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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