THE SOUTHERX CULTIVATOR. 
51 
propriate to us as that oi cotton woe 1, and I am not 
sure that it would not be as profitable. Accuin- 
ulatin? an abundant supr-ly cf manure Irom the 
means I have sugge.sted, we might appropriate 
our cotton seed to a better purpose. Invalua- 
ble as they have hereiotore proved as manure, 
we shoulddispense « ith them in view of a high- 
er economy. A valuable oil may be expressed 
Irom them, which burns, when fully refined, as 
well, it is said, as sperm oil. It has double the 
strength of light from coal gas, and makes also 
a good oil for paint. Besides, a cake results 
from Its manulaclure of great use in feeding 
milch cows, and fully as good as that from rape 
seed so celebrated in Europe. A bushel of 
seed weighing30 pounds gives over two quarts 
of oil and more than twelve pounds of oil cake. 
The crop of Georgia for 1844 was estimated by 
j\Ir. Ellsworth, Commissioner ol Patents, at 
532,000 bales ol cotton, though in reality it 
turned out less : Counting 25 bushelsof seed per 
bale, after deducting five bushels for planting 
purposes, it would have yielded more than thir- 
teen million bushels of seed, which would have 
expressed over .seven million gallons of oil, and 
have (urnished about one hundred and sixty 
milli m pounds of oO cake. Valuing the oil 
at only 50 cents a gallon, (and we pay twice ihat 
sum now for an interior article,) would give 
over tliree and a half millions ol dollars; and 
estiinatine the cake at only 1 cent a pound, 
w’ould sive over one and a half million more, 
in all, more than five millions of dollars ! By 
converting our cotton seed into marketable ma- 
terials, we would by this calculation add about 
ten dollars to the value of each bale ot cotton ! 
This is an i nportani consideration and merits 
our deliberate atieniio.''. 
This diversilving of our Agricultural opera- 
tions, which I .have endeavored to_show may 
be readily and profitably efiected, and which, in 
time, must inevitably be done, would curtail 
the amount of coton planted to so much as we 
could make clear of all expense.s, and in mos' 
cases reduce it even lower. However little that 
amount when exch.anged for money might ap- 
peal, I suspect that it woukt be 'nore than most 
Planters make clear now. Vet. il oue soils 
were hishly improved, although the culture 
were reduced two-thirds in ihe quantity ot land, 
it is very probab'e tha as much cotion mieht 
be gathered as is now done. Dr. Cloud, whose 
sy.siem ol cultivation, so far asthe manuring is 
concerned, at least, is unquestionably the true 
one fjr us, declares that ordinary land has been 
made to yield from 3 toSOOOibs. seed cotton per 
acre. It, however, the plan were universally 
adopted, and it.s effect should be to diminish the 
quantity of cotton, it 'vould enhance its value, 
and thus the uliimate result would be the same. 
With this view, could the war which isthreai- 
ened, it it is declared, continue i or a f'w years 
only, I have no doubt it would prove in the end, 
as beneficial to the Southern Planter as it cer- 
tainly would to the ^Northern manufacturer and 
the VVesiern farmer. However calamitous it 
might he to the commercial interests, and per- 
haps to the .seaport cities and the coast planters, 
yet by reducing our staple to a price at which 
we could not grow it, would force us generally, 
and at onoe, to abandon iis cultivation for Fo- 
reign markets, and to adopt substantially, the 
very scheme that 1 recommend. Temporary 
losses would of course follow, but we would 
soon raise our own provisions, and indeed com- 
pete in the common markets with other regions 
in supply ing all the necessaries ot life — would 
manufacture for ourselves wiiatever was prac- 
ticable amd profitable, and bring into immediate 
practice all the rules of household and planta- 
tion economy. A '•hori period would serve to 
confirm this diversion from cotton planting, and 
the demand for it again on the return of peace, 
would probably recall us to only so much of 
its cultivation as we ?ould attend independent- 
ly of our more i.nnortant productions. ' 
In connection wiih the restaralion of land and 
the changes ot cultivation, it is important like- 
wise, to improve our implements of labor’ 
Among these, from the earliest times, the Plow 
has been the great instrument in agriculture. 
For hundreds ol years it underwent little or no 
change, and though greatly altered in .size and 
form, and much varied in its modes of use with- 
in half a century past, and even modified in the 
last fev/ years, still it is no doubt susceptible of 
farther improvement. As we cannot supersede 
by steam or otherwise the use of animal po wer 
in plowing, the source of greatest expense to 
the staple planter, the grand dpsideiatum is to 
I perform the most effective and the largest 
I amount of work, with the least exertion ot it. 
j Thus have been introduced the sweep, and for 
deeper plowing the halt shovel or turn plow, 
constructed with mathematical accuracy; and 
upon this fundamental principle must be based 
all useful alterations and inventions ot the plow. 
It may not be inappropriate to allude here lo 
our communications to market. For a long 
time to come, it is feared, that our enterprise 
will prove insufficient, to consiruct a Railroad 
from the 80 mile station to Augusta. Wagon 
transportation, to which we must continue ne- 
cessarily lo resort, is highly expensive. Every 
bale of cotton, and other produce in proportion, 
thus conveyed to Augusta from this part of the 
County, costs at least ime dolla.’’. It is a lii le 
less tothe Pvailroad, and something cheaperslill 
to the river. But the larger part of this outlay 
might be leadily saved to us. Briar Creek, 
which has been partially cleared out once al- 
ready, could be rendered navigable for pole 
b lats, at least as high as R.av’s Bridge. A 
Com pa D}', or. condition of removing i he oOsiruc- 
tions, wmiild find liitle difficulty in obiaining 
from the Legislainre the privilege of exclusive 
navigation tor a series of years; and a few 
thousand dollars judiciou.sly applied by them, 
which would be tenfold repaid, would tnas af- 
ford us a safe an I cheap ouilei to market fiTall I 
our produce, and enabla us to receive our sup- 
plies direct Irom the seaports, at the cheapest 
rates. It would even be preferable to a Rail- 
road, since ours would be “way freight” and 
be liable to cominual neglect, and all the 
charges w'ould be higher, and only counterba- 
lanced by the single advantage of speedier 
transportation. Its tendenev too would be to 
rebuild and enlarge our County town, to keep 
much of our money in circulation among our- 
selves, and confer benefits which would be lek 
througliout ihe couniry. 
But I have done. I have trespassed long on 
your attention. The magnitude and inappre- 
ciable importance of the subject, excuse, if 
they cannot justify me. We have a great work 
j before us. The welfare and happiness of our- 
selves, of our children, and of our Country, rest 
upon the exertions we are at 'his crisis, called 
on lo make. What higher motives can ad- 
dress themselves to man, to stimulate him to 
collecting information —to deep reflection — to 
decisive judgment — to bold and vigorf)us action? 
ll they fail to do it for us our late is sealed, and 
the same Historic page nhich depicts it. will 
record that we were not. worthy of a belter, 
I But, Gentlemen, lam fulf of hope. I know too 
well the noble character of Southern Planters to 
despond. 1 perceive already the right spirit at 
work among us, and I look forveard with san- 
guine expectation and cheerlul faith, to see, at 
no distant day, our broad lands renovated and 
our Gounirv rescued by the virtue and intelli- 
gence, the indomitable courage, and persevering 
energy of her S- ns. ^ 
Simple IMethod of F'lLrEiiixG. — The waters 
of the ’•Vangho and Yang-tse-kiang, in China, 
are highly surcharged with mud, the former 
containing one-seventeenth part, and the latter 
one ninety-sixth of earth. This renders them 
both- unpleasant and un-vhclesome to drink. 
Cunningham, the writer, informs us thar the 
Chi.nese have adopted a very simple remedy for 
this evil, which it behooves any one who may 
cliance to visit muddy streams, to remember- 
Irl to about a quart of water they throw a small 
pinch of alum, leaving it to stand a few minutes; 
it becomes as e'ear as crystal, a- considerable 
sediment being found at the bottom, The poor- 
est fisherman is always provided with a small 
portion for this necessary purpose. 
A(;KICL L,TirKAI. ADDRESS, 
BY J. P. STETENB. 
Delivered before ihe Liberty County Agricultural Society, 
January 17, 1^6. 
Gentlemen’: — The circumstances which con- 
vene us at this time are peculiarly interesting. 
Annually do we meet to commemorate the birth- 
day of our National Independence, Thie calls 
upon our charities in the formation of benevo- 
lent associations for the amelioration of the 
condition of suffering humanity are responded 
to with cordial sympathy; any great national 
scheme is unhesitatingly pursued with avidity 
and enthusiasm ; but that which concerns us 
most intimately, which directly affects the per- 
sonal condition ot each one of us, has, until 
now, been regarded with a jest or sneer. It is 
unnecessary for me to enter into a min ale de- 
tail of the advantages accruing lo society from 
the pursuit ol Agriculture; far, from its first 
organization, improvement in the art ol culti- 
vating the earth have progressed in a direct ra- 
tio w’iih the advancement of civilizatiwn and 
enlightenment. Even among seme nations 
where religion and morality "have withdrawn 
their influence, and blindness and superstition 
have veiled the evidences of a future state of 
accountability, a rem^irkable degree of acumen 
and sirill is exhibited in gleaning from the soil 
the necessary demands upon its resources, 
Il is believed that nine-tenths of the fixed ca- 
pital of all civilized nations is embarked, and 
probably two hundred millions of men spend 
their daily labor, in the prosecution of this art. 
It is, indeed, th** foundation upon which rests 
all other pursuits in life. The myriadsof ships 
that are supported upon the bosom of every 
ocean— ihe thousands of locomotives that fly 
upon our Railroads — the thousand millions of 
human beings who live upon the earth, lean 
upon agriculture as the fountain and source of 
iheir being. Man is naturally averse to labor, 
and so long as he can depend upon nature lor 
support, his physical and intellectual exertions 
will be commensurate therewith. We discov- 
er, then, i.hat m those countries where a virgin 
soil is rich in fertilizing properties, the system 
of agriculture is of the rudest acd simplest cha- 
racter. Ol this nature, we are inforhned, is a 
vast portion ot the western territories of our 
own land, where it is frequently necessarv 
merely to protect the grain from the depreda- 
tions of animals, and a plentiful harvest is 
reaped by the planter. 
In proportion tothe increase of th? popula- 
tion ol a country will there be a demand upon 
its agricultural resenirces. Hence we observe, 
that iti France, Germany and Great Britain, a 
large number ot ingenious and investigating 
minds are engaged in rehovaiinjj the energies 
of a soil worn out by perpetual cillage. Caleu- 
latii.ns are made by which the maximum 
amount of grain may be produced upon every 
acreof ground susceptible of cultivation. The 
aid of science is called into requisition, and the 
arijof culture must be proportionally superior. 
From statistics of a writer* computing the 
pecuniary value of the productions raised in 
Great Britain, w’e have the following items : 
In 1760 the total amount of all kinds of grain 
produced in England and Wales, was about 
120.1100.000 bu.shels. To this should be added 
30.000 000 for Scotland, makine a grand total 
ol 150,000,000 bushels. In 1835, the quaniiiy 
in both countries could not have been less than 
340.000. 000. In 1755, the population did not, if 
ary, exceed 7.,500,090 in the whole island. la 
1831 it had risen to 16,525,180, being an in- 
crease of 9,000,000 ! Now the improvements 
in agriculture have more than kept pace with 
this prodigious demand for its various produc- 
tions ; for il is agreed that 16,500,000 or rather 
17.500.000, for more than a million have been 
added since 1831, have been much fuller fed, 
and upon provisions of a far better quality than 
the 7,500,000 were in 1755. Again, it is esti- 
mated by British writers of high authority, 
that the subsistence ot 9,000,000 ot people costs, 
•‘Hunsphrey’s Foreiga Tour. 
