THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
75 
mation of considerable importance to the sea- 
board planter,) I thought I would drop you a line, 
requesting information on the subject, through 
the columns of the Culttvatok, hoping thereby 
to induce some of our low-country planters to 
give their views through your paper. 
It is insisted by some that peas will make 
most if planted late, and that the later the better, 
consistent with their coming to maturity before 
frost, while others think it all important for a 
good crop, that they be planted at the right time 
of the moon. 
As regards the culture of Cotton, some think it 
best to lay by the crop about the last of June, or 
early in July, while a few years ago it was not 
uncommon to work throughout the month of 
August. If you will give the above a place in 
your paper you will oblige one of your readers in 
Ma7ch2‘id, 1846. Liberty County. 
Sumach. 
Mr. Camak:— In the March No. of the 
“ Southern Cultivator” I observed your re- 
commendation of ths “ Sumach” as a plant wor- 
thy the attention of Southern agriculturists. I 
considered your remarks very appropriate, and 
hope they will not be overlooked by enterprising 
planters. The time has arrived when all the re- 
sources of our country should be developed, and 
all the blessings w'hich kind Heaven has shower- 
ed upon our favored land, brought to view and 
duly appreciated. It is, indeed, a strange neg- 
lect, and appears to argue a want of enterprise 
if not of energy, that we should be indebted to a 
foreign clime for products indigenous to our own 
soil, and those jiroducts too, superior to that 
which is imported. As you remarked, all vege- 
table acids are produced in a more highly con- 
centrated state, the warmer the climate. If Vir- 
ginia can compete with Sicily in the production 
of this plant, certainly the Southern States, 
with all the advantages of a Southern sun, 
should at least make the experiment. Our great 
staple. Cotton, has long since passed its meridi 
an, an 1 it becomes us as prudent men to search 
for a substitute amid the varied productions of 
our country. 
Will you, Mr. Editor, or some of your corres- 
pondents, inform me through the Cultivator, of 
the Virginia method of cultivating this plant, 
the outlay of capital for its culture and prepara- 
tion for market, and the probable proceeds per 
acre of a crop of the kind in the South. We 
have no less than eight species of this plant in 
the South, among which 've find the Rhus Ty- 
phina, the R. Glabra, and the R. Copallina. I 
have seen the latter growing upon the banks of 
the Bread and Wateree rivers in the greatest lux- 
uriance ; and from the taste of the seed, I was in- 
duced to believe that the gallic acid was in a 
state of high concentration. 
Very respectfully, yours. Caroliniensis. 
Fairfield Dist., S. C,, March 19</i, 1846. 
Coru—Xiarge Stalks and Small Ears vs. 
Small Stalks and Earge Ears. 
Mr. Camak s — As this is my first attempt at 
indoctrinating my brother farmers, I hope that I 
may be excused for my initials, and also for any 
desultory or incoherent sentiments that may ap- 
pear in this communication. I am in favor of 
Agricultural book improvement, and if I had 
never been benefitted by such papers as the Cul- 
tivator, I should never have been stimulated to 
offer a written communication to others. There- 
fore, as the time is rapidly approaching when it 
will be necessary to make a test of my theory for 
making large ears and small stalks, and small 
ears and large stalks of Corn, I take the liberty 
of appearing before my Agricultural brethren that 
they may test my practice, which has been ap- 
parently demolished by modern writers ; and if I 
am in error I hope some one will point out the 
defects. 
The manner of making large stalks and an 
abundance of fodder and smad ears is to plant 
your corn early. Manure ths hill with cotton 
seed. Cultivate with the plow in such a manner 
as you think best calculated not to interfere with 
the roots by superficial culture throughout ; and 
a good harvest of stalks and leaves will be the 
aresult of your labors; and more particularly if (as 
is almost invariably the case) you have a season- 
able spring and a little drought in the summer. 
If you, on the other hand, desire to make large 
ears of corn and small stalks, you will plant also 
early, say by the tenth of March for this latitude, 
and cultivate in the most approved method, un- 
til the third and fourth plowings. Then run a 
coulter each time as near the corn as you pos- 
sibly can, and break all the lateral roots. This 
idea may alarm you, but read on until you have 
gone through, and then form your Judgment of 
its utility. 
LN ail things, I desire my corn to be checked 
in its growth in May and 1st of June, either by 
aspring drought, or by artificial means. And I 
do suppose that you will admit that by checking 
the growth of a stalk of corn that a small one 
will be the certain result; though I do not wish 
it to be too small to bear a good ear. Now if the 
small stalk is conceded, I will endeavor to ex- 
plain how the large ear grows upon it, and my 
object is attained. After the corn is checked at 
the proper time (and of which every planter 
must be his own judge, taking into considera- 
tion the age,) so as to reduce the size of the 
stalk below that which the land would ordinarily 
admit, you may then cultivate the corn with 
sweeps or any other plow that will not disturb 
the roots, and lay it by clean and loose, and you 
will have small stalks and large ears of corn. 
Land is generous and will do her utmost all the 
time, but will grow faint under the great weight 
she has to carry, before that time when her ener- 
gies are most needed, unless favored. You will 
then perceive the propriety of holding some- 
thing in reserve for her assistance when the con- 
flict is at hand, that of maturing the ear, and 
not allow her to carry such a stalk as will re- 
quire all her strength to support, and leaving no- 
thing for the benefit of the ear. 
We generally have a drought about earing time, 
(which is a great affliction to a large stalk on 
poor land) in this country, and a small stalk 
treated in this way, by this time will have a 
plenty of roots, in an improved condition, and 
will stand a drought better. 
Experience proves that a dry spring and a wet 
summer is attended with an abundant harvest, 
and, “ utce uersa,” a wet spring and a dry sum- 
mer bring on the reverse. It is therefore neces- 
sary that we should so cultivate our land that 
the crop may be acted upon in as near approach 
as we possibly can to those effects resulting from 
a dry spring. And that principle is to check 
your crop. If you were riding a four mile race, 
would you whip and spurfrom the word ‘go,’ and 
all the time, whilst your more knowing competi- 
tor, who had checked bis horse for two or three 
miles, should in the last struggle pass you with 
ease'? I presume you would not, and the prin- 
ciple is analogous. I do not say, like some of 
our ancient farmers, that I run my plow close 
and break the roots to make the corn grow fast, 
but for the opposite purpose, so that when the 
time of its maturity rolls on it may possess all the 
advantages that can be given by that soil which 
has been temporarily resting from her labors. 
And I would here observe that whoever may un- 
dertake to profit by this method and should fail 
in a full crop, or should not come up to their ex- 
pectations, they must duly consider the cause and 
they wid discover something else to which they 
may attribute the failure ; for instance, that of 
hill manuring with cotton seed, as it stands in 
direct opposition to the principle which I would 
desire to establish, unless the seed was put on 
when the corn was half grown. So, in conclu- 
sion, you will discover that my object is to show 
that either additional strength must be given the 
land at the time of maturing crops or that a por- 
tion of its natural powers should be retained by 
cutting off ail communication which produces a 
redundant growth, and then, as the Doctors say, 
“assist nature in her efforts” with skill andin- 
dustry. Yours, &c., J. C. S. 
Danburg, Ga , April 6, 1846, 
Bear Grass. 
Mr. James Camak; — In view of your efforts, 
in the columns of the Southern Cultivator 
last year, to call attention in Georgia to the cul- 
ture of Hemp, I am led to send you what will 
likely interest you, it not seen before — a speci- 
men of the fibres of Georgia Bear Grass, and of 
Rope made of the same. 
The fibres are just as they come from the 
first process of rubbing in the hand, as a washer- 
woman does clothes, after being water-rotted. 
Tne dark colored strands are from old leaves, 
the bright, from young or top blades. They 
surely promise to take on most beautiful bleach- 
ing; and, in that event, may we not yet see 
Georgia producing, in her extensive and valua- 
ble pine land counties, domestic linen of great 
beauty and excellence; oral least, the raw ma- 
terial for a new kind of linen manufacture '? 
But whether this happen or not, the speci- 
mens .sent, will certainly show that Georgia has 
no need to depend on Kentucky, Russia, or 
Manilla, for cordage and bagging. What may 
not be made out of such fibres as these? 
The specimens are from the low’er country, 
w'here Bear Grass grow's abundantly, and much 
larger than in the upper counties. 
Yours, &c., W, McKinley, 
Lexington, Aprill, 1846. 
^grirnltural ilketiugs. 
Talbot County Agricnltural Society. 
Mr. Camak : — As the Talbot County Agri- 
cultural Society has made me its Secretary, I 
ought to have informed you of its existence at 
an earlier period, but other calls have hitherto 
prevented. 
On the first Tuesday in November last a few 
of our planters, who had previously consulted 
together, met in the Court House. Jesse Car- 
ter was called to the Chair, and the meeting 
was addressed by the Rev. 'T, F. Montgomery, 
upon the importance and practicability of form- 
ing a Society to promote the interest of agricul- 
ture. A number of the persons then present 
gave their names as members, and agreed to 
meet on the first Tuesday in December. A 
Committee wms appointed to present a Constitu- 
tion on that day. 
On the first Tuesday of December, accord- 
ing to appointment, the planters again met; 
Col. Carter was again called to the Chair. By 
request, the Rev. William S. Martin, of Meri- 
wether county, addressed the meeting, after 
w’hioh, the Constitution was read, approved and 
adopted. 
The Society was then organized by receiving 
the names of some twenty-five members, and 
the election of the following officers : 
Jesse Carter, President, 
Cyrus Robinson, ^ 
John Neal, | 
A. K. Leonard, Vice-Presidents, 
Rev. P. Montgomery, ( 
Mark A. George, J 
William V. Collier, Treasurer. 
Tkos. a. Brown, Secrelar 3 L 
By appointment, the annual meeting is to 
be held on the 2d Thursday in November, and 
the quarterly meetings on the 3d Tuesday in 
March, 1st Tuesday in June and September. 
On the 3d Tuesday in March Judge Alexan- 
der held the Superior Court in rece.ss that the 
Society might hold its meeting. The President 
called the Society to order. The meeting was 
then addressed by the Rev. Messrs. Gibson and 
Montgomery, and Judge Wellborn. The Con- 
stitution was then read, and an opportunity of- 
fered to others to join the Society, Several 
came forward and enrolled their names. 
It was then announced that Mr. Gaulding, the 
Agent for the Southern Cultivator, was pre- 
sent, and would gladly receive subscribers to 
that paper. 1 know not how many he obtained, 
but I would mention for your and our encou- 
ragement, that one of our members obtained 
and handed over some forty names as subscri- 
bers to your valuable paper, and that he has 
since obtained some twenty more, making, with 
ten he had already forwarded, nearly seventy. 
Our Society numbers about forty, and seems 
to be growing in the estimation of the people, 
I hope it will soon equal if not surpass the So- 
cieties in the older counties of the State. The 
present we regard as the crisis in the agricultu- 
ral history of Talbot county. Our lands are 
.‘’Mitticiently worn and washed for us to see that 
they will soon be exhausted, unless vigorous 
means are used to prevent it, and yet sufficiendy 
