THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1843. 
TO SUBsCRIBEKS. 
are frequently requested, by subscribers, 
to send them receipts for their subscription mo- 
ney. This is umiecessary, for we adliere strict- 
ly and rigidly to the cash syste.m, and when the 
paper is sent it is conclusive evidence that it has 
i)een paid for. 
The delay occasioned in getting out our 
lirst number, has induced us to make an effort to 
issue t.he ‘-Cultivat jr” rveekly until we make up 
for tlie lost time, so as to make our volume end 
Avith the year, which is the most convenient sea- 
son .for subscribers to renew their subscriptions. 
Wlien Ave haA'e caught up, our issue aatU be re- 
gular eA'erj' other Wednesday. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
We must reneAV our entreaty to our friends to 
give us their vieAvs on all subjects pertaining to 
the business and system of agriculture. We 
are fully aAvare that many practical farmers, 
Avho are not in the habit of committing their 
A'ieAys to AATitiirg, are in the possession of many 
Amluable facts, the results of long experience, 
Avhich if given to the public through the medi- 
um of the “Southern Cultivator,” could not fail 
to be highly beneficial to the cause of agricul- 
ture, and we sincerely hope they will be prevail- 
ed on to furnish them for publication. 
BOMMER’S PROCESS OF MAKING MANURE. ’ 
In obedience to the wish of an esteemed friend, 
we have transferred to our columns all the in- 
formation Ave haA'e been able to procure in refer- 
ence to this important subject — Avhich, Ave con- 
fess, is by no means satisfactoiy. This arises 
from the fact, that Mr. Bommer has obtained, 
from the government, a patent for his proce.ss, 
the secret of AA'liich is consequently Avith him- 
self, and Avill be communicated alone to those 
Avho pay for the information. The faA'or with 
which it has been receiA'ed by the committee, 
whose report avlH be found in this number, Avill 
certainly induce many planters to make the ex- 
periment, the result of w-hich, Avhen obtained, 
AA'e shall take the earliest occasion to lay before 
our readers. 
IRISH POTATOES. 
The great A'alue of this vegetable has induced 
us to present to the reader, in this number, the 
sugge.stions of several practical men upon the 
system of culture, as well as the best species of 
potatoe, w'hich Ave commend to the consideration 
of all those Avho, like ourselves, feel that it is 
rather humiliating for us to import from the 
North and abroad such a large proportion of our 
consumption. The impression that the pofatoe 
deteriorates in our climate after a feAt' years, is, 
to a certain extent true; neveithele.ss our cli- 
mate and soil are capable of producing a much 
better article than is generally found on our ta- 
bles of home production, if the most approA'ed 
.system of culture be adopted. 
COTTON CULTURE. 
Cotton planters are referred to the extract of 
the letter of Dr. Cloud, of Alabama, to the edi_ 
tor of the Albany Cultivator, on the subject of 
improving the culture of cotton. The writer 
assumes to speak from a practical experience of 
his system, and Ave hope that many of our cotton 
groAvers Avill test the experiment, to a greater or 
less extent, this season, as it is not yet too late. 
Many may cultivate one acre, and others can 
make a trial on a half or cA'en a quarter of an 
acre of land, situate in a cotton field, Avhich Avill 
satisfactorily test it as compared with the usual 
mode of culture. It is true the experiment of 
Dr. C. was made in a climate and soil, both bet- 
ter adapted to the culture of cotton than many 
portions ol Georgia, yet if we can succeed in 
producing half the amount suggested by him, 
which to us seems rather extraAmgant, it will be 
a veiy important improvement, and Avorthy the 
consideration of eveiy cotton planter, Avho by 
his present S3'stem of culture is impoA'erishing 
rather than improving his lands. 
Messrs. Editors — We think it can be clearly 
slioAvn, that labor can be more profitably employ- 
ed, at present, in the improvement of the . 5 oil 
than in the cultivation of our great Southern 
staple. And by Avay of illustration, Ave wMl 
haA^e to assume abasis, thatfom’hundi’edpoimds 
of cotton, or ten bushels of com, is a fair aA'e- 
rage per acre for all the lands in middle Georgia; 
and the value of field labor is about fifteen cents 
a day, which is rather above the trae value; and 
further, that land w^hich Avill produce the amount 
above specified, is worth fiA'e dollars per acre.— 
Noav we hold it tme, that if an acre of land 
which produces, in the ordinaiy wmy of cultiva- 
tion, five hundred pounds of cotton, or ten bush- 
els of corn, is worth five dollars, an acre of land 
Avliich will produce one thousand pounds of cot- 
ton, or thiity bushels of corn, would be A\mrth 
filleen dollars. W e now propose to show, from 
the positions taken above, that by expending 
three dollars and ninety cents on an acre of com- 
mon land worth fiA'e dollars, w'e have increased 
the value to fifteen dollars — thus realizing a clear 
profit, in the increased value of the land, of six 
dollars and ten cents, from a month’s labor be- 
stoAA'ed upon improvements, wliich is nearly one 
hundred per cent aboA'e the value of labor em- 
ployed upon our farms in cotton culture. And 
that this AA'ill be the rasult, is clearly shoAim 
wherever the matter has been fairly tested. 
But I think I have placed too Ioav an estimate 
upon the production of an acre that has received 
a month’s labor in improving; and in favorable 
years Ave should expect fifteen hundred pounds 
of cotton or forty bushels of corn. If these con- 
clusions are correct, I think I have clearly de- 
monstrated that labor emploj'ed in increasing 
the A'alue of land, can be nearly doubly as profi- 
tably employed as in the groAA^ing of cotton. I 
know I have long established prejudices to com- 
bat, and plans that have grown old to contend 
with. Most of our planters say the thing is im- 
possible; they have tried, and a complete failure 
has been the result. We think AA'-e know how 
the experiment has been made, and AA’-hy there 
has been a failure: they haA^e employed one hand 
and a team for six days in the three hundred 
and sixty-five in hauling manui’e, which, from 
exposure to the Aveather, had lost most of its 
valuable qualities; and this six days’ labor was 
directed to a field of sixty acres. No A'vonder 
that Avliat had been done Avould as Acell have 
been left undone. But thi.s is not my plan. Be- 
stOAV a month’s labor on an acie in manuriLv, 
and if results even greater than tLo.^.c of my e- - 
timates are not leiuizeJ., i shail in futui’e cea^ .- 
to he a proj.'het. 
In no instance AA'here the experiment Las been 
tried, has them yet been a laiiiue; but lesuus 
far aboA'e my estimates have been fully realized. 
We bear of more than fiA'e thousand pcimds of 
cotton groAA'n from an acre, and one hundred 
bu.shels of com; and I haA’e no doubt, if there 
wa..s a premium ofieied for the greatest pi octucc 
per acre, either in cotuea or coin, tliar manv 
acres in Putnam countA' Avould groAA' oA'er tAi'o 
thousand pounds of coilon, or tilt}' laishebs of 
corn, AA'here noAV not moie than une-fbuith is 
produced. But as no premiums are ofi'eicd, I 
challenge any plamter in Putnam county upon 
one acre of common upland to be gi’OAAm in cot- 
ton the present year, to be submitted to the test 
of examination and admeasurement. 
Agricola. 
Clopton’s Mills, February 14, 1843. 
Southern Recorder. 
Morganfield, Union County, Ka'., \ 
January 9, 1^3, J 
To the editor of the Lmasville Journal. 
Gentlemen: — Some time last Avinter, a num- 
ber of fanners of this county, in the neighbor- 
hood of Mr. Milton Young, formed a societ)' for 
the promotion of the farming interest, under the 
style of the “Union County Prize Association.” 
One. of the objects of this association was to test 
the fattening qualities of their hogs, and on the 
19th of February, 1842, twelve of the members 
of the association met and agieed that each one 
of them should put up a pig, and the one Avho 
could make his pig gain the most flesh from that 
time until the 9th day of January, 1843, was to 
be entitled to the whole number put up. They 
accordingly -v.-ent round to each of their respec- 
tive houses on that day, Aveighed and put up their 
pigs. 
Pursuant to the regitlations of the association, 
the pigs (or as I may noAv term them, hogs,) 
were all slaughtered at 10 o’clock this morning 
and taken to Mr. Milton Young’s, the place de-. 
signaled by rule of the association, and Aveighed 
at 12 o’clock by Mr. Aaron WaUer, Leonard 
Clements and myself; and, bj' request of the as- 
sociation, I herewith transmit to j'ou, for publi- 
cation in your valuable paper, a statement show- 
ing the weight of each pig Avhen put up, as Avell 
as the weight and ages of each Avhen slaughtered. 
Some of the members weighed their pigs for 
tAvo or three months, at the end of each month, 
and it is to be regretted that this course had not 
been kept up throughout the time of feeding. I 
Avas informed that one of the pigs, during the 
time, gained in one month, AA'hen only about 
three months old, 98§ pounds. 
Jonathan R. Hughes’ and A. G. Ray’s were 
by W. G. Hughes’ Irish grazier and Berkshire 
boar, out of a sow of the common wood’s stock. 
Milton Young’s was by Grant Blackwell’s Irish 
grazier and Berkshire boar, out of a sow of the 
common wood’s stock; all the others were of the 
common Avood’s stock. 
Thorny J. Robb’s, (prize) weighed AV'hen put 
up, 19th I^bruary, 1842, 32 lbs.; Aveighed when 
slaughtered, 9th Januaiy, 1843, 499 lbs.; age 
Avhen slaughtered, 1 year and 17 days; nett gain 
in 320 days, 467 lbs. 
Jonathan R. Hughes’ AA'eighed when put up, 
19th February, 1^2, 19 lbs.; Aveighed AA'hen 
slaughtered, 9th Januaiy, 1843, 433^ lbs.; age 
Avhen slaughtered, 1 year and 23 days; nett gain 
in 320 days, 4l4j lbs. 
Milton Young’s weighed when put up, 19th 
February, 1842, 17 lbs.; Aveighed when slaugh- 
tered, 9th January, 1843, 432j lbs.; age AA’hen 
slaughtered, 1 year and 1 day; nett gain in 320 
days, 415J lbs. 
William McKinny’s weighed when put up, 
19th February, 1842, 24 J lbs.; weighed when 
slaughtered, 9th January, 1843, 423i lbs.; age 
