THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
151 
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1844.. 
Preparing Cotton for ^Market. — Oor ex- 
cellent friend and correspondent, A. McDonald, 
ofEnfaula, Ala., has favored us with his naode 
of preparing cotton for market, the importance 
of which we cannot press too earnestly upon the 
consideration of cotton planters. For we ate 
well satisfied, from our observation of the sales 
of cotton in this city, that no labor bestowed on 
cotton is better rewarded than that of putting it 
up neatly. Purchasers alvvat’s look well to the 
order in which it is when offered, and their bids 
are regulated accordingl\\ If in good order, 
they offer what they believe its value — but if in 
bad, they of course make a sufficient deduction 
from the price, to remunerate them for putting 
it in good order. 
No idea is more erroneous than that which is 
entertained by many farmers, that any bagging 
will answer, it it be strong enough to get it to 
the first market. They should recollect that it 
has to be much handled before getting it to its fi- 
nal destination, either in America or Europe; 
consequently, unless the bagging be good, it will 
not be in a fit condition to be exposed to sale on 
its arrival, until a considerable additional ex- 
pense be incurred. All these things are taken 
into consideration by the cotton dealer, who pur- 
chases of the planter, and the price of his cotton 
is regulated accordingly. A difference, there- 
fore, of a few cents more in the yard of bagging, 
is but a trifling increase on each bale, while it 
not unfrequently affects the value of the cotton 
i cent per pound. 
Let the cotton growers reflect upon these 
things, and be governed by them, and our word 
for it, their labor will be well rev/arded. 
Smut in Wheat. — In our last number, we 
copied an article from the American Farmer 
on this subject, and to-day we have two com- 
munications as to the means of preventing this 
disease in the wheat crop: and as the season for 
sowing will soon be here, we commend them to 
the consideration of the reader. The plan adopt- 
ed by Mr. Bell, to avoid smut, is entirely new to 
us; and, if it be a sure preventive, is certainly 
a great saving of labor, compared with the plan 
usually adopted of soaking in a brine or ley, 
and then rolling in ashes or lime. 
We hope IMr, B. will favor us with the re- 
sult of his experience in reference to the matter, 
—inform us how long he has practised this plan, 
and whether it has been always successful. 
il^The editor of the London Agricultural 
Gazette, in an article relative to the frauds prac- 
ticed upon farmers by the adulteration of ma- 
nures especially guano — says: “One would 
think, from the constant occurrence of these 
I frauds, that farmers were not yet convinced of 
! the expediency of the old rule—' Taste and try, 
I before voubuyT’’ We should rather be excused 
! (says the Boston Cultivator) from literally' prac- 
j ticing this in the case of manures such as gua- 
no. We should prefer some one should “ taste” 
i for us. 
Gapes in Chickens.— The Southern Plant- 
er has the following from Mrs. E., a “gude 
housewife” and great chickenarian, in relation 
to this subject, which may prove beneficial to 
many' throughout the country. This disease 
has, in almost every case, within our recollec- 
tion, proved fatal to chickens. It strikes us that 
Mrs. E.’s mode of curing this disease is a good 
one, and we therefore recommend it to our fair 
country-women : 
“ Put the chickens in a covered basket, and 
hold the basket over a pretty strong tobacco 
smoke, and smoke them till they get drunk 
enough to cease crying. But avoid the error 
committed by a good lady, who fo’lowed the lat- 
ter part of the prescription literally. She 
waited till the chicks had ceased crying, but 
waited too loifg: they had died. Young lurkies 
are benefitted by the same application.” 
Substitute for Slave Labor. — Mr. Bryant 
Cobb, of North Alabama, proposes to give up 
slave labor, and to offer suitable encouragement 
to induce good German farmers to settle about 
him, also some machinists and mechanics. He 
is located in a fertile valley, which is well wa- 
tered; it is large enough for 15 or 20 farms; seve- 
ral saw-mills are in operation. He proposes to 
furnish farming implement.'* and one year’s pro- 
visions to industrious families, and let them 
farms on long leases, or make such other ar- 
rangements as m.ay be thought mutually benefi- 
cial. Mr. Cobb’s address is at Cobb’s Store, 
North Alabama, about 15 miles Southeast of 
Huntsville, Latitude 32 50. 
POr.\TOES. 
We thinkit would be worth the while of some 
of our Southern farmers to make a trial of the 
suggestion contained in the article below, which 
we copy from the Buffalo (N. Y.) Commercial 
Advertiser, relative to raising potatoes from the 
seed, instead of the potato itself. Though it will 
take about three years to perfect the plant pro- 
pagated in this way, yet, if it will ultimately' 
improve this valuable article, is it not worth a 
triall We believe the cultivation of the North- 
ern potato, in this section of country, has not 
generally been very successful. Is it not possi- 
ble that this plan would better adapt the potato 
so grown to our soil and climate ? We are not 
aware that any one in this vicinity has tried the 
plan proposed, and we therefore make the sug- 
gestion to such as may have time or inclination 
to try it. 
“If any of our readers have an opportunity to 
save potato balls or the seeds of this plant, we 
advise them to do so. The tops with the balls 
on can be hung up under a shed and dried, and 
kept ready lor planting next spring. It is the 
opinion of several eminent agricultural writers, 
in Germany, Ru.ssia and Great Britain, that by 
continuous propagation from the tubers for ma- 
ny years, without recurring to the natural seed 
of the plant, it has lost niuch of its vigor and vi- 
tal power. A late number of the Journal of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England has a 
valuable paper, written by a Russian, on this 
subject, whose name we do notremember. The 
‘ Dry Gangrene,’ or a disease which mav be de- 
signated by some other name, has affected for 
several years, ihs potato crop of Great Britain, 
Germany, Russia and Sweden. In each of these 
counirie.s, and on the Hudson river in this State, 
and we kno'v not how many other places, new' 
seedling.s have been propagated, which are said 
to be muc'h supetior to any old roots. 
“ The potato crop of the State of New York 
alone exceeds 30,090.000 bushels a year. We 
have the authority of Mr. Coleman for saying 
that in some parts ofGeimany they now con- 
trive to rai.se -4,000 bushels potatoes on five acres 
of land, or 800 bushels per acre.” 
Cure for the Bits of a Spider. — We 
yesterday published a case of death, (says the 
Baltimore Sun,) resulting from the bite of a 
spider, which has induced a correspondent to 
send us a cure for similar cases. He sa}'s that 
the leaves at green plantain, mashed and applied 
to the w'ound, and the free drinking of strong 
tea made of the same herb, is an infallible and 
speedy remedy. 
For the Southern Culltvator. 
Mr. Editor — I w’as much pleased w'ith the 
suggestions of Liebig, jr., in a late number of 
the Southern Cultivator, on the subject of legis- 
lative aid to agriculture, by the establishment of 
a State .\gricultu'-al Society, and also a Profes- 
sorship of Agricultural Chemistry, at the State 
University at Athens. The benefit and advan- 
tage other States have derived from legislative 
assistance, are incalculable, and will be felt and 
acknowledged by future generations. It will 
give a stimulus and energy to agriculture that 
will add to the wealth and re.sourcesof the State. 
The reason that agricultural schools have so 
generally failed is, that the}' were not conducted 
on scientific principles. Physical labor, with- 
out science, becomes irksome to a young and 
active mind : so soon, however, as the mind be- 
comes engaged and interested, the fatigue of the 
body will be unheeded. The plowshare opens 
to the view of the scientific farmer the richest 
treasures of geology and mineralogy. It is a 
cabinet that is inexhaustible and ever varying. 
And when chemistry unfolds the arcana of na- 
ture, andshowsthe different kinds of soils adapt- 
ed to the production of each and every variety of 
vegetation, then agriculture becomes a science 
and the mind directs the physical labor to the 
greatest usefulness and advantage. 
It is, then, the duty and the interest of the 
State, to place within the reach of her citizens 
the means of becoming scientific farmers. By 
establishing a Professorship of Agricultural 
Chemistry at her University, the young men 
then leaving the institution and returning home, 
would spread throughout the State, a science 
that would do more good to the community than, 
all the Latin and Greek that could be crammed 
into their heads. 
The true policy of the State requires the se- 
rious attention of her legislators to the conside- 
ration of these subjects. It is hoped, by one far- 
mer, that the next legislature will make the ne- 
cessary appropriations to carry into effect both 
the suggestions herein mentioned. Philos. 
i:l=The first saw'-mill in New England, and 
probably the first in this country, was built at 
Agamemico, (now York,) in Maine. 
