74 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
Foi the Southern Cultivator. 
Mr. Editor — The varied engagements of 
my farm, in which I take an active part, have 
not alkivved me leisuie until now to redeem my 
pledge of becominga conlridutor to .he columns 
of your agricultural paper — and even now I am 
tempted to an indefinite postponement, in view 
oi my incapacity for such service. But when 
I look at the successive numbers of the Cultiva- 
tor, see the scarcity of original communica- 
tions, consider the importance of sustaining the 
paper, and knowing that its permanency can on- 
ly be secured by adapting it to our products, 
culture and climate, — I leel disposed to lend a 
helping hand, however leeole it may be. You 
will not understand me as intimating that it is 
not now interesting and valuable — for to me it 
is both, the selections of which it is mostly 
made up being j udicious and excellent. I have 
known for years that such a paper was needed 
among us, but was so foolish as to think that 
hone but a practical farmer could conduct it 
advantageously. The inspection of a few Nos. 
not only dissipated my prejudices, but set me to 
work in the protection and improvement of my 
farm in such a manner, that I fear I would not 
be believed if I were to say how many hundred 
dollars i have been benefited, (in purse or pros- 
pect,) by the expenditure of one dollar per an- 
num for your paper. 
Mr. Editor, there is a large field for investi- 
gations, as to the best moue of protecting our 
rolling lauds from washing, by means of ditch- 
ing or otherwise: something efficient must be 
done ill this respect, or all our endeavors for the 
improvement of our exhausted farms, or ibe 
preservation of those that are yet good, will be 
comparatively unavailing. 
As to the best mode of producing and distri- 
buting manure ; — the relative merits of the allu- 
vial deposit on water-courses, swamp mud, and 
leal manure, not only as to their fertilizing 
qualities, but the facility of gathering, hauling 
and applying, and of which, (other things being 
equ l,)a hand will procure mustperday. Will 
some of your subscribers, who have experience 
on this and other kindred subjects, please en- 
lighten us] We need practical matter in de- 
tail: we need something to prompt us to d.u, 
and to be told how to do it. 
The foregoing remarks and the subjoined, 
you may insert in the Cultivator, or reject at 
pleasure : I have no ambition to appear in print. 
1 want to see, before I die, it it please God, (and 
I would write that name reverently,) our once 
beautiful country— now disfigured with bald 
hills and sterile plains— so improved and re- 
stored, that hopeless poverty or emigration may 
not be the only alternatives left our children ; 
that the virtues which grow out of competency 
and contentment may abound ; and that the vi- 
ces springing from want and wretchedness, in- 
duced oliimes by unrequited toil, may find no 
place in our borders. But to the subject 1 had 
in mind when I took pen in hand, to wit : spay- 
ing hogs. My waning sheet forbids the intend- 
ed preliminary remarks. 
Pigs should be spayed early, soon after be- 
coming inured to the change of diet required in 
weaning. 1st — because the operation may be 
perturmed as easily then as at any future lime. 
2d— should any die of if, the loss will be less. 
3J— they seem less aflecled by it, and recover 
sooner. I pay no attention to the signs of the 
zodiac in choosing a time to spay; and having 
disregarded it lor the last filteen years with im- 
punity, I conclude the popular belief in the 
“ signs” of the times, is all the relict of an an- 
cient superstition. My signs are— 1st, pleasant 
or warm w'ealher; because in very cold w'eather, 
pigs recently spayed may be injured by the 
great number of them, together with larger hogs, 
that pile up in the same bed. 2d— a dry pen ; 
for if the pen be wet, the pigs will get muddy, 
and the operator’s hands must become so, and 
consequently the lips of the wound ; w'hich may 
prevent healing by the first intention, (as sur- 
geons say,) that is, hcal ng without the forma- 
tion of pus, and death may ensue or recovery 
be delayed. 3d — the pigs should be in “ good 
order,” if not fat; it is easier, perhaps, to spay 
a lean hog than a lat one— but any, whether fat 
or lean, may be spayed by an expert operator, 
and the fat ones recover best. 
Where should the operation be performed, in 
the side or belly, and how performed ? These 
are the most important matters. The advocates 
of belly-spaying argue— 1st. That the operation 
is more easily performed in their mode. 2d. 
The place of incision is thinner. 3d. Theeflus- 
ed blood will be more easily discharged — The 
first position may be true, but any one capable 
of spaying at all, can, alter a little instruction, 
spay in the side. This argun.ent, too, rather 
contemplates the con enienceof the operator 
than the ooorf of the hog— a minor consideration, 
I ween. The second is true in fact — but, as 
will be shown presently, is entitled to no weight. 
The answer to the third argument is founded 
on the fact, that blood is never discharged from 
the cavity of the belly after the incision is sewed 
up, except in such cases as w ill terminate fatal 
ly— all effused blood being removed by a heal- 
thy process called absorption. But, (not to be 
tedious,) both reason and experience condemn 
the one mode, while they at the same time es- 
tablish the other. We know, from the pendu- 
lous state of the belly, the weight of its contents 
must rest in part on the stitches, (in belly-spay- 
ing,) and tends to separate the lips ofthe w ound ; 
and, under high feeding, w'hen the hog has so 
far recovered as to eat heartily, a pouch is form- 
ed, (w'hich is ofthe nature of a rupture in hu- 
man kind,) and is apt to injure the health, if it 
does not destroy the life. In side-spayir.g. on 
the contrary, the weight of the abdomen tends 
to keep the lips of the wmund in appasiiion ; 
hence, diminishes the irritation occasioned by 
the stitches, and promotes the healing process. 
In belly-spaying, an incision large enough to 
admit two fingers is made, and three stitches 
are ordinarily taken; in the side, one finger on. 
ly need be introduced, and one stitch taken ; and 
if few, or none of the muscular fibres be cut, 
notone hog in tw'enty, if well spayed, {it is be 
lieved,) would die without even one stitch — the 
muscles acting as a valve, and preventing the 
extrusion of the contents of the belly. Judge, 
then, of the comparative irritation of a large 
wound in the bottom of the belly, closed by 
means of three stitches, on which bears a heavy 
weight, tending (and too often successfully) to 
tear them loose, — and a small wound in the 
side, the lips of which are naturally kept in ap- 
position, and closed with one sliich, and that 
one more a matter ol safety than of neces- 
sity. 
My mode is as follows. Having trimmed oflf 
the hair from the part, I make an incision, com- 
mencing an inch or more, according to the size 
of the hog, below the anterior part ofthe hip 
bone on the left side, and extend it downward 
far enough to admit one finger only, and deep 
enough to expose the muscle (the lean part) 
the full length of the incision in the skin : this, 
an expert operator will do at a stroke. The 
breadth of the knife blade is now placed paral- 
lel with the fibres of the muscle that is visible, 
(there are other muscles unaer it.) and gently 
plunged into the cavity of the belly ; a finger is 
then introduc ;d into the cavity th'ough the mus- 
cles, (u'hich separate fibre (rom fibre very easi- 
ly,) and through the thin but strong and shining 
membrane that lines the cavity: this membrane 
is raised on the point of the finger, and the punc- 
ture in it enlarged to the size ofthe incision in 
the skin, then the pride {ovarium') is sought for 
in the loins, brought before the finger out of the 
orifice, and separated from the bag {uterus) by 
a knife: the bag is then to be traced by pulling 
it out tenderly until the other pride is found 
which being cut off, return the bag, introduce a 
finger m/o thecavity, pass it carefully all around 
the circumference of the wmund, to be certain 
that the bag has alt passed into the cavity ofthe 
belly, and not lodged outside of the membrane 
w'here it or a small portion of gut might become 
strangulated, and produce death. Then w'ith 
one SI itch only, taken w ith a curved needle, 
close the w'ounds. 1 have formerly been in the 
habit of passing the needle through skin, mus- 
cle and membrane ; but more recently have tak- 
en only a superficial stitch, and my hogs do 
equally wtI*. I u.se a knile, the blade of which 
is not more than J inch or | w’ide. The punc- 
ture mane in the membrane is not so large at 
the point of my finger, yet the finger enters it 
under slight pressure ; it should be enlarged so 
as to facilitate the return of the bag into the 
belly. A Swineherd. 
Covington, April 30fA, 1844. 
For the Southern (Jultivator. 
WHITE WASH. 
Take | of a bushel of unslaked lime — which 
slake with boiling water — cover closely, to keep 
in the steam, strain through a fine sieve, and 
add a peek of salt previously di.ssolved in boil- 
ing water; 3 lbs. of fine rice flour, boiled to a 
thin paste ; J lb. of sifted Spanish w'hiting; 1 lb 
of glue in a fluid slate. Then to the whole mix- 
ture add 5 gallons of boiling water, stir it well, 
and put by, well covered, lor a few days. Ap- 
ply it hot, with a brush. 
To vary the color, !or red or pink, add Span- 
ish brown ; for lilac, common clay with Span- 
ish brown; for a slate color, lampblack; for 
a redish stone color, lampblack and Spanish 
brown; for yellow, yellow ochre, or chrome, 
which is preferable. The shades of color will 
of course depend upon Ihe quantity ol coloring 
