148 
REVIEW OF THE JANUARY NUMBER OF THE AGRICULTURIST, ETC. 
Vicksburg. He assured roe that he raised on 
them 25,000 bushels of corn the last season (be¬ 
sides his cotton, which is his principal crop), and 
much of it at the rate of 80 bushels per acre. This, 
however, was done with best cast-iron Eagle 
plows, the A 3,” for breaking up, and the 
“ A 2,” for cultivating. 
In assuming the position I did, that one man’s 
labor for four months would yield 800 bushels of 
harvested corn, I meant to be entirely within 
bounds, and not subject myself to the charge of 
overstating the productive industry of the south¬ 
west. The excess of production beyond what is 
stated, so far from impeaching, serves but to con¬ 
firm the statement. The examples quoted by Dr. 
P., however, as well as that of Col. H., may be 
considered as extremes rather than the mean of pro¬ 
duction, even in the Mississippi Valley. They are 
furnished by the cultivation of comparatively new 
and uniformly fertile land, with a judicious appli¬ 
cation of labor and favorable seasons. The best 
lands, unless subject to the annual overflow of 
muddy streams, would not long sustain such crops ; 
while a vast proportion of this valley, cannot in its 
ordinary state, be made to produce so much. Such 
lands must be manured, and the most fertile also, 
when partially worn. To provide and apply this 
manure, whether from the yards or muck heaps, or 
by green crops, will demand no inconsiderable 
amount of labor ; and with the occasional replant¬ 
ing from casualties to seed, short crops, owing to 
a variety of causes, &c., &c., will, in my judgment, 
leave but a small average excess over 800 bushels of 
sound shelled corn for four months' labor. 
As to the injury from frost upon young corn, my 
experience, in a northern latitude, has been, that al¬ 
though it generally affected the blades above the 
surface only, yet it occasionally killed the germ ; 
and even when the vital part was not affected, re¬ 
peated attacks frequently checked the growth, and 
seriously diminished the quantity of grain, as well 
as the stalk and leaf. 
R. L. Allen. 
New Orleans , March 8th r 1848. 
J THE PEANUT, OR PINDAR, PROPOSED AS A 
FERTILIZER FOR WORN-OUT SOILS. 
In a Spanish work, entitled u Memoria sobre el 
Mani de los Americanos,” by Don Antonio Enche- 
andia, published at Saragossa, in 2 800, it is stated 
that, if a mixture of one part of the flour of pea¬ 
nuts, with six parts of water, be left exposed to the 
air, on the third day after, an acid, and on the sixth 
day a putrid, fermentation takes place, attended 
with the formation of a considerable quantity of 
ammoniacal salts. Hence it may be inferred, that, 
if the entire plant be plowed under, a short time be¬ 
fore the leaves begin to turn yellow, it will serve as 
an excellent manure for enriching inferior or worn- 
out soils. 
It would be interesting to know how far north 
this plant will grow, or mature its seeds in the open 
air. Those who wish to make the experiment will 
find minute directions for its cultivation, at p. 346, 
of our sixth volume, where it is stated that an acre 
of poor sandy land will yield from 50 to 80 bushels 
of the nuts, and over a ton of hay, from the tops. 
The peas, oi \uts, can usually he bought in market 
for $1.50 to $2.00 per bushel. If sown as late as 
May, or even June, it is probable that they would 
grow sufficiently, in the course of the season, to 
afford a green crop for plowing in, or to he mown 
and cured for hay. In the south of Spain, the time 
of planting it, is from the middle of May till the end 
of June ; but there the climate is mild and general¬ 
ly without frosts, the coldest months of the year. 
REVIEW OF THE JANUARY NUMBER OF THE 
AGRICULTURIST. 
When I closed my review of the volume for 
1847, I expected to he able to keep up with your 
monthly issues ; but while in Nova Scotia, during 
that severe cold weather, about Christmas, I took 
one of the u worst colds in my life,” which has 
disabled me the balance of the winter. If it were 
not requisite for me still to preserve my incog., I 
should like to give you a sketch of “ Sam Slick,” 
as well as of the editor of the Maine Farmer, and some 
others whom I met down east. I forbear; for, in 
truth, the doctor and all the rest u on ’em is so cute,” 
that they nearly rent my veil while I was in com¬ 
pany with them. I therefore, shall proceed at once 
to notice such articles in the January No. as I think 
will be most useful. 
Agricultural Society Addresses. — I commend this 
article to all the readers of your journal. It is a 
lamentable truth, that of all the agricultural ad¬ 
dresses that I ever listened to, I never heard one 
well fitted for the occasion. I am glad to hear 
that an improvement is taking place. There is 
room for it. Ditto of reports of agricultural show 
committees. 
The Number of Swine in the United States is here 
estimated (and too low at that), at twenty millions. 
And at least, nineteen millions of these are 
Swine Running at Large. —What a horrible, 
hoggish picture of a heathenish people. As I hap¬ 
pen to live in that village which you mention (see 
page 13), I can vouch for the truth of that picture. 
You say 41 if any loafer presumes to let his hogs run 
in the street,” &c. I object to this expression as un¬ 
just toward that very respectable class of society. 
I mean comparatively respectable; for a loafer , as 
I understand the term, is a lazy, indolent fellow, 
whose sins are rather of a negative character; 
while the swine breeder, who sends his hungry 
horde into the streets to prey upon his neighbor, is 
worse than a pilferer, who wrould come and steal 
the corn with which to feed his swine in a pen at 
home; for he would probably shut the gate after 
him. I object to your plan of impounding, as a cu¬ 
rative of the evil. I saw a much better one copied 
from some western farming paper last summer [it 
was the Prairie Farmer. Ed.], as in force in some 
part of Illinois. It is also well calculated to im¬ 
prove the breed, and much more effectual than your 
remedy. The cost of the cure is half an ounce of 
lead, a thimbleful of powder, and one percussion 
cap ! 
Canadian Cattle Show .—This number contains 
a descriptive article from L. F. Allen, of a visit to 
this show at Hamilton last fall, which is, as bis 
articles generally are, highly interesting. As our 
show is to be at Buffalo next fall, I hope his visit 
will be returned by at least a thousand of our Ca¬ 
nadian brothers. 
