25 
FARMING IN FLORIDA.-TIIE BUFFALO BUSH. 
ed persons, that regions abounding in aromatic plants 
are more favorable to the health of sheep, and con¬ 
sequently to the fineness of their wool, than those 
entirely destitute of such plants. Two instances, 
well supported, will, perhaps, be sufficient to refute 
this opinion. The territory of Montafla, in Old Cas¬ 
tile, is one of the most elevated tracts in Spain, where 
the neighboring mountains rise in the atmosphere to 
a line of perpetual snow. Its hills consist of sand¬ 
stone, covered with a deep clayey soil; black marble 
marked with white and yellow veins; grey limestone, 
containing marine petrifactions, talc, gypsum, and 
numerous saline springs; and in the plains and val¬ 
leys emery abounds, both occurring in large blocks 
and incorporated in the soil. The soils of the moun¬ 
tains and hills are noted as being of a similar compo¬ 
sition with the rocks beneath them; and experience 
has taught the Spanish farmers, that the sod which 
covers the limestone districts is best adapted to the 
growth of wheat and maize; that the clayey soil 
lying upon the sandstone, is stiff and difficult to till; 
and that the intermediate soils, resting upon mixed 
formations, are not very productive without the ap¬ 
plication of manure. The hills and plains of this 
region, which are destitute of aromatic plants, afford 
the finest of pasturage to numerous herds of sheep, 
cows, and horses; the two latter of which, are fed 
on hay during the winter months—a very rare circum¬ 
stance to occur in any part of Spain, or the south of 
Europe generally. The other instance referred to, is 
the territory adjacent to the town of Molina, in Arra- 
gon, which abounds in aromatic and odoriferous 
plants, and is celebrated for its good pasturage and 
fine flocks; yet their wool is of no better quality 
than that of the sheep of Montaila, where no aroma¬ 
tic plants are to be found. The hills and mountains 
about Molina are composed of red and grey sand¬ 
stone, limestone, gypsum of various colors and stages 
of decomposition; dark and light-colored granite, 
intersected by numerous veins of lead, iron, and cop¬ 
per, the latter of which contains silver, sulphur, and 
arsenic; and all the surrounding country is rich in 
springs from which large quantities of salt are annu¬ 
ally made. Without digressing further from the sub¬ 
ject, it may not be improper to state, that the pastures 
of Spain are generally prolific in sweet grasses suita¬ 
ble for grazing, several of which are indigenous, and 
others have been introduced from northern Africa, 
the east, and from other parts of Europe. 
That the quality of wool depends much upon cli¬ 
mate, there can be no doubt; for it is a well esta¬ 
blished law, that the wool of sheep, in the torrid 
zone, degenerates into a species of hair; and in very 
cold, rigid ones, though fine near the roots, it be¬ 
comes coarse towards the ends. Hence, it is only in 
temperate latitudes where wool approaches to a state 
of perfection ; and its fineness in the Merinos, doubt¬ 
less, is owing, in a great measure, to their being able 
to pass their lives in the open air, free from the ex¬ 
tremes of heat, cold, afid moisture, common to some 
countries, and where their unobstructed but less 
abundant perspiration is allowed to be swept away 
as fast as it flows. It is a remarkable fact, that all 
the sheep in Spain which constantly live in the open 
air, perpetuate their color, and other properties, to 
their progeny; and it is equally remarkable, that the 
swine of that country, which run wild in the woods, 
are invariably clothed in fine, curly, black hair; and 
it is proverbial that, “ Never did a Spanish hog's 
bristle pierce a shoe.” 
D. Jay Browne. 
New York , December 10 th, 1844. 
FARMING IN FLORIDA. 
The Worcester ' Plows. —The plows you sent me 
have come to hand. With their appearance I was 
very much pleased, and with their performance per¬ 
fectly satisfied. I tried them first when the ground 
was as dry as it could be from a drought of near two 
months, and immediately after a rain of twelve hours; 
in both instances the work was complete. The ex¬ 
cellence of the operation was in proportion to the 
size of the plow. The plow No. 2 B, was drawn 
by two mules easily, and accomplished its work 
most effectually. 1 have a great desire to try the 
Eagle plow now, one size larger. 
Superior Healthiness of Corn Meal for Mules .— 
The corn arid cob crusher you sent me is exciting 
much attention. All the corn now used by stock on 
my plantation is first ground in this mill, and I find 
thereby not only a great saving in long forage, but 
that the health of the animals is greatly promoted. 
Formerly, my mules suffered much with the colic , 
and my usual loss has been from one to three every 
year from that disease; but since I have had the 
crusher (now near eight months), there has not been 
a single case of colic in a lot of twenty-four mules, 
fed three times per day on the ground food. 
Marl. —Since reading Ruffin’s Essay, I have dis¬ 
covered marl on my plantation, but have yet made 
no experiment with it, merely because it is inconve¬ 
nient to get at it. The bed commences six feet be¬ 
low the surface, and continues without change twenty 
feet, as far as I have penetrated. It appears to be a 
mass or concretion of various minute shells. It 
effervesces rapidly in muriatic acid, and even common 
vinegar. I design making some experiments with it 
soon. 
Egyptian Corn. —One word more about Egyptian 
corn. It is now green, with a crop of from five to 
eight heads from each root more than half matured. 
This, should it mature, will be the fourth time ripe 
seed has been gathered from one planting. From the 
manner it continues to send up shoots from the old 
root, I am induced to try if it will not rattoon next 
spring, by protecting it this winter. 
The low price of the great southern staple is hav¬ 
ing the happy effect of causing proprietors to give 
more of their personal attention to their plantations; 
and, as a natural consequence, producing a taste for 
the science of their profession, and a demand for 
agricultural publications and improved implements. 
Robt. W. Williams* 
Tallahassee , Fa., 13 th Nov., 1844. 
THE BUFFALO BUSH. 
Can any of your correspondents inform me wheth¬ 
er the Buffalo Bush is cultivated in the Eastern 
States, and if so, where it can be obtained and at 
what price ? 
Cat!in describes it as growing naturally in great 
profusion on tfte borders of the Missouri, below the 
mouth of «the Yellowstone, in lat. about 47° north. 
He says, “ it lines the banks of the river and defiles 
of the Bluffs sometimes for miles together, forming 
