110 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
twenty crowns, valuing his pain at nothing ; the 
linen burned, and the colt spoiled, were worth as 
much more. Here is a loss ot loriy crowns and 
much pain, and trouble, vexation and inconve- 
nience, for the want of a latch which would on- 
ly cost three pence ; and this loss, through care- 
less neglect, lalls on a family little able to sup- 
port it. 
BARBOUR COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A regular meeting of the Barbour county Ag- 
ricultural Society, attended by a numerous au- 
dience, both ol ladies and gentlemen, was held 
at Glennville on the 29th ult. — the President, 
Col. Jjhn L. Hunter, in the Chair — the Secre- 
tary being absent, D. M. Seals was requested to 
act as Secretary pro tern. 
The President, in accordance with the pro- 
visions ot the laws ol the Society, delivered a 
regular address; in which, among other topics of 
interest to the larmers, he brought to the notice 
of the Society, the new and improved system of 
producing manure; for the process, fertilizing 
qualities, &c., of the same, he referred to and 
read extracts from the Southern Cultivator. He 
also directed the attention of the farmers to the 
improved mode of raising the sweet potato and 
Indian Pea plant. 
At the close of his remarks. Col. McDonald, 
Ex-President of the Society, was called for, and 
responded in his usual felicitous and eloquent 
style, — making a stirring appeal to his brethren 
of the Agricultural fraternity, in behalf of a sci- 
entific system of agriculture, as the only means 
of rescuing the newlands from waste, and of re- 
storing their old lands to their former vigor and 
productiveness. He alluded to the ladies, in 
complimentary notice of the benefits which 
would accrue to the cause from their zealous 
co-operation. He concluded his remarks by a 
happy reference to Horticulture, as being in 
close connection with Agriculture, and warmly 
recommended to the fair ladies of Glennville, 
the formation of a Horticultural Society. 
Mr. Bobo, from South Carolina, being pre- 
sent, was requested to address the Society, to 
which he replied in some ver^ interesting oMd 
practical remarks. 
In compliance with the wishes of the Socie- 
ty, the Rev. Sereno Taylor delivered a short and 
interesting lectur; upon the subject of Meteor- 
ology, and read from a diary of the past season, 
kept by himself. 
Col. Alexander McDonald offered the follow- 
ing resolution, which was adopted : 
Whereas, a State Agricultural Society has 
been regularly organized, and a statue passed 
by the Legislature of Alabama; and v'hereas, 
we believe much good to the farming interest of 
our State would result from a lively regard be- 
ing had by the farmers generally, in the State 
Agricultural, as well as in the county societies. 
Be it, therefore. 
Resolved, That we, as members of the Bar- 
bour County Agricultural Society, feeling a 
strong desire for the prosperity of the State So- 
ciety, will do all in our power to keep alive so 
important and valuable an institution, by pre- 
paring and forwarding from time to time, reports 
of the state of the crops, within the bounds ol our 
society; and will exert all other possible means 
for the advancement of the cause of the State 
society, and that we now call on our brother far- 
mers throughout the State, to join in so lauda- 
ble an object. And we suggest to the officers of 
the State Society to make arrangements for 
holding an Agricultural Fair, at least once a 
year; and that we respectfully request the 
Southern Shield, and all other papers in the 
State friendly to Agriculture, to publish the 
above resolution. 
Col. McDonald then offered the following, 
which was also adopted : 
Whereas, much good would accrue to the 
cause of Agriculture in the county ol' Barbour, 
by frequent meetings of the farmers, so as to 
enable them to discuss many important subjects 
relating to Agriculture, and as there is not time 
for such purposes at the quarterly meeting of the 
Society, be it, therefore, 
Resolved, That a Farmers’ Club be establish- 
ed at Glennville and one at Eufaula, which 
shall hold monthly sessions for the purpose of 
discussing such subjects as refer alone to Agri- 
culture, Horticulture and Mechanic arts. 
A resolution was then passed, requiring the 
Bxesident lo appoint committees from the va- 
rious sections ot the county embraced by the so- 
ciety, whose duty it shall be to examine and re- 
port to the society the state of the crops in their 
respective portions of the county. The names 
composing the above committee to be published 
hereafter. 
The meeting then adjourned. 
JOHN L. HUNTER, Pres’t. 
D. M. Seals, Sec. pro lem. 
From'lhe Western Cultivator. 
THE YOUNG FARMER’S CATECHISM. 
It is my wish, in the following series of ques- 
tions and answers, to be intelligible. I shall, 
therefore, endeavor to write with as much plain- 
ness as the subject will admit ; and if there are 
any who may consider these essays to please 
and instruct, w'orthy their attention, who require 
further elucidation of any parts of the catechism, 
I will, upon notice given in the Cultivator, en- 
deavor to supply their wants. Writing, as 1 do, 
under many embarrassments, and in ha.ste, 1 
may not always treat the subjects as pertinently 
as they deserve, nor as lucidly; it is for this 
reason I make the foregoing offer, — ot which I 
hope the young, interested farmer, will avail 
himself, if he should find it necessary. Don’t 
be alarmed at a few'^ terms which may be new^ 
to you, and call them hard words ; the simplest 
words were once hard to the infant; the hardest 
words may become plain to you. Endeavor to 
understand them. There is no business which 
is not prosecuted with more alacriu, when the 
principles by which it is conducted are under- 
stood. 
COMPOSITION OF PLANTS. 
1. What are plants composed of ? All plants 
consist of one ormoreofthe following elements: 
carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine, 
iron, iodine, lime, magnesia, manganese potash, 
phosphorus, silex, soda and sulphur. 
2. I know that carbon or charcoal exists in 
plants ; for it is the result of the partial combus- 
tion of wood, which leaves the coals or carbon 
on our hearths: 1 know that the four next nam- 
ed constituents are gases or air ; and I know 
that potash exists in plants, for we obtain it 
from the ashes. But what evidence is there 
that the other substances enter into the compo- 
sition of vegetables'? Chemists have analyzed 
the ashes of numerous plants; and have proved 
conclusively that the elements referred to, exist 
in them. Iodine is procured from sea- weed, and 
is a valuable medicine. Soda is likewise manu- 
factured from the ashes of marine plants. Si- 
lex or pure flint may be seen on the outside of 
scouring rushes, cornstalks, ratan, and other 
hard-surfaced plants. It is so abundant in some, 
that fire has been elicited by striking two pieces 
together. While traveling on the Grand Prai- 
rie some years ago, I obtained a considerable 
mass of sulphur, resulting from the combustion 
of a haystack set on fire by lightning. 
3. Admitting that all these substances exist in 
plants; how can we account for the presence of 
gum, and India rubber, the various fixed and 
volatile oils, rosin, starch, sugar, w'ax and nu- 
merous acids'? — These are all compounds, con- 
sisting wholly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and 
nitrogen ; principally of the first three, very nu- 
merous as the substances are, which are found 
in vegetables ; they are all formed, wood, gum, 
sugar, acids, and every thing else, out of the few 
elementary principles named in the first an- 
swer. 
4. What! all this variety of substance, the 
bitter and the sweet, the sour, the tasteless, the 
acrid, the nutritious, the poisonous,— all these 
properties, the result of the combination of the 
same elements ! How is it possible for these 
contradictory virtues to arise out of the union ot 
the same principle"? The difference in these 
substances depends solely upon the principles 
being united in different proportions. A very 
interesting instance of the wonderful effects of 
changing the proportions of the constituents ofa 
chemical body exists in the combination ot oxy- 
gen and nitrogen: these gases mixed together 
in a certain proportion form the atmosphere, or 
air which sustains the whole living creation- 
combine with the nitrogen a larger proport ion of 
oxygen, and we produce the exhilerating gas, 
with the ludicrous effects of which, when breath- 
ed, many aretamiliar. increase the proportion 
of ( xygen, and the result will be an irrespirable 
gas ; and still another proportion of oxygen, and 
a weak acid will be produced: add more, and a 
stronger acid will be made; add still more, and 
we shall have the powerful acid called aquafor- 
tis! What a contrast is seen in the two ex- 
tremes ! At one end ol the series ol combina- 
tions* stands the life sustaining atmosphere: at 
the other, the deadly aquafortis ! So in the've- 
getable kingdom, we shall find a variation in the 
proportion ofa few ol the elementary principles 
named in the first answer, produce the most 
marvellous difference in the products. 
5. It these few elementary substances consti- 
tute all plants and all the products ol plants, it 
is evident that the plants must be supplied wiih 
them in some manner. Whence are these sub- 
stances then obtained? From the earth and 
from the atmosphere. 
6. But do these principles exist in all parts of 
the earth and atmosphere ?— The atmosphere 
being a fluid mass, is constantly in motion ; and 
the wind which is now passing by us, is carry- 
ing tha fertilizing matters with which it may be 
charged, into other regions; and thus the exha- 
lations from the earth are mixed with great uni- 
formity, with the air. But it is not so with the 
earth: th^re are many parts ol it which are 
wholly deficient in some of these principles; and 
as there is no natural, universal blending ot 
earth from all parts of the globe, producing a 
uniform mixture of the soil, the deficiency must 
be supplied by artificial means; and this consti- 
tutes an important part of the art of husbandry. 
7. Then there must be land in which sorne 
plants will not grow, lor want of some essential 
constituent. How can the quality of the soil be 
determined? By analysis or by cultivation. If 
any given plant as wheat, hemp or grass, flour- 
ishes on the soil, we know that all the necessary 
constituents of the plant exist in the soil. But 
if any ot these principles are absent, the plant 
can no more thrive, than an animal can live 
without provender. It is then necessary to as- 
certain what constituents are lacking, and to 
furnish the soil with them. As different parts 
of plants are sometimes differently constituted, 
one part may grow luxuriantly and other parts 
be dwarfish or delective for want ot its proper 
food. It is important, therelore, to consider 
what part ofa plant fails, and then knowing the 
composition ol that part, we may conjecture the 
defects ol the soil and proceed to improve it with 
a prospect of success. It is possible, and not 
uncommon, tor the stalk and leaves of wheat to 
grow exuberantly, while the grain is stinted ia 
its development: or the grains may be perfect, 
and the leaves and stalk comparatively small. 
Richmond, la. J. T. P, 
Strawberries. — Great efforts are making in 
the western country to perfect the culture ot the 
strawberry. Mr. Culberston, ol Kentucky, re- 
siding on the banks of the Licking river, keeps 
60 hands constantly employed in picking straw- 
berries, and sends 125 bushels daily to the Cin- 
cinnati market. So says the Boston Transcript. 
(A large story, that.) 
An Independent Woman. — Talk, indeed, 
of your pantomine and gaudy shows; your pro- 
cessions, and installations, and coronations ! 
give me a beautiful sight, a neat and smart wo- 
man, heating her own oven, and setting herowu 
bread ! And if the bustle does make the sign of 
labor glisten on her brow, what man would not 
kiss that off, rather than lick the plaster from 
the cheek of a dutchess ? — Cobbett. 
*The atmosphere is, however, a mechanical mixture 
of the gases, not strictly a chemical combination. 
