THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
93 
“ There is nothing of the kind that will com- 
pare with it, either for inside or outside walls. 
Coloring matter may be put in, and made ol any 
shade you like. Spanish brown stirred in will 
make red or pink more or less deep, according 
to the quality. A delicate tinge of this is very 
pretty lor inside walls. Fine pulverized com- 
mon clay, well mixed with this Spanish brown 
before it is stirred into the mixture, makes a li- 
lach color. Lampblack in moderate quantities 
makes a slate color, very suitable for the outside 
ot buildings. Lampblack and Spanish brown 
mixed together produce a reddish stone color. 
Yellow ochre stirred in makes a yellow wash ; 
but chrome goes turther, and makes a color ge- 
nerally esteemed prettier. In all these cases, 
the darkness ot the shade will of course be de- 
termined by the quantity of coloring matter 
used. It is difficult to make a rule, because 
tastes are very different; it would be best to try 
experiments on a shingle, and let it dry. I have 
been told that green must not be mixed with 
lime. The lime destroys the color, and the col- 
or has an effect on the whitewash, which makes 
it crack and peel. 
“ When walls have been badly smoked, and 
you wish to have them a clean white, it is well 
to squeeze indigo plentifully through a bag into 
the water you use, before it is stirred in the 
whole mixture. 
“If a larger quantity than five gallons is 
wanted, the same proportions should be ob- 
served.” 
This, says the Editor of the Planter, is the 
third or fourth time that, by particular request, 
we have published the above recipe, which we 
have no doubt is an excellent one. But after 
all, we believe that white lead, especially at the 
low price at which it can be purchased at pre- 
sent, is the best and most economical pigment 
that can be used. At any rate, this is the expe- 
rience ot our Northern friends, who are prover- 
bial for their economy and management. They 
paint every thing, except the ladies’ cheeks, and 
that nature does for them in a manner to surpass 
even the purity of their beautiful cottages. 
We intend to turnish directions for the mix- 
ing and laying on of white paint, so that every 
farmer may become his own painter. It is an 
operation much more simple than is generally 
imagined. 
From the Southern Planter. 
SMALL FARMS. 
Mr. Editor — The great error committed by 
Every large majority of farmers is to cultivate 
too much land. The conduct pursued by a 
young farmer in my part of the country forcibly 
impressed this truth on my mind. He com- 
menced farming on a tract ot ordinary land, and 
influenced by the example of those around him, 
planted seventy thousandtobacco hills on slight- 
ly manured land ; two hundred thousand corn 
hills on broom-straw and Ken-nest grass land ; 
he sowed one hundred bushels of wheat suc- 
ceeding his corn crop; and in return for diligent 
cultivation and a continual hard press during 
the working season, he gathered eight or ten 
thousand pounds ol tobacco, five hundred bush- 
els corn, and two or three hundred bushels ot 
wheat. This system was pursued by him for 
several years, with about the result above stat- 
ed. Now, sir, how many farmers in Eastern 
Virginia are there who pursue the same course 
with similar results 7 Perhaps four-fifths, or 
may I not say nine-tenths 7 That is at least the 
proportion within my observation. 
I will pursue the history of my farmer for 
their especial benefit. I have said he had a 
tract ot ordinary, 1 might have said poor land ; 
he had something else worth a little more than 
his land; he had a strong mind stored with a 
good stock ot practical sense. He concluded 
there must be a better way ofgetting along than 
the one he was pursuing, and that he would try 
by doing less work, to make more money ; a 
notion which I dare say the most of us are will- 
ing to adopt. He cut off nearly two-thirds of 
his crop, thirty thousand tobacco hills; next, he 
made less than one hundred thousand corn hills. 
He concentrated all the fertilizing means which 
he had expended before upon the larger surface, 
upon the more limited one, and at the close ot 
the year, he gathered a little more crop than he 
had ever made before. Now this was encour- 
aging, was it not 7 As he had expended a 'it- 
tle more than one-third of the labor, he had near- 
ly two-thirds of his time, to devote to some oth- 
er, and he hoped more profitable employment; 
that time he employed in gathering materials to 
make manure. Adhering strictly to a small 
crop well manured and diligently cultivated, he 
has now the pleasure of gathering at the close of 
each year about double as much as he did in the 
beginning, besides having in tobacco an article 
woith as much again per hundred as formerly. 
He cultivates no land which will not well re- 
munerate lor the labor expended; and in addi- 
tion to the ordinary meansof manuring, he uses 
gypsum freely on his growing crop, and thought 
a year or two ago, when tobacco was higher 
than it is at present, that every barrel of gypsum 
applied to his growing tobacco, benefitted him 
fifty dollars. 
1 am here reminded of the remedy for flies in 
the tobacco plant bed. Is it generally known 
that one gallon of gypsum mixed with one gal- 
lon of corn meal, is sufficient to sprinkle over a 
plant bed of two hundred square yards, and if 
repeated as often as it disappears, answers the 
twofold purpose of preventing the ravages ofthe 
fly, and is the best manure for jilants known 7 
I will conclude this communication, as it is 
already too long, by stating what would scarce- 
ly be credited, that the example of the farmer, 
above alluded to, is lost upon his neighbors. — 
Men are so wedded to old habits, that they pur- 
sue the old plan, of large fields, hard work, and 
small profits. The occupation of cultivating 
the soil is certainly a delightful one, but to look 
upon gullied hillsides, perpendicular plowing, 
and, as a necessary result, corn-stalks a little 
larger than broom-straws, is enough to cool 
down the most ardent zeal, and give it over to 
the management of the ignorant “ drawers ot 
water and he vers of wood.” 
Berkshire Hogs.—\Ao not know an individu- 
al who has mixed the Berkshire in his stock, or 
attempted to raise them exclusively, whose 
stock has not materially deteriorated. 1 know 
several who use>l to raise an abundance of pork 
and a surplus for sale, wffio now are dependant 
on Kentucky for their supply. I have never 
had one ; my objection to both Berkshire and 
Nobone is one that would be laughed at by the 
Yankee ; legs too short, and body too large : 
they require loo much food, and have too little 
ability to get it. Give me something of the S. 
Caro.ina Sand Hill hog, a hearing ear, (at least 
in acorn time,) a light body, and long legs, then 
a good range, and I will ensure meat enough. 
X. R. S. 
Nottoway, Ayr it 25, 1844. 
From the Southern Planter. 
CATTLE DISTEMPER. 
Mr. Editor — During the past year, there 
prevailed extensively in some portions of the 
upper country a disease among cattle no less fa- 
tal than common; during the prevalence ot 
which, some of the finest cows and oxen to be 
found perhaps in the State, lost their lives. It 
commences generally very suddenly, without 
any signs of previous debility or disease, and 
runs its course in most cases in the short space 
of twenty-four hours. It seems to affect the 
head more than any other part of the system, 
producing great stupor and debility, perfect loss 
of appetite, and invariably lockjaw. The poor 
creature thus situated, continues to pine away, 
being unable to receive food into its stomach 
until it finally perishes for the want ol nourish- 
ment. Perhaps there is no situation in which 
you can imagine an animal to be placed more 
calculated to excite our sympathies than the one 
under consideration. The disease w'as treated 
in various ways and by numerous remedies, 
when it first made its appearance, and all alike 
were equally inefficient, until finally the treat- 
ment we propose to offer in as lew words as 
possible, was adopted. So soon as the disease 
makes its appearance, and before lock-jaw has 
taken place, a large dose of spirits of turpentine 
mixed with a table-spoon full of castor oil should 
be immediately administered in as much gruel 
as the animal can be made to swallow. The 
turpentine should amount to two or three table- 
spoon fulls. As soon as this has been accom- 
plished, a large orifice should be made in the 
large vein ol the neck, and two or three quarts 
of blood should be drawn ; immediately after 
which, the spirits of turpentine should be rubbed 
on the neck and head. By following out this 
plan of treatment, and at the same time paying 
attenlion to the stall in which the animal is 
kept, the lives of many which otherwise would 
be lost, will be preserved. 
Yours, &c,, L. B. A. 
Richmond, Va., Jan. 12, 1844. 
From the Maine Cultivator. 
GREEN AND DRY WOOD. 
A cord of wood whilst green, is said to con- 
tain 1.443 pounds ol water, or one hogshead and 
two barrels. Let every farmer who hauls wood 
to market, remember that when he transports it 
green, he is carrying that weight and quantity 
of water on this load, which, if he had suffered 
Ijjs wood to remain after it was cut till it was 
suitably seasoned, he might save from the bur- 
den of his oxen or horses, or pile upon the top of 
it three-fourths of a cord of seasoned pine, and 
yet have no heavier load than the green cord 
alone weighed. 
From the Farmer’s Cabinet. 
THINGS THAT I HAVE SEEN. 
I have seen a farmer build a house so large 
and fine that the Sheriff turned him out of doors. 
1 have seen a 3 ’oung man sell a good farm, 
turn merchant, break and die in an insane hos- 
pital. 
1 have seen a farmer travel about so much, 
that there was nothing at home worth looking 
after. 
I have seen a rich man’s son begin where his 
father lelt off— wealthy ; and end where his lath- 
er begun — pennyless. 
1 have seen a worthy farmers son idle away 
years ofthe prime of life in dissipation, and end 
his career in the poor-house. 
I have seen the disobedience of a son bring 
down the gray hairs ol his father to the grave,” 
From the Southern Planter. 
CLOVER, HERDS-GRASS, AND TIMOTHY. 
Mr. Editor — I was much amused and grati- 
fied at the style in which you commerted on the 
sayings and doings of the Farmers’ Club of 
Henrico at their last meeting in October; and 
as clover formed the subject of discussion, I re- 
solved at the time to give you the following 
hints as to the manner of curing it. Alter cut- 
ting, let it lie as long as possible without burn- 
ing, and then put it up in the following manner : 
Cut for each cock three sticks, eight orninefeet 
long; stick the ends in the ground, about two 
feet apart, and lie the tops logether with a rope 
of hay; then get a cedar log, and thrusting one 
end in between the foot of two of the upright 
sticks, let it remain in the base of the tripod; 
leave a limb upon the other end by which you. 
may draw the log out when required ; stack the 
clover, or other hay, against the sticks and over 
the log; then draw out the log; an opening will 
be left that will furnish free circulation for the 
air, and the clover will be very rapidly and per- 
fectly cured. I have put up hay in this way 
whilst it was raining, and found it most excel- 
lently cured. 
On the subj ect of herds-grass, permit me to ad 
