THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
143 
recommend ihe members of this Society to lake 
tL^dread the Souihern Cultivator, edited by 
James Gamak, and published by J. W. &W. 
S, Jones, at Augusta, Geo.,— a work containing 
much useful information on the subject of agri- 
culture. 
On motion of John Tompkins, the meeting 
adjourned until the second Thursday in No- 
vember next. John Mercer, President. 
S, N. Boughton, Sec’y. 
Barbour Co. (Ala.) Agricultural Meeting. 
The regular meeting of the Barbour County 
Agricultural Society was held at Glennville on 
Saturday, the 11th July. The President, John 
M. Raiford, in the Chair. The proceedings of 
the previous meeting were first read in order. 
Reports of Committees appointed to es:amine 
crops was called fo-r. The following was sub- 
mitted, and on motion of John A. Calhoun, 
Esq., was adopted as appropriate, though some- 
what deferred: 
TO THE BARBOUR COUNTY AGRICUH'URAL 
SOCIETY. 
The undersigned Committee appointed by the 
President to examine the condition of the crops 
in the lower section of North Cowikee, having 
discharged the duties assigned them, with much ; 
interest and all the attention,in their power, beg 
leave to report the result of their investigation — 
merely premising,' that without definite instruc- 
tions as to the extent of the duties your com- 
mittee had in view, in making their observa- 
tions, the following particulars, (without irans- 
-cending as they conceive their proper sphere of . 
business,) not on the present appearance of the 
crops, but the mode of planting and cultivating 
it— and what preparations of the different pro- 
ducts composing the crops were planted. 
Before stating the information obtained on 
these subjects, your Committee would remark, 
generally, that the crops, within the limits as- 
signed them, are entirely on the hammocks of 
North Cowikee and the land imraed-iately adja- 
cent, extending from the Clayton road, near 
Glennville, to the junction of north and middle 
Cowikee. The lands are of a deep rich soil, 
level, and of alluvial appearance, cap'able of 
producing as they usually do, as heavy crops of 
■corn and cotton perhaps as any land within the '< 
extent of country occupied by your society, yet 
owing to the tpo frequentrainsduring the spring 
and early summer, the present crop isfoundnot 
Jo be as early or as promising as usual at this 
time of theyear. Your committee would not, 
however, be understood as intimating that the 
-crops are sorry ; considei ing the season and the 
local situation of the land, the crops may be re- 
presented as good. We find the object had been 
on the plantations examined by us, to plant both: 
corn and cotton early, and, to some extent, in 
the corn crop, it had been successful, but in 
most, if not in every instance, where cotton has 
been planted earlier than the first week of April, 
a failure was the result. Owing to the difficul- 
ties of the season alluded to and from having to 
be planted again, a stand was not obtained as 
early as if it had not been attempted so soon. 
We estimated that the bulk of the corn ?rop 
■was planted about the 1st March— the distance 
usually given, we find is, wh;n planted in hills, 
4 leet each way, and when in drill, 5 feet by 2i. 
The cottun crop was planted from 1st to lOih 
April, in drills, generally 4i to 5 feet apart, an i 
J8 to 24 inches in the drill. In one crop we ob" 
served the cotton had been left twice as thick as 
intended for an ultimate stand, as a precaution 
against the ravages of the cut-worm. Your 
committee would respectfully suggest that a 
disposition to crowd crops is too prevalent. 
We find that, on an average, corn and cotton 
have been planted nearly in equal quantities on 
the plantations submitted to our inspeciion, and 
although we were glad tc discover that, on some 
places, the other items of an important charac- 
ter in a well proportioned crop had not been dis- 
legarded, yet we think too strong a disp..sition 
is evinced, as we conceive, to increase ti>e cotton 
crop, to the neglect of wheat and other varieties 
of small grain, as well as lull potatoe and pea- 
crops. Yet on some plantations we found a de- 
gree of attention highly commendable bestow- 
ed on those articles, and on every one a good 
prospect of an abundance and to spare of the 
substantial necessaries for man and brute. 
Your Committee are in justice bound to offer 
the opinion that the general views displayed in 
the arrangement and cultivation of the present 
crop are very judicious. 
It appears to have been the general policy, 
adopted after preparing the land well tor plant- 
ing, to obviate difficulties of the season, by cul- 
tivating upon the draining system — by bedding 
to crop, and leaving a w'ater furrow to carry off 
the water io the ditches and outlets previously 
arranged; but lor this precaution, the crop must 
have been, as we concei ve, more liable to injury. 
We find it to have been the plan generally 
adopted, to w’ork the coin crop first, and early, 
and lighter as the season advanced. We re- 
commend this plan to the confidei ce of the So- 
ciety In future, vrhere it has not been adopted. 
It is graiilying to your Committee to be able 
to state, that the crops, within their limits, are 
comparatively clean of grass. 
We found the work bestow'ed on the cot- 
ton crop, since the late heavy Tains, to have 
been highly beaeficial. and that it is now in a 
very improving condition. 
By way of summing up the general views 
already expressed, we concur in the opinion 
that a fair corn crop has been realized, and that 
with favorable rains and a late fall, an average, 
if not a full cotton crop may be anticipated. 
Your Committee commend to the Society the 
general system ot inanagemeni found existing 
within the scope of their observations. 
I’liey found the overseers at their posts en- 
gaged in the prompt and faithful discharge of 
their responsible duties. 
The negroes engageikon the planlationsseem- 
ed to be well cared lor and well nrovided, not 
only with the implements of their avocation, 
but with many means of comfort and happiness. 
Your committee regret to find that ail the at- 
tention isndtpaid to the improvement ot plan- 
tation fixtures and conveniences that is desira- 
ble, yet as far as they a’^e able to ascertain, this 
'has not resulted from a want of taste or wish to 
engage in it, but rather of that necessity attend- 
ing planting operations in a country not longer 
reclaimed from the wilderness than this has 
been. 
Your Committee, in conclusion, beg leave to 
urge upon the attention ot the Society, the pro- 
priety of offeiing some inducements to members 
to engage in such a system of improvement as 
time and convenience will allow, that will not 
only be profitable, but that they may display 
not only the industry but the taste and refined 
sense of the AgriciiUural prefcssion. 
All ot which is respectlully su'bmitted. 
M. A. Browder, I 
Malachi Ivy, > Committee. 
M. M. Gi.enn, 3 
After the adoption of the above report. Dr. 
E. E Dubose and A. Frazier, Esq , stated, in 
behalfof their respective Committees, without 
reporting formallv, that the conditi-on of the 
crops within their limits was-such as they found 
to be common on similar land. Tlie corn crop 
miRht be considered good. The cotton crop 
promising, though later by ten or fifteen days 
than the crop of last year, and that they disco- 
ver a disposition, aitevided with encouraging re- 
sults, to increase the small grain crops in many 
places. 
The President called on the members present 
to state their opinions relative to the d-ifference 
of the present year, compared with last. Messrs. 
Calhoun, Jackson, Richardson, and others, con- 
curred in the opinion that the present cotton 
crop, owing to the seasons, was fifteen days la- 
ter than common. 
An interesting interchange of ideas incident- 
ally came up, on the use ol cotton seed for ma- 
nuring, in which Mr. M. A. Browder suggested 
that they should be applied in moderate quanti- 
ty (according to the quality of the land,) on lop 
of the ground just before plowing the corn the 
first time. 
J. A. Calhoun concurred with Mr. Browder 
in opinion, and from his observation and prac- 
tice in Carolina, where the manuring was in 
some mode necessarjr, had been satisfied, the 
suggestion was a gooti one. 
Dr. Richardson urged no objection to the 
mode, but was satisfied that on fair land in this 
country, ihe quality n-eed not be as great as usi:= 
ally imagined. He stated be was accustomed 
to using but little in each hill of corn, and by 
planiing but one stalk with suitable distance, 
the end was better secured iban by wasting the 
quantity w’iihout suitable precaution as to dis- 
tance. Dr. R. sustained his experience on the 
subject with a scientific theory. 
The President propounded several questions 
to diflerent members, alternately, in the discus- 
|jon of which much useful information was 
elicited. 
To the first, which was, “ what quantity of 
corn and cotton is planted per hand, and what is 
the average product per acre I” — 
M. A. Browder answered that he had not mea- 
sured his plantation so as to make an accurate 
estimate, but aims to plant from 15 to 20 acres 
per hand, and of that, one-thiid more of corn 
than cotton. He calculates on about 20hushels 
of corn per acre, on second quality of land, 
(considering the best creek land of that class,) 
and 1,400 to 1,500 f'os. of cotton per acre, about 
the average of his crop. He thinks part of his 
last crop would have yielded 2,000 lbs. could it 
have been well saved. Othergenilemen agreed 
on all important points with Mr. Browder in 
his estimates. 
The second question was, “ what is the ad- 
vantage of oxen for farm purposes, in compari- 
son with horses and mules; and what is the best 
mode of breaking and managing them'?” 
Maj. Dennard thinks that ii oxen were fairly 
tried they would be -preferable to horses or mules 
for hauling off crops short distances— he had 
seen them used for such purposes to great ad- 
vantage in the West. 
Mr. Browder vAas of opinion that o.xen are 
very valuable on every farm for saving food of 
a costly kind; convenience in hauling about 
plantalionsi they may be made serviceable in 
the plow in turning over heavy lands, and by 
kind and careful treaiment, and working them 
at first in the same team with old yokes, they 
may be easily and well broke— then by working 
them together with mules they may be made to 
walk fast. 
Mr. Guice had adopted the plan proposed by 
Mr. Browder, and found it ver}' proper — he 
would recommend it. 
Mr. Calhoun sai , he had not tried them, but 
was not disposed to considea them as valuable 
as they were thought to be, in consequence of 
lacking speed and ability to travel a distance, 
though he was disposed to give them a trial — he, 
how-ever, felt saiisfied that the mode ot gearing 
them, like a horse, would be preferable to the 
yoke in use commonly, which he considered 
cruel. 
In answer to the third q iesiion, which was, 
“ what are the best means of raising and fatten- 
ing hogs V ' — 
'Dr. Dubose answered that h-ogs should be at- 
tended to particularly, when young; not be suf- 
fered to pine or want; that they should be push- 
ed in growth by feeding on ground food, cook- 
ed or otherwise for variety, instead of corn con- 
stantly. Advocated the importance and practi- 
cability of every farmer raising his own supply 
even if it cost more than if bought from the 
drovers. 
A. E. Jackson agreed with Dr. DuBo.se as fo 
the importance of raising hogs, but as to the 
means of doing so, he considered the corn-crib 
the main dependence. 
Maj. D. nnard suggested that, in addition »ct 
the helps proposed by the other gentlemen, that 
woods pastures would be found very advanta- 
geous; but really doubted whether the profit of 
raising hogs would pay the cost. 
Dr. Richardson advocated the nece.ssity of 
