, viz.: digested,,in the timesindicated : 
h. m. 
Rice, boiled soft.... 1 0 
Apples, sweet and ripe 1 30 
Sago, boiled 1 45 
Tapioca, barley, stale bread. Cabbage, with Vine- 
gar, raw, boiled Milk and Bread and Milk, cold. 2 0 
Potatoes, roasted, and Parsnips, boiled 2 30 
Baked Custard 2 43 
Apple Dumpling 3 0 
Bread Corn, baked ; and Carrots, boiled..,,..... 3 15 
Poiatoes and Turnips, boiled ; Culler and Cheese 3 30 
Tripe and Pigs’ feet 1 0 
Venison I 35 
Oysters, undressed ; and Eggs, raw..,, 2 3 
Turkey and Goose. 2 30 
Eggs, soft boiled, Beef and Mutton, roasted or 
boiled 3 0 
Boiled Pork, slewed Oysters, Eggs, hard boiled 
Domestic Fowls 4 0 
Wild Fowls : Pork, sailed and boiled; Suet 4 30 
Veal, r oasted ; Pork, aiTrl salted Beef 5 30 
Both the precedingjtables are instructive, and 
deserving of attention. 
We have already observed (he continues,) that 
food may be too nutritive for health. Innumera- 
ble instances might be adduced in support of 
this fact. Take one or two in regard to inferior 
animals : 
“The dog fed by Majeridie on white bread and wa- 
ter, died in the course of seven weeks ; but another fed 
by him on brown soldier’s bread, (pain de munition,) 
did not suffer. When dogs were fed on sugar and wa- 
ter, they died in a month ; but if a considerable portion 
of saw-dust be mixed with the sugar, their health will 
not be affected by it, although they are naturally car- 
nivorous animals. It was also shown that an ass feri 
on riee died in fifteen days ; but if a large quantity of 
chopped straw had been mixed with the rice, be would 
have continued to live and be tvell. ‘Horses fed ex- 
clusively on meal or grain, will die in a short time ; 
but mix their meal or grain with a suitable proportion 
of cut straw or wood shavings, and they will thrive and 
become fat. And it is an interesting fact, that if horses 
be fed on grain alone, with the exception of water, for 
a number of days, they will instinctively gnaw the 
boards, or whatever vt'oody substance is utfilhin their 
reach.’ ” 
Weeaunot elasc this article better, made up 
as it is of extracts, than by copying the follow- 
ing rules about diet, eating, &c. Dr. Beaumont 
of the U. S. Army, gives the following important 
rules : 
1. Bulk, or food possessing a due proportion of innu- 
tricious matter, is best calculated to preserve the per- 
manent welfare of the organs of digestion, and the gen- 
eral health of the system 
2. The food should be plainly and simply' prepared, 
with no other seasoning than a little salt, cr occasion- 
ally a very little vinegar 
3. Full and deliberate mastication, or chewing, is of 
great importance. 
4. Swallowing the food slowly, or in small quanti- 
ties, and at short intervals, is very necessary. 
5. A quantity not exceeding the real wants of eeon- 
omy, is of prims ianpoitance to health. 
6. Solid aliment, thoroughly masticated, is far more 
salular-y than soups, broth, &c. 
7. Fat meat, butter, and oily substances of every kind 
are difficult of digestion, offensive to the stomaeh, and 
tend to derange that oigan.and induce disease. 
8. Spices, pepper, stimulating and healing condi^ 
menls ot every kind, relaid digestion and injtare the 
stomach. 
9. Cofl'ee and tea debilitate the stomach, and impai? 
digesliorr. 
Agricultural Papers. 
Itis evident to every one, that the numerous 
papers devoted to Agriculture, now published, 
are slowly, though surely, making an impression 
on the public mind. It will take time, and a 
good long time too, to make the revolution com- 
plete. But that it will be, in the end, no one can 
doubt. Even the political papers see thi’ ; and 
hence their frequent editorial articles on the sub- 
ject of late. The Floridian of December 20th, 
says : 
“ Too little attention is paid by our planters 
generally, in becoming acquainted with the best 
method ot producing The largest crops with the 
least possible labor — or of so diversifying the 
crop as to produce the greatest income. The 
old mode of our forefathers is most generally 
pursued. When the land becomes poor and ex- 
hausted, the cry is, throw by the old and open 
new land, or remove to a new country. This' 
has been done to a great extent, but happily, 
some of our citizens, of late, have discovered a 
new method of cultivation. Experience is the 
best of teachers, as has been proven in a few in-. 
stanees in Florida. A few years since the idea 
of book-farming, as it was called, was complete- 
ly ridiculed. The book man was regarded as a 
f/reonsf— possessing no ■practical knowledge. 
‘Place him on a plantation,’ would be said, 
‘and he will admit that he cannot produce good 
crops on old land; and he may talk till dooms- 
dav of manuring— it is far more easy to open 
new land, and it can be done at less expense.* 
We have heard such notions advanced often, for 
the last ten years in Florida. Recently, howev- 
er, we hear otherwise. The numer®us agricul- 
tural works published in various portions of the 
Union, have some of them found their way into 
Florida, and a few of our most intelligent plant- 
ers have practised upon their suggestions with 
great advantage. Their neighbors have observ-. 
