THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1943. 
g;;^We appeal to ever}’- subscriber to the 
‘•SouTHKaN CL'LTiv.\Toa-’ to make an earnest 
and zealous effort to extend its circulation. — 
There should be from 50 to 290 subscribers in 
erery county in the State — and if the friends of 
the cause will make-ihe effort, they can be readi- 
ly obtained. It is a matter of interest to every 
reader ot the paper, for in proportion as the cir- 
culation is extended will its usefulness be felt 
and appreciated, and its capacity to da good be 
greatly facilitated. 
CORN-STALK SUGAR. 
The importance of this subject to the planters 
of Georgia and the South general!}", where corn 
grows so luxuriantly, should commend the arti- 
cle copied into another part of this paper, from 
the report of the Commissioner of ihe Patent 
Office, to the careful perusal of ever}' reader. — 
It is particularly a subject of deep interest to 
the cotton growing States, as a.ffording another, 
and perhaps profitable, field tor the employment 
of a portion of that labor now bestowed on tiie 
culture of our great staple — the price of which 
is so low a.s to demand that a portion of the la- 
bor heretofore employed in its production, should 
be diverted to the growing or manufacturing of 
other articles of cons’umption, to which we have 
heretofore paid no attention. We expect not 
that any portion of our planters will suddenly 
embark extensively into the making of corn- 
stalk sugar — such a course would not be dicta- 
ted by prudence or a sound discretion — ^but we 
do anticipate that the result of the experiments 
tieretofore made, will induce many to make the 
experiment on a small scale, and at a very lim- 
ited expea.se, in order to test its practicability in 
this climate, which we doubt not will be found 
much more congenial than the Northern, Middle 
or Western States, where success, to some ex- 
tent, has crowned the labors of those who have 
embarked in it.. The process is indeed simple, 
and may be tested in a small way at a very tri- 
fling expense, and we do hope some of the more 
enterprising of our planters may be induced to 
make a trial. 
Bat.vs. — One of o-ar citizens, a grocer, in- 
i jr.ns us that he has, for a few years imst, been 
in the habit of emptying the brine from his pork 
and fish barrels on his asparagus bed; and he 
thinks none of his neighbors have better aspara- 
gus than he. The effect of the brine is entirely 
to destioy the weeds, while it makes his plant's 
ui'jch more thrifty. And why is not this* reas- 
onable 7 Asparagus is known to be a marine 
plant, and is fo'und in abundance in man}'- pla- 
ce., along the shore of the ocean. 
Sd. Farmsr's GazsUe. 
RUST IN WHEAT. 
Under this head, ig another part of this num- 
ber, the reader will find a vers' interesting corres- 
pondence between IMr. Pleasant, and Mr. Pey- 
ton, of Virginia, to which we invite attention. 
There is, perhaps, no section of the Union where 
the wheat crop sustains a greater injur}', in pro- 
portion to the quantity cultivated, from rust than 
the South, and it is therefore of the highest mo- 
ment, to all who attempt to cultivate this impor- 
tant bread stuff, to understand the causes, and, 
if po.ssible, apply the remedy. Such indeed has 
been the extent of its ravages for a series of 
.years in some sections of the c j-untry, that many 
planters have ceased to cultivate wheat at all, 
and rely exclusively upon the importation of 
their fioiir from abroad. Ever}' possible effort 
shoi.ild therefore be made to discover the cause 
of the disease, and, if possible, remove it — for 
the importation of riour alone into the cotton 
growing States is no inconsiderable item, and If 
by any means the culture of wheat can be so 
improved as to enable us only to supply the 
home demand, it will be an important point 
gained, the advantages of which cannot be rea- 
dilj" ascertained. 
THE POTATO. 
It is, perhaps, not generally kaoivn to the sub- 
scribers of the Farmers’ Cabinet, that in the po- 
tatoe there are two parts, which, if separated 
and planted at the same time, one will produce 
tubers lit for the table eight or ten days earlier 
than the o', her. This fact has fallen imder m}' 
own observation, and is the plan I nev/ pursue 
in order to obtain an early supply for my table, 
fine and very meal}'. The apex or small end of 
the potato, vv’hich is generally full of eyes, is 
that part that produces the earliest — the middle 
or body of the potato produces later, and always 
large ones. Tne butt or navel end is wortliless, 
except for ieeding stock, and, if planted, produ- 
ces very indifferent small ones, and often none 
at all, the eyes, if any, being imperfectly form- 
ed The potato being cut two weeks before 
planting, and spread on a floor, that the wounds 
ma}" heal, separating the small ends from the. 
middle, then cutting off the navel or butt, the 
body or middle of the potato is then divided into 
two pieces lengthwise, taking care to have al- 
ways the largest and finest selected, being con- 
vinced that if none but large potatoes are plant- 
ed, la-rge ones wiU be again produced^ — small 
things produce small things again, and therefore 
no small potatoes should be planted; this practice 
is too prevalent, and may account for the many 
varieties and small potatoes met with in our 
markets. Who would not prefer a large mealy 
potato to a small one, that -v^l take hours to boil 
soft, and then, ma}' only be fit to feed the cattle 
with! 
For several years past I have adopted the 
plan of putting potatoes into the ground late in 
the fall, covering them with manure, sometimes 
with tanner’s waste bark, and always ha v'e suc- 
ceeded in raising a fine early crop. Last fall I 
had taken up some as fine and large fiercer po- 
tatoes as any one could wish; they were cover- 
ed with tan six inches thick the preceding fall; 
many weighed sixteen ounces. No particular 
care or attention was bestowed upon them thro’ 
the summer, the tan not permitting any weeds to 
trouble them, or to draw out the nourishment 
from the earth, they had therefore all the benefit 
of the soil, kept moist and clean by the tan, for 
tan -will keep the ground moist and clean and in 
an improved state in the driest season, I have 
foimd the great advantage of it to m}'- asparagus 
and strawberry beds, which are annually cover- 
ed with it. 
Tlie potato I consider so valuable and indis- 
pensable a vegetable, and having never seen a 
suggestion in print of sepa-fating the pv rato and 
plaming each by itself, that 1 have been induced 
to send you this imperfect and hastity drav. n up 
communication. Perhaps you may think k 
worthy a place in the Farmers’ Cabinet, and ii 
so, should be pleased to hear that some of its 
patrons will try the expieriment of pi anting sep- 
arately each part of tne tuber, belie -ring that the 
potato may be much improved by a due regard 
to the above suggestions. J. F. H. 
F^rmerd Oahmet. 
BLACKSOTTH’S WORE. 
As man}' of our famters hai'e blacksmith’s 
Ehop.s of taeir o'wn, the folio vring dii -..ctions lor 
woriiing steel and making edged tools, plai'n and 
simple as they are, may be of great va^.-ie to 
them if carefully enjoined upon their smiths, 
who are irequently great bunglers in ttiis Kind 
of work. — SouLk-yni PlaniLer. 
“Working- Cast Steel. — We have recently 
obtained information on this subject liau the 
most skilful ana celebrated workman in the 
United States, Cant. J. Hill, of Billerica, Alas- 
sachusetts. We were a little sra’pri.iea to lean, 
the difference in the management of cast steel, 
x'rom that of the German. There is someihing 
yet remaining mysterious with regard to i ;ie na- 
ture and management of this article, wmoh no 
cyclopedia or other vehicle of intelligence rave 
as vet developed. The process oi inanafactui- 
ing 'cast steel, it is not our purpose at pr .sent to 
describe; but it is evidently composed oi refined 
iron and carbon in very nice propoitions. In 
the process of shaping it into cuttir g blades and 
other articles, it is healed and hamuiered in the 
manner of other steel: when tempered fcj this 
purpose, it is first heated to a full cheny rtu, and 
plunged into water till cold. It may then he 
held over a moderate chai'coal fire, until rde co- 
lor of any part wliich has been filed or rcade 
bright after hardening, changes to a readi-ui or- 
ange color. This is the temper lor cuttin ; t mls- 
but if a spring temper is required, it is neated 
over the charcoal till the color approaches a 
blue; or rather, blue incliued to red. In either 
case when, the steel is brought to show these co- 
lors, it is to be plunged in oil — common lamp or 
linseed oil — which will not affect the color. If 
the steel is to he rendered soft for turning or cut- 
ting, it must be heated to a full red, and h-ft to 
cool in partially ignited charcoal; in this way ic 
ma.y be made so soft as to be cut or turned into 
shape as easily as copper, or evencomi.ncn nsw- 
ter. But the most curious and peculiar nr.’cess 
is that of welding. In welding iron, a -rhJte 
heat is indispensable, as every body know.: bu'i. 
not so with cast steel. AYhen the sieel is to be 
'welded to iron, neither are to be heated a 
full cherr}' red. The two parts are lo be p-tevi- 
ously iashed or griped together, and in tha;. con- 
dition heated: they have then only to be immers- 
ed ill calcined borax; or to have the prepared 
borax (borate of soda) sprinkled over the irint, 
and are ready to adhere by being haiiimered to- 
gether. The borax for this purpose is to be pre- 
pared by being previously heated to a full red, 
and kept heated till it becomes a soft powder like 
flour. What the chemical effect of the calcin- 
ed borax on the metalic surfaces is, is not per- 
fectly understood, farther than that its affinity fo 
oxvgen is .such as to deprive the jointed surfaces 
ol any portion of oxygen which might present 
a ready union of the surfaces. Wnen smab 
pieces of steel are to be welded, they are to be 
heated to the full chem' red, and immersed iri 
the calcined borax, and are then to bt hammer- 
ed together. The most extraordinar-' point in 
the process is the fact; that if the steel is but a 
little overheated, it -will immediately crack into 
fragments; but by a shifted process, and ■<vith 
the use of borax, the cracks and defects may be 
healed and rendered sound and solid. We have 
witnessed the fact, that by a judicious manage- 
ment, a fine tempered cutting edge of cast steel 
may he bent, warped and hammered, and its 
shape materially changed, without breaking, or 
a.flecting the temper. More may be said on this 
