THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
15 
Avhen slaughtered, 1 j'ear and 10 da3's; nett gain 
in 320 days, 400^ lb;-. 
Andrew W. Waller’s weighed when pirt up, 
19th February, 1S42, 18 lb.s.-, weighed when 
slaughtered, 9th January, 1843, 423 lbs.; age 
when slaughtered, 1 year and 5 days; nett gain 
Sn 320 days, 4051 lbs. 
A. G. Ray’s, open sow, weighed when put up, 
I9th Februaiy, 1842, 23 lbs.; weighed when 
slaughtered, 9th Januaiy, 1843, 419 lbs.; age 
when slaughtered, 1 year and 23 daj^s; nett gain 
in 320 days, 390 lbs. 
Nathan H. Waller’s weighed when put up, 
19th February, 18-12, 10 lbs.; weighed when 
slaughtered, 9th January, 1843, 307 lbs.; age 
when slaughtered, 11 months; nett gain in 320 
days, 3571 lbs. 
Yours, respectfull}^ 
Willis G. Hughes. 
P. S. The other five pigs put up died before 
the time of slaughtering. 
THE PRODUCT OF CORN. 
It must be evident to every intelligent corn 
groAver, that the average product of corn is great- 
ly beloAv what it ought to be; and from the nu- 
merous large crops grown in various parts of our 
country, it must be equally so, and that nothing 
but proper manuring, preparation of the soil, 
and culture is wanting to bring about such an 
improvement as Avill giv'e an average yield great- 
ly abotm the present one. In several in.stances, 
nearly two hmidred bushels have been grown on 
an acre, and m numerous others, largely above 
a himdred have been gathered Irom the same 
quantity of land, and these ydelds hatm been se- 
cured without any extraordinary expenditm'e of 
either manure or labor. The frequencv of such 
results, .should satisfy all reasonable minds that 
it is within the competency of good hu.sbandmen 
to increase the present atmrage product fully a 
hundred per cent. When we advance this opin- 
ion, we do it with a full kirorvledge and just con- 
ception of the responsibility rve assume in so 
doing. We are aware that rve may be thought 
as over sanguine by those who, from their boy- 
hood up, have been in the habit of considering 
from four to six barrels to the acre as a^ood crops, 
but in dispite of such conclusions, we here affirm 
it to be our fixed and deliberate opinion, that on 
good rich ground, well manured, deeply plough- 
ed, thoroughly pulverized and judiciously work- 
ed, the crop of corn should yield from 80 to 100 
bushels to the acre. Such ground, thus treated, 
would support a crop of corn four by two, two 
smlks in the hill; and such being the fact, we 
can see no just reason why' every hill, planted in 
a prolific bearing corn, should not yfreld li pint 
of corn: this would give 127 bushels. But sup- 
pose now, that each hill should give a pint, then 
the product would be 85 bushels. Such crops, 
so.ne may say, are confined to small lots of a 
few acres in extent — not so; Mr. Earl Stimson 
has, for more than ten years in succession, ave- 
raged above a hundred bushels to the acre in 
crops of 5000 bushels. He to be sure plants 
closer than this, viz: 37 inches each way; but 
then his corn is of small variety, and will bear 
that distance in the climate of New York. If it 
be alleged, that corn planted four by two would 
subject the crop to firing, we reply, not without 
the culturist should commit the folly’’ of cutting 
up the roots by deep ploughing, after the plants 
had attained sufficient size for the lateral roots 
to extend across the rows. — American Farmer. 
CULTURE OF COTTON. 
There are many aroimd us who think the sur- 
face culture of cotton, or of crops, a new fangled 
notion, and scout at the idea. All encroach- 
ments on established usages and customs are re- 
ceived in this very Avay'. There are others who 
think it has done and will do for the north, but 
will not in the south. I will state one circum- 
stance, and close by' citing one fact. In 1833, I 
think, I planted in the-same field, about twenty 
acres of cotton, as usual barred off and scraped. 
The subsequent culture was entirely with the 
hoe and sweep, the latter merely shaved the sur- 
face, probably to the depth of one half to one 
inch; also three acres, and cultivated as Avas 
customary; plowing three times and hoeing. — 
There was but a path of eighteen to tAventy'-tbur 
inches diA'iding. Land as near similar as could 
be, only the first had been cleared fit'e years, and 
the second piece only tAvo years; therefore, the ! 
latter should have resisted the drought best. Mr. | 
William Montgomei^', my neighbor, a practical | 
fanner of some thirty' years’ standing, ridiculed 
my notion, as I had been but recently' from 
school. I took him into the field to look at it. — 
He admitted that the unploAved land was the best 
crop, and had sustained itself the best through 
the season, but could not account for it. Noav 
eA'eiy gareffier Imows the fact, that his garden re- 
turns him a greater income than any other spot 
he can cultivate. The ploAv net’er enters, nor 
is the earth disturbed tAvo inches from March till 
July'. He cultivates the .surface entire. haA'ing 
prcA'iously spaded deep and manured Avell. — 
Then, it this be so in relation to raising A'egeta- 
bles of the tap root and horizontal root families 
in tlie garden, may' it not be Avell to try it else- 
Avhere, especially' as more land can be cultiA'ated 
and kept cleaner I — JFeslefm Former. 
IRISH POTATOES. 
Plant for late using the la.’-’t of April, cover 
slightly and in a A'ery' deep furroAv, about 18 j 
inches apart, Avhen just aboA'e ground coA'er \ 
them with the mould of one side the furroAv, ' 
which AA'ill kill all grass and Aveeds, then Avhen 
about 4 inches high, plough AA'it’n a bull tongue 
plough four inches AA'ide, tAvice in each furro’'x; 
plant from 12 to IG inches in the di ill; all that 
AA'ill be Avanted afteiAvards, is to pull up anv 
large Aveeds that groAv in thenr, the shade of the 
.stems and leaA'es Avill keep all grass under. To 
plant an acre in this manner, will take forty' 
bitshels ol' seed, and Avill produce from tAA'O to 
fiA'e hundred bushels to the acre on good land 
and well manured. The furrow Avhen planted 
ought to be ahvay's the loAvest, so the furroAv may 
retain moist’ure. — Tennessee AgrienUnrist. 
IRISH POTATOES. 
This valuable v'egetable, now much in u.se, is 
liable to deteriorate, as are many' other produc- 
tions of our soil. It is also capable of consid- 
erable improvement, in size and quality'. The 
same seed, planted a feAA' y'ears in succession, 
AA'ill detei’iorate. The signs of tlris deterioration 
are — 1st. A quantity of blossoms appear on the 
stalks. 2d. The tuber is hard, Avateiy and ill 
flaA'ored. To remedy' thi-s, first let the cultiA'a- j 
tor gather the apples or pods frohi the top of the 
stalk — presei'A'e the seed imtil the spring — plant 
or soAv it in drills, in good or well manured 
groimd — he will hat'e potatoes of almost et'ery' 
hue, from the size of a pea to that of a partridge 
egg, the first y'ear. These, if cultivated AA'ith 
care, Avill increase in size and be delightful in 
quality. I hat'e tried the experiment. 
I haA'e tried another experiment, which is a 
.shorter method, and per’naps equally efficacious. 
I took of that species called the “London Lady'” 
— cut off what is called the seed end, threAv that 
away, and planted the balance whole or cut in 
two — ^broke up my ground deep early in winter — 
opened furroAvs deep, 3 feet apart, dropped the 
potatoes from 9 to 12 inches apart — coevred first 
with manure, and threAv up a ridge AA'ith a bar- 
shear plough. The culture was easy' — to keep 
doAvn grass or w'eeds AA'as all that was necessary 
— and larger, more mealy, or better flavored po- 
tatoes Avere scarcely found in market than those 
I raised. The experiment is worth a trial. 
I tided the Mashamock potatoe for tAvo y'ears 
— they' disappointed my expectations. The se- 
cond year they' abounded in blooms, but the tu- 
bers AA'ere inferior. Among the “London Lady,” 
Avhose seed ends I had cut off, scarcely a bloom 
appeared — they' were fewer in quantity, but su- 
perior in size and quality. 
I am decidedly opposed to “purchasing seed 
from the North” — 1st. Because it is taking mo- 
ney out of our OAA'U country' — and 2dly, Because 
seed from the North Avill deteriorate as soon as 
our own, and be no better. These conclusions 
are the result of actual experiment. And being 
noAv in a situation free from any intere.st in the 
culture of Irish Potatoes — only so far as eating 
is concerned — my' testimony' may' be confided in. 
L. Garrett. 
^ Lid. 
Potatoes. — M. Bellamy' Aubert, of France, 
states, as the result of experiments conimired 
duriog three sea.sons, that abundant crops oilpc- 
tatoes may be groAvn in poor clayey soils, by 
simply strev.'ing the sets plentifully Avith rye'- 
chaft' previous to coA'cring them with earth at 
planting. 
Professor VoeUrer, of Erfwet, coA'ers his po- 
tatoe sets v.'ith a lay'er of tarmer’s spent bark, 
tAvo or three inches thick, before turning a fur- 
roAV over thenr. He says he thus provides :l 
• loose spungy' bed for the y'oung tubers, prevents 
AA'eeds from springing up and growing in imme- 
diate contact Avith the plants, and secures an 
abundant supply of moistrue during the season, 
if but one soaking rain occm- after planting — as 
the spent bark, coA'ered by' the surface soil, will 
retain Avater during the most protracted dr ought. 
AIode of increasing the Ghoavth of Pota- 
toes. — The flo Avers being cut off as they appear- 
ed on the plants, the number of potatoes jfroduc- 
ed Avas much greater than where the blo;’soms 
had rernairred untouched. Early in Octoter, the 
stems and leaA'es of the plant Avhich had not bore 
floAA ers were .strong and green; the others y'elloAv 
and iir a state of decay. The plants AA'hich had 
been stripped of fioAvers prodrreed (oir the sanre 
space of grormd) about four times the Aveight of 
large potatoes, very' fcAv .small ones beiirg found. 
Those on AA'hich the floAA'ers and fruit Avere left, 
produced but a .small number of middle sized 
potatoes Avith a great number of little ones, from 
the size of a common filbert to that of a walnut. 
{Farmers G.izetle. 
SMUT IN ^V^EAT. 
Orre word re.specting snrut in AA'heat. When 
I Avas fir-st acquainted AA'itlr this corrnti’A', being a 
boy, the Avheat raised here Avas all smutty', so 
much so that it required to be Avashed belore it 
was fit to use. I'lie first y'ear we sowed the 
AA'heat procured in the neighborhood, wliich Avas 
smutty'. The next season some for seed was 
procured from a distance, clean of smut; this 
wheat wasAvashed clean. jandAA'hile Avet, as much 
good ashes AA'as mixed Avith it as Avould stick to 
the AA'heat, and soAvn immediately'. The crop 
was clean of smut, and for more than twelve 
years in succession we practised the same Avay 
on the far-m. We procmed wheat clean of smut, 
washed and ashed the seed, and dining tire 
AA'hole time never raised a crop of smutty' Avheat. 
I haA'e more than once sown beside my neigh- 
bor’s lot, nothing but a fence dividing u? — he 
sowed his AA'heat diy and I as I have stated — his 
AA'as A’'ery' smutty', mine quite clean. All this 
time winter Avheat was soaa'ii and occasionally' 
spring wheat; and to this time, Avhich is more 
than sixty years, I neA'er have raised a crop of 
smutty' wheat, Avhen I observ'ed the above rule; 
or procui’ed wheat clean of smut, ashed, <!fec. — 
Once I had some spiing wheat somewhat smut- 
ty'; and it was from smutty seed. For a number 
of y'ears of the time I speak of, there Avas no 
lime in the country', otheiwise lime AA'Ould haA'e 
been used in.stead of ashes, as we haA'e done 
since Hme has become plenty. 
A Claremont Farmer. 
Ajnerican Fanner. 
Cholic in Horses. — I was told lately' by' a 
gentleman of Prince George county', that a tea- 
cup full of spirits of turpentine would giA'e in- 
stant relief to horses laboring imder this disorder. 
He added, that on one occasion, all the o.ren of 
two of his carts were hoven — that is, as y'ou 
know, suddenly' SAvollen by' the generation of gas 
in the stomach, from eating green food. The 
OA'erseer expected all would die, when our infor- 
mant ordered a tea-cup full of spirits of turpen- 
tine, diffused in oil, to be giv'en to each. The 
relief was in eA'ery' case instantaneous and effec- 
