BUTTER FOR THE NAVY, ETC. 
283 
THE COTTON CROP. 
The Ides of July being passed, and the Calends 
of August approaching, at which time we great 
men of the cotton bags always issue our circulars, 
stating to the planters what they must make in the 
way of a cotton crop ; or, in plain language, the 1st 
of August is at hand, when the commission mer¬ 
chants issue their circulars, and pronounce upon 
the growing crop. I have seen none of their cir¬ 
culars as yet; and, unless, as an expose of commer¬ 
cial matters, they will not be worth seeing by the 
planter. They are equally worthless to the mer¬ 
chant and manufacturer; because there is no plan¬ 
ter between “ heaven and earth,” who can do more 
than guess at his crop, and you might as well 
guess as any other one who is only a mile off. The 
■estimates of the commisson merchants can only ap¬ 
proximate to the truth, from a knowledge of prior 
crops and prior estimates. The reports of planters 
themselves are of no avail, for the reason that a 
few weeks of favorable or unfavorable weather 
may change a prospect full 25 per cent.—taking 
extremes. 
As to my own crop of cotton , I cannot make so 
much as last year, for the reason that I have less 
cotton planted, and more to divide the yield. As 
to the crop of this neighborhood—and we are usu¬ 
ally larger growers than four fifths of the state— 
I doubt if the yield can he so large, because last 
year was more than usually fine, and this year more 
than usually unfavorable. I never saw so much 
grass generally; and I know of but one brag crop, 
unless a prospect of hay should be worth bragging 
about, and then I might as well brag a little my¬ 
self. 
I make no estimate yet ; I believe there is land 
enough in cultivation, and hands enough employed 
to make full three million bales. I believe it to be 
very doubtful, however, whether we make three 
millions for many years to come, because the cotton 
region is so extended that the casualties are too 
great. For instance, about 30 or 40 miles west of 
me, there was so much rain a month since, that the 
crop, in general, was lost. Some 20 or 30 miles 
east of me, there was too much rain ; in other parts 
it was too dry; near me half of the cotton has the 
rust; below, the worms have begun. At present, 
the drought following a very rapid growth, threatens 
a loss of all the July crop of forms by shedding. 
I doubt whether the "whole crop of the United 
States will reach two and a half millions bales this 
year. 
My own entire crop promises to be the best for 
many years. The excess of corn will more than 
counterbalance the deficit in cotton. Last year’s 
crop of pork was short, and I had to buy this year, 
o-wing to my hogs dying by eating peas [Dr. Phil¬ 
ips means cow peas—Ed.] whereas this year, my 
prospect is good for selling enough to pay this 
ear’s purchase. My sheep and cattle are doing 
etter than usual. The dry weather, in April and 
May, opened out the swamp earlier than for years 
before. My crop of oats, though quite light, is 
better than last year, especially as I had corn to 
waste. I think I may be able to kill about 800 
pounds of pork per hand, and have the largest 
stock of hogs for 1849, I have ever had, and feed¬ 
ing as I do, warrants any one in such a calculation. 
I feed now full a peck of corn every day per hand, 
with a fine pasture of one to one and a half acres 
per head of hogs, sheep, horses, and milk cows. 
Quere—If milk is correct when applied to the 
liquid, is it incorrect when applied to the animal 
that yields it % Why therefore do some use milk 
for the one, yet stickle in using any other than 
milch as applied to kine 1 I only throw this out 
by way of a chance. M. W. Philips. 
Edwards , Miss., July 1 9th, 1848. 
BUTTER FOR THE NAVY. 
I received, a day a two since, the following let: 
ter written by Mr. J. J. Hawley, of Binghampton, 
which I endeavored to obtain previous to the pub¬ 
lication of the Transactions of the New York State 
Agricultural Society for 1847. The facts are im¬ 
portant, and if anything were wanting to make the 
proof complete, as to the capability of a great por¬ 
tion of our state for supplying butter, that will 
stand the test of tropical climates, the observations 
communicated by Mr. Hawley are abundant. 
B. P. J. 
Agricultural Rooms, ) 
Albany , Aug. 2d, 1848. J 
“ The idea that no butter made out of Orange 
county, will ‘ resist the action of tropical climates 
and preserve its qualities for years,’ is an utter ab¬ 
surdity. I think that not one third of the butter 
sold in market, as ‘Orange county,’ is made in that 
locality. That county has, during ten years past, 
sent out hundreds of emigrants to the counties of 
Sullivan, Delaware, Chenango, Broome, Tioga, 
Tompkins, and Chemung, and perhaps others, in the 
state of New York, who have continued the man¬ 
ufacture of butter for market, and who, at the end! 
of each season, have been in the habit of transport¬ 
ing their butter in wagons across the country to 
the different points of shipment, in Orange county, 
and there shipping it asOrange county.’ Many of 
these persons had, for years before emigrating, re¬ 
gular purchasers in New York for their butter, who, 
it was understood, wore to take their product each 
year when made, and pay the highest market price 
for it. These relations were, in many instances, 
continued for many years previous to their emigra¬ 
ting from Orange county, and many now continue 
them without the least objection being made to the 
quality of the butter. 
“ The term, ‘Orange county,’ seems to be misun¬ 
derstood. It does not mean (as I understand it), the 
locality where made, but a peculiar method of man¬ 
ufacture. The neatness and cleanliness of every¬ 
thing about the dairies, the churning of the milk , 
instead of the cream, and the attention to the quality 
and quantity of salt used, are their principal pecu¬ 
liarities. The churning of the milk, I deem essen¬ 
tial to butter intended for long voyages. It gives it 
a peculiar firmness and fineness of texture and wax¬ 
like appearance when fractured, which, butter made 
by churning the cream, seldom or never has. These 
peculiarities can generally be detected by the eye. 
There is also a cream-like flavor to milk-churned 
butter, which 1 have never found in butter manu¬ 
factured in a different manner. 
