284 
DIRECTIONS FOR RIDING, ETC. 
selling them for beef at New Orleans. Some of 
those who thought he was “spoiling his land by 
plowing it so deep, 5 ’ now look with wonder upon 
his success. There are several persons above Mr. 
P., who turn their whole attention to raising cattle; 
and, in the course of my drive, I saw, at one place, 
a very unusual appendage to the cattle yard. It was 
a well-constructed rack. I also saw a good many 
hogs, and some of them as mean as well could be 
conceived of. 
Upon Mr. Thomas Maye’s place, I saw the effects 
produced by a large crevasse some 40 years ago. 
The whole surface, where it run, is in ridges, some 
of them six feet high, made by deposit of the earth 
carried in solution in the river water. This is so 
great that it has been thought practicable, by some 
persons, to fill up the swamp back of New Orleans, 
by letting the river flow through it, which is to be 
done by confining it within proper bounds. 
Mr. M. lost his sugar house and 160 hogsheads 
of sugar by fire, last fall, from sparks falling upon 
the dry roof. To prevent similar accidents, let a 
small pipe be attached to the force pump and carried 
up and along the ridge of the roof, letting out little 
jets of water every few feet. This simple and cheap 
plan would have kept the roof wet all the time, 
and prevented the present great danger, as well as 
several others, which have occurred heretofore, 
and are likely to occur again. I do not think the 
expense would exceed $25, which might soon be 
saved in insurance. 
Blackberries, plums, and peaches, are now in 
bloom; Indian corn is planting; and oats about 
three inches high. The latter will be good to cut 
green in March, or for seed in May. Corn is 
planted from January till May. Figs grow so 
abundantly upon Mr. Maye’s place, that his negroes 
have all they can eat, which he considers very 
healthy. 
The style of dwellings here is a story and a half 
—the half one at the bottom—though sometimes it 
is high enough for use and is paved with marble 
or tiles—a front and back gallery, often all around 
—all the doors and windows just alike ; that is, two 
inner doors opening from the centre the upper half 
glass, and two outer ones of wood, hung with great 
wrought-iron hinges big enough for a door 16 feet 
wide, instead of 16 inches, fastened with large iron 
hooks. 
In warm weather, the whole are open and a cur¬ 
tain fills the space. One of the handsomest and 
most luxurious gardens that I noticed, is that of 
Valcour Amie, who is also one of the largest plan¬ 
ters, and makes -refined loaf sugar. His house is 
more modern and splendid. 
The entrance of the houses here is nearly in 
front. You drive in upon one side of the garden 
and into the back yard, among a general assortment 
of chickens, young negroes, turkeys, ducks, and 
dogs. 
Governor Roman’s garden is another enchanting 
spot. Judicious taste, skill, wealth and climate 
combined, makes a scene here, which, if it could be 
exhibited in January in New York, would command 
a world of admiration. 
Mr. James M. Lapice is a large planter, who 
also refines all his juice into loaf sugar, &c. He 
is the only one that I know of, who regrinds his 
bagasse in a separate mill. He has two three-roller 
mills, set 12 feet apart, with a carrier between so 
arranged as to reverse the position of the bagasse, 
in order that it may enter the mill in a different 
manner from that which it came through the other 
rollers. By this process, he gets about 75 of the 
90 per cent, of juice contained in the cane, and 
makes bagasse so free of saccharine matter, that the 
acidity arising in the decomposition is not great 
enough to injure the land to which it is immediate¬ 
ly applied. It is ground, or broken up much finer 
than the common bagasse, and is spread out about 
six inches thick, at once, upon cane stubble that 
is to be broken up. This serves to keep the land 
loose and mellow. This method is the same as 
that practised upon grass, &c., called “ Guerney- 
lsm.” In the spring, he sends the hoe hands to 
rake off the top of old cane rows, and plant a hill 
of peas every 12 or 15 inches. These grow and 
cover over the ground completely, and the next 
winter, together with the now-rotten bagasse, are 
turned under with a heavy plow and planted again 
in cane, and produce a crop greatly increased in 
value. This process also serves to keep down the 
coco, in consequence of being so smothered a whole 
year, that the cane gets up and ahead of it, and 
then keeps ahead. Mr. Lapice’s rule, in relation to 
team, is different from most planters. He works 
120 hands in the field and 120 mules or horses, 
besides 40 oxen, or one mule or horse to every 
hand, and never works them but half a day at once. 
The set that go out in the morning are brought up 
at noon and turned into a pasture, of which he has 
600 arpents, and a new set are all ready in the 
stable, having been previously fed, to go to work 
in the afternoon. At night, those at pasture are 
taken into stable and fed ready for morning and 
the others turned out. Thus they are never fed 
hot, but eat less corn, and are less sick, wear 
longer, and can be driven harder, while at work. 
He makes and uses 18,000 bushels of corn a year; 
has in use 100 plows; 20 large iron-axle carts, 
with brass boxes. Average crop of sugar about 
one million pounds. 
January 24 th, 1849. 
The Manner the Wood Pigeon Obtains its 
Food, —The wood pigeon has a weak bill; but 
Nature has provided her with very strong wings; 
when the flock, therefore, settles upon the lying 
portion of the wheat field, instead of breaking off 
the heads and carrying them away, (as is done by 
the rook,) they lay themselves down with their 
breasts upon the grain, and using their wings as 
flails, they beat out the “ prickles ” from the heads, 
and then proceed lo eat them .—Burn Murdock. 
Directions for Riding. —Keep your head up, 
chin down, chest forward, shoulders back, elbows 
in, hands down, back in, belly out, feet forward, 
thighs fixed, knees in, legs close, heels down, and 
toes in. Trot two hours a-day without stirrups, 
loins loose, seat firm, hand tight, horse and rider 
well balanced, and then time and perseverance may 
I make you a horseman .—BelVs Life, 
