THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
107 
son being the first y^ar that I cultivated it, yet I 
made 30 bushels of corn per acre, and an average 
of 800 lbs of cotton. I commenced 1st of Febru- 
ary, without a particle of manure. This season 
I have planted for 40 bushels of corn, per acre. 
The cotton I think will yield a heavy crop, pro- 
vided the little worm that penetrates and destroys 
the form or button, will let it alone. I have 
hauled this spring 2500 waggons and ox-cart 
loads of manure, besides 6000 bushels of cotton 
seed. 
I should be pleased to see you and give you 
all the information I may possess, though I am 
almost alone in this region in regard to my mode 
of working. The cry is. it is too much trouble, 
destroying the land by plowing so deep. Plow 
deep and break the land with a small plow and 
manure heavily is my motto. Very respectfully, 
yours, <^c. W. R. Ross. 
Havana, Green Co., Ala., April 12, 1846. 
Sweet Potatoes. 
Mb. Camak— I propose addressing you a se- 
ries of articles on different subjects, connected 
with agriculture and domestic economy, as lei- 
sure or opportunity may occur. Should my com- 
munication appear worthy of 'an insertion in 
your valuable periodical, veu will please publish 
"them; if not, dispose of them as you think pro- 
per 
The destruction of the sweet potatoe, especial- 
ly in our section of the country, has been as great, 
I suppose, as that of the Irish potatoe in Ireland, 
and though its effects are not so appalling, it is 
still a severe loss to all who have tailed in acorn 
crop. The old system of housing them, in which 
they are in a great degree exposed to the action 
of the air, and in many cases to the rain also, is 
very objectionable, and has doubtless contributed 
to increase the destruction alluded to. From my 
expe>'ienceand observation, I am induced to be- 
lieve that we cannot keep them in a sound and 
healthy state during the winter, unless we first 
place their, in a temperature lower than that at 
which they germinate, and then totally exclude 
air, light, and water; for these are the imme- 
diate agents employed in producing germina- 
tion and decomposition. The temperature also 
should be as near uniform as possible. Pota- 
toes, from ba ing bruised, and perhaps from a 
sudden change of temperature, arising from ex- 
posure to the cold air after th^y are dug, general- 
ly undergo a sweating and evaporating process, 
which they should be allowed to do before they 
are housed for the winter, as one condition of 
their keeping sound is that they be perfectly 
dry. Tills exudation and deposition of water, 
which is sometimes very great, must ar. se from 
incipient decomposition, produced by the causes 
just stated. Smoking the potatoe house has 
been recommended as a good remedy in such 
cases, though I cannot vouch for its efficacy. 
If the posi'ion wffiich I have assumed e true 
we should discard the old fashion of leaving an 
aperture at the top of the bank or stack for ad- 
mitting the air. Ali tuberous and bulbous roots, 
such as potatoes, turnips, onions, &c., being 
mostly composed of cellular tissue, should not be 
exposed to the light, as it generates vascular or 
fibrous tissue. For a similar reason, the air 
shou’d not be admitted, as it contains oxygen 
gas, the great cause of acidity and decom- 
position in all vegetable and animal bodies. 
The change of color and of cellular into vascular 
tissue, is often exhibited by the accidental expo- 
sure of a growing potatoe to the action of the 
light, ft immediately assumes a green color 
and a fibrous texture, similar to that of the vine. 
The acidifying and decomposingproperties of at- 
mospheric air, may be te ted in a usefil and 
simple experiment — ihe making of vinegar. The 
vessel containing the ingredients should be left 
open, and exposed to the constant action of the 
air, until acidity is produced; it should then be 
closed. The action of water is more equivocal. - 
When ccusfauf'y applied to inert matter, it acts 
as an atitiseptic, and, for aught 1 know, it may 
act in the same way, under like circumstances, 
upon a living root When potatoes are exposed 
to the alternate action of air and water, the lat- 
ter will generally cause gerrr inatioh or decom- 
position ; though sometimes it is perfectly in- 
nocuous. An excellent planter on the Congaree 
states that he has never suffered any inconveni- 
ence by housing his potatof s duri.ig a rainy sea- 
son. As a general rule, however, they should be 
kept diy,and the fluids especially, w'hich exude 
from the potatoes when in a heated condition, 
should not be suffered to accumulate in any 
quantity. 
I will conclude this article, Mr. Editor, by sta 
ting that the principles here advanced have been 
applied with admirable success in practice ; and, 
asfarees 1 have learned, ali who have adopted 
the system have been fully convinced of its su- 
perior merits in keeping the potatoe during the 
winter season in a sound and healthy condition. 
Very respectfully, yours, Carolinieneis. 
Fairfield District, Alay 20, 1846. 
Fattening Hogs. 
Mr, Camak: — I believe that I am under a 
promise to give you some account of my method 
of fattening pork. You will perceive that the 
plan pursued differsbut litilc from Mr. Farrar’s, 
and were it not for my promise, I should hard- 
ly trouble you with it at all. Mr. Farrar crushed 
his food before cooking it, which I doubt not is 
a good plan; but for those who have no means 
of cruEhing the food, this may come in as a sub- 
stitute. This may seem like an improper time 
to offer an article upon this subject, but I think 
oiheru ise, for turnip s enter largely into the ac 
count — they cannot be grown to advantage un- 
less the land is well prepared; and now is the 
time to prepare the land. 
Having tw'O boilers holding (together) ninety 
gallons, .set up in the usual way, in a brick fur 
nacc, my next object was to prepare vats or 
troughs, (I use the latter on the score of econo- 
my) in which to soak the corn before boiling 
The length of time necessary to soak the corn 
varies with the temperature of the weather, it 
must, however, be soaked until it is sour, after 
which it may be boiled soft in half the time re- 
quisite to boil hard corn. The experiment was 
made upon twenty-tw'o hogs, of ditlerent ages, 
from one to two years old. their daily allowance 
being about three bushels of this corn, with as 
many turnips (tops and all) as the cauldrons 
would hold at two boilings, i. e, 14 bushels of 
corn at each boiling (morning ar.d noon) and a 
filling up of turnips. The feeding troughs were 
prepared by splitting pine log? of any convenient 
length and burning out the flat sides to a suffi- 
cient depth. To prevent the hogs getting into 
the troughs, a small pole was firmly fastened 
over the centre of the trough lengthwise. These 
hogs were not closely confined, but were all fed 
together, and had the use of a lot containing an 
acre and a half. For variety, pumpkins, pota- 
toes, cabbage leaves, &c., were substituted for 
the turnips, makirg it an invariable rule to 
have the whole well cooked and r i.xed together 
with a pestle or some other convenient imple 
ment, adding a handfull of salt occasionally. — 
The turnips thus consumed weie grow n upon 
three-quarters ol an acre of land. Six weeks 
was the time allowed for fattening these hogs, 
and their average weight was 242^ pounds. — 
Before the adoption of this plan (with the same 
breed of hogs and about the same ag'’,) I have 
generally fed fattening hogs about eight weeks, 
with an additional daily allowance of corn, ot 
at least one iourth, and by reference to my book 
I find their average weight for several years has 
been about 225, 227, &c.; but once in ten years 
have they exceeded the weights of last season, 
and t’nen they were all two years old. Two of 
my neighbors tried the plan last season, and 
were well pleased with the result. My boilers 
and troughs, have made a similar saving in feed- 
ing work oxen, beef cattle, and milch cows, but 
I will not trespass further by giving you a de- 
tailed account of the same- 
As I always feel willing tocontributemy mite, 
so I doubt not other gerillemen will cheerfully 
communicate any information they possess, 
when called i pon to do so Now 1 am very 
much In wan t of a corn and cob crusher, and 
when I spend my money, 1 would like to receive 
an equivalent for it. I would, therefore, re- I 
spectfully request Mi. Farrar of Putnam county 
and Mai. Rose ci Tvleriwether county, to give 
us such an account of their crushers as they may' 
deem important or interesting. My object is to 
get an efficient, durable machine, and I make 
the request public that others may profit by the 
information I may receive. Mr. F. andMaj. K. 
are designated because they are the only persons 
within my kpov^ ledge, who have them, in use, 
though any information on the subject will be 
thankfully received, come from what quarter it 
may. These gentlemen will confer a favor by 
responding to this call. Let us know the costof 
yourcrusher? By whom are they built 7 What 
sort of gearing is best adapted to them? How 
much power do you employ to drive them — iw'o 
or four horses — what amount of work w ill they 
accomplish with such pow'er? W hat is your 
opinion of their durability, and can they easily 
be put out of repair ? Alter the trial you have 
given them, would you recommend their use to 
a man who wishes to practice true economy? 
_ And now', Mr Editor, indulge me with a ques- 
tion or two upon another subject, Wdii some 
gentleman, having experience in such matters, 
put us upon the best plan to cover drains, in the 
absence of stone or tile? Several of my neigh- 
bors are inteiested in this question, and in cov- 
ering with puncheons and brush, we may not be 
pursuing the best plan. The experiments al- 
ready made answer admirably, so far, but the 
timber has been laid but a short lime and it may 
decay soon or the drains choke up. Can you in- 
struct us a little, Mr. Editor? Respectfully, 
Joel Hurt. 
Crauford, Russell, Co. Ala. 
Smut, or Blast in Oats, 
Mr. Editor — I avail myself of the opportunity 
afforded by a rainy day to inquire of you or some 
of your numerous correspondents, the cause of 
the above disease in oats, if known, and the cure 
for it, if any. I have read a great deal in regard 
to ihe smut in wheat, but do not recollect to have 
seen any thing on the subject in regard to oats. 
On inquiry amongst my neighbors, I find three 
things assigned as the cause vif the disease, each 
of which, when brought to the tost of experience, 
proves fallacious. The first, and most general 
opinion is, that unripe seed is the cause of it. 
The next is that oats put in the ground when it 
is very wet, are subject to the smut from that 
cause ; another opinion is that iafe sowing causes 
the smut. Now I will give you a few 'facts to 
show the fallacy of each, though some of them, 
apart from the others, seem to support each opi- 
nion. 
Some years since, one of my neighbors, then 
residing in the county of W'^arren, sow'ed a field 
of 40 acres in oats. On tlie last day, while sow- 
ing, there fell a very heavy rain, but as there 
was but a few hours work to do, he proceeded 
and plowed them in. At maturity, the part 
plowed after the rain was hardly worth cutting 
for the emut, the other part nearly free from it. 
The seed was all the same when sown. Last 
fall, in the early part of October, I sowed a small 
field of oats. During the first and second wei.k 
in November, I sowed another larger field.— 
During the last week in Novcniber, I sowed 
another field adjoining the first small field. 
The seed sown was all alike. The ground 
was pretty wet when the first veas sown 
— ( Uite dry when the second and last was put in. 
The result, at maturitj', is that the first has not 
one-fourth the quantity of smut that the two 
last has, which are nearly equal. A neighbor 
sowed in December and Januarv— those sowed 
in January being four times as badly smiuted as 
those sown in December. Seed and land the 
same. Another who sowed in the latter part of 
February, has less smut than any of the rest. 
From the above statement you will perceive that 
neither of the above stated opinions is supported 
by the facts developed. What course shall we 
pursue to remedy the evil? Will soaking the 
seed as we do wheat preserve it? Even if it 
will, the lightness and bulkiness ofoats will ren- 
der the operation troublesome and expensive. I 
shall, iherefjre, feel much obliged for any sug- 
gestions that may help me to avoid the evil in 
future. 
From what experience I have in raising oats I 
shall endeavorin future to put them in the ground 
in October and November, believing that the 
Cl op is more cert.nin, and the yield much more 
abundant. 1 believe that oats become acclima- 
ted or rendered more hardy by being repeatedly 
sown in the fall, until they will be nearly as hard 
to kill by frost as wheat. J have had none killed 
for the last 5 or 6 years, e.xcept one field, partial- 
ly hst winter, and that the one sown in Ihe last 
week in November. They are a crop I prize 
very highly. P. W. J. 
Blakely. June^thA'rAQ. 
