THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
«a7 
134 
be -luy by the labors of his own divine hands. 
— B u independent of these hallowed associa- 
tio’^: , the garden and gardening possess many 
atti acfions for physical and intellectual man. It 
ten is to promote'bodily health, cheerfulness of 
mind, good morals, chastened afl’ections and re- 
fined taste, so that a farmer’s house without a 
■well cultivated garden, seems destitute of the 
most delightful appendage of the Christian’s 
Home; for among all the employments and 
erj. ’onents of the Farm, none creates and 
sti '-ngthens dome.stic attachments so much as 
thi ' -Ci>nn. Farmer's Gazette. 
VEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1843. 
Ba K Numbers. — All new' subscribers to the 
»‘So uhern Cultivator” can be supplied with the 
baelr numbers. 
|::|“Tne prevalence of the Influenza among 
the bands in our office, must excuse us to our 
patrons for the delay in issuing this number ol 
the ‘"Cultivator.” 
Errata. — In the communication ol Dr 
Cloud, in the “Southern C ultivator” of the 2d 
inst., two errors occurred which we deem it ne- 
cessary to correct, viz: — In the top line of the 
3d column, after the word '■'■accomplished" the 
point should be a comma or dash, instead of a 
period. In the 5th line from the bottom in the 
postscript, read "attun d" ior "attained.” 
A FINE BERKSHIRE PIG. 
Tae subjoined letter Irom our friend Colonel 
John. Bonner, is sufficiently explicit, and we 
merely give it a place to make a suitable ac- 
knowledgement lor his courtesy, and to thank 
him most sincerely for the pig, which it describes 
most graphically. He reached his destination 
safely, and, we beg leave to assure our friend, 
answers our highest expectations of the produce 
of “Ontario” and “Lady Huttleson,” both of 
whom w’e saw on their passage through this 
city. And as a mark of respect to our friend, 
as well as our anxiety to possess a superior 
Berkshire from stock so approved, every possi- 
ble attention shall be bestow'ed on him, to make 
him all that his distinguished parentage will 
justify a hope for. 
White Plains, July 29, 18-43. 
Gentlemen — I have this day caged and sent 
you a fine Berkshire pig. He is now two 
months old, and I think will make a splendid 
hog, with good treatment. He has several white 
spots over and about his body, all four feet are 
white, a small white tip on the end of the tail. — 
His face is entirely white, with the exception of 
a small black spot about the size of a cent 
piece in the forehead, or a little below it. His 
ears are very erect, and the inside of them show 
some w'hite, more particularly the left one. 
I have been thus particular in describing him, 
least he might escape on the way. He is out 
of my imported sow “Lady Huttleson,” and by 
imported “Ontario” — both of which yuu saw as 
they passed through your city. He is not large 
for his age, attributable, no doubt, to many cau- 
ses: — Isi. The voyage to sea ol his ^dara so 
shortly before pigging; 2d. His dam produced 
fourteen pigs at that litter; 3d. fc he did not stand 
our climate well; and 4th. She gave but little 
suck for so many pigs. He is, however, a 
Berkshire, every inch of him, the opinion of “A 
Lover of Good Ham” to the contiary notwith- 
standing. 
I have no doubt but if he is well cared for, 
and not permitted to go to .sows at too early an 
age, that he will fully equal his sire in every re- 
spect. 
My stock are now doing w'ell, and I am sell- 
ing all the pigs 1 can raise. “Ontario” has im- 
proved greatly since his arrival, and, in my fee 
ble estimation, is decidedly the finest formed 
hog I ever saw. 
Hoping that the pig pre.sented you may ar- 
rive safe, and ultimately exceed your expecta- 
tions, is my greatest w'ish, and with my hearty 
thanks for your many favors, and a hope that 
your noble efforts to improve the agriculture of 
our country may meet its due reward, I remain, 
as ever, verj' truly yours, John Bonner. 
SOMMER’S MANURE. 
In reply to several gentlemen making enqui- 
ries as to the source whence information may 
be obtained as to this method of making ma- 
nure, we refer them to the advertisement of 
Messrs. Abbett &Co. of Baltimore, which we 
have transferred to our columns. We know ol 
no other agency in the Southern States, and pre- 
sume there is not another, as we have not seen 
a notice of any. We would, however, most 
respectfully suggest to Messrs. A. & Co. the 
propriety of establishing one in Georgia, for 
the accommoditioH of those ol our planters who 
desire to avail themselves of its advantages. — 
Some of our correspondents have propounded 
to us many enquiries with regard to the meth- 
od, as to its cost, whether a man who is not a 
chemist can use it, and what substances it will 
convert into manure, &c. &c., none of which 
can we answer as definitely as we should desire. 
We have no doubt however that the materials 
employed are cheap, and can be used by any 
man wffio can comprehend the plainest pre- 
scription, and we take it for granted it will con- 
vert all substances into manure which are mu- 
ally thus appropriated — even tan bark. In con- 
clusion, we must remark to our correspondents) 
that they can form as definite conclusions as to 
its merits as we can, if they have carefully read 
all the extracts we have copied into the “South- 
ern Cultivator,” for we have regarded it a sub- 
ject of vital importance, and have given them 
whatever information we could obtain from our 
exchange papers. 
We subjoin a letter from Messrs. Abbett & 
Co., in reply to the remarks of our correspon- 
dent “H.,” in which he alludes to Bommer’s 
method. Messrs. A. & Co. willpe.ceive on re- 
ference to the communication of “H.,” tha^ 
they have fallen into error as to his data — pro- 
bably they have been led into it by the typo- 
graphical error of the paper which copied the 
article from the “Southern Cultivator.” “H.” 
asserted that it would require “1500 to 1800 
gallons of water to every 1000 lbs. of straw,” 
and not 100 lbs. of straw as quoted by Messrs. 
A. & Co. This fact makes them approximate 
nearer in their views, but they are evidently ye^ 
far apart as to the quaniiiy of sv. . ly 
to be used in this process, 
BaLTI.MORE, A g U--. . j'-3. 
To the Editor of the Southern Cult:v..tor~~ 
Sir — ris the proprietors of the , dteh! eo. for 
the “Bommer Manure Method,” an lias 
been shown to us, copied from your j r.j in 
which a correspondent of yours, signing .,•> .. self 
“H.,” states ttiat “the methou requ :i- f.om 
1500 to 1800 gallons of water to ver j ms, 
ol straw.” 
As your correspondent evidently n i>.s a 
“right,” we think that it will be easy u on- 
vince him that in tnis respect he has ft: IS. . into 
error. 
In the first place he will acknowlcage that 
the great bulk of water wdiich is r.si d is et-in- 
ed in the heap; that great care is tak n to pre- 
vent loss either by filtration or evapor. lion; that 
if it is not retained in ihe form of water, the 
elements into which it is decompo.sed i ust still 
remain there in some otbei for. n, and ..hatever 
form these elements may assume, their aggre- 
gate w’eight will detect the amount of w„ter 
which the heap has absorbed and decomp -sed. 
Now we have the te.stimony of the York 
State Agricultural Society, that the stu.w under- 
going this process quadruples its weight, and 
a.?suraiiig w'ater to weigh about 8 lbs. to the 
gallon, (near enough for our [iresen* •'utpose,) 
we have some data upon w'hich to fouin- - n es- 
timate of the amount of water consume ' a the 
Bommer process. 
Thus 100 lbs. of straw produces 400 1 ub, IU3,“ 
nure, having increased in the process 300 lbs., 
which at 8 lbs. per gallon is equivalent to 37i 
gallons, which must be very near the amount 
absorbed. 
Our own opinion is, that the straw more than 
quadruples its weight, but that it cannot quintu- 
ple it /V'rrni toaler, is evidenced by the fact that 
the utmost absorbent capacity of 100 lbs straw 
in water is 43 gallons 3 quarts, which your cor- 
respondent will find by actual experiment. 
Very respectfully your ob’t. serv’'ls. 
Abbett & Co. 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
It is a source of no ordinary gratification to 
us to witness the spirit which seems about to be 
aroused throughout the eouatry on the subject 
of Agricultural Societies. It augurs well for 
the cause of improvement in this important 
branch of industry, and foretells with unerring 
truth the future prosperity of our country and 
its whole people. 
The following proceedings at Eufaula, Bar- 
bour county, Ala., speak a language not to be 
mistaken, and exhibit a most laudable spirit in 
that young and prosperous country. Read, 
then, Georgians, and profit by the worthy exam- 
ple of your neighbors and brethren. 
The Barbour County Agricultural Society 
met by order of a call from the President, at 
Eufaula, on 1st July, Maj. Snipes in the chair. 
The object of the meeting was succinctly 
stated by Col. McDonald. 
On motion of Col. Cochran, the following re- 
solutions were adopted: 
Resolved, That the Society accede to the pro- 
ceedings of a meeting held at Glennville, on 
the day of , 1843, and cordially receive 
the members there added into the Society, and 
agree to have the meetings of the Society alter- 
nately at Eufaula and Glennville; and to the 
change then made in the time and place of hoId» 
ing the next meeting. 
Resolved, That the Executive Committee of 
this Society be, and it is hereby, instructed to 
proceed to adopt proper means to have an Ag- 
ricultural Fair some time during the ensuing 
fall, and report at the next meeting, to be held 
at Glennville on the 4th Saturday in the present 
month. 
Resolved, That the Socisty look forward wdth 
