PRO' UCTS OF THE SOUTH. 
85 
gerous. Wounded membranes frequently produce 
fatal inflammation. Blistering is never dangerous in 
chronic affections, and therefore is preferable on that 
score, and by general action does far better. It is 
done within two days. Scraping the membrane can¬ 
not be through its operation short of weeks 
Buffalo, Jan. 1845. A. Stevens. 
PRODUCTS OF THE SOUTH. 
In my preceding article, I dwelt on fruits as an 
important aid to our resources, not only as adding 
materially to gratification of taste, but also to health 
and our, pecuniary concerns. I will now notice other 
matters, which, in my opinion, can be made entirely 
available for one or the other of the above purposes. 
Tobacco. —Though there be many who spurn it, 
yet it is an article used, and in all probability as little 
detrimental as some others that are looked over. I 
possess no data to guide me in relation to the product 
that Can be taken from an acre, but as to quality 1 
can, say some little. I have seen it growing here in 
small patches, have seen and used that cured, and 
think as to the size of leaf, and smoking qualities, 
that none superior have I seen in the Atlantic States 
from Maryland to South Carolina, in Kentucky or 
Tennessee. I do not profess to be a judge, though I 
have used the weed in all ways. A few days since, 
a friend handed me a segar, requesting my examina¬ 
tion and opinion ; after using it, I gave as my opi¬ 
nion that it was worth in New Orleans $15 to $18 per 
thousand. I was then informed that it was from the 
product of Cuba seed, made at Mr. Thos. Sumral’s 
of.Hinds Co., and sold by him at $15 per thousand. 
I have also tried from that made by Mr. Jeff. Nailor, 
of Warren Go., and without the means of compari¬ 
son, my memory alone to guide me, I prefer it. I 
have seen it at Dr. Geo. Smith’s, in Warren; in Ran¬ 
kin, in Jefferson—and give my opinion that an intelli¬ 
gent negro can cultivate his tobacco patch and make 
segars enough in one year, at the price of $15 per 
thousand, to nett double the wages that he would 
make at cotton, even at 8 cents per pound. 
Rice .—An article that is used in all our country as 
a luxury, can be grown to any extent here without 
detracting much labor from the farm, to have it in 
abundance for all on the farm; and I make no doubt 
that labor for labor, and land for land, it will 
feed horses, mules, cattle, and hogs, cheaper than 
corn will. A friend from near Mississippi city in¬ 
forms me, that he has fed mules on it alone, no other 
fodder or corn, and that six bundles per day is full feed 
for a mule whilst at work; and when idle, that three 
bundles will keep a mule in fine order: he supposes 
the bundles to weigh not over 6 lbs. His crop of rice 
was very indifferent, not a fair criterion; yet he 
gathered about 1700 bundles from about one and a 
third acres, which would be full feeding for a mule 
a year. He farther says, that two crops can be 
cut from the same planting, with an after math that 
is well worth the attention of cattle or horses. The 
second crop is not one half as good for grain, but for 
fodder it is better. My friend and neighbor, Judge 
Noland, of Warren Co., one of the best farmers in 
Mississippi, has made this season sixty bushels per 
acre, and to use his words, “ with no more labor to 
make it than I used in cultivating an acre of corn.” 
The difficulty is in cleaning to eat; .yet I have no 
question but that mortars and pestles, or a wooden 
mill, could be attached to our gin-gearing so as to 
require but little labor. 
All know the nutritive qualities of rice; that it is 
almost the sole sustenance of many of God’s people ; 
it is, furthermore, remedial in cholera morbus or di¬ 
arrhea. The water from thoroughly cooked rice 
acts like a charm ; it is also a good diet for invalids 
and sedentary persons—and as to food for stock, will 
not an acre, producing even forty bushels, feed more 
stock for a given time, than forty or fifty bushels of 
corn will ? 
Wheat .—T might add this grain to these our re¬ 
sources, as it is grown here successfully. Mr 
McClaurin, of Simpson Co., assured me, that during 
thirteen years residence here, he had but one partial 
failure, and that he had grown forty bushels per acre. 
I am assured by highly creditable witnesses, that 
they have grown wheat in this and an adjoining 
county, that weighed sixty-four to sixty-eight pounds 
per bushel. I have grown some here on good land, 
the rust destroyed it; on thin land and a bad stand 
it yielded ten to 12 bushels per acre. 
Madder and Indigo .—I might mention these, but 
why do so about these matters ? My friends will 
not improve on it—they are not so incredulous as 
indifferent to change. They know well that they 
can grow corn, sweet potatoes, cow-peas, &c., yet 
many, far too many, buy corn, and do not save seed 
peas or potatoes for planting. The sweet potato crop 
can be made vastly profitable. The potato will 
feed everything on the farm, and excepting for man 
and dog, there is no need to cook it to induce the eat¬ 
ing thereof; it will feed horses, cattle, hogs, and 
sheep, and prove a most valuable adjuvant to the 
milking qualities of cows. 
There is a strange lassitude to well doing in our 
country, and withal, much pure, unadulterated lazi¬ 
ness. My fellow citizens will for one year make 
enough corn and meat, which of course causes a de¬ 
cline in price; in another year they are buying—they 
will plant a tree, or fence in a garden, and leave both 
to be used up by grass and weeds. 
There are many who do not relish vegetables, or 
mutton, or flowers; ) r et few refuse either the one or 
the other at our table, and seem greatly to admire 
the last, in our garden. The fact is, they are too 
indolent. It is no want of time or means; very 
little time or expense is required to give a supera¬ 
bundance of the first and the last. True, they may 
not be exceedingly fine, but they can be in plenty; 
and as to mutton, I am clearly of the opinion, and 
after reading the opinions of the friends of the north, 
south, east and west, that Mississippi, if not first in 
ability to raise wool, is not second to any State in 
means of raising the best mutton. No one in this 
region who has from ten to three hundred head of 
sheep, can'tell what his sheep cost to keep them, if 
we except salt. We can provide green food for 
them the year round, at little cost of cash or time. 
We have an advantage in this matter in the cotton 
region, over any stock country—we can feed sheep 
on an article that costs us nothing to raise—I allude 
to cotton seed. This article will feed sheep all win¬ 
ter ; and if a bushel of rye to four or five head of 
sheep be sown in cornfields after gathering corn, say 
about 1st of October, we can, with but little trouble, 
