THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
5 
are needed in cold than in warm weather. Con- 
sumption is the consuming, the slow combus- 
tion ot the tissues oi the lungs by the chemical 
action of oxygen gas, concentrated or condensed 
by cold. Hence by fleeing from our northern 
winters to a mild climate, where only about one- 
half the quantity of oxygen — it being rarified 
by heat — is taken into the lungs at each respira- 
tion, consumptive persons often recover. On 
the other hand, persons living in warm climates 
in summer, and indulging too freely in animal 
and other carbonaceous food, and inhaling a rar- 
ified atmosphere, are afflicted with an excess of 
carbon, or with bilious affections. They come 
north to a condensed oxygenous atmosphere to 
regain their health, and generally find it. Liv- 
ing sparingly in summer, and eating sub-acid 
fruits that flourish most in warm climates, and 
in warm seasons, and contain little carbon and 
much oxygen, is the preventive of bilious dis- 
eases,” 
From the Chronicle and Sentine]. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT. 
The following letter, addressed to the Editor 
of the “Southern Cultivator,” manifestssuch 
a commendable spirit, and abounds in such 
sound, practical views, in relation to this impor- 
tant subject, that we take the responsibility, 
without the consent of the author, of laying it 
before our readers, and commending it to the at- 
tentive perusal of those farmers and planters, 
(and there are not a few of them in the South,) 
who are so wise in their own conceit, as to be- 
lieve that no man can instruct them in any thing 
about farming. 
In our intercourse with planters, the remark 
is frequently made, ^'■nobody can tell me anything 
about Jarming,'^—di remark which always ex. 
cites our commiseration for its self-conceited 
ani^ misguided author. With such men, the 
progress of improvement is hopeless, until they 
shall have witnessed its effects upon the farms 
and in the domestic economy of their neighbors — 
then they will break through the manacles in 
which their ignorance has so long shrouded 
them. 
Plains of Dura, Ga., 
December Sth, 1843. 
Mr. Editor: — A few days since, your p: 
per, the “Southern Cultivator,” devoted I 
the improvement of Southern Agriculture, fe 
into my hands. I was really glad to see such 
work commenced at the South, believing, as I d( 
that such journals are not only necessary t 
throwlight upon the subject by adding ihe expi 
rience of the most skilful planters to our owi 
but it begets a spirit of rivalship— industry i 
thereby encouraged, and our system of domesti 
(if have any,) is improved.- 
Without industry and economy, no farmer ca 
succeed in business 5 and with it, none can fa 
to supply himself with all the necessaries of lifi 
But, Mr, Editor, we have so long been accu: 
tomed to plant after the manner of our ancestor: 
that 1 fear the habit with some of us has becom 
confirmed, notwithstanding our much diminisl 
ed crops and our once fertile, but now washe 
and exhausted, fields, daily admonish us the 
some system of improvement is not only absc 
lately necessary, but must be adopted, or w 
must seek another home in the “far west.” 
have, however, concluded to adopt the forme 
and intend to try my hand in the way of in 
provement: I have, therefore, determined to bi 
come a subscriber to your paper, and have pai 
the postmaster at this place one dollar for th 
first volume, which will be remitted to you a 
soon as the numbers are received. I have bee 
a constant reader ofthe Albany Cultivator for 
lew ye^s, and have gathered much valuable ir 
formation from it ; but, upon the whole, I thin 
it throws but little lighten Southern Agriculture, 
as our climate, soil and productions, as well as 
o’ r domestic institutions, are entirely different 
from those ofthe North. There, most of the 
grasses are cultivated and plowed into the soil, 
or converted into manure in some way: thus 
they have a never failing source for fertilizing 
their lands. 
But, are we to infer from this that Georgia 
has no means of reclaiming her worn out soil ? 
I think not Bounteous Heaven has every 
where dispensed its blessings with an even hand. 
In every country and clime, where man derives 
his support from the cultivation of the soil, the 
means ff rendering that soil fertile, are within 
the compass of his power. We are, indeed, not 
only behind the age, but behind the north, in de- 
veloping our resources ; yet, we are not without 
them. Let the Southern farmer but try his crab 
grass for green sward, and I think he will have 
no reason to complain for the want ofthe north- 
ern grasses for that purpose. 
But, Mr. Editor, I did not intend, in this let- 
ter, “to argue the point,” (as one of my neigh- 
bors says,) or advance opinions of my own. but 
to let you know J wished your paper, that I 
might get the opinions of the best practical far- 
mers of the State. 
Yours, respectfully, 
GEO. R. HARPER. 
From the Prairie Farmer. 
REMEDY FOR HOLLOW HORN, &c. 
BY A FARMER. 
Having read in your July number an article 
headed “Remedy lor the Hollow Horn,” and 
finding the theory therein contained so contrary 
to the practice I have been used to, I concluded 
I would give my views on the subject. For 
about 30 years my father kept a dairy of from 
20 to 40 cows in the city of New York. Du- 
ring the last ten years ol the time, (say from the 
time I was twelve years old,) I began to observe 
and judge for myself. The last four years of 
the next ten years of my life I kept a small 
dairy myself; and for the last ten years I have 
been a farmer in this vicinity. 
For the hollow horn we always used from 
one to two table spoonsful ot spirits of turpen- 
tine, poured into the hollow on top of the head 
between the horns;* and cutting off enough of 
the end of the tail to bleed,f which may be done 
by turning the long hair upwards andcutting off 
a quarter of an inch or less. I have known 
some persons split the tail, (and cut out what 
they called the wolf in the tail, which I believe 
is all a phantom,) put in salt, and bind it up: 
all the good effect is by bleeding — therefore the 
less wound the better. I suppose soot and salt 
may be good. I know salt given plentifully to 
cattle to be good in Illinois. On the Atlantic 
coast cattle will not lick salt, though during the 
winter season we gave salt twice a week with 
their food. I never knew my father to bore the 
horns until he had first tried the spirits of tur- 
pentine and bleeding, and then bored the horns 
on the under side only; and only on the top 
when the holes on the under side could not be 
kept from closing up with matter. I have heard 
him say he never lost but one cow with the hol- 
low horn, whilst his neighbors who were en- 
gaged in the same business lost many. His 
rule was, and my practice has been, when a 
cow brute was observed with a sunken eye and 
dry nose, (which are the sure signs of the hol- 
low horn,) to put on the spirits of turpentine and 
bleed at the tail, and have had unvaried success. 
The greatest difficulty is in not beginning in 
time. Cattle that have been hard wintered are 
vety apt to have the hollow horn in the spring. 
It is a common practice with me if cattle do not 
look well nor thrive in the spring, to use the 
above remedy. The signs of the hollow horn 
are, in addition to the sunken eye and the dry 
nose, the appearance (from feeling) of one or 
more joints of the back bone being decayed and 
gone— also a joint near the end of the tail, which 
of itself is no disease, but the effect ofthe hol- 
low horn. 1 never saw a brute have the hollow 
horn but without all those symptoms, but have 
seen them in the first stages with only the first 
two. 
[*ln the year 1836, on the authority of an ex- 
perienced farmer, we recommended spirits of 
turpentine not only as a cure, but as a preventive 
also of the hollow horn — and since then, from 
personal experience, we do know that it will ef- 
fect both the one and the other. If a table spoon- 
ful of spirits of turpentine be placed in the cup 
or cavity in the rear of the horns once a month 
during winter, it will prevent the disease. 
tBleeding is doubtless good; though we have 
seen a cure effected by the use of the turpentine 
alone. But if bleeding be necessary, its effects 
would prove equally salutary if the blood was 
taken from the neck, which would prevent 
the disfiguring the cow by shortening of her 
tail . — Ameiican Farmer. ^ 
From the Michigau Farmer. 
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR FARMERS. 
Mr. Editor — I wish to make known through 
your paper some facts which I think will be of 
some service to the farmers of Michigan. 
Amasa Andrews, Esq. ot this town, harvest- 
ed sixty acres of wheat, this season, while if 
was so green and unripe, that every farmer i 
the neighborhood thought, and did not hesitatn 
to declare him mad. He commenced cutting ie 
ten days before any others had begun. Thet 
berry, when cut, was soft, and in that state 
known as being in the “milk.” He has now 
threshed it; and being somewhat curious to learn, 
the result of so novel a proceeding, I to-day 
went, in company with Mr. Andrews, to tte 
mill and examined the wheat, and found it 
plump, with a peculiar transparency of the ber- 
ry which I never before saw — which is to be 
attributed to (he very thin coating of the bran. 
We weighed some, and found it weighed just 
sixty-three pounds to the measured bushel; and 
the experienced one informed me that it made 
more flour and less bran than any wheat he ever 
saw. 
Now the above facts are worth knowing, 
from several considerations. By cutting so 
early no w’heat is shelled and lost, and the har- 
vesting season can be lengthened out, so as not 
to make it necessary to work so hard or produce 
a scarcity of hands; besides, the wheat is be- 
yond a doubt better and will make more and 
better flour. Yours truly, 
^ N. B. Eldridge, M. D. 
Commendable Industry. — We were handed, 
a few days ago, the following statement of re- 
ward of enterprise, which we take pleasure in 
publishing; not only because it is a remarkable 
product, but that others may emulate this ex- 
ample of industry. It is as follows: 
“Two school boys, sons of Mr. Cook, 
living on the Tombigbee River, raised, on If 
acres of land, 5,869 pounds of cotton. They at- 
tended school five days in the week, traveling 
some 3i miles morning and evening. They 
tvorked before going to and after returning from 
school, and on Saturdays. They are reported 
as having been afflicted with the chills part cf 
the time. Their names are James and Stephen 
Cook.” 
If we were a member of the Agricultural So- 
ciety, the names of these youths should be pre- 
sented to the Executive Committee for a pre- 
mium at its next Fair.— Eutaw Whig. 
GREEN CORN-STALKS MAKE RICH BUTTER. 
At a late meeting of the Farmers’ Club in 
New York, Mr. Morris, of Morrisania, stated 
that he kept a dairy of a hundred and twenty-six 
^ws to supply the N. York market with milk. 
That he feeds them on green corn — he sows his 
corn broadcast — and says it makes belter and 
richer milk than any other feed he has used, and 
there can be no doubt that it produces more pro- 
vender, by the use, than any other vegetable. 
Mr. Morris’ plan coincides exactly with our no- 
tion. So much saccharine matter as corn stalks 
yield, must make rich xaiik.—Farviers' Ga^ 
