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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, DECEMBER 16, 1882.
Crops In Texas.
Editor Southern World'.—People are
very much behind in gathering their cotton,
so much rain daring the season, it was late
opening, and then still the rain prevents
from gathering it; have not had a week of
dry weather at a time except the two last
weeks of October and the first week in No
vember. Com not all gathered either,
neither done seeding. Grain that was sown
early is now fine pasturage.
Ovilla, Texas. _ R. M. White.
Care of Animals and Homemade Fer
tilisers.
The small compact county of DeKalb, of
which Fulton county was once a part, is a
progressive county. Well-informed men
give it as their judgement that in improved
| live stock she far surpasses any county in
the State. Her farmers are wide awake,
thorough-going men. There are several ex
cellent farmers’ clubs in the the county, and
one taking in the whole county, called the
Central Fanners’ club. They meet in De
catur on the first Tuesday in every month.
Their discussions are pregnant of interest to
the farmers generally. At the last meeting
the subject for discussion was the “Care of
Domestic Animals and raising of Domestic
Manure.’’
As an illustration of the benefits of these
organizations we will give an epitome of the
discussions and experiences: The inter
change of ideas among practical men is pro
ductive of the greatest good, in that it places
at the service of all the results of inquiries
of each one. The farmers of DeKalb county
have long since taken the front place among
our agriculturists, and their success is due to
the fact that they have been progressive and
watchful, and given each other the benefit
of their several experiences. Such discus
sions as take place in their Central club
would accomplish the same results in every
county in the state.
Rev.R. H. Hollingsworth-Stock well housed
in winter require only half the feed of those
not cared for. Where permanent houses are
not already built, houses of cornstalks serve
as an excellent substitute. He found it more
economical to^hRUlin the woods mould di-
1 'IWCl to the field and distribute it at once.
R. F. Davis—Good shelter for stock is
sound economy. It is practically no expense
to keep a cow during the winter. Cows are
a valuable investment. If you would have
the land fed you must feed it. Therefore,
the raising of home-made manure is a neces
sity.
Dr. S. G. Hitchcock said. A half peck of
meal costing 7)4 cents and 7'A cents worth of
hay per day is liberal feed for a cow. At 15
cents per day her feed will cost $4.50 per
month or $45 for ten months. One ton of
her droppings mixed with eight times its
weight in leaves or mould is worth two tons
of ammoniated superphosphate.
^-Dr. 5\ T. Key—Yes, worth four tons.
Dr. Hitchcock—The milk and butter and
increase in flesh will amply repay for the
in taking care of the cow. In colder
sections it is more important to have
warm barns than warm dwellings. In
Canada, it is utterly impossible to have
an animal come out well in spring un
less well housed in winter. Move the
stock and owner to Georgia and both will
suffer and lose 60 per cent, of flesh. Hon. T.
J. Moore, of South Carolina, in his excellent
article on “Economy in Feeding,” in the
Sodthrrit World, lays down the correct
principle that some knowledge of the value
of feed products and their adaptation to the
ends aimed at is necessary. These products
contain In different proportions the elements
that go to make up the system, furnishing
flesh-producing, fat-producing and heat-pro
ducing principles. The latter is what is
needed in winter. Fattening hogs should
have warm beds and plenty of air. You can
let a hog sleep by a red-hot stove, if he wants
to do to. The bog will take care of himself.
If you wish immediate results from fertili-
zers,buy your guano from Ramspeck. I tried
his Gilt-edge, along side of home-made ma
nure. The latter made bigger stalks but
less cotton. I expect to reap the benefit
from it in my wheat crop planted on the
same ground. For permanent results use
home made fertilizers. The offensive odor
in the droppings of the barn yard is due to
ammonia, and unless fixed by a six inch
layer of clay, will escape and make the heap
of little value.
Dr. J. H. GoSs—I have never seen an analy
sis of barn yard heaps, but my idea is that
the offensive odor is due to sulphides and
vegetable matter instead oi ammonia and
phosphates.
Dr. 8. G. Hitchcock—All pungent odors,
(except the aroma of plants) are largely ara-
moniacal. The reason why lime and ashes
should not be used in compost heaps is be
cause they set free the ammonia by uniting
with the acids.
Dr. T. T. Key—I usually keep my stock
in the stable or lot, when not using them. It
does not pay a man to allow his stock to run
at large. Stock under good, warm shelters
require only two thirds of thefeed that they
do without them. Hogs will not fatten in
cold weather, but will in warm. They
should sleep on plank floors, for if they sleep
in dry dust it will kill them. The princi
pal fertilizing property in barn yard heaps
is in the liquid droppings. A ton of liquid
manure is worth four tons of the dry.
E. N. Kittredge—The reason that hogs die
from sleeping in the dry dust, it is claimed,
is due to the dust choking up the orifice on
the inside of the front feet, preventing per
spiration.
Dr. J. H. Goss—Is there such an orifice ?
Dr. 8. G. Hitchcock—Oh, yes.
Col. William Wright—That is where the
devil entered when the swine ran down into
the sea.
Dr. J. H. Goss—Stock, although well fed
and housed, if notallow exercise in the open
air, will become diseased. Over fat is a dis
ease. Sunshine and out door exercise is
necessary for their perfect health. The hoof
must be enured to the hard ground. Ring
bone is the result of keeping the hoof too
dry, on a hard floor. A Bermuda grass lot
for exercise is perhaps the best.
Dr. T. T. Key—I keep the feet of my
stock neither too dry or too moist. Never
had one of my horses to have the scratches.
Dr. S. G. Hitchcock—The hoof of a horse
or mule will become tender if allowed to
stand long in his own droppings. Wet feet
causes thrush, and dry feet, the dry rot.
Rev. R. H. Hollingsworth—I killed the
other day a four months pig that netted 61
pounds. He had been kept warm.
RErORT OX DR. KEY'S FARM.
The committee appointed to visit Dr. Key’s
farm made the following report.
“We found the land all utilized, all fenced
in and in better condition than is common
among farmers. The low lands were well
ditched. Everything indicated a close, in
telligent and watchful owner. At the horse
lot be has a well to water his stock, with a
double-well bucket turned by a crank, in
suring a continuous discharge of water. He
sold a grade Ayrshire cow for $75 that gave
four gallons of milk per day, yielding 1J4
pounds of butter. He has four acres in cot
ton that will yield a bale per acre. He has
17 bales of hay made by himself, in his barn.
The shucks for his cows are salted as put
up.
WHAT I1A8 BEEN DONE BY FARMERS.
Rev. R. H. Hollingsworth made 18 bushels
of wheat, per acre, and expects to make 20
bushels this season, on the same place, with
out manures.
John Bradley made 300 bushels of sweet
potatoes per acre.
Mark W. Johnson, for the post six years,
averages 300 bushels of sweet potatoes to the
acre.
Gus Mills, a colored man, with VA mules
(the half being cHppled and ineffective for
constant service), made this year 10 bales of
cotton and 900 bushels of corn. All the help
he had was his four little children
Mr. J. M. Calloway, on a six-horse farm,
made 75 bales of cotton, averaging 525'
pounds; 385 bushels of wheat on 25 acres;
400 bushels of oats on 20 acres; 2,100 bushels
of corn on 67 acres; 14,000 bundles of fodder;
200 bushels of sweet potatoes on % of an
acre. Mr. Calloway started after the war
with but a few acres of poor land. He has
now three or four plantations, three gins,
one saw mill, one merchant mill and six
thousand dollars in money on interest. Also
he has fifty bales of cotton on hand unsold.
William Mitchell, who-has until recently
been a renter all his life, and a cripple with
six or seven children, has by economy clear
ed $1,200 to $1,500. He had 30 acres given
him, but has purchased 60 more.
H. H. Miller bought a place several years
ago on time, 130 acres for $2,000. He has
five children and has never had more than
two mules on his place. This year he made
24 bales of cotton, averaging520 pounds each,
525 bushels of corn, 111 bushels of wheat,
besides oats, potatoes, fodder, peas, etc.,
nearly enough to pay for the place. He has
paid for his place and is easy.
Joe Grenade made this year 303 bushels of
wheat on 16 acres, an average of 1815-16 bush
els per acre; 300 bushels of oats on 9 acres,
4K sown in spring and 4A in fall, an aver
age of33% bushels per acre; 600bushels of
corn on 20 acres, an average of 25 bushels per
acre; 43 bales of cotton on 60 acres, an aver
age of 858)5 pounds of lint cotton per acre.
He bad four mules.
R. D. Evans, with four mules, made 52
bales of cotton, 225 barrels of corn, 7,000
bundles of fodder, 141 bushels of wheat, 250
bushels of oats, 250 bushels of potatoes, be
sides a big melon crop. He sold corn and
meat and has plenty of both to do him. He
has made over $1,000 above expenses. One
of his croppers, with one mule, made 14 bags
of cotton and 900 bushels of corn. Last year
a negro came to Mr. Evans to “crop" for
him. All tlie recommendation he could give
was that he staid nine years at his last place.
Mr. Evans accepted him. The negro has
paid out of his labor this year all his ex
penses and has 300 bushels of corn in his
crib.
E. J. Bond, on one-third of an acre made
105 gallons of syrup from the ribbon and red
cane and 4,000 stalks for seed.
F. M. Wellborn made on lesA than three-
fourths of au acre in same cane 278gallonsof
syrup.
B. B. Braswell on one acre in same cane
made 151 gallons of syrup, 13,000 stalks for
seed, besides selling $100 worth of stalks. He
has been cultivating it for five years past,
and estimates the yield at 300 to 400 gallons
per acre.
Vice-President W. P. Bond exhibited sam-
ples of syrup made by these gentlemen which
were pronounced by G. A. Ramspeck and
other connoisseurs in ’lasses to be equal to
the best Florida syrup.
R. J. Redding and J. 8. Newman were
elected honorary members.
T. J. Flake was unanimously re-elected
president; Dr. W. P. Bond, vice-president,
and E. N. Kittredge, secretary and treas
urer.
The subject for next meeting is: Prepara
tion and management of orchard and gar
den.
A Grain of Wheat.
A “corn of wheat” is a little thing, but
marvelously complex. Through the center
of the kernel runs a groove, so that a hori
zontal section is heart-shaped. Under a glass
we see that it is very composite in struct
ure. The outside layer or cuticle, which
forms the bran, is composed mainly of silex,
the mineral base of sand, which by means of
the potash in the soil is made soluble and
is carried by the little veins of the wheat
plant and deposited with' the woody tissue.
The nutriment in this triple coat is not di
gestible by the human stomach, but is excel
lent for cattle. The layer next inside this is
styled gluten. This is a complex substance
and in the highest degree nutritious,especial
ly to the muscular tissues of man. Gluten
pure is composed mainly of protein, which
is the baisis of the nitrogenous compounds
albumen, fibrin and casein, with a slight
addition of sulphur. On this layer depends
largely the nutritive value of wheat. When
flour stands for some time after grinding
some of the gluten changes its form to al
bumen, and thus improves its bread-making
quality, so that the baker considers flour a
month old better than that fresh ground.
This substance is not strictly limited to this
layer of the grain, but is found both in the
bran and distributed through the starch.
Within this gluten layer lies the starch,
constituting the mass of the kernel. The
starch consists of mlnnte granules about .002
of an inch in diameter. The nuclei around
which cluster these tiny granules, some
think are gluten. This is certainly true of
oats. Qn the mingling of the gluten with
the starch depends the value of wheat for
making bread. For besides the protein,
crude gluten contains sugar, gum and sol
uble albumen. The decomposition of sugar
in fermentation produces carbonic acid,
which becomes entangled in the tenacious
gluten, expands in the heat of baking, and
renders the loaf light and spongy.
In the center of the kernel, when the outer
l^yer turns into the body and doubles
around, foraing an inner heart-shaped sec
tion lie the phosphates of soda, lime and
magnesia, which are the bone and brain
making elements of wheat. In the crease
near the large end of the kernel lies the
germ, which, though,rich in gluten,contains
oily and dark matter that injures the color
and quality of flour, and should be removed.
Over the germ is a thin scale like pellicle,
easily removed with the thumb nail, reveal
ing the little germ containing cell beneath.
The germ, by slight pressure, may be re
moved, leaving the cell, which, however, is
coated with oily matter which should also
be kept out of the flour.
At the other end of the kernel is a sort of
fine brush appendage formed of numerous
downy filaments of a slight salmop tint.
These are useful to the seed in the ground
as absorbents of moisture, but in the flour
impair both its color and flavor, and should
also be eliminated. This brush end and the
crease, with the wrinkled surface of the
grain, are grand dust and dirt catchers, and
a large amount of the machinery of our
modern mills is for the sole purpose of clean
ing the grain from the dirt, and freeing it of
the bran, germ, brush and oily matter which
Injure its capacity for making white, spongy
and nutritious bread.—American Miller.
TIN IN ALABAMA.
An Important Discovery 11 Trne.
Talladega, Ala.—I met here to-day Col,
A. 8. Stocksdale, of Ashland, Clay county,
Ala., who is on his way to Montgomery to
bring before the Legislature a bill to incor
porate “The Gessner Mining and Smelting
Company.” The field of operation of the
company will be near Ashland, thirty miles
inland from Talladega. From an interview
with Col. Stocksdale I gather the following
facts:
Mr. G. W. Gessner, of New York city,
about two years ago, attracted by the flatter
ing reports made by parties who bad tested
the metals and minerals of Clay county,
purchased real estate and mining rights in
the county to a considerable extent, and
commenced a series of tests and assays on
his property. No one was allowed to. know,
the object of his research, but quietly and
diligently he prosecuted his plans, spending
much money and labor in the undertaking
until a few days ago.
Mr. Gessner has reached that point in his
enterprise where the veil can be lifted and
the objects for which he has spent so much
time and money can be made known. And
it may be a matter of interest as well as sur
prise to the public to know that tin has been
found in Clay county, Alabama. This dis
covery is not a matter of speculation, but a
practical reality, and the working, the suc
cessful working, of a tin mine in Clay
county, Alabama, will soon be demonstrated
to the world.
Mr. Gessner is thoroughly competent for
the enterprise undertaken by himself. He
has already spent heavily in lands, machin
ery and expenses. He is himself a man of
considerable means and will ho uhlo in draw
on domestic and English * capital fo? any
amount he may need.
The successful operation of a tin mine on
the scale contemplated by Mr. Gessner can
but redound to the future importance of Ala
bama and the entire South, when it is re
membered that no other tin mine is now in
operation in the United States.
If we are not mistaken, a large premium
has been offered by the United States for the
first production of tin in the country, and
we trust that Mr. Gessner will be so success
ful as to secure the reward. Not only is Clay
to be hereafter known for its tin production,
but other valuable metal are found in her
borders. Copper, gold, iron, magnetic iron,
and mica are to be found in paying quanti
ties, and now that Mr. Gessner, with his
skill, his energy, and his means, has at
tracted attention to Clay, other men of
brains and of means will, be likewise at
tracted to the great undeveloped wealth of
minerals in the South, in Alabama, and par
ticularly in Clay county.—C. L. R. in Nash
ville American.
Fine Bheep.
The fine sheep which recently arrived in
New York, of which mention has already
been made, belong to Mr. Cerf, a French
man, who has been three years in the
country, and has a large sheep farm near
San Antonio, Texas. These sheep, he says,
are direct descendants of a flock presented
by the king of Spain to Louis XVI, of France
in 1786. The flock has always been kept
isolated, and all that were in anyway blem
ished have been killed from year to year.
The sheep all have thick, curly horns and
stiff wool. They perspire freely, and the
outer part of the wool is moist with oil. On
parting, it shows snow-white within. The
sheep can be sheared twice a year, and yield
heavy fleeces. •The breed, both in France
and Spain, is said to be dying out, probably
because of inbreeding. Mr. Cerf proposes to
cross them with a strong Texas stock. Every
sheep brought over has a written pedigree,
and the letter “ R” (Rambouillet) is cut into
every horn. They have no market value,
but Mr. Cerf estimates them at $850 each.
They were sheared three months ago, but
now wear a good crop of wool. They range
from one year to three years of age, and every
one oi them has a handsomely embroidered
Bilk cloak, in whioh he will be exhibited.—
N. O. Times-Democrat.