Newspaper Page Text
WfIELD mm FIRESIDI
Vol. L
JkgruultnraL
THE MINING INTERESTS.
No one acquainted with the
Geological formation of this and
bounties, doubts that
there is, underlying the surface,
at less or great®depts, mineral
veins, of inestimable value. Prac
tical mining has already develop
ed some of a superficial character
and the opinion strengthens daily
that the great veins will be reach
ed when practical mining has
once been applied with the re
quisite capital and skill. We
wish to do all we can in the ad
vancement of an interest so im
portant and if parties interested
will furnish specimens, descrip
tion of locality, with such anal
ysis as they can obtain, we will
keep a Cabinet in the office of
the Feild and Fireside, and call
the attention of the mining inter
est at a distance to everything
worthy of remark.
SMALL FARMS
AND THOROUGH CULTURE.
Although some of our Alabama
farmers well understand the ad
vantages of small, rich, compact
farms, yet many seem to persist
in adhering to old ruts; operat
ing on extensive sterile surface
(made so by exhaustion) with all
the appertaining drawbacks, such
as keeping up extensive inclos
ures, slip-shod, shallow and un
timely plowing, scanty manure,
etc., resulting in poor crops, both
as to quantity and quality; be
sides,loss of time, wear and tear
and sowing, reaping, hauling and
housing, difficulty in keeping
down weeds, briers and numerous
other disadvantages too tedious
to mention. Better draw in fen
ces, sell, or even give away the
surplus fields, unless you have
capital and force for large oper
ations. Plow deep in fall or
winter, and manure thoroughly
the reserved acres. If careful at
tention and high feeding produce
fine stock, there is no reason why
high manuring and high culture
should not produce great yields
and profitable crops. There is,
of course, a point beyond which
manuring becomes waste, but it
is hardly probable that any farmer
is-likely to reach it.
Each farmer had better find out
by experience what fertilizer is
best suited to his soil and crops.
This can soon be ascertained, and
trials in a small way are inexpen
sive. The experience of others,
in this regard (soils being va
rious), may lead to inefficiency
and loss ; the diversified charac
ter of soils render this course ab
solutely necessary to insure the
greatest benefit from almost any
commercial fertilizer, and also to
what extent it will profii him to
use it.
As to barn-yard and stable ma
nure it is good everywhere, and
the farmer is not apt to have it
spread in quantities that would
f trove injurious. It is not too
ate to make compost pens, and
to collect all available substances
suitable for manure that can pos
sibly be collected. If this is done
there will be a big pile by the
next spring suitable for the corn
field, the orchard, the garden, es
pecially good for cotton.
We repeat that in our present
circumstances and situation, and
in fact, under almost any circum
stances, the proper cultivation of
small, rich farms has so many ad
vantages over large ones that it
is really strange that more of our
farmers do not adopt this system.
Many of them have children, both
6ons and daughters, who, unless
provided for, will be compelled
To seek homes in Western wilds,
Qr remain here in almost hopeless
poverty, unsettled and dissatis
fied. Better divide and let them
have the portions you expect to
give them when you become old
4nd will only want a surface 4xß
feet. The)- would then know
what to be at. These different
portions would soon be improved
and utilized as they should be.—
And then the satisfaction of hav
ing one’s children Comfortably
settled around and contiguous to
the old homestead can only be ap
preciated by those who have tried,
it. The seasons bring round the
holidays. The Christmas turkey
and sweet potato pies come once
a year, with all the surviving
loved ones present under the pa
ternal roof, where all can enjoy
each other’s presence and the
good cheer and the bounteous
board.
If our children have already
dispersed and ignore farming, bet
ter by far sell or give the honest
poor man our useless broom sedge
acres. Give them homesteads if
they can not buy ; or, at any I’ate,
allow them easy terms and set
them to work. They will soon
make things look different. The
State can not afford to continue
losing this valuable part of her
population. Help them to, homes;
retain tlie population and aid in
reviving the prosperity and in
utilizing the vast resources that
turn within her borders.
We always feel misgivings of
ability to give valuable advice,
but so confident are we in the ad
vantages and good policy of the
above suggestions that we feel
we should no longer withhold
them from the consideration of
our brother farmers. —\ Southern
Fanner.
THE-ABSORPTIVE POWER
OF SOIL.
It is an important discovery of
recent date, that soils have the
power of separating not only am
monia but other bases also from
their solutions, and of holding
them with great tenacity after
their absorption. Thus 100 grains
of clay soil, taken from the plas
tic clay formation of England, ab
sorbed 1050 grains of potash from
a solution of caustic potash con
taining one percent, of the alkali.
It is interesting to observe that
the liquid was not, in this case,
filtered through the soil, but the
cold solution was merely left in
contact with it for twelve hours.
It has been further shown that
soils have the ability to separate
the alkaline bases from the acids
with which they are combined.—
When saline solutions were slow
ly filtered through soils five or six
inches deep, the liquids which
passed through were deprived of
their alkaline bases, as potash,
soda, ammonia and magnesia, and
only the acids were to be found
in combination with some other
base. Thus, when muriate of am
monia was filtered through the
soil, the ammonia was removed,
and a corresponding quantity of
lime,in combination with muriat
ic acid, was found in the filtered
liquid. In the same way, sul
phate of potash was deprived of
its base, and the liquid collected
gave sulphate of lime.
These soils which have the
greatest amount of capillary po
rosity will condense the greatest
amount of manurial substances on
their internal surfaces, will retain
them longest against the adverse
solvent action of water, and will
give them out most readily to the
rootlets of the growing plant.
A mass of adhesive clay will
absorb but a very slight amount
of available manure; but if this
same mass is rendered friable, by
mechanical processes, its power
of absorption is amazingly in
creased. In view of what has
been stated, it is very clear that
one way in which plowing increas
es the fertility of land is by in
creasing its porosity by pulveriza
tion.
Again, many inanurial substan
ces exist in the soil, which, being
insoluble, exercises no action on
the growth of plants ; but by the
slow though regular action of the
frosts and the rain, the air and the
sunshine, insoluble and refraeto
ry compounds are reduced to a
soluble state, and are appropria
ted and held on deposit by the
soil to the credit of the next cul
tivated crop. This explains the
well-known fact that soils, which
have been cropped to the verge
of barrenness, will recover their
fertility if allowed to remain long
enough under the action of cli
matic influences to saturate the
soil with the necessary plant-food,
which they have unlocked from
their chemical combinations, and
given to the soil in a perfectly
physical condition. These chan
ges are brought about more rapid
ly when certain mechanical chan
ges of condition are wrought upon
the soil.
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, MARCH 13, 1877.
Carbonic acid is one of the most
active of the agents employed in
bringing the insoluble organic
matter in the soil into that physic
al condition in which it becomes
available as plant-food. In order
that this soil may be formed, it is
essential that the carbonaceous
matter in the soil should be
brought into direct contact with
the atmosphere, from which they
procure the oxygen necessary to
convert them into carbonic acid.
So long as stagnant water remains
in the soil, or so long as the soil is
in a dense or very compact condi
tion, it is impossible for the car
bon to be converted into acid.—
[ Journal of Chemistry.
ffiSF' At the last meeting of the
Paris Academy of Medicine, Nov.
14, M. Fea, of Padua, enlarged on
the merits of maize as an article
of food. lie gave comparative
tables to show that maize is supe
rior to all other cereals in fatty
matters, and that it may be con
sidered as a perfect food. He
also replied to objections that
have been made to maize, accus
ing it of giving rise to certain
diseases, notably pellagra; and
demonstrated that the Penicilli
um, which is supposed to originate
this disease, never attacks maize
unless it is damaged.
CHEMISTRY AND AGRICUL
TURE.
In the course of a paper recent
ly read before the Monmouthshire
Chamber of Commerce,the follow
ing benefits accruing to agrieul
lure from the science of chemistry
were enumerated:
Chemistry lias conferred a great
boon upon agriculture by dispell
ing the ignorance that exhisted as
to the proper food of plants and
the laws by which they are regu
lated, and explaining to us what
manures are best for our crops,
and bow and when they ought to
be applied. Chemistry has ex
plained to us the composition of
the soil. She has pointed out tin*
mineral ingredients contained in
tlie soil, which are necessary for
the food of plants, and has shown
us that if any particular ingredi
ent required for a certain crop is
deficient, t hat ingredient must lie
supplied before the crop can lux
uriate. Chemists teach us that
different species of plants require
different food; afield growing a
turnip crop after wheat, is rest ing,
so to speak, as far as the root
crop is concerned, and is accumu
lating a fresh store of ingredients
extracted by the wheat crops, and
so is enabled to bear another
grain crop the following season.
I have always considered it a.
very wasteful and expensive sys
tem, that of bare fallow. No
land requires to lie waste a sea
son in order to prepare it for a
crop. We learn also that the
plant is not only dependent up
on the soil for the means of exis
tence, as was at one time sup
posed, but to a very great degree
upon the atmosphere, the leaves
of the plant performing the same
functions in the vegetable exist
ence as the lungs do in the ani
mal. On the subject of cattle
feeding, chemistry again comes
to our aid. It teaches us what
substances are required for the
formation of fat, what go to
the formation of bone and mus
cle and the production of milk;
it tells us where these are to he
procured and in what proportions
in the various feeding stuffs,
manufactured and natural; not
only their nutritious properties,
but their money value is deter
mined by analysis. It shows us
what substances are safe to give
and what ought to be withheld,
as, for instance, undccorticated
cotton cake from young calves. —
Perhaps the greatest practical
boon that the science has con
ferred upon agriculture is the
power it has given of detecting
adulteration in purchased ma
nures and feeding-stuffs. The
Chemist has hail a very up hill
game to fight to convince the
farmer of the great assistance he
is able to render him in the con
duct of his business. lie has had
to encounter much scepticism
and hostility of attitude from the
very men his labors have done so
much to benefit. Farmers are
gradually, however, becoming
more alive to their interests in
this respect, and are annually
showing more appreciation of
the work done in the laboratory
on their behalf. .Although it is
much more difficult to determine
by analysis the money value of!
teedin'g-sfnils than of manures, i
yet these chemical examinations
are ol much interest, in so far as ■
they enable the stock feeder to j
judge of the liiotff suitable food-;
for his purpose, wmothef it be for'!
fattening cattle, milch eowsibr l
for working horses. Dr. Voelc- !
ker explains that in the ordinary
articles of food the feeding con
stiiuents aredivided into three!
groups—the nitrogenous or flesh
forming'; the non-nitrogenons or
fat-producing, and the mineral
matters. In the various foediug
stnil’s these exist in very differ
ent proportions. A knowledge
of this, combined with themoney
value at the time, enables the
feeder to judge which or in what '
proportion it is most judicious for
him to use,
Kld 1:1 ’ A ITAY SI IKK I’.
We have urged our Southern
farmers to add a few sheep to the
list of stock kept upon (lie farm,
lirinlv believing that they will
he found exceedingly profitable
We know they are profitable, and
have proven thefaet by the strong
test of experience.
In the South a given number
of sheep, properly handled, will
double iu numbers each year. I
Then the fleece is equal in value ,
to cost of the animal. Thus
we have two hundred and fifty j
percent, of increase, from which
should be deducted, say fifty per
cent, for food and shelter during
the winter and the labor ol'slioar
ing and selling the wool. Will our
farmers please tell us of any other
crop that pays a net profi t of one
hundred and fifty per cent 't
But the profits of sheep Inis
Landry do not end here. Sheep
can be past ured on worn out or
abandoned lands, care being talc
en not to overstock. These pas
litres soon show anew life, and in
an incredibly short space of time*
become recuperated. The best
crops we over saw were raised on
an old sheep pasture, without
further fertilization.
The care necessary to the suc
cessful raising of sheep is not ox
treme. Any labor connected
therewith is extremely light, ex
cept, pc.haps, the few days of
shearing. This is somewhat la
borious to the “green hand,’’ but
a little practice soon makes the
task a pleasurable one. Sheep
soon learn their keepers, and if
they are properly taught, they
love and obey thorn. We know
of no more beautiful sight limn
to see a flock gathering around
their keeper, anxious to redeye
attention from his hand without
exhibiting the slightest fear.
We can not again too strongly
urge our farmers to keep at least
a few sheep. We will not insist
that I hey shall be of Ihe fancy va
rieties, though there is doubth■
more act ual profit from one of the
improved breeds than from five,
common ones. But the common
are bet ter thuu none, and when
the farmer has become satisfied
that it will be a profitable invert
meat,can add a pure-bred ram
and increase the value and acta and
profit of his flock fully one Jiun
died per cent.
We need this kind of stock up
on our colton killed lands. We
must have sointhing of tlie kind
to prevent large tracts from be
coming almost literally descro.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.'
Georgia and other cotton Stall
can raise sheep as well and as
profit ably as Texas. Our clinyato
is superior, and our markets are
near our own doors. Wool can la
raised cheaper than cotton, and
as both are in reque-i tluouglw jt
the civilized world, why may we
not take advantage ojMtio demand
and profit accordingly- ■?—[Aha of
Soil.
BREEDS OF COWS.
Like sheep, swiiw and poifilf\,
it has never been decided whi< m
breed of rows is best, as dairymen
differ in their opinions in regal'd
to the merits of different breed:.
The'-following pertain to the four
best breeds in the United .S<aS •••:
Ayretih ire. —-Go<id size. a. (rood,
feeder, well adapted to hilly
farms, produces a gfcptt
milk of ordinary richness, making
good butter and cheese: and as a
dairy cow is highly esteemed.
Uflistein.~-i This breed, is of
Dutch origin, is larger than the
' Avreshive, an enormous eater,
with a vfiry large flow of milk,
exceeding all other breeds and of
gdod quality. This breed is bet-
Iff if for beef (ban the Ayroshirc.
—This is the breed
for good beef, decidedly
that exhists; and the me I Tmau
tffill in form of all breeds ;
size iiboni as In rue m-
I 111 1 : ii > ff'fHQ
in iheir ilm. TlmWg&S
11"■: • .a.' i WBm
fl' an' . ! s H||||||
l! iy v !d:_!li.\ IrdßSj
\ Move . !;!;!'■! .(■HR
same breed, 'i bc\ '
until for profitable beef. ThMI
flow of milk is small, but of as
tonishing richness, making two
pounds of butter from tlie same
quantity of milk that makes but
one pound from other cows. This
breed js mostly kept b\ men who
want but. one or two cows, and
.prefer ciualilyti)quantity in milk.
No farmer or dairyman should
breed cows pure, as it lias been
found to be more profitable to
breed grades, and to have grades
of different breeds iu tlie same
dairy. The Ayrshire, Holstein,
or the Short lion, cm oil. make
good dairy cows; and a. cross on
Jersey's make‘cows ol great val
ue. -T. 15. Mini K. Linden,N. J.
HORSE TAMING.
Homo time ago a person in the
North of England who had used
eleelricit \ for Ihe purpose ol !
horse lam ing w a prosecuted lor!
cruelty. In France it appeal
1 hat elect rich \ i- aI- ml |<, lie ap. j
plied to tho practical driving ol
restive or sluggi li animals.
From the Kn uch papers wo learn j
that Ihe horse of the future i- not !
to be driven by ordinary raim but i
by electricity combined with
them. The com liinan is to have
under his seat ail elect m nuYgnei
ic apparatus to be worked by
means of a little handle. One
w ire is carried through the rain
to the bit, and another iothe crup
per. so that a currenl once set up
goes the on lire length of the ani
ma] along the spine. A sudden
shock will, we are assured, stop
the'most violent runaway or tame
the most obstinate jibber. The
creature, however strong and
however vicious, is “at once I ran
formed into a sort of inoffensive
horse of wood, with the feet firm
ly nailed to the ground. ’’ By a
• succession of small shocks the
opposite result is secured, and
the animal is suddenly endowed
with vigor, and iiwrea es his peed
without the application of the
whip. The Seirle eongralnlat.es
the author of the new system, M.
F. FiUrcher, on “an invention as
original as il i -alutar; ."
STEAMING FOOD FOR STO( K.
1 remarks at the Am rh 11 ir.
tffilutc Karmers (’lub, on steam
ing food lor -1 oek :
A. 0, Wall . , a fa urn r of Stark
County, Oi, who 1 1.1 ( ' p riiuejl
ted exfen Ivelv in feedim. he. o,
wrote that he. sheeted 300 owi
and divided !hem iuln two lot of
equal numbers, and a m arly
equal iff size, weight, age and
condrf.Wii as he <
(Inc lot ut I off pbe a| ir i
sited and re-< i<wd jih< i.-.i m.•,
of clover, bay and -heal <al •.
The other lot of l.V>
in a neighboring shed, aid fed
twice a. dav with -(.(•allied forn
'■fodder, cut to llire< -quarter- ol
an imdi in lend b mi .ed wit h i w
bosjiejsof loan, and va I down
with byiler v. a.let - ■I iu rn" <• <
Ol leh us la ( lof the mixed li ed n.
fen sljeep. Before be:, innin:
each lot wa weighed on a -et o|
stock scale eOn\eni'uiliv near,
snd tlnleafier were weigh< i iwh ••
u'ly.eyk. Each lot .reejevod ilm
name care in ‘watering, bedding,
exercise. protection again?!
tOrnt-. dm "be experino. nts
iwefed'onUnued ov.-r a i-eimd of
detail-, weitosoqai*; hed.sy u>
wargmil the imrelta of an mi
• • . V >T v j i | i. ;
tfj of onvr-nicn < os on
,‘wskald nd'eqilai -to rim wa ol Of
tj.ff dock. Sim Bu n Mr. Warn
bar. led. tin teed aimo.-t endu
mdv. Luff winter, owine to the
‘V&ilfye {if (be hay crop, he kept
Over his entire stoek. con.- I si ing ol
twenty horses, about twenty head
of cattle, and between
1,700 sheep without aM
hay', and they came jiff j
belter condition I Inn ■frl,
e\ erdone on dry
anchor of -.((.mm
t! "I'M
of wb^^pf
head aB
Igard to the q
he says: The]
Being fed requires
fioie, tons of dry feed per A
cutting is done by 9
i 'uniming s cutter, and it isl
| i anged that the cut f(*M
tails from the cutiing-imfM
placed in the!
■
r. uffxtJ
that wl^Wi'.v' cutting,ja
feed is ready for
’1 tin i men in tin hour
oau i ut i lie t hree tnn-M
present boiler capacity®
one man lour hours mil
it. The cost of fuel ft®
mixing, steaming, pumpitqS
A e., is about 5 cents per j
dry feed. The cut feed ii?
more* easily and rapidly (list™
(■(I to the animals than long
11 is hoveled from the tn|
down into wagons withs
boards, that stand below the l>
toms of the- tanks, and currie<jfl
! in- -beep folds. The racks ot
made to arecmmodatC
am! I hi- nmnber is I j
IWo 1111.' |) e 1 ,s .iHI
iced. '! in Iced, r has two 'TM..I
bn- he! basket . While he is (!fH
ryinu out to the racks the boll
tills the other. In this way a
:■ b"\ caii feed and careflHj
1,500 sheep. The fodder is eJHwj
up clean, a lew joints and soiled]
pieces, only being left, but
per cent, is wasted. All
\an tag. claimed for
-teamed food to eattle and liorHH
-the economy of feed, the ind
creased health, thrift and comfort.
of t In- animals—are found in an
(■((mil degree in the feeding of
sheep. The elfect is shown in the
wool, which is of a length, clear
ness, style, and particularly
st rengl li of staple rarely found on
sheep wintered on dry feed. There
is no .jar or tender place in the
wool, indicating the point in the
growth of the fibre where the
heep changed frotn green to dry
feed. All the wool-buyers ob
erved this; and the wool, it is be
lie ved, commanded a higher price
1 lain any ot her dip bought from
first hand in this or any of the
adjoining counties. It is not
claimed (bat tin steaming offeed
adds to iis nutritive elements.-
hoi a- i lie pulverization aird stir
an: ot the soil promote the growth
o' plaid by making (lie plant
food more aece.-: iide to the plants,
-■> tl.-e dea ruing of Teed makes it
oi i.’ e more pa hit a tile and more
rea il.v dig.- Iceland assimilated
l> * lh" .- iiimals, and performs ti.e
-aim oiiice for 1 their food that
cooking docs for the human lam
ily,
\ ' .. II:
i;.a' i 1 oillii \. .N . i . ,i..... .
: bout all I'• t : -fj
1. ,L <li ili niOiiifri j. ‘ * .*• *
lead Ila pli : . Mb J:e t\ i : i >
..n lh j.cJ.og. ......
liein th in w<-i and a* n ■- j
•no. 1. . . i.-. ...I
if:- ' of a k n ... Hud.lmg I<l
..ia-ntlic hark moves easily.—
ptember '* a' v< h m '!*
lor budding pencil, while tf;e :lp
ple and cherry cin be f'< ■'*• i' 1
*•:11 iier. io #|fs j
I'.: *.ns of !l'!l < fIH
!• y.
• " !>• ! • KittUi
< 1 < ( 1l :
the proceeds to the glj^
m
' i hi ord< r, with good jm
to run three months,
terest. At the expinwyJ
