THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
87 
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29. IBU. 
Dana’s Prize Essay. — Alter a suspension of 
this rsost e?ceUent essay for the last lew num- 
bers of our paper, which was unavoidable in 
consequence of the misplacing of the only copy 
we had, we have the pleasure of renewing it in 
the present number, and shall continue it regu- 
larly until completed, unless prevented by a 
B^milar occurrence. 
Another Agricultural, Society. — We hail 
with pleasure the formation of an Agricultural 
Society at Busby ville in Houston county, Ga., 
which we see announced in the Macon papers. 
The Society was organized by the election of 
the neces.sary officers, after which a committee 
was appointed to draft a Constitution and by- 
laws for its future government, who should re- 
port at a subsequent meeting, which was ap- 
pointed for the 18th inst. 
We avail ourself qf the opportunity which 
this annunciation affords to congratulate the 
members of the Society upon their organization, 
and to them singly and collectively the columns 
of the “Southern Cultivator” as a medium 
through which to communicate their views upon 
any and all subjects connected with the object 
of their association. 
And wg take occasion to assure them in .com- 
mon, with all other Agricultural Societies at 
the South, that it will always afford us a high 
degree of satisfaction to contribute all in our 
power to the dissemination of their action upon 
ail matters pertaining to agriculture, or its kin- 
dred pursuits, and we earnestly hope they will 
favor us with whatever they desire communi- 
cated to the public, as ours is certainly the most 
appropriate medium for its first appearance. 
We trust that this invitation will be considered 
sufficiently particular and general, not only to 
the agricultural Societies, but also to all persons 
who may desire to becorpe contributors to our 
journal, to induce them to favor us with what- 
ever they may deem of sufficient value to lay 
before the public. 
Rain. — After an almost continuous drouth 
for nearly three mopths, we have the pleasure 
of annou|jcipg that since o.pr last, we have been 
favored with refreshing and copious showers, 
which we are gratified to learn from our ex- 
change papers have been very general through- 
out the country. Although the drouth }ia.s b.een 
quite protracied tor this period qf fh® season, 
we feel well assured that it can nn}y be produc- 
tive of good generally should the future be pro- 
pitious, For it has afforded planters au oppor- 
tunity to cleanse fheir growing crops thoroughr 
ly, and prej are them for the reception of the ge^ 
nial showers with which we have been favored 
and ofihe continuation of which we have now 
very flattering indications. 
Every Man his own Cattle Doctor, contain- 
ing tlie causes, symptoms, and treatment ot all the dis- 
eases incident to oxen, slieep and swine ; and a sketch 
of the Anatomy and Physiology of neat cattle: by 
Francis Clater— edited, revis d and almost re-written 
by Wm. Youait, aulhoi of the Dorse, &c. With nu- 
merous additions on the use of oxen and the improve- 
ment in the breed oi .sheep, &c , by John S. fshinner, 
assistant Postmaster General: with numerous tuts 
and illustrations. Philadelphia : Lea & Blanchard. 
1844. 
A very neat oclavo volume, of 251 pages, 
with the above title, hgs been sent us by Mr. 
SkinE*r; and, in the absence of sufficient lei- 
sure to examine its contents thoroughly, we 
avail ourself of the following notice from that 
most excellent Agricultural paper, the “Ameri- 
can Farmer:” 
‘ As its title would import, it isa most valua- 
ble work, and should be in the hands of every 
American Fanner; and we feel proud in say- 
ing, that the vahie of the work has been greatly 
enhanced by the contributions of Mr. Skinner. 
In the selection of his subjecLs, he has judi- 
ciously taken two of the very first importance 
to the well-being and prosperity of the Agricul- 
tural public; for, in our view, nothing can be 
more so than the use of oxen, and the improve- 
ment of sheep. As to the use of oxen instead 
of horses, in many of the labors of the farm, as 
a means of economy, there can be no doubt; for 
no one yet has substituted a well-trained yoke 
of oxen for a span of horses^ th^t eyer found 
cause to regret the change. With respecf to 
sheep, there is no department of husbandry 
which needs improvement more, nor none that 
will repay better for the labor and expense at- 
tending such an enterprise Wool is a staple 
of immense value at the present time as a pro- 
duct of the nation— equa), w.e should think^ 
to from thirty to forty millions of dollars a year, 
and may be made more so, as the increasing 
demand for it by the manufacturers justifies the 
belief that in a f§w years, twice the quantity 
will be needed. 
‘With then, a present steady and reniuneraling 
inarket for the article, and a prqspecj of in- 
crease and improvement, surely it behooves the 
farmers to lend their energies not only to the in- 
' crease of their flocks, butte t^eir improvement 
also, as th^sheep which bears good wool is as 
easily and cheaply raised, as one that produces 
an inferior article, whereas the proht on the 
staple |s greatly in fqvur of ihe former. 
‘We congratulate ojur agricultural brethren 
throughout the Union, that our old and esteem- 
ed friend, Mr. Skinner, has had a hand in the 
preparation of this work, as, his high order of 
talents and devotion to the pursuits of husband- 
ry, qualify hint to give to the public not only a 
standard work, but*one particularly needed by 
the necessities of the faiming community. — 
Clqter and yougtt are names treasured by the 
farming communities of Europe as house-hold- 
gods ; nor dogs that of Skinner desprve to be 
less esteemed in America, where every farmer, 
who may at all be conversant with agricultural 
literature, know that he gave the first impetus 
to improvement, and has, by his enlightened, 
unti'ing devotion to all that belongs to Ameri- 
can husbandry, done more to advance its real 
weilare than any other American writer living 
or dead. He established the American Farmer, 
the first Agricultural paper in our count''y, and 
from that day to this has given the best energies 
of his capacious mind to the enlightenment of 
the public upon matters connected with the en- 
science of Agriculture. We have always cherf 
ished him as a benefactor to his country — for 
none are more entitled to the appellation of be- 
ing considered such, than he who labors to pro^ 
mote the prosperity of the first of all human call- 
ings. 
‘In conclusion, we commend the book to every 
farmer and planter, and trust it may find a place 
in every homestead throughout our land — nay 
more, that all who may buy it may read and 
study it well. 
Extraordinary Strawberri es. — Dr. Bayne 
recently exhibited to the Horticultural Society 
of Washington city, two jars of strawberries, 
measuring five inches in circumference, and 
weighing each two hundred grains; thirty-two 
of them filling a quart ;andforflavor and beauty 
tar surptissed any fruit ever exhibited here. Dr. 
Bayne has lately given great attention to the 
cultivation of the straberry, ami deserves much 
credit for having brought this excellent fruit to 
its present state of perfection. 
For the Southern Planter. 
EJ^l^AOBDINABY FECUNDITY. 
Mr. B.-tts— ' 1 h^re wasan instance of greater 
fecundity in my neighborhood a lew days ago, 
than I have ever heard of before. Nature made 
the effort, but the constitutional powers of the 
animal were not sufficient to accomplish her 
purpose. 
A ewe belonging to Mr. William Applebury, 
(S, A.) about tw’o years o}d, became so disabled 
and diseased from the excessive distension of 
the uterus, as to make her entirely helpless and 
apparently dying. Mr. Applebury thought it 
most humane to have her killed. On examin- 
ing the contents of the womb, he found four 
perfect Jamhsn.isar sufficiently maluredf'or birth. 
A fine subject ibr the physiologists. 
J. M. W. 
Chatham, Feb. 17, 1844. 
As an accompaniment to the above, we may 
mention that a gentleman of this city, of the 
highest respectability, called ai our office a few 
days since and stated, that a sow on his farm 
in the neighborhood had the evening before given 
birth to eleven fine lull grown pigs, and that 
about twelve hours after, she produced another 
litter of ten, about three-fourths matured— evi- 
dently the result of a second conception. — Ed, 
Southern Planter. 
|;;^Beware of expenses: a small leak 
will sink a great sh\p.— Franklin. 
Cure for a Foundered Horse. — A corres- 
pondent of the Louisyillg Journal says that if a 
horse is foundered over njghl, he may be cured 
in three hours, if it is attended tp in the morning. 
Take a pint of hog’s lard and heal it Doilinghot, 
and after cleaning his hpof well and taking off 
his shoe, put his foot in the lard, and with a 
spoon apply it 'o all parts of the hoof as near 
the hair as possible. This he has tried for more 
than fjft;^ years, and never known it to fail. The 
applicafion shptild be to the foot of each founder- 
ed limb. 
The ship Greenock cleared from the port of 
Mobile on Saturday last, with 4000 bales cot- 
ton, being the largest cargo ever cleared from 
that port. Its weight is estimated at 1,941,091, 
and its value at $136,163. 
