208 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
courage County and State Societies, with industrial ex- 
hibitions and fairs. When shall we enjoy the pleasure of 
being present at a State Fair, in the lovely city of Oaks 
and beautiful Gardens — Columbia'? Araericojn Cotton 
Planter. 
GEOLOGY-DR. KERSH. 
We append the article alluded to by Dr. Kersh, 
on page 153 of our May number, copying from the Fair- 
field (S. C.) Herald : 
Daniel Lee, M. D.—Dear Sir. -I would like to be 
understood exactly on one of the points incidently alluded 
to, and upon which I entertain an opinion different from 
any I have seen expressed. The modus operandi of cal- 
carious manures. Mineral substances are not dhectly 
nutritive ; the same species of plant growing on diflerent 
soils contain often, very disproportionate arnounts of 
mineral substances in their ashes, Thevirtue of lime does 
not depend upon its being applied in the condition of an 
alkaline oxide or quick-lime : nor upon its power of de- 
composing; but of vegetable matter. Ido not 
refer to the visible supraterrestial crop of herbage ; but 
always as in the case where soils are too sterile to pro- 
duce herbage, it is dependent upon their producing prim- 
arily an abundant spontaneous growth of very minute 
Cryptogramic vegetation through the soil. It is not prac- 
tically important to say whether they encourage this 
growth by retaining the nitrogen of ammonia from rain- 
water or otherwise; but it is extremely important to 
know that soils oTigv^oMy and Tddically sterile, can only 
be brought to a condition of durable fertility by the agency 
of mineral substances; and equally important to under- 
stand, in climates where Cryptogamic vegetation is not 
exuberant, other conditions of rest especially during sum- 
mer months, with winter or spring crops, pasturage or 
some other system of agriculture that implies the least pos- 
sible disturbance of soil are equally indispensable in pro- 
moting the growth of the Cryptogramites. The presence 
of superabundant moisture alters the character of chemical 
as well as vital actions; and depleting a soil of so much 
moisture, as is obnoxious to a crop while on the land, is 
not, in general, enough to secure the most efficient action 
of minerals. I propose to bring the Microscope to bear 
on this subject. One other point ; I stated the theory 
suggested was ‘'generally” true of the fossiliferous as well 
as the Hypogene formations. The age of the world known 
as the Drift, Till, or Erratic formations, suggested by you 
to form an exception, belongs in part to the Post Pliocene, 
and in part to the newer Pliocene period. The Drift of 
the most southern latitudes being usually of the highest 
antiquity. The Drift is not, however, developed in any 
part of the Western continent lower than the 38^ or 40“ of 
latitude. The question of Fauna and Flora can only af- 
fect the theory in one way, and I will state it fairly. Dur- 
the periods that the body of land from about the central 
parts of the State of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama 
and Mississippi, were being deposited at the bottonis of 
the Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene oceans, the species of 
animals and vegetables underwent five entire revolutions ; 
the old species becoming extinct, and new specks being 
created successively. The Earth was as well peopled dur- 
ing each of these successive epochs, both in the varkty of 
animals and vegetables of classes and specks the most^ highly 
gifted and organised ; (man. Troglodytes, and Pithecus 
excepted,) and in the numbers of individuals representing 
specks at each of these successive, periods, as it is at this pre- 
sent time. The exuvia of these animals are left for us to 
this day ; and finding considerable quantities ©f teeth, of 
extinct Squalidse, or similar fossils through the soils at one 
point, we infer the existence of small amounts of phos- 
phate, as well as carbonate of lime in those soils, Chemis- 
try has demonstrated the truth of the inference. There 
was a misapprehension that I had maintained the soils 
of the stratified fossiliferous series to be derived in all cases,. 
or even in general, from subjacent Rocks : not entirely 
so ; but that one, conversant with the characters of the 
soils and subsoils of the Hornblende rocks, (Syenite, Trap, 
Hornblende, Slate,) or with the Micacious soils, (some 
Granites, Gneiss, Mica Slate,) the Talcose soils ; (Proto- 
gine, Talcose Slate,) &c.; cannot fail to perceive a most 
striking similarity in the soils and subsoils of any and all 
of the fossiliferous formations where they approximate^ 
in chemical or minerological constitution to the more Pri- 
mitive or Hypogene soils. The various sand Jiill soils, 
resembling the loose silicious Granites; Calcarious soils 
generally, primative Limestones; the Soap-stone soils 
resembling Protogine; the so-called isinglass land, con- 
taining the regular proportions of Potash, Alumina, and 
oxide of iron met with in metamorphic gneiss, or mica 
slate land. The proposition of,Albite superseding com- 
mon felspar in any soil, a very frequent occurrence and 
easily recognised, changing the chemistry of such soil from 
potash to soda is again submitted. The nice distinctions in 
Flora and Fauna by which we know the modern, very 
modern, but different periods that the places where Rome 
and Naples now stand were converted into land: by which 
we know the infinitely more remote but still comparative- 
ly recent time the Alps first reared their heads above the 
waters of the Eocene ocean, or the different ages of the 
Grampian Hills, Rocky or Allegheny Mountains; or by 
whiph we know when the great classes of Placoid and 
Ganoid fish ceased to flourish, and the Aenoids and Cy- 
cloids were created; of the rise, flourish, and fall of the 
families of Trilobites, Belemnites, Ammonites, or Gra- 
phites ; of the Chephalaspides or Pterodactyles, does not 
affect, in a great degree, the general question. 
Respectfully, ^ W. D. Kersh, 
Member of American Association of Geologists and Natur- 
alists. 
P. S. Other papers publishing my first letter will oblige 
me by copying this. W. D. K. 
THE BDCK EYE REMEDY FOR PILES. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— I notice in the April 
number of your journal a cure for Piles, said by your cor- 
respondent “Q” to be an infallible remedy. I do not here- 
by intend to question his veracity ; but can say that he is- 
most certainly mistaken. I, too, have been, like him, a 
sufferer with the disease ; and, like him, carried a buck 
eye in my pocket for more than two years, and was not 
at all benefitted thereby ; and have known others to do 
the same thing with the like results. I have, also, known 
others who got well of the disease while trying the same 
plan, and, like “Q,” were fully convinced of its efficacy. 
I have, also, known some to get suddenly well without 
the buck eye, and using no other remedy, and think that 
this would have been the case with “Q,” and others, if 
they had never seen a buck eye, and can only set down 
their cases as coincidences. 
As I have never seen the following remedies for bots 
and fistula in horses, in print, I send them, hoping that 
others may have the like success with them that I have 
had. For bots, I give one pint of molasses, diluted with 
milk, sufficiently thin for a drench ; in a half or three- 
quarters of an hour after, one ounce of calomel, and in 
two hours after, 2 pounds salts or iK pints of castor oil I 
believe this, if the animal is within the reach of medicine, 
to cure — will do it. For Fistula, make about a gallon of 
corn meal mush very soft, and as salt as it can be made ; 
put it into a thin cotton bag and apply it perfectly hot to 
the tumor. This done every alternate day for three days, 
I have never known to fail of effecting a cure. The best 
