62 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
evident, from the way he used up the cuds of to- 
bacco, that he felt a'leetle uncomfortable. 
“ Well,” said he, “I don’t think that I shall 
ever become much of a book-farmer myself; 
but, as I am getting old, and as 1 expect the farm 
to be eventually yours, and as you are so confi- 
dent that these new ways are the best, lam 
willing that you should lake the management 
and try, and satisfy yourself and me loo. I will 
try and look at your management without pre- 
judice, and at the end of three years, should we 
both live till that time, if I feel satisfied that the 
new way is the better way, you shall have a 
deed at that lime.” 
We will only add, that sometime before the 
three years expired. Uncle Tim’s deed was made 
out, “ signed and sealed;” and what was still a 
greater wonder, he had become a constant read- 
er of the Cultivator, and said he really did think 
that Judge Buel had done some good in the 
world. 
Finally, we cannot but hope that many Uncle 
Tim’s are every year becoming converted from 
the error of their ways. 
From the Albany Cultivator. 
SUGGESTIONS TO COTTON PLANTERS. 
Willis Gaylord— Sir — I quote here your 
queries propounded to me in your very friendly 
letter, also the remarks following those ques- 
tions, and will endeavor to give you what I 
think are the facts in the case, leaving you to 
use either, to satisfy yourself or others, as you 
may wish. You say, “it is an error in me to 
suppose that the cotton growing districts of the 
United Stales, mistake their true interests, by 
devoting their attention to that article so exclu- 
sively. Would not a more mixed husbandry, 
one that should secure to the planter, from his 
own soil, his required supplies of beef, mutton, 
bacon and bread, be preferable to risking all 
on one crop 1 I take it lor granted, there is no 
good reason in the nature of things why this 
might not be; I suppose experience has demon- 
strated that there is no difficulty whatever in the 
growing of cattle, sheep, (and fine wooledones 
too,) and pigs, in quantities sufficient for the 
wants of the planter ; and that the sysiem of ex- 
tensive purchases of articles of food now so 
common, is more the result of habit than of ne- 
cessity.” 
It gives me no inconsiderable pleasure to give 
you an answer to all this matter, by showing 
you what is now done by a great many far- 
mers, and some planters, in this part of the cot- 
ton region, which may tend to stimulate others 
to equal exertions, and will show many, who 
live north of us, that wea'e not dependent for 
supplies to ournorthein friends, and thereby in- 
duce them to feel more like we were brethren 
and equals, than that we were dependents. The 
capabilities of our soil to produce, our climate 
to perfect, and the energy of the sons of a south- 
ern clime to effect reasonable objects when ne- 
cessary, are misunderstood by many^ in even 
this country, for that author^ of the eflect of cli- 
mate, is a southerner, and it is reasonable to 
suppose that there are far more in a northern 
country. 
All experience has proved in every country, 
where yet tried, that mixed husbandry is pre- 
ferable to a devotion to any one crop, and to a 
certain extent is true in the cotton region ; we 
must have no other crop to interfere in the gath- 
ering, that requiring all the time and attention of 
the farmer. That there is too much reliance on 
the cotton plant, the practice of our farmers will 
be a sufficient proof, and that much other busi- 
ness might be introduced that would not con- 
flict with the interest of the cotton grower, we 
all now believe. 
We can assuredly make an abundance of 
beef, mutton, bacon, bread and wool, to feed 
and clothe us well; we can also rear our own 
horses and mules ; and I make no question but 
what we could add sugar and molasses, with 
silks for our fair dames, would they but take 
hp)d in a proper spirit. I makP RPt these asser- 
tions without absolute proof, and enough to cat- 
isfy any jury of 12 men in the United States. — 
My five nearest neighbors in this county, hav- 
ing near on to 300 persons in the aggregate, 
have made for the last 3 or 4 years more meat, 
corn and beef, than was necessary ; 1 might 
add mutton also, although the quantity consu- 
med is small. I can better say of mysell than 
of others I I must therefore rely more on this, 
trusting a bare exposition of facts will be con- 
strued fairly. 
I can make an average crop lor any consecu- 
tive 10 years, (and am even willing that the last 
4 be counted in, as I have been here myself on- 
ly 4 years since 1836,) 6 bales of cotton weigh- 
ing 400 lbs., 200 bushels of corn, 500 lbs. of 
pork, raise 5 lambs, 3 calves, per hand that 
works in the field, with 1 colt to 4 hands, and an 
abundance of oats, rye, millet and fodder, pota- 
toes and garden vegetables, to feed one horse to 
each hand, all cattle in the winter daily, and 
whites and blacks. I have been much engaged 
in putting the farm in ship shape order, and 
have lost much time from the mere farm work, 
but I can make a better showing than this, and 
make no question that I will ere 10 years pass, 
make, besides my crop of cotton, (6 bales,) pork 
and hay for sale. I can even now’ sell off year- 
ly some half dozen beeves, a few milch cows, 
30 or 40 mutton, and have sold on an average, 
$500 worth for 3 years, without at all interfer- 
ing with what I say can be made, or at all injur- 
ing in number or quality the stock that I found 
here on my return in 1839. I am not yet fixed, 
for you well know how long it requires to gel a 
farm properly arranged : owing to this, and to 
a never ending range for hogs, 1 am harrassed 
yearly for meat. The pigs I had castrated and 
spayed in 1840, Jan. and April, for killing Dec. 
1842, numbered 93, and although I had an abun- 
dance of corn, I did not kill of them over 20 head ; 
the others I have never seen. I must raise my 
meat in an enclosure. 
Now, sir, if one man can do this, others can, 
and if cotton will not rise over 8 cts., we will all 
do it, and do more, for we can and will make 
our own clothing. 
The great difficulty in this country has been, 
cotton has been to all appearances, a remuner- 
ating crop, and in many instances only in ap- 
pearance; for when it rises, and the planter sells 
a per hand crop of $300, every thing is hi.gh in 
proportion, and by purchasing every thing, he 
is really but little belter ofl' at the end of the 
year than at the beginning. My own opinion 
is, and I have made every reasonable effint to 
give it publicity, that it is a duty every man 
owes his family, his country, to make every 
thing necessary which will not withdraw his 
force from their trade, an 1 after which, as much 
cotton as he can — thus making sure of bread, 
meat and work animals, so if he makes only 4 
or 5 bales per hand, those few bales will be near- 
ly clear. 
I have a portion of a mutton now in my 
smoke house that is very passable meat, though 
not fat ; killed off a rye patch, which was sown 
on the corn ground, no plow being used at all. 
This season being more unlavorable for sheep 
than any I have ever seen, continued rains, not 
a head of sheep has been housed an hour ; and 
worse on my sheep than on natives, being part 
bred Bake well. I killed some two of my choice 
veals this fall, no extra care or keep, and a beef 
near 4 years old, a spayed heifer raised entirely 
in the woods, with a run in the field after gath- 
ering corn; she weighed 426 lbs., and gave me 
46 lbs, of tallow; she was, to appearance, no 
fatter than when turned in, and was only turned 
in to give flavor to her meat. I have got over 
30 Ihs. of tallow from a beef 6 to 7 years old, 
killed out of the woods. I therefore say there is 
no difficulty in raising either beef or mutton. 
Pork can be bought, raised in this county, at 3 
cents— enough to prove that we can raise pork. 
My own opinion is, that we cap rajse pork 
cheaper than those countries where porh is tfle 
staple commodity. And here are my reasons ; 
a farmer can cultivate 10 acres of corn land per 
hand, besides enough ip cotton to ensure him 4 
bales, and a large crop of oats and sweet pota- 
toes ; which, with the aid of a peach orchardj 
planting his corn land with peas and pumpkins, 
he can rear readily double the quantity of hogs 
he will require; he then can take time to han- 
dle these 4 bales so as to nett him, in price, over 
5 bales, and give him the surplus quantity of 
pork a clear gain. Thus, in reality, making, 
by his staple production, a fair crop; which, as 
a matter of course, gives him the pork free of 
cost. Should he require a crop of 6 bales, let 
him plant for 5 and handle well, to make in 
price and saving of expense, the 6th bale. 
A neighbor ol mine has kil'ed hogs averaging 
300 lbs., this winter : they were raised entirely 
in the woods, as our stock hogs are raised, then 
turned into the pea field, and afterwards com 
fed fora lew weeks; clearly proving the good 
efllect of crosses on his stock. Four years ago, 
his stock did nor average 200 lbs., and raised as 
now, but the range far better : he has ki'led 46 
that will over-go 275 lbs., some going to 320 lbs., 
18 months to 2 years old. He has purchased of 
me boars at eifferent times. The exact weights 
I will ascertain, and publish in the S. W. Far- 
mer. 
We do not raise large cattle or hc^s, or make 
large yields of corn, like our northern brethren ; 
but have a fair range, and with land not worth 
over $5 to $15 per acre, we can afford to culti- 
vate irfore. 
I have a friend who, in South Carolina even, 
makes what is considered a fair crop there; and 
though he works something over 100 hands, yet 
makes corn to sell with his own meat. In an 
address delivered in South Carolina, by the 
Hon. Geo. McDuffie, he states he makes a fair 
crop, raises his own corn and meat, and even 
his workhorses. I think this staiementis made 
in his address; and I think it entirely feasible, 
for every county in a cotton growing State, to 
do tlie same, and supply its county seat with 
bread and meat. 
Were I to devote myself entirely to a cotton 
farm, not attend to improving stock and build- 
ings, I feel perfectly certain that I could sell as 
much meat as 1 would use, raise enough hor- 
ses to fully supply the w’ear and Sear, and yet 
sell my 6 bales of cotton. There are many even - 
here who would doubt it; but, sir, 1 am a prac- 
tical farmer, make farming my only business, 
and I feel that inju.stice is done, when called 
theoretical, because J have had the chance of 
receiving a first rate education, and read more 
or less every day ol my life. 1 only ask for the 
same measure to be meted unto me, as is done 
to other men \. ho reside on their farms, and su- 
perintend themselves all the minutiae of farm- 
ing. Yours, &c., 
M. W. PntLiPS, 
Log HaU, Miss., Dec. 31, 1844. 
Wax for Grafting. — Melt three parts of 
rosin, two ol bees’ w’ax, and one of tallow, to- 
gether; pour this, when melted, into cold wa- 
ter, a pound at a time. Havi. g rubbed your 
hands with lard, work the wax in them till it is 
pliable, and when the water is forced out of it, 
it is ready for use, and w’ill remain on the trees 
for three years. Use the wax sufficiently warm 
to spread easy; cover the top of the stump 
about the thickness of a cent, and the slit, as far 
as it extends, somewhat thinner. 
The time for grading de; ends much upon the 
season; but the best is when ‘hebudsfirst begin 
to open. Scions will live set any time after the 
sap freely circulates, and till the apples are as 
large as musket balls. 
To REMOVE Stains. — Stains, on varnished 
articles, which are caused by hot water, inay be 
removed by rubbing them with lamp oil, and 
then ^ith alcohol. Ink stains can be taken out 
of mahogany, by one tea-spoon full of oil ol vit- 
triql mixed with one table-jpoon lull of water, 
or by dxaljc acid and water. These must bp 
brushed off quickly, and then washed with 
milk, 
