AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
2 8 
ance of the giant growth of wheat in the 
midst oflarge trees ; in the natural blue grass 
pasture; the nine miles of Osage Orange 
hedge, most of it a perfect barrier to all kinds 
of intruders; the magnificent evergreen 
hedge ; the luxuriant clover, and, above all, 
the neatness and order characterizing the 
whole concern, in which respect a vast im¬ 
provement has been made since our previous 
visits. Nor ought we to omit to mention 
the valuable stock belonging to the farm. 
We particularly noticed four two year’s old 
heifers brought from Kentucky—animals 
that can not easily be beaten, also a pair of 
mares heavy with foal, which were really 
splendid animals. We noticed many other 
fine animals, which we can not particularize. 
The Sigersons are firm believers in the 
efficacy of deep plowing and thorough culti¬ 
vation, and act upon the principle that what¬ 
ever is worth doing at all is worth doing 
well; accordingly they put the plow down 
to its beam, and frequently put in the spade 
so as to pulverize fully two feet deep. The 
weeds are also, we notice, kept in subjection. 
The success of this enterprise, so highly 
creditable to the proprietors, and of which 
our city and State has just cause to be proud, 
has demonstrated one thing from which the 
people of both the north and the south 
should receive instruction. It is often said 
by over-zealous persons at the north, who 
know but little about the actual condition of 
things in the Slave States, that white labor¬ 
ers can not live in a Slave community; that 
the tendency of the institution of slavery is 
to drive away all intelligent free laborers, 
&c., &.; yet here is, in a f lave State, the larg¬ 
est farm in the Union, and one which is 
making more money for its owners than any 
other, operated entirely by free labor, there 
never having been a slave employed on the 
place, and a better, more respectable and 
intelligent set of men can not be found em¬ 
ployed in anyplace in the Union. 
One thing more we would notice in con¬ 
cluding our remarks upon this establishment, 
and that is that over the entrance gate to the 
place is placed a sign to the effect that no 
business visitors are admitted on the Sabbath. 
The Scripture says, “ They that honor me 
I will honor.” 
W’e would call the attention of those who 
think that this farm can be beat, to Messrs. 
Sigersons’proposition, which we hope will 
be extensively copied by our brethern of the 
press. 
The Boy Farmers. —A Paris (Me.) paper 
tells a good story of two boys, one 13, and 
the other 11, who on account of the sickness 
of their father, was left to work the farm. 
They thoroughly plowed and cross-plowed 
three acres of rather rough ground, which 
they then sowed, and then harrowed it three 
times over. They also assisted in clearing 
one acre of new land, which was sown with 
wheat. It grew well especially that first 
sown, but at harvest the father being still 
sick, there was none to gather the grain but 
those two little lads. Having neither 
strength or skill to use the cradle, they 
grasped the sickle with a resolute hand, 
and reaping what they could each day, per¬ 
severed until the whole four acres was thus 
harvested by them alone. The produce of 
this crop would command in market $135, and 
they did a good deal of work on the farm be¬ 
side. This shows what boys can do if they 
really set about it, and make work of work, 
and play of play—not trying to do both at 
once. 
The study of the fashions is the only lit¬ 
erature of many women. 
In man’s works, as in those of nature, the 
intention is the great thing to be studied. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
VITALITY OF SPANISH MOSS. 
The number of American Agriculturist of 
May 10, page 137, under “ 'Vitality pf Span¬ 
ish Moss,” invites examination. I take the 
position as I have ever done, that this moss 
is strictly an air plant, that it derives no sap, 
nor “ ex necessitate rei,” from necessity, 
moisture from a growing tree or bark of a 
dead one. I inclose you two sprigs that you 
may be convinced. You will see the thread 
as it were, which attaches joints, is dead, 
yet from the joints may spring a live con¬ 
necting link to next joint. If moisture or 
nourishment was necessary from trees or 
any substance on which it hangs, how does 
it pass through the dead moss—exactly like 
that of commerce if divested of covering, 
which you will see some of these are. 
These specimens came from a dead plum 
tree (native to our woods), and from a sprig 
not as large as my pen, hanging down two 
feet. 
I have seen live moss on the worm fence, 
on tall stumps, limbs of trees, and on the 
telegraph wire —pretty near your idea of a 
“ crowbar.” 
I believe it will soon die on dead timber, or 
iron, not because it does not receive its 
proper nourishment from them, but because 
exposed to the sun and drying winds; where¬ 
as, if in a shade as dense as growing trees, 
it would live. I have discussed this subject 
with our folks here, who have seen this 
moss daily all their lives, and have convinced 
them by demonstrations. M. W. Phillips. 
Edwards, Miss., May 25,1S55. 
The specimens above alluded to were over 
two weeks on the way, and had become so 
dry that we could not distinguish the living 
from the dead portion, but we have seen 
large bunches of the moss hanging from 
trees where a foot or more of the portion 
next the supporting tree was to all appear¬ 
ance dead and dry. We have also seen 
large masses of living moss upon dead trees 
in the forests of Louisania, &nd, some years 
since, had come to the conclusion that this 
was essentially an air plant, not dependent 
upon any other plant for sustenance. But we 
have recently conversed with those who 
have resided at the south, and had much bet¬ 
ter opportunity for observation than our¬ 
selves, who hold a contrary opinion. They 
contend that no plant can grow without a 
supply of mineral constituents. Where 
the supporting tree is dead, and the sap has 
ceased to circulate, and especially where the 
connecting part of the plant is dead, they 
believe that the decay of the lower por¬ 
tions of the moss supplies the living or 
growing part with the necessary mineral 
constituents. 
This is an interesting question. Does this, 
or does any plant grow without the presence 
of mineral elements ? We have seen no 
analysis of this plant. Does, or does not its 
hair-like or wiry thread depend upon silica, 
similar to what is asserted of the hair of 
animals, the external coating of straw, &c.? 
If our laboratory was now in operation, we 
would ask some one to send us a good clean 
specimen for analysis. The moss found in 
our market has been too much handled to 
furnish proper specimens for examination. 
Besides, its bark or outer covering has been 
removed. Will not some good chemist in 
one of the States where this plant grows, 
make a thorough examination, by burning 
it to ascertain, whether it leaves an ash; and 
if it does leave one on burning determine its 
character I In the meantime we invite a 
further discussion of this subject, keeping in 
mind what is said of the decaying part as a 
source of mineral elements for the growing 
portions. 
ACTIVITY IS NOT ALWAYS ENERGY. 
There are men whose failure to succeed 
in life is a problem to their friends as well 
as to themselves. They are industrious, 
prudent, economical, yet all to no purpose ; 
and after a long life of striving, old age finds 
them still poor. They complain of ill-luck. 
They say fate is always against them. But 
the truth is, they miscarry because they have 
mistaken mere activity for energy. Con¬ 
founding two things essentially distinct, they 
have supposed that, if they were always 
busy, they would be advancing their fortunes. 
They have forgotten that misdirected labor 
is a waste of activity. The person who 
would succeed in life, is like a marksman 
firing at a target—his, shots, if they miss 
the board, are but a waste of powder ; to be 
of any service at all, they must tell in the 
bull’s eye, or near. So, in the great game 
of life, what a man does must be made to 
count, or it may almost as well be left undone. 
The idle warrior, cut from a shingle, who 
fights the air on the top of a weather-cock, 
instead of being made to turn some machine 
commensurate with his strength, is not more 
worthless than the mere active man, who, 
though busy from sunrise to sunset, dissi¬ 
pates his labor on trifles, when he ought 
skillfully to concentrate it on some great 
end. 
Everybody knows some one in his circle 
of acqaintances who, though always active, 
has this want of energy. The distemper, if 
we may call it such, exhibits itself in various 
ways. In some cases, the man has merely 
an executive faculty, when he should have a 
directing one ; in other language, he makes 
a capital clerk for himself, when he ought to 
be doing the thinking of the business. In 
other cases, what is done is either not done 
at the right time, or in the right way. Some¬ 
times there is no distinction made between 
objects of differing magnitudes, but as much 
labor is bestowed on a trivial affair as on a 
matter of vast moment. Energy, correctly 
understood, is activity proportioned to the 
end. Napoleon would often, when on a 
campaign, remain for days without taking off 
his clothes, now galloping from point to 
point, now detailing dispatches, now study¬ 
ing maps. But his periods of repose, when 
the crisis was over, were generally as pro¬ 
tracted as his exertions had been. Fie has 
been known to sleep for eighteen hours on a 
stretch. Second rate men, your slaves of 
tape and routine, while they would come 
short of the great Emperor’s superhuman 
labors, would have thought themselves lost 
beyond hope, if they imitated what they call 
his indolence. They are capital illustrations 
of activity, keeping up their monotonous 
jog-trot forever, while Napoleon, with his 
gigantic industry, alternating such apparent 
idleness, is as striking an example of energy. 
We do not mean to imply that chronic in¬ 
dolence, if relieved occasionally by spas¬ 
modic fits of industry, is to be recommended. 
Men, who have this character, run into the 
opposite extreme from that which we have 
been stigmatizing;, and fail as invariably of 
winning success in life. To call their occa¬ 
sional periods of application energy, is a sad 
misnomer. Such persons, indeed, are but 
civilized savages, so to speak, vagabonds at 
heart in their secret hatred of work, and 
only resorting to labor occasionally, like the 
wild Indian, who after lying for weeks about 
