The Southern agriculturist. (Savannah ;) 1868-????, April 01, 1872, Image 5

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Swt%nt Agriculturist. APRIL...............1872. j Only Twenty-Five Cents. Think of it—by remitting this small fillni to tbe publishers, you will receive the Agriculturist for one year—every number containing infur raation for the farmer worth ten times the subscription price. It is the cheapest paper published, and should be taken by every farmer in the South. Notice to Subscribers. Anj» one sending subscriptions or communications lor the Southern Ag¬ riculturist from Florida, Middle or {South Western Georgia, Alabama, Ten¬ nessee, or the States west, will address us South at Savannah, Ga. From North and Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia north of . the O. II. R., M. & W. It. it., and Atlanta <fc West Point Rail Road, will address us at Augusta, Ga. Remit hy registered or P. 0. order, for Clubs; for single subscribers, by mail at our risk. See our premium list. Those who have not renewed their subscrip¬ tion will please do so, and we hope each one w ill send one new' subscriber, or more. Look out for the Bed Cress^ which means your subscription is out— and we would be pleased to have .you renew—and send a few new subscribers. The Georgia Weekly Cultiva¬ tor. --We haye received a copy of the “Georgia Weekly Cultivator, r pub¬ lished at Griffin, Ga., for only two dollars per annum. It is an Illustra¬ ted Agricultural paper; and merits a liberal patronage. Our farmer friends should subscribe and aid in advancing the Science of Agriculture. Address v Georgia Cultitator. • Griffin. Ga ' Use Guano. We are sorry to see that not as much Guano will be used this yea." as formerly. This should not be the case, as Guano properly applied to the laud fvill pay a better per cent, on the same arwunl invested t than in anything else. The test It. It. Stocks do not make more ' than ten per cent, whereas Guano in any land with, any season, will iuakp from ‘25 to 200 per cent, on the investment. The great trouble is, that those- who buy Guanos, &c., generally by the expect to of get rich the first year use the extraordinary aiticle. They do not make more perhaps than 50 percent on their crops and become dissatisfied. There is no business now that is half as inviting as a farm, well prepared, well manured and correctly tilled. The proper manner to test Guano, is in the same field, .in alternate tows, witbthe saute cultivation, seasons, &c. We have seen it tried time and again, and we arc bold to assert that the Guano in every instance, doubles the yield. If then, we c u make, say on three aeies, one bale by the ordinary manner, and two bales on the same, by the very same cultivation—no more, the only expense for the second bale is the Guano It pays, and it pays well, and wc would never pula seed in the ground without having it accompanied with that which makes a farm look thrifty, and keeps up the spirits of the la¬ borer. What is Science in Farming? The American Agiiculturirt, in giving home truths, on this subject says: “No error, no improved theory, none of the fancies of those who write from imagination rather than from experience, is to be called either science or hook-farming, and it is un¬ fortunate that so much of our agiicul tural writing has been done by men who lack experience on the farm. It has given rise to doubt, and dis¬ couraged many of our best and most intelligent working-men from seeking knowledge, where it is best to fcc found, in the recorded experience of those who have gone before them.” This is, no doubt, true, and too true ; within the last decade of years more true than ever. Some of our best writers as to elegance, and a’ that, never did manage a farm—corn, cotton, oat-', rye, grass, garden and stock-yard—we mem simply a farm, in all its details, one year and yet— well, why not? If they do read, or learn how to doit, and write it better than some of we unlettered, yet it docs harm. They will succeed, have popular maimers, can drum well, aud give laiut praise. The people will soon judge, and the true metal will at last win. We are pleased to see how the Agriculturist uses “theory,” with “improved,” showing it regards theory as wc do, a deduc¬ tion from facts, and of course cannot be relied on until proven. “Science” deters many ; and why ? Let us see. Plants, field crops and garden truck grow from seed put in or on the earth by the grower. One ignorant might “step-drop” turnips or radish, with or sow broadcast and cover a turning plow ; might “broadcast” cot¬ ton for a crop; might might buy direct an ax to “mow” Bermuda; to mix “blue grass,” aud mammoth pampas grass. But the seicntiGc man—one who knows from expe riencc—will drill shallow and cover shallow his radish seed. lie will plant corn and cotton, all Spring crops, -after danger of frost His science directs him not to pasture his corn or cotton, yet he may tor a season pasture small grain or grass. his He will not attempt to improve mules by feeding on frost-bitten aud decaying sweet potatoes, or his hogs upon a field of peas,_ Irosicd aud do caying because bis experience teaches ? aud death. I bis ihepe is danger :s showing. • that science is simply “knowledge,” “truth ascertained, “an expert” so to say, as a ‘ Hr. is ,1 called, who, is required, and compe¬ tent, to give evidence as to disease and treatment. If a man would desire to “weld” two pieces oi iron, he wou.d go to a skilled blacksmith. None would ask an (xperienced shipmaster how to plow. There .is a great nuisance in vogue—the successful man, at accumulating a fortuue, taking credit to be the best planter. Making money and accumulating is not the same thing. A good crop master may die poor, being a bad financier, not a judge ot values, and the smart get his money, having men get rich though they never make a large crop.— Ex. The Profits ol Fowl Keeping Anyone who carefully collects the statistics of cgus and chickens and the cost of feed at all the neigh¬ boring farms where accounts have been kept, who reads the statements printed from time to time, especially those accompanied hy figures, who ransacks the reports of the local agri¬ cultural societies (made in the good oid days when premiums were given for “Creoles’ and “Natives,” and the sensible regulation was enforced re¬ quiring the exhibitor togive a written statement of the number, manage¬ ment and produce of his whole flock, with the cost of feed, for a }car); and last but not least, lie who himself ex¬ periments carefully and repeatedly, under various circumstances, as re¬ gards breeds and feeding, must reach the certain conclusion that hens do now in this country, and have for the past twenty years, paid a high profit. It is also true that tlie difference be¬ tween the money paid out for feeding fowls, and the same-gained from their produce, tends constantly to increase in New England and the Middle States, as is evident lrom a compari¬ son of the market rates through a scries of years. At the time of the earliest settle¬ ments in the Atlantio States, before the woods wore cleared, graiu was too scarce to bo fed to fowls, and but few were kept. Bat at a later stage of events; when suulight hail been ad¬ mitted to broad clearings, and the mold of primitive forests produced good crops, poultry became so abundaut that more eggs were pro¬ duced in farming communities in Spring than could be possibly used iu home consumption, At that time, the greatcity mai kets that now mnko an in¬ satiable demand for eggs and chickens had not grown up. CoUMXjuently in those “old times,” as people now living have hoard in their childhood, eggs actually accumulated iu April and May till boysiu frolic pelted each other with them, and their elders would interfere less to save the eggs than the cleanliness of the tow panta¬ loons and checked aprens ot the urchins But every year the propor ti<<u which..city bears to country has beeu increasing in all the Atlantic States, until at the present time fresh eggs are in groat demand. As Western competition continually presses with increasing force on rJastern farmers, in the matter of beef and grain raising, we begin to hear j the shrewdest them declare * among that their poultry forms the most ■ profitable department of their farms, 1 iu proportion to the labor involved, i The ever awake Westerners are on band in this matter also, and find that poultry means money, notwithstanding ihey have been despising accustomed it as too petty a concern for people sending to “big things,” and arc now to the East enormous dressed quantities fowls.— of eggs, and live and Es. Cure for II arts —We find the following remedy for these disagree* able pc.-ts in the New York Observer. It is so simple that any one cau easily test its ifficaey; “It in iota matter entirely within the limits which you prescribe, and yet me led of public interest ; and benec L am to say those alllictcd with waits (for it is sometimes a source of great annoy¬ ance, and often of pain, to have them on the hands or exposed parts of the body) that I have been entirely re¬ lieved by the mse of kerosene. After trying all the rccogniz d cures in the medical works within reach—chronic, nitric, sulphuric acid, nitrate of silver, caustic, potash, etc.—I was advised hy a 'corn doctor’ to try kerosene oil. When I began its use, three mouths dneo, I had thirty-seven on my bands, some very large covered and painful. Where they were with hard cuticle, I carefully pared it off and saturated them daily, using a camel’s hair pencil and common cool oil. They began to disappear, by ab sorpticu, in about two weeks, and arc now entirely removed, leaving no scar or mark, as w as the result in tho three places in which I succeeded in eating them out by caust’c. I do not suggest it as a specific, but as a Cleans of a cure to me, that others may try it. The remedy is always ut hand, and, if persistently used, may do oti.crs the good service 1 have had from it.” Mr. Sol. Watson, of Hick¬ ory Wythe, vouches for the following: “Common soda will cure any old sore or wart, on cither man or beast. To sores, apply it dry once every two days, or until it is'unnecessary, w’hieh is not in mo-»t c isos very long. Warts must he made to bleed, and then washed in a strong solution of the soda on two or three occasions. ——-% • •--— Cotton Seed for Hogs .—How f ir persons valuo cotton seed as they should, as feed for hogs. Ttie rea nm is the fear that they will kill hogs. After an experience i f four years in giving bog# cotton f*el iu the Sum rncr, l would urge upon my farmer frieuds my plan, as it has proven safe to mo. I haul the seed out in tho Winter or earl/ SpriDg. ucar my clo¬ ver lot, and then pile them so as they lot or heat through by first of May; thru l throw cotton Feed and clover to the l ogs every day. If they cough much 1 quit the cotton seed lor a few days. If they cau have access to gn en food, while fid on cotton feed, there is but little danger. Brood sows will not be hurt by c iting s*ed at any time of the year. Wc think it best not to give p>g s or r botes (under mouths old) seed, though th e ray pigs ran in a clover lot where was a pile of cotton b* ed, and not hurt in the^ lei>t by them — Ji ," in Southern 6 ulliiator.