THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
91 
should be set ia brick work so that the fire shall 
only come in contact with the bottom. 
The expressed juice of the maize, like that of 
the cane, is impure when it comes from the mill, 
as a portion of the solid parts of the stalk neces- 
sarily .nixes with the liquor in the operation of 
obtaining it, and these must be separated in or- 
der to en ure good results. The object of using 
lime i.s to effect that purpose and to neutralize 
the acid the juice is supposed to contain. 
And here I will express an opinion that I 
have foi med in part from observation, and that 
is, that if the expressed juice is suffered to stand 
a certain time in a large open vessel, after it 
comes from the mill, the heavier parts of the fe- 
culencies will fall to the bottom, and the lighter 
wilt float on the surface, and when the liquor is 
drawn of!', it will be nearly free from impurities. 
Should this prove to be the case, a great object 
will be gained with little trouble; the only thing 
that can prevent success in this mode ol treating 
the liquor, will be the commencement of fer- 
mentation —this I think will not occur in our 
climate, at the season we should make sugar. — 
Towards the latter part of my operations, I 
adopted the course above mentioned with my 
syrup; what I boiled into syrup in one day, I let 
stand to settle till the next before being made 
into sugar at all. 
As to the method of planting corn for this 
purpo.se, I have not much experience. The 
small patch I planted last year was done late, 
so that it did not come to maturity; but I intend 
to plant some this year and have the rows about 
three ieet apart, and drop the corn in drills from 
one to two inches apart. 
And now, Mr. Editor, I must take the liberty 
to urge 3mu to call the attention ol your readers 
to this important matter as planting time is ap- 
praaching, and there ought to be thousands of 
acres devoted to this culture this spring. 
Yours, &C., S. BALDWIN. 
Cattle and horses readily eat the refuse of the 
mill. By permitting it to cure and adding a lit- 
tle salt to the heap, it makes first rate winter 
fodder. Nothing, either of leaves, tassel or 
stalk is lost. All is saved. 
NUTRITIVE PROPERTIES OF DIFFERENT CROPS. 
Our e.stimate of the nutritive value of differ- 
ent kinds of food is generally of a very vague 
and indefinite character; the ordinary farmer 
can estimate the effect of different supplies only 
by long and close observation; and indeed the 
health and growth of his stock is liable to be 
effected by so many causes, over and above the 
food they eat, that the result of his observations, 
even when closely made, maybe far from satis- 
factory. It would be a great thing then, if by 
chemical analysis we could discover exactly the 
properties of different kinds of food; in produc- 
ing for market, no such investigation is requir- 
ed, the best test of a saleable product being its 
market price; but a farmer wants to know wheth- 
er to cudivate an acre of land in potatoes, or 
carrots, or sugar beets, or whether old-fashioned 
Indian com is not more profitable than any of 
them. He can calculate the expense of culti- 
vation of each; he can estimate the quantity of 
product in each, and if he could ascertain the 
comparative nutriment of each, he could at once 
draw a thorough comparison between them. — 
Vegetable substances, it has been long known, 
consist, invariably, of certain constituents, as 
gluten, albumen, gum, starch, water, salts, &c. 
in different proportions. Some of these princi- 
ples are known to be more, and some less, use- 
ful in suppljnng the animal economy: the glu- 
ten, albumen, &c. it is said are converted by the 
vital functions into flesh, whilst the gum, starch, 
sugar, &c. are only u.seful in creating fat. It 
would seem then, that we would have only to 
-ascertain the proportions of each constituent in 
a given substance, which chemical analysis will 
always do, to tell exactly for what purpose it is 
adapted. Accordingly, scientific men, from time 
to time, have endeavored to obtain this estimate 
by analysis: but unfortunately not always with 
the same results. Indeed, we presume, that the 
constituents of a vegetable will vary, to a cer- 
tain extent, with the climate and soil in which 
it is raised, and we presume too, that these con- 
stituents may, in a measure, be differently ap- 
propriated by the digestive organs of different 
animals. Moreover, so intricate and complex 
is the chemical action of compound substances, 
e.specially when subjected to vital action, that 
nothing can be predicted without an exact know- 
ledge of all the constituents present in any given 
case. Although the.se circumstances, unfortu- 
nately, render the deductions from chemical an- 
alysis even more uncertain than those drawn 
from common observation, yet the use of both 
methods may lead to more certainty than could 
be obtained from the sole application of either. 
We give to our readers, therefore, the latest es- 
timates of the celebrated French chemist, Bous- 
singault, on some important points. He found 
that the nutrative properties of 
100 bus. beans was equal to 120 bus 
yellow peas. 
100 “ 
“ “ 191 “ 
wheat. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 200 “ 
rye. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 232 “ 
barley. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 240 “ 
Indian corn. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 1096 “ 
potatoes. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 1361 “ 
caiTots. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 1446 “ 
cabbage. 
100 “ “ 
“ “ 2333 “ 
turneps. 
Dr. Dana, of Massachusetts, has also lately 
made a comparative analj’sis of corn, ruta baga, 
and potatoes, from which he has deduced the 
following table: 
100 lbs of Corn. Ruta Baga. Potatoes. 
fresh dug. fresh dug. 
Contain of flesh form- 
ing principles; glut- 
en, albumen, &c. 1.26 
Fat forming principles; 
gum, starch, sugar, 
woody fibre, oil, &c. 83.43 
Water, 9. 
Salts, 1.31 
1, 2.07 
13. 24.34 
85. 72. 
1. 1.39 
For the growth of animals and the formation 
of flesh, it will be seen, that Dr. Dana places a 
very low estimate upon Indian corn; whilst he 
esteems it very highly for the formation of fat. 
Without drawing this distinction between fat 
and flesh, Boussingault estimates its nutritive 
properties infinitely above both potatoes and 
turneps . — Southern Planter. 
CHARCOAL AS A MANURE. 
I have had some experience in the use of char- 
coal as a manure, and fully concur with Mr. 
Hepburn in its being a valuable and durable 
manure; but whether it might not require so 
great a quantity of coal in order to increase the 
productiveness of the soil as to make it expen- 
sive, I have my doubts; but I am fully of the 
opinion that the coal dust left on the coal beds 
(or hearths, as Hepburn calls them,) and the 
dust or fine coal which may be found in large 
quantities about iron manufacturing establish- 
ments, and all places where there is dealing in 
coal, may be applied to profit as a manure. — 
The farm which 1 occupy was mostly cleared 
by coaling the timber, consequently these beds 
are numerous, and fourteen years 1 have tilled 
one or more fields, where there were more or 
less of those beds, and such places have never 
failed to produce as large crops as I could wish. 
These beds in consequence of the large quanti- 
ties of fine coal left on the ground, and the dry- 
ness of the earth, produced by the fire or some 
other cause unknowm to me, will not produce 
anything for several years, unless it is carted 
away; therefore in order to obtain a crop on any 
such places, and benefit other lands by the ap 
plication of the du.st and fine coal, carting be- 
comes necessary. I applied two loads this sea- 
son from a bed made last fall, and I think from 
the large growth of wheat straw produced w'here 
it was applied, and the present appearance of 
the gra.ss, it is worth two-thirds as much as good 
stable manure. I have never suffered by the 
depredations of the com- worm, wheie coal dust 
has been applied thoroughly as a manure, and 
as for its durability, there is no question; for, in 
my cornfield this year, there is one ol those beds 
^hat was made twenty four years ago, and it has 
been either in grain or grass ever since. And 
did the rest of the field look as promising, I 
should be assured it would yield ninety or a 
hundred bushels per acre. 1 intend appl^’ing 
this dust thoroughly to my garden this fall, and 
if I thereby increase its productiveness, and de- 
stroy the habitations of worms, and other in- 
sects, that prey upon vegetation, I think I shall 
ba amply repaid for the outlay. 
LEWLS EAMES. 
Central N. Y. Farmer. 
TANNERS’ BARK. 
Mr. Editor — I wish to inquii’e whether tan- 
ner’s bark can be used as a manure? By favor- 
ing me with a speedy answer you will oblige, 
Your’s sicerely, cortex. 
W , March 10, 1843. 
Reply. — Bark fresh from the tan pit will de- 
stroy vegetation as readily as salt. Il hauled 
into the cow 3'ards, however, and suffered to re- 
main a year or so, it will become valuable ma- 
nure, and may be applied advantageously to 
soils ol almost every kind. It operates me- 
chanically, and is beneficial on lands naturally 
wet and viscid, and in which there is a supera- 
bundance or excess of clay . — Maine Cullivaior. 
Tan may be used fre.sh from the pit, if used 
sparingl3', without doing any injury; ii used in 
excess, it will, like salt, destroy vegetation. In 
moderation both are excellent manures. As an 
amender of a stiff clay soil, w’e know’ of nothing 
better than tanner’s bark: when spread over cow 
3'ards or pig pens it is invaluable as an absorb- 
ent, and w’hen, alter a single season, it becomes 
mixed with the other substances it forms an ex- 
cellent manure: when mixed in the Ibllowing 
proportions, 200 bushels tanner’s bark, 20 ot 
lime and 50 of ashes, and suffered to remain a 
month or so in the heap, the mixture, after be- 
ing turned over and thoroughly incorporated 
foi ms as good a manure as any farmer need de- 
sire to put on an acre ol ground. — Am. Farmer. 
Economy in feeding Cattle. — Our worthy 
neighbor and ancient citizen, Mr. Jas. Boat- 
wright, w’hose active mind scorns the repose so 
congenial to his advanced age, after a life of in- 
dustry and usefulness, still hnds pleasure in tax- 
ing his mechanical powders in order to be useful. 
He has recently invented, and has now in ope- 
ration, one of the most complete and simple 
machines for grinding corn, either in the cob lor 
feeding cattle, or for meal or grist, that w’e have 
ever witnessed in operation. The mill is form- 
ed with two common granite stones in an up- 
wuight position on a gudgeon connected with a 
wheel, to which is applied the power of a four 
horse steam engine that was formerly provided 
and is still used in his cotton gin manufactory 
for turning, and he is enabled to grind one hun- 
dred bushels of corn per da3’ with the labor of 
one man to feed it! The whole is fitted up in 
the cellar of his gin shop. The corn and cob 
are both ground up together, and makes most 
nutricious food for cattle. By this process a 
saving of at least one third is made in the feed- 
ing of cattle. It is said to be superior to peas, 
and can be purchased at the mill lor 37| cents 
per bushel. Attached to the machinery is also 
another pair of stones which turns out as beau- 
tiful meal as we desire to use. Our fellow citi- 
zens will do well to avail themselves of the op- 
portunity of purchasing this cheap food for hor- 
ses and cows and corn meal for table use. 
Columbia (S. C.) Chronicle. 
• Substitute for Cream. — Beat up the whole 
of a fresh egg in a basin and then pour boiling 
tea over it gradually to prevent its curdling. In 
flavor and richness this preparation closely re- 
sembles cream . — Southern Planter. 
Salt your Cows. — All cattle need more salt 
when they are first turned to grass than after- 
wards. Let them have access to it twice a week 
in May and June. 
