SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
275 
the Cicada from his suspicion. They hurt nobody but 
lone old Bachelors, who eat hearty suppers and spend 
wakeful nights, who have no patience with crying babies 
or other musical animals. The wound inflicted on the 
young shoots of the tree does it no perceptible injury. An 
impression prevails in a few counties in our State that the 
Cicada lays its egg in the fruit of the common blackberry. 
That the berries, when eaten, carry w’ith them the egg to 
the stomach and there hatch, infesting the stomach and 
intestines with a virulent species of worm, highly destruc- 
tive of health and even life. Hence, the use of blackberries 
is interdicted altogether during the “Locust year.” 1 need 
scarcely say that I consider this all an old woman’s whim 
In the first place, there is no reason to believe the egg is 
deposited in the berry; on the contrary, there is abundant 
reason to disbelieve it. And supposing it is, and a child 
eats the berry. As w'ell might we expect the hens egg 
eaten to-day to resist the action of that powerful agent, the 
gastric juice, and in its due time (three weeks) hatch and 
bring forth a veritable Shanghai in the child’s belly, as to 
suppose that tliese little eggs lie in the child until spring 
and bring forth worms. 
A rumor prevailed in our community this spring that 
many children had been stung by Locusts and become 
seriously ill, and that one had died in consequence. Non- 
sense ! When will our people learn torea.son a little on 
these things, in place of following, blindly,, the dxxit 
of an old “Granny ]”• 
I have some brief notes of observations on the habits of 
insects injurious to vegetation,. which infest the kitchen 
garden, together with some suggestions in the way of 
remedy, when you get a little over the Locust question. I 
am afraid to hit you with both at once. 
Respectfully, R. B. 
Rccme, G^z., July, 1855. 
Qokry. — Hasn’t money enough, in the way of time, 
paper and ink, been spent on the Bots’ question to buy 
a microscope that w'ould set it forever at rest % 
COEN AND COB MEAL FOR HORSES. 
0ns of the editor of the yiichigan Farmer has been ex- 
perimenting on corn and cob meal, as horse feed, for a 
couple of months, exclusively, and with the following re- 
sults. After one month’s feeding’, febrile symptoms were 
occasionally observed in one pf Uie hor^s, such as short 
and quick breathing. &c. 
On stating the case to Dr. Dadd, the skillful veterinary 
surgeon, of Boston, it elicited the follownng Valuable letter 
The importance of occasional change of food which it 
recommends, is not sufficiently attended to by ourfatmers- 
in feeding their stock : 
“As regards your horse, I would (if hts is no better) 
change the diet immediately. He is probably suffering 
from acute.or perhaps cA/onzcindigestion^which is-very apt 
to occur in animals when kept too long on one kind of diet 
“No facts in dietetics is beptpr.esta*\jlished than thai.of 
•the impossibility of long su^taing health, er even life on 
one kind of diet. It fails to supjio'rt nutrition. (See Lie 
big and Carpenrcr) The bhimals experirnented upon, 
after a certain' ^rength of time, seerneci willing to endure 
‘starvation ratji^ Hmo ,li,ve on qne. kirfcf'of cfiet. As re- 
gards the w'lll-'vxrfcf for ^ome 
time- on highry nutfitmlfs arlicles, such ns oats, barley, 
corn meal, »Scc., but they’ finally induce febrile diseases 
s,\\Cc\ Uiminilis (inflammation of the foot,) rheumatism, 
founder, &c. They do not require, so much of the flesh- 
making principle as the young and growinganirnal, which 
not only rfquires sufficient carbon in the form of food 
-to renovate the tissues, but also enough for growth and 
development. 
“The adult, however, requires a greater variety of food 
than the latter, to support the integrity of his organixation,, 
consequently, as you have fed your horse on corn and cob 
meal all winter, there may be a disproportion between the 
amount of carbon, (in the form of food,) and the oxygea 
respired, hence his digestion must be deranged, or carbon^ 
in the form of fat, is deposited in the various tissues. 
“A fat horse, of course you are aware, is not the on® 
for fast work nor fatigue, and, the emaciated excepted, 
is more likely to become sick, from the least excilinfir 
cause. 
“On the other hand, an excess of carbonaceous material 
deranging the stomach — it holding sympathetic relation 
with the brain — is apt to terminate in staggers, &c. It 
should be known to horsemen that an adult horse ought 
not to increase in weight from year to year ; the food may 
may be proportioned to work, any increase of flesh or 
fat, is a signal to dip a lighter band into the meal bag; that 
is, if you want to keep disease and death at bay. 
“It pays to fatten cattle, sheep and swine, because the 
result, is dollars and cents; but you may depend that it is 
losing a spec, to flatten horses ; for among such I have 
the most practice, their disease being more difficult to 
control than when occuriug in others, in fair working 
order. 
“As regards com and cob meal, 1 think it operates itt- 
juriously on a great many horses. 
“In the first place tftey do not always masticate it prt^ 
perly, it being soft and easily insalivated,, they are apt to 
bolt it, as the saying is; it then runs into fermentation, re- 
suiting in flatulent or spasmodic cholic. 
“In order to obviate the difficulty, the meal ought tob® 
mixed with cut hay or straw, articles that must be masti- 
cated ere swallowed. Should the digestive organs be de- 
ranged, meal ferments very rapidly, inducing flatulency. 
“1 should not object to giving a horse a feed of corn and 
cob meal occasionally, mixing it with cut hay and a litil® 
salt. Salt is a good anulseptie — prevents fermentation — 
affords by the decomposition in the stomach, muriatic acid 
and soda; aids digestion and prevents the generation of 
worms. 
“ The best remedies for restoring the digestive function® 
are : 
“ ‘Powdered Gentian, I oz. Powdered Ginger ^ oz. 
do. Salt, 2 oz. do. Charcoal, 1 oz.’ 
“Mix, divide into 8 fnirts and give one with the food^ 
night and morning.” — Fa. Farm Jmmal. 
DEOTJTH-DEEP PLOWING AND SURFACE CULTUER 
Editors Southern CuL,Tiv.iTOR— In- this region of 
country, the great enemy we have to contend with is 
drouth, and the true secret of cultivation is that mode beet 
•calculated to counteract its direful effects. 
iMyneighliors knowing I have but little practical ex- 
perifence, confidently predict a failure, and call me a 
“book farmer,” ixc., and fleiing conscious of the want of 
practical experience, I hijve some doubts of success, al- 
though my operations are founded upon true scientific 
principles. 
Knowing you to be deeply versed in the science 'of 
Agriculture, I piopose to submit my jilan qf cultivation to 
your consideration, and ask your opinion of its correct- 
ness. 
“A dense body receives and mdiates heat slower than 
a more porous one ;” and moisture obeys precisely th® 
same law. 
“Water will rise, in a capillary tube of 1-1 00th of a» 
inch in diameter, five and three tenths of an inch; in one 
of l-l(K)0th of an inch, fifty three inches, and so on, ia. 
inverse proportion.” 
These two facts are the basis of my theory. As a coww- 
quence, then, the der:per the land is broken and the moM 
