THE S CULTIVATOR. 
167 
pen manure. Cotlon seed is sard to be still bet- 
ter. The winter rains passing through thi.s coat 
of manure, carries much of its feitilizing proper- 
ties down to the roots of the asparagus, while at 
the same time, it protects the bed in a great de- 
gree from cold, and thus tends to hasten forward 
the shoots in the Spring. Early in the Spring, 
this coat of manure should be caretully scraped 
oft, and salt sown freely over the bed, .say a half 
busnel totliirtv feet square. 
We have tried this method two years, an ! c.an 
spe.ak coi.fidenflv of its results. — Co. Plnnlrr. 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1843. 
Back Numbers. — All new subscribers to the 
'Southern Cultivator” can be supplied with the 
back numbers. 
AGRICULUTURAL FAIR. 
With the hope that it may excite among 
Southern planters a spirit ot emulation, we 
have transferred to our columns an account ol 
the great State Agricultural Fair of New York, 
which we commend to the attention ot our read- 
ers. We should have been pleased to have 
given some of the speeches of the distinguished 
guests, but our limits will not permit, and we 
must, therefore, forego that pleasure. 
We have Irom, time to time, briefly urged 
upon the consideration of our readers, the im- 
portance of Agricultural Societies, and the im- 
mense benefits which they confer upon the 
country, both in the improvement of the system 
of agriculture, and the consequent increased 
production of labor, but we know not that we 
could enforce these truths by any argument so 
powerful, as the spirited sketch which we copy 
of this fair. That improvements in agriculture, 
like every other department of trade or business, 
can be advanced more rapidly by an association 
of men, uniting and concentrating the force and 
power ol their intellects and experience to the 
attainment of the great end, it seems to our 
mind, is a truth so palpable as not to require 
argument. It is, therefore, strange, passing 
strange, to us, that while men unite and form 
associations and clubs for the accomplishment 
of objects of much less importance lo the w-ell 
being of society than the improvement in agri- 
culture, they should seem so reluctant to enter 
into an association for the attainment of an ob- 
ject of such paramount importance to every 
class of society. There is, there can be, no 
good and sufficient reason ofiered for such a po- 
sitive neglect of duty. It cannot be supposed, 
by any rational man, that the great objects of 
creation are answered, if we sit down quietly 
and attempt nj improvement of the age in which 
we live, in whatever department it may be our 
lot to labor. How, then, shall we answer to 
ourselves, and particularly to those who come 
after us, if we permit, by our remissness, the im- 
portant science of agri u t ne to retrogade, 
while the march of every thing else is onward? 
We cannot excuse ourselves for such an omis- 
on of duty — a duty alike prompted by our own 
interests as the high behests of creation. Buj 
we will not now enlarge upon this subject, for, 
as the labors of an editor have been aptly com- 
pared to a horse in a gin, we shall conlinue to 
urge it, until we succeed in arousing among our 
planters a spirit for imp»'ovement, or abandon 
the cau.se in hopeless despair. It is, indeed, a 
noble cau.se — one worthy to engage the highesj 
talents in the land — and should excite to a com- 
mon effort every philanthropist. 
The American Agrtcui.turist’s Almanac 
FOR 1844. — We are indebted for a copy of this 
work, to Mr. A. B. Allen, editor of the Amer- 
ican Agriculturist, w'hich is thus noticed by the 
American Farmer: — “Besides the astronomical 
matter usually found in Almanacs, this contains 
Northern and Southern Calenders for the farm- 
er, planter and gardener; an interesting essay 
on lightning rods, a cut of a permanent fixture 
for stacking grain, such as is used in England, 
and a very interesting description thereof; inter- 
esting papers on several varieties of sheep, il- 
lustrated by engravings so true to life that any 
one who may have seen them could identify the 
live animals at any distance of time; a paper 
on hoeing crops in dry w'eather, together with 
an account of the Dorking fowls, which is also 
illustrated by a very spirited cut, representing 
a rooster proudly strutting between a brace of 
hens. The work is highly creditable to the en- 
terprise and talents of its editor; but why need 
we say this, having already told the reader that 
it is by A. B. Allen.” 
From the Columbia (S. C.) Planter. 
Mr. Editor. —In the various e.ssays on plant* 
ing, manuring, and working short cotton, we 
find nothing relative to its preparation for mar- 
ket; to make a great many bales seems to be the 
great desideratum, without regard to price, ex- 
cept as a general market value. This is cer- 
tainly wrong. The advantages of good seeds, 
and an improved soil, may not be of so much 
pecuniary importance as the manner in which 
cotton is machined and put up for sale. An im- 
perfect gin, or ignorance of its operation, may 
diminish one’s income more than “rust,” or the 
“nocturnal gale” — may take from the energetic 
and persevering planter all the just reward of 
his extra industry, and leave him at last with not 
more dollars in his pocket, after his crop is sold, 
than his less inaustrious, but more careful 
neighbor. 
The present low price of cotton is mainly 
owing to the quantity made. So long as the sup- 
ply was limited, the speculator and manufactu- 
rer regulated the price; ihe one holding heavy 
stocks on hand, without fear of depreciation, the 
other “ milling” it ahead of the immediate de- 
mand, certain of an ultimate sale, at a remune- 
rating price. 
It is not so now. The speculator fears the in- 
creasing production. The manufacturer, from 
the supply being greater than the demand for 
light cottoni, is forced to consume his stock in 
the heaviest articles. Bagging, rope, negro- 
cloth — all consuming pounds to the yard, instead 
of a pound making yards. This fact will go far 
towards making the quality of the staple, and its 
prepai ation for market, a matter of greater im- 
portance. The smallest possible difference in 
the “sample,” may condemn a man’s ci op to be 
worked up in a less estimated and less priced 
labi le, and cause a difieiencc in fa- 
vor of the buyer, of almost incalculable amount; 
and in pn oi of the paradox, (if .so it is,) I refer 
you to any merchant, who will tell you that 
“ coarse articles bear the best profit.” Pray, at 
whose cost is the profit made? the producer, cer- 
tainly, and in two ways; first, sir, to you I say, 
you have lost more by carelessness than you 
have made by hard work, and it will bear de- 
monstration. By hard work you have made an 
addition to your crop of one hundred pounds per 
acre. By negligence you have lost one cent in 
the pound ol your crop. Suppose you raise 600 
lbs. per acre in the seed — 
600 lbs nett (at 33 lbs. per. 100 of seeed,) 
198 lbs. at 6 cents, ... ^lO 88 
Not manured, 500 lbs. nett (at 33 lbs. per. 
100 of seed,) 165 lbs. at 7 cents, - 1155 
In favor of carefulness, - - - 57 
And, sir, when we take into consideration the 
time lost ginning, packing, additional expense 
of bagging, ro; e, freight, hauling, &c., the ad- 
vantage in favor of the careful man over the 
pushing, but careless planter, is increased. 
Farming, at best, is a laborious business; yet 
the soil, giateful for the attention paid it, pays 
well for the labor; and when every branch of 
farming is pu.shed, and carefully attended to, 
although the land may be poor, the owner will 
“do well.” I read a sentiment under the signa- 
ture of “ Farmington,” that ^deserves the consi- 
deration of all who have poor land, and should 
be well examined by those w'ho have rich soils. 
He says “ he has rarely seen planters improve 
their condition fastest on rich soiis, but rather on 
the poor and unproductive.” The observation 
is true, and, t!;e cause so plain, as not to need a 
reason. And, Mr. Edit.-r, unless you can con- 
vince your readers that if they do not get out 
their cotton neat and clean, have good gins and 
machinery, as well as rich land, they will con- 
trive to “ live as their fathers.” 
At some future time, 1 may scribble a notion 
or so about the wodus operandi o\ ginning, and 
describe the gin, and machinery to run it. With 
this threat, and the wish that some man may be 
profiled by my cogitations, 1 remain. 
Your obedient servant, 
Darlington. 
From the Temperance Advocate. 
TOPPING COTTON. 
Mr. Editor — Allow me a small place in your 
worthy agricultural Advocate, to submit to your 
readers facts, which have come under my own 
observation, as to the utility ot topping cotton. 
The practice of topping cotton has been tho- 
roughly investigated by me, and I have found 
that cotton topped from the first to the tenth of 
August, will make about one fifth more than it 
would if left in a natural state. It has been 
suggested by some of the planters to top from 
the twentieth to the last of July, and experi- 
ments have been made on the present growing 
crop as to the utility of this practice. 
I have found by topping cotton it will prevent 
it in a great degree from shedding its offers; 
this I have noticed this season, as it has been 
very wet with us. Cotton has generally shed its 
offers in the fields of my neighbors who have 
neglected the topping of it. 
Now, I would say to those planters who have 
not as yet adopted the plan of topping cotton to 
try it for one year as an experiment, and I /eel 
convinced they will follow it afterwards. 
O Pix. 
Darlington, Aug. 20, 1843. 
"If common salt be put into water, when 
washing cabbages or greens preparatory to 
cooking them, the snails, slugs, worms, &e., 
will come out and sink to the bottom, so tba 
they need not be boiled with the vegetables. It 
is impossible to wash them out, except cabba- 
ges be taken to pieces, and people generally like 
to have the vegetables served up who e. 
