126 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
EANDALL’S COTTON PLANTEE, &C. 
WHITE HAIE AND NEGKO WOOL. 
Messrs. Editors — In the last Cultivator you ask for 
information of Randall’s Cotton Planter. Mr. James 
Watson, of Palmyra, Lee Co., Ga., was the Duilder of said 
planter, and is now, I believe; if not, can give all the in- 
formation needed. 
You will greatly oblige me by answering the following; 
Island injured by deadening the trees on it in the summer 
or, as we say, when “the sap isupP’ The common 
opinion and belief among planters is that it is. Agtiin, 
would there be any difference, in deadening Pine and 
Oak land in the summer '? 
Will you answer in April number I 
Truly, Rebek. 
Hopehazy^ March, 1855, 
Remarks. — We have no practical knowledge of the ef- 
fect upon land of “girdling” or “deadening” trees. Will 
some of our experienced correspondents answer RebekI — 
Eds, 
TO WOEK THE WOEST SPOILED HOESE. 
Messrs, Editors — Place gear on the horse, the back- 
hand as far back as his kidneys; the belly-band at iheusual 
place. Have the traces short, that the singletree can only 
pass the root ol the horses tail, and stop 6 or Sinches above 
his hocks. The gear should be strong, and well .secured at 
all points. It is best to have the horse secured in his stall 
for a day or two before leading him out, that he may be- 
come used to the gear, and less liable to kick. The beau- 
ty of the thing is, the singletree binds so close to his hams, 
that it prevents the play of his heels. When you discover 
your horse will bear the touch of the singletree and gear, 
you may then attach plow lines with gear and place a 
■drag, and practice him until he will bear the plow or 
wagon. 
I have adopted this plan for more than twenty years 
without a single failure to gentle the worst runaway ani- 
mals I fever knew, in fact, they cease to kick and become 
gentleat once. Yours truly, Bird Safeoi.d, 
Segum, Guadalupe Co., Texas, 1855, 
TO CUEE FISTULA IN A HOESE. 
Messrs. Editors Open the fistula as soon asthe sack of 
matter has collected— the sooner the better. Take 48 grains 
of corrosive sublimate, and dissolve it in 2 oz. of water, 
which is all it will hold in solution. Soak a slack twisted 
cotton string, just sucli as are used for country candle 
wicks, 8 1-2 inches long, in the solution 24 hours, letting 
6 1-2 inches of one end of the string be immersed in the 
solution ; then insert G or G I -2 inches of the saturated end 
in the orifice and push it down with a blunt probe or stick, 
letting 2 to 2 1-2 inches of the dry end hang out. Let it 
remain in 24 hours, and put a fresh one in every 24 hours, 
drawing away the old one. A new string should be put 
in soak in the phial of solution as soon ns one is taken out. 
Continue this until but little matter is di.scharged and that 
little very thick. Grease the shoulders to let the matter 
slide off. 
I have never failed with the above remedy to accompli 
all I could reasonably desire, and without leaving a sc 
Mecki.enbcrg. 
Como, Miss., Jan., 18.55 
Encouragement of Agricui.ture.— A bill has passed 
one blanch of the Missouri Legislature proposing, in order 
to encourage the formation of Agricultural Societies, to 
grant to each county forming such an association the sum 
of SlOO for each S^OO subscribed by them, provided the 
whole amount should not exceed S‘l6o in any one year. 
At a recent trial in South Carolina, in which the point 
in dispute — property in a mulatto girl— rested on a ques- 
tion of race. Dr. Gibbs, an accomplished Ethnologist and 
Physiologist, gave the following interesting evidence with 
regard to the hair of different races : 
He handled a negro skull and demonstrated clearly the 
peculiarities, and showed, by comparison, the marked dif- 
ference between them. He explained the prominent dif- 
ference between the anatomical structure of different parts 
of the body, and gave an exceedingly interesting account 
of the distinction the hair of the Caucassia, Indian and 
Negro races. He stated a very curious fact, as resulting 
from microscopical observation, that in the mulatto cross 
the hair of one or the other parent was present, and some- 
times hairs of both, but never mongrel hair; that no amal- 
gamated hair existed; that as often the mulatto had straight 
hair as kinky. He stated the microscope revealed that the 
hair of the white race was, when transversely divided, 
oval, that of the Indian circular, and that of the negro ec- 
centrically elliptical, with flattened edges, that of the negro 
was not hair, but wool, and capable of being felted ; that 
the coloring matter of true hair was in an internal tube, 
while in the negro it was the epidermis or scales covering 
the shaft of the hair. 
In corroboration of this statement that both white and 
negro hair were sometimes found in the same head, a 
singular case was mentioned by Dr. Gibbs. He stated 
that he once attended a half-breed Indian and negro, who 
had straight Indian hair. He was ill, and had his head 
shaved and blistered. On his recovery, when his hair, 
grew out, it was negro hair — crisped and wiry. 
Tanning. — A process of tanning has been patented in 
England by a Mr. Preller, which makes no use of bark 
whatever. 
The substance employed consists largely of starch, but- 
ter-milk or grease, with salt or saltpetre. The skins are 
smeared with these and then agitated in a revolving cylin- 
der fora certain length of time, when they are ready for 
the currier. Mr. Preller has erected a large factory at 
Southwark, where he is carrying on the business oftann-? 
ing by this method, and his leathers have already attained 
a high reputation in the market. They are pronounced 
greatly superior to those tanned in the usual ways for their 
strength, flexibility, uniformity of texture, and durability. 
I'he weight of the leather is greatly reduced, at the same 
time that its strength is increased. This done to such a 
degree that while oak tanned leather of three eighths of 
an inch in thickness is incapable of a strain, which Prell- 
er’s leather one-fourth of an inch in thickness w’ill bear 
with constant working. A strap ot it a yard long and an 
inch in width and one-eighth thick gave way with m 
weight ofG cwt , 2U lbs.; while ox hide, well tanned with 
bark, of (he same dimensions, only bore a strain of 5 cwt. 
It is said that sheep skins tanned in this become ot a 
surprising strength, though as commonly prepared they 
have scarcely more strength than good paper. 
Tanning l)y this process only requires a short time 
perfect it. The thickest ox hide is perfectly tanned in two 
days and a half. The leather thus made is also more in>- 
permeable to water than as commonly prepared. Thes* 
statements are given by the Mechanics' Magazine, and, if 
sustained by the (acts, will go far to change the relatioiw 
of leather to society. 
Some Good Everywhere. — Bayard Taylor, the travel- 
ler, says that he prefers Mexicofor the beauty of its scene- 
ry, Germany for its society, California especially for its 
climate and the United States for its Government. 
