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sand worms on osage orange, and they have all
spun —tohe. box of cocoons I sent you being an
average sample of the crop. This is the third
season I have fed and propagated the same
worms entirely on osage orange, and they show
no signs of deterioration; on the contrary, it
was remarked by many this season, who had
seen them during the past three years, that they
looked largerjand better than they had ever seen
them before. That portion of my crop fed on
mulberry the past four years, shows no percepti
ble difference, hatching out and spinning about
the same time as those fed on osage orange.
I would like to have the relative qualities of
the silk thus differently fed thoroughly tested,
and would be pleased to forward specimens of
each to any one who could do so.
My worms hatched out this season on the Bth
of May, and spun on the 19th of June, feeding
forty-two days, this being seven days longer than
previous seasons, owing to a cold storm that oc
curred in May, lasting about one week, render
ing them almost inactive during that time ; and
I have no artificial heat either at hatching or du
ring the feeding time.
I have paid particular attention to cleanliness
and ventilation in my cocoonery, keeping the
doors and windows almost constantly open, even
during the night when the weather was favora
ble. I attribute my success mainly to our line
dryelimate. We have no dews, and rain and
thunder storms are of rare occurrence during
feeding season.—Samuel Coknaby, in Monthly
l&jx/rt of Deft of Agriculture for October.
*<*►
OOTTOX SEED FOB STOCK.
Editors Southern Cultivator, —I see cot
ton seed spokeci of frequently in the Cultivator
as food for stock. 1 will give my experience
with them. I have been farming for eleven
years. I have kept three or four cows and a
yoke of oxen all the time. I have fed them on
nothing but raw cotton seed and a few shucks*
and they are always fatter in the spring than
they are in the fall. My oxen worked all the
time from the first of last September to the first
of March, and they had nothing to eat bnt cotton
seed a few shucks and a few cane tops, and they
were in fine order when I stopped working them.
The cane tops were the common ribbon cane.—
When hauling my cane out the oxen seemed so
fond of them, I had some gathered up after they
were cured and fed to the oxen in the winter,
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.
and they seemed to like them better than any
thing else. We have always let them remain in the
patch and rot, but 1 don’t think I will evertlo it
again. And I believe in five years from this, peo
ple will take corn to manure their land just as
soon as they would cotton seed, provided they
have any cattle to feed. Tell your correspon
dent to plant his sasafras patches in sweet pota
toes two years, and he will see no more of them.
I have destroyed two patches on my place in
that way. * A YOUNG FARM Ell
Ykw.v, September 'Sith , 1870.
Editors Southern Cultivator: —The arti
cle published over my signature in Sept. No.
1809, was not intended for universal adoption
As, however, the plan recommended, will not be
generally adopted, I still contend that in our
sandy hind regions, or any regions where corn is
always high, the farmer who will pursue the
course there recommended, will in ten years far
out-strip the one who pursues our present course
of farming. I must say, however, l am not
now farming. I have sold the last hog, on ac
count of thieving, and have had deems Munro’s
experience with Sethly white men. J. B. 11.
Oct. 31st, 1870.
Clover, the Grasses, etc. —Editors South
ern Cultivator : —ln the September number
of the Cultivator, your correspondent G. L.,
Morehead City, N. C., complains of rust in
wheat. For thirty years, I have used the fol
lowing mode of preparing my seed wheat, and"
never had rust: “ Take one pound of blue vitriol
to ten bushels of wheat, dissolve it in twelve
quarts of boiling water, and stir it well. Sprin
kle the solution over the wheat with a watering
pot, stirring the wheat well during the operat ion.
Next day the wheat is ready for sowing. If not
sowed that day, spread the wheat over the floor.
G. L. also inquires about manuring grass.
I would advise him not to use top-dressing—it is
a waste of manure. If lie manures his wheat
well with cotton seed, no further manure is
needed on his land. L. 11A NSE N.
Egypt, Miss., Sept. 1870.
pgp Do you want to know the man against
whom you have the most reason to guard your
self? your looking-glass will give you a very fair
likeness of his face. — Whateley.
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