THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
179 
their leisure, and lo chcose their qual ities ; and 
henceforth prices must be regulated, like those 
oi cotton, in the open markets of the world. 
The growing of wool in this country is receiv- 
ing from year to year more and more attention. 
Men’s minds have been turned in thatdireclion. 
Hundreds of thousands of sheep, instead of be- 
ing slaughtered as formerly, are now annually 
driven from older and cultivated lands as fast 
as their increase exceeds their pasturage, to 
newer grounds, where they are distributed to 
emigrants from the older States accustomed to 
take care of them, and there they form the 
germs of other flocks growing up in millions. 
An impetus has thus been given which must 
long continue, because consistent with the inte- 
rests oi those concerned- The room and the 
inducements ate sufficient. In the North-west, 
between the Alleghany and Rocky Mountains, 
we have a vast region stretching over the extent 
ot empires, whore the soil is composed mostly 
oi vegetable mould, the accumu ating deposit 
oi various herbage from year to year since the 
creation. The earth contains nothing approach- 
ing it in vastness and fertility. This deposit is 
a mine of material which may be turned into 
wheat, only by planting wheat upon it, or into 
wool only by pasturing sheep upon it. It lies 
open to every hand that will partake ot it. Its 
position is secure irotn the desolation oi wars. 
Its extent and quantity are such that it must pass 
to other generations of men beiore exhausted. 
But like all great tracts of interior territory, the 
transportation of its products to the ocean, and 
the markets ot other climates, is laborious, 
costly, slow, hazardous and uncertain. Wool 
forms the only exception. Wool, which is 
worth ten times as much as iron ot equal weight, 
may be sent forward from the place of its growth 
thirty times cheaper than wheat of equal value. 
The necessities oi densely peopled countries 
insures its steady consumption. Of all the ar- 
ticles of commerce, wool is the most stable in 
its nature, and has always been the mo‘t gene- 
rally used by civilized man, from times the most 
remote of every nation, tongue and race. Of 
all the staple articles of the world, wool requires 
the least labor to produce it, the least care and 
cost in its preservation and transportation, and 
is the most suitable, profitable and reliable pro- 
duction for the great interior of this country, 
where labor is scarce and dear, and fertile 
lands cheap and plenty. Hence its growth will 
long continue to be a cherished interest, and the 
export demand, at the prices of other countries, 
will last forever. I remain yours, truly, 
HAMtLTON Gay, 
Cultivation of Bear Grass- 
Washington, Sept, 21, 1846, 
Sir — 1 have had the pleasure of receiving a 
number of the Tallahassee Floridian, where I 
notice you have conferred on rne the honor to 
notice my letter, forwarded by the Hon. D. S. 
Yulee, by calling the attention of Gen. R. K. 
Call to the questions propounded in that com- 
munication, in relation to the cultivation and 
preparation of the Bear Grass plant, which ap- 
pears to be indigenous to your State; and, as I 
believe susceptible of being applied to so many 
valuable manufacturing purposes. As an apo- 
logy for my intrusion on this occasion, I am 
compelled to refer you to my former communi- 
cation, and must leave the matter to subsequent 
events to demonstrate. 
At present, you will allow me to offer an in- 
cipient effort, in the form of an imperfect essay 
upon the cultiva ion of this plant, having no 
other data to govern me but what information 1 
can gather of the character ot the plant, Irom 
Gen. R. K. Call’s able communication. And, 
in this feeble effort, I shall flatter myself that 
the information set forth may not prove abor- 
tive. 
The mode best to be adopted for the cultiva- 
tion and preservation of this valuable plant, is 
as follows : 
The plant should be propagated in that sea- 
son of the year when vegetation becomes the 
most thrifty, and taken fiom the seed. The 
land should be rich to produce a rapid growth, 
and it should be planted a reasonable distance 
apart, allowing sufficient room lor the leaves to 
have free course to spread, with a tree circula- 
tion of the atmosphere, and well cultivated. In 
planting from the seed,- it will be found that the 
plants are more vigorous, and will contain, 
when prepared into hemp, more elasticity, and 
with the assistance ol the Ifee course ol the at- 
mosphere, produces a greater tenacity of fibre, 
than that which is produced from the old roots. 
The time ot gathering is as follows : If my opin- 
ion is correct, this plant bears a flower, as all veg- 
etable plants consist more or less of what is term- 
ed essential oil. And as early as the pollen ol 
the flower makes its appearance and begins to 
fall, the plant should be gathered for hemp, to 
avoid the essential oil from passing into the 
seed, which extracts it from the fibre and leaves 
it harsh and brittle, and injures it for manufac- 
turing purposes. But by preserving the essen- 
tial oil in the fibre, it retains its natural tenacity 
and elasticity. This is the most essential point 
in the promotion ot this most important object. 
In effecting this point, we arrive at once at its 
utility, which no doubt can be carried to the 
greatest perfection, in the manufacture of the 
finest labrics, being an imitation of silk, as al- 
so fabrics for bagging purposes, &c. 
The leaves, alter being gathered, should be 
carefully exposed to the sun lor a day or so, for 
the purpose of adhering the essential oil in the 
fibre and creating a toughness when this is com- 
pleted. They then should bt gathered from the 
field, and placed under a s’nelter for ready im- 
mersion, or rotting, as it is technically termed— 
which process is to relieve the plant or fibre of 
the glutinous or mucous, which composes the 
lormation ol the leaf. 
I now come to a point, wherein I am sorry 
to be compelled to diff^er with Gen. R. K. Call’s 
course of treatment — in relieving the glutin- 
ous portion from the fibre, by boiling the plant. 
This process produces evil effects. The heat- 
ed water must affect the strength of the fibre, 
and produces a harshness and brittleness, and 
when manntactured, becomes useless. 
I have arrived at the conclusion ihatthe plant 
should be immersed in water, at a temperature 
ot from 45 to 60 degrees, or at such temperature 
as will be produced by the effect of the state of 
the atmosphere. Standing water in ponds will 
answer. The mode of immersing ii is as fol- 
lows: Place the plant in regular form in the 
water, and lay plank on the surface of it, and 
weight it down, or otherwise, build plank vats, 
and have the water introduced into them, allow 
the vats to be exposed lo the heat ol the sun 
when filled. The vats should not be more than 
two feet deep, the dimensions otherwise are not 
particular. When the plant is immersed for 
a certain time, say two or three days, or more, 
which will depend entirely upon the state of the 
atmosphere, there will be discovered in the sur- 
face ol the plant a glutinous matter. If this 
appears to be general, the conclusion is, that it 
has undergone its solution, or decomposition, of 
the vegetable matter which adheres to the fibre, 
and vvhich will If ave the fibre free tor prepar- 
ing it into hemp. The plants should imme- 
diately betaken out of the water, and hung or 
stood up to dry, ready lor the preparation of 
transferring it into hemp. I am of the opinion, 
operating on it in a wet slate injures the fibre. 
One thing is certain, converting it into loose 
fibres in a wet state, and allowing the atmos- 
phere to act suddenly upon it, produces a harsh- 
ness, which is a great evil. 
There will be objections, no doubt, to the pro- 
cess of col-d water, from the circumstance ot its 
slowness of action, and may produce a little 
more labor. But to a calculating mind, the 
objections v ill be overcome, from the fact of its 
superiority and valuableness ol the article, be- 
yond that produced by heated water. 
The mode o? machine necessary to produce 
the hemp, after passing through the former pro- 
cess, is simple. To those who have not the 
conveniences; A block ot wood, and maul 
which can be conveniently used in one hand. 
Holding the leaf on the block, and applying the 
maul with the other hand produce the fibre; or, 
to those that have the conveniences, the speedi- 
est way is to have two horizontal fluted rollers, 
operating in each other similar to an ordinary 
sugar mill, as Gen. R. K. Call describes. 
I have taken the liberty ol advancing these 
views and ideas upon the subject, with the mo- 
tive of calling the attention of the planter to 
experimenting. It they prove to be correct, 1 
shall be happy. It the contrary, I may hope 
that salutary effects may be produced from the 
experiments to the development of other cour- 
ses of treatment, to the attainment of the object 
in view. 1 should have remarked before, that 
the seed for planting should have been taken 
from the most thrifty plants, and which should 
be cultivated apart from that which is planted 
out for hemp, as seed plants. 
The great importance of this object at this 
present stage, may be set down by some as nu- 
gatory, not worthy of their attention. But in 
my opinion I view the character as such as to 
elicit the interest of every citizen ol yo6r State, 
as also the attention of your legislative body. 
The consumption of this article, when it be- 
comes a staple, and Us qualities become known 
generally, must extend to a great extent in this 
country, as also in foreign countries, to thou- 
sands of tons. And with the enterprise and in- 
genuity ot our citizens — these combined being 
so fruitful, there can be no question but what it 
will be applied for manufacturing purposes, 
which at this time the mind is not capable of 
comprehending. The experience I have had 
in matters of this kind brings me to this con- 
clusion. 
It is calculated to diffuse wealth with a libe- 
ral hand to our industrious and enterprising 
citizens, and raise your inlant State equal to 
others, and unsurpassed in agricultural wealth, 
when we consider, as Gen. R. K. Call states, 
that one acre of Bear Grass will produce five 
to six tons of hemp. With this enormous 
yield, we can safely rely to a certainty, that an 
acre will aett a clear gained S300. With this 
fact before us, the inference must be, that in 
time the agricultural interest of your Slate will 
augment beyond all present calculations. 
Therefore, the interest stands prominent before 
the planters and citizens of yoar State, lo take 
hold of this subject in earnest, as early as pos- 
sible, prosecute it with energy and diligence, 
and the reward will follow in getting the ad- 
vance of other States south, who no doubt will 
embark in its cultivation, when its qualities 
and treatment becomes lully developed. And 
wherever the article is procured the cheapest, 
there is where the capital will concentrate for 
manufacturing purposes. 
I will conclude my remarks by expressing 
the pleasure I should derive in being one of the 
feeble instruments in bringing this important 
matter to a prosperous issue, viewing it as one 
of the blessings of a bountiful Providence, who 
has been pleased to bestow it upon our blessed 
country, and which carries the mind lo a full 
conviction of his great design. 
In this way we may become independent of 
all foreign productions, snstaining ourselves 
under our own vine and fig tree, in competency 
and independence, with the privileges ol a free 
instituted government. 
In conclusion, allow me the honor to be, re- 
spectfully, your most obedient servant. 
David Myerle. 
To His Es-csllency Wm. C. Moseley, Tallahassee, Fla. 
Georgia Yarns Triumphant. — We take 
pleasure in chronicling the fact that a specimen 
of yarns from the Cartwright Manufactory near 
Greensboro, Geo., was awarded the medal at the 
late Fair of the American Institute in New 
Y®rk. What renders this triumph of this com- 
pany more creditable to their establishment, is 
the fact, that (he yarns exhibited were not made 
specially for the occasion, but were taken from 
a lot which the company had on sale at the 
time in New York. 
