134 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
For the Southern Cultivator. 
Augusta, August 7th, 1844. 
Mr. Editor — I send you the copy of an ex- 
tract, in the American Journal of the Medical 
Sciences, published in May, 1837. 
M. Charles Garou de Buzareingues was a 
correspondent of the Institute of France. His 
experiments and observations were published 
originally in 1837, in Magendie’s Journal cf 
Physiology, Experimental, &c., vol. VII. This 
article was copied into the London Medical 
and Physical Journal, in February, 1838, 
whence it was taken by the Editor of the Ameri- 
can Journal of the Medical Sciences. 
There is no reasoij why it should not apply 
as well to other animals, as to those therein enu- 
merated. 
“A flock of sheep was divided into two equal 
portions, and a smaller or greater number of 
male or female lambs wmre to be produced, at 
the will of the proprietor, in each of these. The 
plan adopted in order to ensure this result, was 
to employ very young rams in that division of 
the flock from which it was designed to obtain 
females; and strong and vigorous rams, of four 
or five years of age, in that from which males 
were to be procured. The first division was al- 
so recommended to have a more abundant sup- 
ply of food, and more repose than usual, during 
the period of impregnation. The following ta- 
ble will show the effect of the first experiment: 
Age of the Mothers. 
Males. 
Femal 
2 years, 
14 
26 
3 years, 
16 
29 
4 years, 
5 
21 
5 years and upwards, 18 
8 
Total, 
At another farm — 
53 
84 
2 years, 
7 
3 
3 years. 
15 
14 
4 years. 
33 
14 
5 years. 
25 
24 
— 
Total, 
80 
55 
“ Another experiment 
is thus 
related 
flock of 106 sheep was divided into two sections 
of forty-twm each; one containing the strongest 
ewes, of four and five years of age — the second, 
consisting of the weakest, either less than four 
or more than five years old : the first section 
was intended to produce a greater number of fe- 
males than the second; and, after having been 
marked and placed in a good pasturage, four 
rams, of about ten months old, were turned into 
them. The other section received two strong 
rams, each aged more than three years. The 
remainder of the flock, making up the number 
of 106, belonged to the shepherds ; they are ge- 
nerally stronger and better nourished than the 
rest — and these, forming a third section, were 
placed under circumstances similar to the se- 
cond. 
“ The result of the lambing was thus : — 
Males. 
Females, 
First section. 
15 
25 
Second section. 
26 
14 
Third section. 
10 
12 
There were foui double births ; two of which, 
in the first section, produced 4 females. The 
two others, belonging to the second and third 
sections, produced 3 males and 1 female. 
“ It is to be remarked, that the rams proceed- 
ing from the section in which the young rams 
were employed, were in all respects as fine as 
those begotten by the older and stronger rams. 
“In connection with this part of the subject, 
we find, in another part of the communication, 
a remark of some importance. In 1835, twenty 
ewes, which had not borne for two years, receiv- 
ed the rams clandestinely in the beginning of 
the winter; they were almost all of them re- 
markably fat: they produced 16 females, and 4 
males. Among the number of these ewes were 
3 old ones, which had been put up to fatten in 
1834, but could not be sold because they were 
not in sufficiently good condition : these gave 1 
female, and 1 male. 
“M. Garou next carries his inquiries into the 
productive power in the mare and cow. Re- 
specting the first of these, he observes that, wish- 
ing to obtain more female than male colts, he 
fed his brood mares on fresh food; and he chose 
for propagation only such as had not been foal- 
ed or even nourished by the mother the preceding 
year; and he did not give them the stallion until 
they gave evident signs of being in heat. Five 
mares, so chosen, produced five female colts; 
and, by following the same method, out ofthir- 
teen colts foaled that year, eleven were females; 
and one of the two males was the product of an 
old mare. He remarks, that some mares of a 
remarkably vigorous appetite, always bring 
forth females; whilst those of delicate health as 
constantly produce males. The same remarks 
apply to the cow.” 
From the V. esterii Cultivator. 
PICKLES. 
Accompanying I send you a few extracts, on 
the best methods of putting up pickles, as the 
time of year is approaching for this to be attend- 
ed to. 
“Musk-melons should be picked for mangoes 
when green and hard. They should be cut open 
after they have been in salt-water ten days, the 
inside scraped out clean, and filled with mustard 
seed, allspice, horse-radish, small onions, &c., 
and sewed together. Scalded vinegar should 
then be poured upon them. 
Walnuls.— When these are so ripe that a pin 
will go into them easily, they are ready for pick- 
ling. They should be soaked twelve days in 
very cold and strong water, which has been 
boiled and skimmed. A quantity of vinegar, 
enough to cover them well, should be boiled 
with whole pepper, mustard seed, small onions, 
or garlic, cloves, ginger, and horse-radish; this 
should not be poured upon them until it is cold. 
They should lie in pickle a few months before 
they are eaten. To be kept closely covered, for 
the air softens them. The liquor is an excellent 
catsup to be eaten on fish. 
Peppers . — Put peppers into strong salt and wa- 
ter, and let them remain there till they become 
yellow; then turn them green by keeping them 
in warm salt-water, shifting them every two 
days. The.i drain them, and pour scalding 
vinegar over them. A bag of mustard-seed put 
in the jar is an improvement. If there is mo- 
ther in the vinegar, scald and strain it. 
Cucumbers . — Cucumbers should lie in weak 
brine three or tour days after they are picked ; 
then they should be put in a tin or wooden pail 
of clean water, and kept slightly warm in the 
kitchen corner for two or three days ; then take 
as much vinegar as you think your pickle-jar 
will hold — scald it with pepper, allspice, mus- 
tard-seed, flag-root, horse-radish, &c., if you 
happen to have them: half of them will spice 
the pickles very well. Throw in a piece of alum 
as big as a walnut ; this serves to harden the 
pickles. Skim the vinegar clean, and pour it 
scalding hot over the cucumbers. Brass vessels 
are not healthy for preparing any thing acid. 
Red Cabbages need no other pickling than 
scalding, spiced vinegar poured over them, and 
suffered to remain eight or ten days before you 
eat them. Some think it improves them to keep 
them in salt and water twenty-four hours before 
they are pickled. 
If you find your pickles soft and insipid, it is 
owing to the weakness of the vinegar. Throw 
away the vinegar, (or keep it to clean your 
brass kettles,) then cover your pickles with 
strong, scalding vinegar, into which a little all- 
spice, ginger, horse-radish, and alum have been 
thrown. By no means omit a pretty large piece 
of alum. Pickles treated in this way, will keep 
for years, and be better and better every year. 
Some people prefer pickled nasturtion-seed to 
capers. They should be kept several days after 
they are gathered, and then covered with boiling 
vinegar, and bottled when cold. They are not 
fit to be eaten for some months. ' 
Martinoes are prepared in nearly the same 
way as other pickles. The salt and water in 
which ihev are put, two or three days previous 
to pickling, should be changed every day ; be- 
cause martinoes are very apt to become soft. 
No spice should be used but allspice, cloves and 
cinnamon. Scald the martinoes and spice in 
the vinegar, instead of pouring it over them.” 
POINTS OF A GOOD MILCH COW. 
The following is from a report of the Guern- 
sey Agricultural Society, 
1. Purity of breed and qualities of the dam 
for yielding rich and yellow butter.’ 
2. Small head, large and bright eyes, small 
muzzle, small ears, orange color within. 
3. Straight back from The shoulders to the tail, 
and chest wide. 
4. A fine and loose skin, with soft and short 
hair. 
5. Sides well rounded, flank small between 
the side and haunch, tail fine. 
6. Fore-legs straight and well proportioned, 
hind-legs broad above the knee, fine and clean 
below; hoofs small; legs should not cross in 
walking. 
7. Udder large, and the teats large, and spring- 
ing from the four corners of the udder; milk- 
vein large and well-defined. 
From the Albany Cultivator. 
AMUSEMENTS FOR FARMERS’ BOYS. 
Being lately at the residence of one of our 
most intelligent farmers, our attention was at- 
tracted to the door of a small room in an out- 
building, which waslabelled “ office.” On 
inquiry, we learned that this was a room given 
up to the boys. Entering, we found it fitted up 
with miniature implements of husbandry, seeds 
of different kinds, a few plants, and branches of 
ever- green , the walls decorated with portraits of 
celebrated horses, cattle, sheep, swine and pouL 
try; while on some shelves, were some geologi- 
cal specimens, and several juvenile books of a 
character calculated to inspire a taste for rural 
life, and at the same time to teach correct modes 
of husbandry, horticulture, &c., the whole ar- 
ranged in agreeable order. It struck us as an 
excellent plan, and we would suggest its general 
adoption. It furnishes the means of both 
amusement and instruction. 
How infinitely better it is to allow boys an 
opportunity of spending a part of their time in 
thus cultivating a taste for the investigation of 
those subjects by which their knowledge of na- 
ture and the world around them is increased, 
than in mixing with rude company and becom- 
ing contaminated with their vices. 
RURAL EMBELLISHMENTS. 
I have said and written a great deal to my 
countrymen about the cultivation of flowers, or- 
namental gardening, and rural embellishments; 
and I would read them a homily on the subject 
every day of every remaining year of my life, if 
it would induce them to make this matter one of "* 
particular attention and care. When a man 
asks me what is the use ot shrubs and flowers, 
my first impulse always is to look under his hat 
and see the length ot his ears. Heartily do I 
pity the man who can see no good in life but in 
pecuniary gain, or in the mere animal indul- 
gences of eating and drinking. — Caiman's Enron 
pean Agriculture. 
Tall Corn. — A down-easter recently told a 
citizen of the “Lone Star Republic,” that no- 
thing could beat the corn in Connecticut. The 
Texan replied that he knew nothing of the crops 
in that section, but in his country the cornstalks 
bore seven or eight large ears, and a gourd on 
top with several quarts of shelled corn in it ! 
The Yankee took his hat and marvelled. — Se- 
lected. >■ 
li^’The Southern Farmer and Gardener says 
that, by an experiment recently made, it was as- 
certained that clover and timothy seed would 
cease to germinate at the depth of two and a half 
inches. 
