190 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
OBSERVATIONS TO PLANTERS. 
The following admirable hinls we find ad- 
dressed to the planters of South Carolina, by a 
eorrespcndeat of the Southern Agriculturist. 
We wish that they might reach and be heeded 
by all ; for it is certain that the stock of cotton 
on hand in Europe is fearfully accumulating, 
and- that so long as this prosess is going on it 
must continue to fall. There is no escaping 
this dilemma, and the sooner our southern bre- 
thren look this matter in the face and provide for 
it by a change of system, the better it will be 
for "them. We hope they will take these obser- 
vations, kindly, for they are kindly meant: 
“ There is a partial if not complete remedy 
for this evil, which I take the liberty of suggest- 
ing through-your pages. Let every cotton plan- 
ter make it a rule and adhere strictly to it, to make 
no more cotton than he can make clear of his 
plantation expenses. That is, let him pay all 
his plantation expenses by other crops, and 
make only so much cotton as will support his 
family, pay his debts, and add to his property. 
Many planters f dare say will answer, that they 
would be glad to make enough cotton to pay 
their debts and support their families. This 
may be true as to some, but in general it would 
be more pert than true. Even those who are 
hardest run, purchase corn, salt, negro cloths, 
&c., with ‘cotton’ money. I doubt if there is 
any planter- who could not produce enough for 
market, be.side cotton, to pay for all these things, 
and all plantation expenses.. Some. are so situ-, 
ated, that they could sell corn alone sufficient for 
the purpose. Let them, increase their corn crop 
then to that amount and diminish cotton. Others 
again, if the corn could not be sold, raight.feed 
it to stock and sell that. It will bear transpor-. 
tation, and there is a great deal of foreign beefi 
and bacon sold in the cotton region. Wheat 
and flour in the middle and upper country,, 
could be made to pay these contingencies. Rice 
w'ill grow at the foot of the mountains and com- 
mand a good price, and so wd 11 tobacco. Many 
could pay these ex.penses by cutting timber and 
making shingles, staves, &g. In short, there 
are few planters in the whole cotton region, 
who might not by a little diversion of labor, 
manage to make what cotton they do, clear of 
the expense ot production, and do so profitably. 
Let each planter look around him, and see what 
his resources are. 1 do not invite him to make 
his own shoes, hats, blankets, clothes, salt and 
iron. In most cases, others who are in these 
lines can make these things and bring them to 
his door cheaper, than he. can make the.® him- 
self. But he can follow the business he under- 
stands, or at least is best prepared to carry on, 
and make something else besides cotton to pay 
or them. 
“1 know the folly of reeommeadiog shv 
measure to planters, requiring their combined 
action. I recommend this to each planter for 
his own individual advantage, as well as for the 
sake of the whole. Wliile it will diminish the 
aggregate crop, if it curtails but a bale, it will 
teach each man to be independent, to a certain 
extent, of cotton speculators, open his eyes to 
his own resources, and gradually prepare the 
way for that change of culture which is inevi- 
table, and at hand, fot all those who can not 
make a heavy bale to the acre. And I would 
add, that every planter should as speedily as 
possible reduce his culture to such land only as 
will make a heavy bate per acre. If he has no 
such, let him ‘make’it — manuie will soon do it. 
Gut down the cotton, increase the corn and pea 
crop, pen hogs, cattle, and every thing else on 
straw, muck, weeds, &c., &c , and he will soon 
have as much land that will raise him a bale to 
the acre as he wants, if he makes no more cot- 
ton than he makes ‘ clear.’ 
“I preach no more than 1 practice. I am a 
middle-aged planter, and I have nearly always 
made my cotton crop clear. I have sufiered my 
share in the hard times, and have met, I think, 
more than my average of losses: yeti kept 
above board without any stringent economy, 
mainly because I have paidplantation expenses 
by selling corn, peas, oats, &c. My e:^enses 
have been as heavy as any plantei’." of the same 
force, and my land probably as pom ; yet I have 
kept up chiefly, 1 think, because 1 : ■ not have 
to pay them in a lum-p at the end o-: year out 
of my cotton, which v/ould have leli -ne so small 
a surplus, that probably I sho:;ld rot have 
thought it worth taking care of. The balance 
would have been mere odds and ends, which 
few know how to make tell. Ibavemade corn, 
&c., supply my odds and endsofcash, and ap- 
propriated them as they came to hand tu pay 
current expenses; and when my cotton came 
in, I could do something with my little lump ot 
clear money. Let me say also, that alter next 
year I shall not plant an acre but will (or at 
least ought to) yield me 400 lbs. clean cotton. 
Not one— and not many I trust next year. Yet 
my land in its best natural condition, will not 
average half that m.u-ch. What 1 adopt for rny 
own good, and experience has proved to me is 
for the good of every planter, both individually 
and collectively, I recommend o-thers to try.” 
From the Massachusetts Plowman. 
THE BUST COWS. 
You cannot be absolutely certain, when you 
purchase heilers, that you will have good cows, 
but by close attention you may acquire the art 
of judging pretty accurately whether ihey will 
prove good. The first point is the udder; if 
this is not capacious or if it has not the power 
of becoming so, she will never be a great milk- 
er. Then the color of the skin is important if 
you would have rich milk; it should be yellow, 
or rather a mahogany color; but you want good 
teals too to draw the milk; large teats, not 
standing close together are a good sign. These 
are the most important points. 
As to the form of the cow, you will not choose 
a large head and horns, lor it costs too much to 
support them;. nor long legs, to made you hold 
the pail up from the ground, and to require high 
fences. Long legs require too much support, 
they are not good even for travelling. Choose 
short legged animals whenever you have the 
choice, whether cov/s, oxen, hor-es, or hogs. 
Choose slender necks and tapering tails ; straight 
backs and broad briskets, lor such feed better 
and are less liable to disease The cow’s body 
should be large in co-mparison with her head 
and limbs, but it is not an object to keep very 
large cows and oxen, or horses on our farms, as 
a general rule. Middle sized cows, and those 
below it, you -n'iH almost always find better 
milkers than large cows are. 
In regard to the color of the body, a red, or 
yellow, or yellow brindle, is as indicative as 
any, of a good rich milker. You cannot always 
determine, by any external marks, whelheryour 
heifer will prove a good cow. Alter trying her 
one summer, you can tell better, and you can 
then turn her oiT lor beef if you choose. On 
purchasing you will have some regard to color 
as a matter of fancy. Nobody wants a black 
cow or a white one and though partly colored 
cows are endurable,no white man buys a skunk 
colored horse for his own keeping. 
Mild and gentle cows are better than irrita- 
ble animals, and will be more ready to yield 
their milk. By close scrutiny you can deter- 
mine in some degree by the countenance and 
the motions of the heifer, whether she is natu- 
rally docile ; yet very much depends on her 
breaking, her treatment and education during 
the first season. Vicious treatment will make 
any animal vicious; still there is a difference 
of character independent of education. Exa- 
mine the eye and the face of the heifer; a large 
mild eye, with a yellow circle or haloaround it, 
is a good indication. The face should not be 
large, and the bones should all be small in pro- 
portion to the body. A large chest is evidence 
of good lungs and ot a hardy animal. The hips 
should be well spread, for obvious reasons. 
By proper attention to selecting and breeding 
we may just as well have a race of cows that 
will yield ten pounds of butter per week as five 
pounds. We know of no neat stock superior 
to our red Devon cattle; such as we meet w'ith 
in all parts of New England. ' 
From the Boston Journal. 
THE OLIVE. 
The olive tree has been prized in all ages ia 
certain regions of the globe. Indeed there is 
perhaps no tree or vegetable which is more fre- 
quently referred to in profane and sacred his- 
tory, and connected w'iih which are more inte- 
resting associations. The dove sent forth by 
Noah from the ark returned with an olive leaf, 
by which the patriarch knew that the waters 
had abated. And it was probably from this 
circumstance that the olive has ever ceen re- 
garded as the emblem of peace and of plenty by 
all civilized nations, heathen or Christian. In 
the fabled contest between Neptune and Miner.- 
va, to decide which should give the name to a 
new city, each sought for the gilt most benefii- 
cial to mankind. Neptune brought forward the 
fiery war horse, but JWioerva produced an olive 
tree, and the palm was awarded to.ihe goddess- 
—and she gave the name of Athens- to the new 
city. 
The olive tree appears to have flourished in 
Syria from time immemorial, and is frequently 
alluded to in the Holy Scriptures. It is sup-, 
posed to have been transplanted into Italy du«. 
ring the palmy days of Rome, and was soon 
cultivated in France and Spain. For ages it 
has abounded in the south of Europe being 
much valued by the inhabitants, who use the 
oil for culinary and other purposes — indeed it 
constitutes a very important article of food- 
among the inhabitants, and is a well known 
commodity for commerce. 
The olive tree is not remarkable for its beau- 
ty or majesty. It usually attains a height of 
twenty or twenty-five feet, but branches off hori- 
zontally a few feet above the ground, like the 
apple-tree. It bears fruit abundantly every 
ot.her year, the character of which is well 
known. The wood is heavy, compact, fine 
grained and brilliant, and is much used by ca- 
binet; makers in the eountri-es where it abounds^ 
It was regarded by the ancients as highly valu- 
able on account of its hardness and durability. 
The oil is expressed from the puln, not from 
the seed, as is the case with almt si all other 
kinds of oleaginous vegetables. When intend- 
ed to be picked for exportalion, it is gathered 
while still unripe, and is steeped in the water 
several days, and atterwards put into a water of 
lye and barilla. It is then put in bottles or bar- 
rels with salt and water, and is exported to other 
countries, where it is regarded as a luxury, and 
is believed to be conducive to health and a 
promoter of digestion, 
Whether the olive tree can be made to flou-=. 
rish in any part of the United States to an ex- 
tent sufficient to give it any considerable value, 
remains to be seen. Mr. Ellsworth, the Conj- 
missioner of Patents, says it may be cultivated 
in the southern States as far south as the Caro- 
linas. The climate of the southern part of 
Georgia, of Florida, Alabama and Louisiana 
would doubtless be suitable for its production, 
were it not for the very sudden changes from 
very warm to comparatively very cold weather, 
which sometimes take place in the winter 
months. The subject is worthy of attention. 
The experiment should be fairly tested, and 
there can be little doubi of its success. Indeed, 
so far back as the middle of the last century, a 
band of auventurers from the shores of the Me- 
diterranean planted olive trees in Florida, where 
they flourished and grew to a large size. We 
are glad that attention is directed to the subject 
of increasing the number and the value of use- 
ful productions in this country. 
Pick carefully all winter apples for sale and 
for use, and save all other apples for pigs and 
other farm stock, for which they will be found 
very valuable in winter. 
Feed all fattening animals with perfect regu- 
larity — enough, but not too much. Save all 
your straw well for litter and winter feed. 
A writer in the Michigan Farmer, recom-. 
mends buttermilk for the destrucii.n of lice on. 
cattle. 
