THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
71 
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1843. 
Back Numbers. — All new subscribers to the 
“Southern Cultivator” can be supplied with the 
back numbers. 
SPLENDID UEKKSIIIKES. 
Within the last lew days we hav'e enjoyed the 
pleasure of looking upon the finest specimens 
of the Berkshire hog that we have ever seen, 
and we doubt not the finest ever introduced into 
the Southern States. They are a recent im- 
portation, eight in number, of our enterprising 
fellow citizen. Col. John Bo.nner, of Green 
county, who has so deservedly distinguished 
himself as a breeder and raiser of fine hogs at 
the South. Two ol them, Ontario and Lady 
Huttleslon, decidedly the best specimens of the 
hog we ever saw, were imported Irom England 
by the Messrs. Brentnall, of New Yor4, and 
were bred by that celebrated English stock rai- 
ser, SiDAY Hawes. The other six, one m 
which is a male, were bred in America, and for 
high form and fine symmetry are truly models- 
Col. Bonner deserves much at the hands of his 
brother planters in Georgia, tor the zeal and en- 
terprise he has manilestcd in the improvement 
of our stock of hogs, and we sincerely hope, 
and we doubt not, he will reap a reward com- 
mensurate with his merits. Those who desire 
to avail themselves of an opportunity to im- 
prove their stock, can obtain pigs from Col. B. 
at twenty dollars a pair. Address John Bon- 
ner, White Plains, Green county, Georgia. 
COTTON SEED FOR COWS. 
The Planter notices our remarks on the sub- 
ject of boiled cotton seed as a food for milch 
cows, and makes the following comments, 
which appear very judicious: 
Cotton Seed for Cows.— The last Southern 
Cultivator recommends boiled cotton seed as an 
excellent article ol food for milch cows. They 
certainly produce thicker cream, and a greater 
amount of butter; but we would respectfully 
suggest to our neighbor, that they will not do 
alone. They impart an unpleasant flavor to 
the milk, and give the butter a tallowy texture 
and taste. If, however, one third for even one 
half) cotton seed, with two thirds oi com meal 
or pet^, are fed to milch cows, they produce 
very rich milk and butter, and impart no unplea- 
sant flavor. In addition to the unpleasant fla- 
t or ol the milk, when cotton seed alone are us- 
ed, we think they tend to impair the health of 
cows. It is well known that cotton seed con- 
tain a verj' large quantity of oil, (and it is this 
constituent that makes the cream so rich,) which 
though wholesome and nutritious in moderate 
quantities, renders the cotton seed an unsafe 
food to be used alone, in large quantities, and 
for a length of time. If used alone, the food 
should be changed frequently. In the propor- 
tions we have mentioned, however, no better 
winter food for cows can be obtained. 
We think every planter wottld do well to pre- 
serve a hundred or two bushels from the weath- 
er every fall; but never feed them in the raw 
state. 
CLUING SWEET POTATOES. 
The subjoined correspondence has been sent 
us, to which we give place with pleasure, with 
the hope that it will lead to some valuable sug- 
gestions through our columns. We would, 
therefore, thank those of our planters who have 
been successful in saving their potatoes, during 
the winter, to give us their plan, in detail, that 
we may lay it belore the readers of the South- 
ern Cultivator. 
Eatonton, Ga., April 8, 18-43. 
Dear Sir — Having accidentally seen an ar- 
ticle in the Southern Miscelltiny, of yours, in re- 
gard to raising Sweet Potatoes, and which ap- 
pears to be much approved of by my neighbors, 
I would be greatly obliged to you, and lake it 
as a particular favor, (il convenient,) to give 
me your mtxie of putting them in the ground; 
to preserve them from rotting; the mode of hill- 
ing them; what is best to be used for the pur- 
pose? whether of straw, shucks, corn stalks, 
&c. &c. 
I was so taken up with the article, that I de- 
termined to give you a few lines on the subject, 
lor information to myself and neighbors; for 
they all admire your plan, and intend to follow 
it, they say, to the verj' letter, and you may be 
sure that I shall do so, as I am now just laying 
off my ground lor the very purpose. Please 
answer this as soon as convenient after its re- 
ceipt, and pardon me for the liberty which I 
take with you, fi r troubling you with this com- 
munication. Any other information on the sub- 
ject will be gratefully received. 
Very respectfully, &c. 
J. S. Penniman. 
Mr. W. McKinley. 
Lexington, April 14, 1843. 
Mr. Penniman — Yours of 8th instant was 
duly received. I am sorry to say that I have 
not been over-lucky in keeping potatoes; not half 
'so much so as in making them. Last fall I was 
very unlucky, as I was caught by the hard 
freeze about ihe 20th of November. The year 
belore I kept them very well, without any po- 
tato-house or scaflbld, in the open air, covered 
moderatelv w'ith broomstraw and earth. They 
kept soundly all winter. In November, I was 
careful to let Ihe piles remain naked, (except in 
frosty nights,) for about ten days, so as to air or 
diy. You have doubtless noticed that a big po- 
tato will shrink much, in a few- days, if left ly- 
ing about a house. This shrinking is cau.sed 
by evaporation of its juices, and in case of a 
large bank is very useful, as it lessens heat and 
sweating. I have no doubt of the constant pro- 
priety of this airing or drying of the heaps, 
when the potatoes are to be kept, as is usual, 
above ground, and I have observed that some 
of the inhabitants of the lower country contin- 
ue this exposure a long time. I remember that 
one man, a good potato-grower, in Decatur 
county, once showed me his banks in this naked 
state so late as Christmas, with nothing over 
them but a little pine straw— no earth at all. 
But if I mistake not, abetter way than all, is 
to keep the potatoes under ground, with earth 
laigely mixed among them. This is the natu- 
ral way. Irish potatoes keep so finely. And it 
seems to me, all we have to do, is just to cover 
them dee]) enough to keep them bcUncthe freeze. 
Last April I saw potatoes jiloughed up as sound 
and good as in Octolier, and I intend to tiy' thi.s 
inoele next winter. But this, at present, is 
theory. 
A correct answer to your enquiry is very im- 
portant to the up countr)’, as immense loss is 
yearly sutfered by the ma.ss of people not know'- 
ing how to preserve this great article of food; 
and to secure fuller information, I will send 
your letter to the editors of the Southern Culti- 
vator, who will, no doubt, call for information 
on the subject from their readers. 
I am glad to learn that you and some of your 
neighbors will plant in the way described in my 
^etter to the Southern Cultivator, which you saw 
in the Southern Miscellany. I doubt not you 
will double your crop. Yours, &c. 
W. McKinley. 
SOAP MAKING. 
Much difficulty is ofien experienced by those 
who manufacture their own soap; frequently in- 
deed the operation succeeds well, but sometimes 
it totally fails from unknown causes. Often 
w'hen every precaution has been aiiparently ta- 
ken, complete failure has been the consequence; 
and the time is not long past, when some have 
even declared that they believed their soap was 
bewitched. But if the rationale on which the 
process is founded, is but understood, the whole 
becomes simple and easy, and may be perform- 
ed with absolute certainty ol success. 
Common soft soap is composed of oil (or fat) 
and potash. The potash Is obtained from com- 
mon wood ashes, by causing water to run thro’ 
it, which dissolves the jiolash contained in the 
ashes, and leaves the residue behind. The man- 
ner by which the oil or grease is obtained is 
well known. These are made to unite and form 
soap by being boiled and w’ell stirred together. 
One of the first requisites in soap making w 
that there should be a sufficient quantity of pot- 
ash dissolved in the water, or in other words, 
that the ley should be strong: this is readily as- 
certained by an egg; if the egg floats the ley is 
sufficiently strong, if it sinks, it is too weak, 
and must be increased in strength by evaporat- 
ing a part of the water by boiling, or by passing 
it again through ashes. 
But it not unfrequenily happen-sthal the ley it 
found by irial to be too strong, and yet good soap 
cannot be produced. This is almo.st al vays 
owing to the potash of the ley not being caustic, 
or capable of corroding the skin, which state is 
absolutely requisite to success. Potash in its 
uresi state is highly caustic; but when a.‘-he.s 
ave been for some time exposed to the air, they 
gradually absorb from it a portion of the pecu- 
liar kind of air, existing in small proportion in 
if, known by the name of carbonic achd, which 
destroys the caustic properties of the potash and 
renders it unfit for the manufacture of -soap.— 
Now, as quick lime has a stronger attraction 
for carbonic acid than potash has, it is only nc- 
ce.s,sary to place a quantity of lime, in the pro- 
portion of half a bushel of lime for a hogshead 
of good ashes, in the bottom of the leech before 
filling it, and it will abstract the carbonic acid 
from the polash of the ley, as it passes down- 
ward, leaving it in a comparatively pure and 
caustic .state. In order to prevent failure, there- 
fore, thi.s should always be done. In order to 
ascertain if ley contains carbonic acid, pour a 
few drops of sulphuric or nitric acid into a wine 
glas-s of the ley, when, if it contains much, a 
violent effervescence (or boiling up of bubbles) 
