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form, before it can be productive of cereal and other valuable plants. As a general truth, it may be stated that land which will bear good crops of wheat, will also yield all other crops adapted to the climate. Hence, to studv the composition of wheat plants when ripe, will lead us at once to all the essential elements of fer tility. In 100 parts of wheat nearly 98 are com bustible ; in straw, from 90 to 96 per cent, is also combustible. The combustible or organic part of wheat has the following composition, (Bouissingault:) Grain. Straw. Carbon - - 46.10 48.48 Hydrogen - . 5.80 6.41 Oxygen - - - 43.40 88.79 Azote (nitrogen) - - 2.29 .85 Ash - : 8.41 6.97 100.00 100,00 The greatest difference in the combustible part of wheat and straw is in azote, or nitrogen, which is regarded as the flesh-forming element in the plant. One must multiply the nitrogen in wheat-straw by 1 to givo as much as there is in wheat. Hence, if a wheat grower had to rely on decaying straw for nitrogen to form his grain, it would require 700 pounds of straw to make 100 of wheat. If he depended on clover or peas, tlie case is widely different, as their organic analysis indicates: Pea-straw. Clover-hay. Carbon 45.80 47.40 Hydrogen - - - - 5.00 5.00 Oxygen ..... 85.57 87.80 Azote (nitrogen) - * - 2.81 2.10 Ash r - - • - . 11.82 7.70 100.00 100.00 It will be seen that pea-straw, or haulm, con tain as much nitrogen as wheat; and when timely cut and properly cured, it makes the best \ of hay and the best of manure. Clover contains a fraction less nitrogen, but is nearly equal as forage and for manure. By regarding carbon as charcoal, and oxygen and hydrogen as one form of water, we may proceed to consider the inor ganic, mineral, or incombustible part of wheat and other crops, in their relation to the soil. — The ash left on carefully burning the seeds and stems of cultivated plants is not perfectly uni form in its chemical composition in all varieties of wheat or straw grown on different soils in dif ferent seasons and climates. The variations, however, are no greater than one might reason ably expect under the influence of a change of circumstances. The ash, or incombustible part of the plants, resembles the bones in animals. A poor animal, like a very lean pig or horse, has a larger per cent, of earthy matter in its system than a fat one—that is to say, his bones will bear a greater proportion to the weight of the whole carcass. Plants of the same species yield unlike quantities of starch, sugar, oil, gum, al bumen, gluten, and other (so-called) protien compounds. The incombustible earthy matter in them differs in an equal degree. The follow ing table contains the results of on analysis made by Professor Way of Hopeton wheat (ash,) which is near an average of some 60 performed by that chemist at the Royal Agricultural Col lege, Cirencester, and published in the journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, vol. 8, p. 624: Silica 2.28 Phosphoric acid ...... 46.78 Sulphuric acid ...... 0.82 Carbonic acid, none. Lime - 2.06 Magnesia ....... 10.94 Peroxide of iron ...... 2.04 Potash 32:24 Soda - - - ..... 4.00 Chloride of sodium 0.27 99.94 The reader will see in the foregoing all the elements of fertility named in the preceding pages, as shown in the analysis of productive soils. By taking the results of tho 60 analyses of the ash of wheat together, it will be found that the amount of lime in the seed of this plant is about one-third as large as the amount of magnesia, and one-tenth that of potash. The phosphoric acid is larger at all times than any other sub stance, and is chemically combined with lime, potash, magnesia, and with soda when present, as it generally is, but in less quantity than in the foregoing table. The silica is confined to the cuticle, or bran, and varies from 1 to 8 per cent. The amount of sulphuric acid is small, as is that of chloride of sodium, or common salt. The iron, set down at over 2 per cent., is unusually large. The following is the moan of several analyses of the ash of wheat performed by Boussingault: Phosphoric acid 47.00 Sulphuric acid 1.00 Silica.. 1.80 Potash 29.50 Lime 2.90 Magnesia 15.90 Chlorine, traces. Soda, traces. Oxide of iron. none. Charcoal and loss 2.40 100.00 Although no iron appears in tho above, yet, when searched for critically, Boussingault did not fail to find it; but as nearly all soils abound in this element of crops, no one is under the ne cessity of applying copperas, or other salt of iron, to his land as a fertilizer. The reader will see that the per cent of potash is ten times larger than that of lime, and that magnesia is more than five times as abundant. The best natural wheat soils in the Genesee valley yield a good deal of magnesia and potash on analysis. The ash of wheat-straw has the following composi tion: Per cent. Removed from an acre. Silica 69.94........ 107 lbs. 56-10 ozs. Phosphoric acid.. 8.58 13 16-10 Sulphuric acid.... 2.38 8 9 1-10 Carbonic acid, none. Lime 4.94 7 9 2-10 Magnesia 1.48 2 3 Peroxide of Iron.. 0.06 0 5 1-10 Potash.; 12.48 19 2 4-10 Soda 0.25 0 5 5-20 Chloride sodium, none. 99.97 158 5 9 10 This crop was at the rate of 30 bushels per acre, and the grain contained 3 3-10 pounds ash, which, added to that in tlie straw, gave 186 2-10 pounds as the incombustible minerals taken from an acre in a single crop. It is wor tliy of particular attention that over 100 pounds of soluble flint, or silica, are required to form an acre of wheat straw. Too little attention has beeu paid to this substance by the wheat-grow ers of the United States. A judicious rotation of crops favors the accu mulation of soluble silica in the soil, and how this result is attainable every farmer should un derstand. The system consists in making a wise use of all the silica contained in all straw, corn stalks, and hay grown on the farm, and in in creasing the solubility of tlie finest particles of silicious sand in the soil. The former is simply a matter of good husbandry, t. «. carefully saving all straw, stalks, and grass or hay, or the ma nure derived from the same. There are farmers in England who make land, which is naturally poor, yield an average of 36 bushels of wheat per acre, tako one year with another. In this operation straw, hay. and turnips, supply most of thwraw material for making so large an aver TMK VXBSBXH3S. ago yield of wheat. The solubility of flint sand, or silica, is increased by the aid of potash and soda. When these alkalies combine with silica in small quantities, insoluble silicates are pro duced, like common glass; but, if glass be ground fine and boiled in a concentrated solution of pot ash or soda, it will be dissolved in the water, the silica having combined with a large amount of the alkali. Wood ashes and salt, abounding in potash and soda, havo been found by experience valuable fertilizers for wheat; and even salt and lime, or salt alone, will greatly benefit the crop, as many wheat-growers in western New York have demonstrated One reason why peas, beans, and clover rotate so successfully with wheat, is, that fhese crops extract comparatively very little silica from the soil, and of course leave the more for cereals. Composition of peas and leans on clay soil. ANALYSES BY PROFESSOR WAY. j I to to I R| u S- I ■g‘2 frs - g is s »« s 3 -r- S as®-"- "9 3SJ I-2 Z is- 2? 3 § i s ®. 3- I | | is* 5 ■ s. | -| ** . Silica 0.42 0.22 4.62 2.95 5.05 8.17 Phosphoric acid 14.48 15.28 2.98 0.55 17.36 15.73" Sulphuric acid 2.98 1.62 5.38 IAS 8.31 8.20 Lime 2.28 2.75 86.80 22.25 89.08 25.00 Magnesia 3.4 S 3.66 13.C2| 2.85 17.10 6.51 Pro'xlde of ioon 1.74 0.69 1.74 0.69 Potash 20.75 27.40 80.18 86.96 50.93 64 36 Soda 2.51 0.28 0.57 8.13 B.OS 8.41 Ohio, of sodium 2.15 23.00 j 15.8 S 25,15 13.88 Total 53.15 51.16 105.54 81.84 207.79 136.00 i m l I I It will be seen by the above figures that a ton of peas (2,240 pounds) and 2,989 pounds of pea straw contain only 5.04 pounds of silica, j a d beans still less. Hence, an acre of arable land might yield a crop of 5,229 pounds of peas one year, and one of 4,510 pounds of beans the next, and not part with 8| pounds of silica in tlie two crops. Pea straw consumes a large amount of lime and considerable potash. Land should be well stocked with lime so» these crops. 3,583 pounds of perfectly dry clover gave Boussingault 284 pounds of ashes, equal to 7.7 per cent. In these ashes, or, more properly, in this ash, there were 13 pounds phosphoric acid, 7 pounds pounds lime, 1 founds magnesia, 77 pounds potash and soda, 15 pounds silica, and 1 pound oxide of iron. To the foregoing must be added 71 pounds carbonic acid, to make the aggregate 284 pounds. In the way that Boussingault qurns clover, the ash contains 25 per cent, of carbouic acid. It will be seen that this plant, like peas and beans, draws slightly on the soil for soluble silica, but largely for the alkalies and lime. Scientific farmers realize great benefit in growing clover and beans in connection with wool-growing and wheat-culture, because the first named plants send down their roots in a permeable soil to a ’great depth, and bring up phosphates, sulphates, and chlorides of lime, potash, and magnesia, wiiich are ultimately consumed in forming generous crops of wheat. The writer has frequently traced the roots of clover and beans to the depth of 34 inches into the earth in sandy and loamy soils. Subsoiliny and root-culture are profitable operations, when conducted on scientific principles. Care should be had that there is not an excess of moisture in the subsoil. Draining is the only remedy for this evil. Tho capacity of soils to take up and retain water without injury to crops by its ex cess, and the temperature of soils at different depths and under different circumstances, will be noticed before the close of this essay. The reader’s attention Is now invited to the minerals taken from the earth in the growth of potatoes, turnips, and carrots, which, under a good system of husbandry, are valuable crops. About three-fourths of the weight of potatoes, when dug, are water; of the other fourth, twenty-four parts in twenty-five are combusti blo—the other part being ash. Estimating his crop at its dry weight, an acre gave M. Bous singault 2,828 pounds of tubers, which yielded 113 pounds of ash—consisting of 13 pounds of phosphoric acid, 8 pounds sulphuric, 3 pounds chlorine, 2 lime, 6 magnesia, 58 potash and soda, 6 silica, 8 carbonic acid, and 1 pound oxide of iron. It will be seen that more than half of the ash of potatoes is pure potash, 'for it contains but a trace of soda. Dry potato tops yield 6 per cent, of ash. An acre (in which the growth' of vines or tops must have been unusually large) gave to M. Boussingault 5,042 pounds dry weight, and 303 pounds ash—consisting of 33 pounds phosphoric acid, 7 sulphuric acid, 4 chlo rine, 7 lime, 5 magnesia, 135 potash and soda, 39 silica, 16 oxide of iron, and 57 carbonic acid. Taking the figures as they stand, there are few so exhausted crops as that of Irish potatoes (tuberosum solanum ) when entirely removed from the soil. In the tops and tubers 416 pounds of inoombustible matter are removed from an acre. Twenty bushels of wheat require 12 pounds of phosphoric acid for the grain, and 5 pounds for the straw ; while an acre of good potatoes de mands 13 pounds of this acid for the tubers, and 33 for the haulm or tops. This is equal to two large crops of wheat. In an acre of pota toes 193 pounds of potash are oonsumed: one sixth of that amount answers for an acre of wheat. Few farmers supply their growing po tatoes with a sufficient quantity of potash and phosphoric acid. 1 —- ABOUT MANURES. Lestus District, ) Sept. 16th, 1859. j Editor Southern Field and Fireside: Will some of our correspondents answer the following questions for the information of a Burke planter ? Ist. In mixing cotton seed and pond muck, if lime is used freely, will it destroy the nutricious quality of the seed; and further, if salt is added will it make a better compost? 2d. In putting up lot manure in pens adding the pond muck freely, also the lime and salt, would it make tlie manure more valuable ? Or would it be loss of time, and an expense for no profit? A Subscriber. Answer to the Above. —Ist. Lime mixed with pond mud and cotton seed, will not injure the seed for manure, while it will improve the mud. Salt will still farther improve the com post. 2d. The addition of lime and salt to lot manure will greatly benefit tho soil; but the salt will dissolve and waste if long left where rain s will fall upon it in tho lot. Add lime and salt at the time you apply the manure to the land, or sow both salt and lime on the field immedi ately after the application of the lot manure. Carrots for feeding Poultry.—Some one in the Southern Homestead strongly recommends the use of carrots, chopped fine in a sausage cut ter, for poultry. If a man is happily married, his “ rib ” is worth all the other bones in his body. HINTS FOB COTTON PICKING. I Dr. M. AV. Philips makes the following sug -1 gestions to cotton pickers, in the last number of ' the Rural Gentleman: Begin picking as soon as 20 pounds can be ( gathered per hand, and, at the very outset, pick p clean cotton, not taking the pains to exclude all leaf, but clean enough to make “ middling ” cot ( ton; sun all cotton until the seed will crack on pressure between the teeth, pack away in a close bulk until it heats, then open out and invert ' pile, so as to heat the cotton outside, open out and gin; so continue until frost has killed the leaf—except for planting seed, which should be ginned before bulking and the seed thoroughly , dried, before putting up. Send to market as fast as ginned. The bulking and heating w»uld only procrastinate the first week's ginning, for, after a few days ginning has been heated, there will be work ahead not to cause detention, j Our ob ject is ho give cotton a higher color, a softer touch, and fit it for more rapid ginniig. Un derstand us distinctly; we would not heat cot ton to draw out a high color, only to get out a part of the oil in seed and to restore the color, escaped by exposure in field and on Jcaffold.— There being little or no leaf, little or no dirt, • there would bo no stain from heat and the nec | cssary sweating. After a killing frost, we would sun when needed, especially morning cotton and after rains; would bulk it and leave thus until spring or June, or oven July, then gin out and ship.— Our object here, is, to give time for the rotting of the leaf, which will decay so much in four to six mouths that in ginning it will be blown off in dust. Another reason: Cduld we impress this economy on tlie masses, cotton would not rush into market “ Ist bale,” a> as to give a false impression as to maturity jf crop. An ad vantage is ever taken by merch ints and specu lators ; our crop would not be hastened into market by January, so„as to- cause a glut in the market, prices would be better* sustained, and the opening and closing of marl et would be no better than the middle. We have shipped cotton to L verpool and sold at a less price than wo were offqred at Edwards’. AA r e have held our late picking under cover at home until May, and made a goqd interest above the January price, and enough to pay commis sion merchants their 10 per cen . loss in weight, and something for home. AVe have gathered cotton, leaf, boll, limb, dirt—as; many insist is the best policy—and purchasers refuse to buy it. AVe have sold “refused” cotton of January, in May, at a better price than our saleable cot tons commanded. But the best plan in our judgment, after selling twenty-eight crops, is, as we say, we should not permit exceptions to make the rule—the “ exception* ” may “ prove the rule.” \. REPORTS OF THE CROP. We have seen “ reports of the crop” from a number of papers scattered over the cotton re gion. AVitb only two exceptions, it is admitted, a very great falling off. Some say less cotton will be made than last year—the two exceptions are, one published in Mississippi, says the crop of corn and cotton “ will be more than a usual one.” “If the fall is moderately dry, the cotton crop will be than last year.” “From one extreme of our noble State to the other, God has given the early and the latter rain.” The other exception, an Alabama paper, admits that planters say the crop will be short, yet —tlieso fellows are always complaining, and no great re liance can be placed on what they say, no way you can fix it. Well, we adroit we are giving our version of what that sage Editor says, but it is very much that sort of talk. These exceptions, we venture upon it, were both written without reflection, for there has not beeu a season for many years when rains have been so partial in some sections, “rain daily;” other* “burniug up;” others, “not a rain for months;” others, ‘‘not a rain to plant potatoe drawings;” Ac., Ac. —“ Early and latter rain.” I speak of it! Why, bless yon, my friend Dr. P., the early rain was all spring, and the tatter rain “ ain’t sot in yet” Wo veuture the man who has seen such fine crops all over the State, could not tell with in one-half yield of what a crop is, now on the ground. AVe repudiate this thing of reflecting on planter's statements. An editor will publish “tlie largest crop on record,” but “let a planter ' of great respectability"—“a man of unques tioned veracity,” say, “the worms have cutoff, in ten days, two-fifths of my crop,” and he is al ways grumbling. AVe wish these friends to English Factories would show their hands or cease.— Rural Gentleman, (Grenada, Hiss..) Sept. 24th. Ravages of the Black Tongue.—Col. Ken nett has been, for a number of years, collecting a park of deer at his place near Mine Shiboleth. in Washington county. They multiplied rapid ly, and only a short time since he had forty on his premises. But the new disease—the Black Tongue—of which we have before given some account as raging among the deer in the woods, as well as domestic animals—got among thorn, and seventeen were reported as having died in one night, at one spring, and at the last account only one out of the forty remained alive. The disease commences with indications of inability to eat —the tongue turns black, and swells to an enormous size, and the animal dies, generally in the neighborhood of a spring or where there is water. Remedies have been found in the case of cows and domestic animals, as they are will ing to receive copperas and such medicine as may be administered to them, and they can be saved if taken in time. But with the deer oc cupying CoL Kennett’s park no such remedies could be administered, and hence the fatal re sult. The loss is a great one, for it will be al most impossible to replace them. Dead Animals.—We have just seen some elaborate discussions on the way of disposing of dead animals. The space might be saved as well as not. If the carcasses are small, bury them in a manure heap, and let the whole lie a few months. The mass will all be good manure then. If they are large, bury them in thß ground in an orchard or garden, when the de caying matter will be taken up and used by trees and plants; or, if you can do so easily, cover the whole with clay and turf, till*he bones shall be decomposed. Use the covering for manure and put the bones beneath the roots of the next apple trees or pear trees you trans plant. You may thus profitably dispose of all the carcasses, from a dead ox to a dead mouse that may encumber the grounds.— Ohio Farmer IIoW to prevent Soke Shoulders in Work ing Horses.—The Boston Journal says, the plan we have tried and never found to fail, is to get a piece of leather and have it cut into such a shape as to lie, snugly, between the shoulders of the horse and the collar. This fends off all the fric tion, as the collar slips and moves on the leather and not on the shoulders of the horse. Chafing is caused by friction ; hence this remedy is quite a plausible one, and is much better than tying slips of leather or pads of sheepskin under the collar. MANAGEMENT OF HORSEB. Some of the finest horses in London, England, are fed on “ chaff ” (chopped clover or hay,) with a portion of bruised oats or beans. It is in this way that the celebrated brewers, Barclay and Perkins, feed their splendid horses, and almost every other similar establishment uses the same description of food. A few years ago the pro prietor of an extensive livery stable in London, finding that the ordinary manner of feeding hay and oats was unprofitable, directed his at tention to economy in provender. He got ma chines, by which he chopped his straw and clo ver, and bruised his oats and beans, the labor of chopping and bruising was unacceptable to the men, they looked upon the machines as new fan gled concerns, and made a thousand excuses to discontinue their use. Tlie proprietor submitted to the combination, and returned to the old method of feeding his horses. One of the men continued, unobserved, to use the machines in preparing provender for the horses in his charge, and the proprietor being struck by their supe rior condition, asked the reason of it, and found out the secret. He then resumed the use of the machines, working them by horse power, to keep his men from grumbling, and found that by this mode of preparation, a much less quantity of food than usual was sufficient to keep tlie horses in first rate condition. When tlie men found that they had not the trouble of chopping or bruising they began to patronise the new food, and would not go from home witliout carrying a good supply of it for their horses. It is now well known in Europe and America that “ chaff ” is much better for horses than ordinary hay or clo ver, and that bruised or ground grain of any kind is much more nutritious than that which is fed whole ; but in countries where labor is dear, it is much better that tho chopping, bruising or crushing should be performed by horse-power, and nothing can be easier than to attach these machines to any of the “ powers " which are now so plenty. AVhen the use of “chaff” and bruised grain becomes general, it will be found tliat a much less Quantity of provender than is consumed at present, will bo sufficient to feed horses, and to keep them in superior condition. American Horses in England.—The fol lowing paragraph from The Field shows how the recent races, in which American horses competed with the English, have affected Eng lish jockbydom: Tho American horse, Starke, puts all doubts aside as to tho lasting qualities of the importa tions from tlie Great AVest. His running in the Goodwood Stakes proved tlie cleverness of his owner and his trainer. It has induced habitues of a British race-course to believe what they have hitherto denied, that natives of other lands can train and ‘ manage ’ a horse as well as those of their own; and it has let them iuto a little secret in regard to the American nation in particular, namely, that friend Jonathan of the New AVorld is every bit as good a tactitian in matters equine as his elder brother of the older one, yclept Johnny Bull. The match which this identical nag lost at Newmarket drove the Brit ishers off their guard, and enabled bis party to invest his money at a capital price. They won a large stake, and have amply reimbursed them selves for their outlay in the expense of purcha sing horses and importing them to England.— The talent of that go-ahead people will not again be questioned. It has been displayed to won drous advantage in five instances on English turf. Winning one Cicsarewitcli, and beipg beaten by a head only for a second with Prior ess; winning a Gfeat Yorkshire Handicap with the same mare; and now winning a Goodwood Stakes on Wednesday and tho Bentinck Memo rial on Friday, With a horse landed on these shores but a few months since, and a Nursery Stakes on the latter day with a colt imported at the same time—havo set all disputes on the point of cleverness at rest. Civilization and learning have always travelled westward, and the sons of New York have in horse-racing shown themselves to be the most ‘learned Thebans.’ » - ■ ■ ——-+•+- How Driving Affects the Meat of Neat Cattle.—There is some excuse for the AVeStem grazer’s preference for the Durhams, as they drove them over the mountains. The fat of all cattle is the first to run off, tlie fine panicles mixed through the flesh of the first —the kidney being coated over more solid, holding out longer, and the red meat being the last to fall. One accustomed to driving, fattening and slaughter ing, could detect a drove of “ drifted ” cattle from those taken fresh from the pastures, by seeing them pass on yonder road, as well as the skillful butcher could by handling them, and al though the “ drift ” cattle might have much more kidney tallow, the meat would be as poor as wood ; and, instead of being red, would be as blue as whetstone; whilst those taken fresh from the pasture or stall, if not fat, would make more juicy, tender and sweeter beef. If you see a lot of cattle in the field or elsewhere, with good shoulders, or rather what a butcher would term, showing his shoulder to his ear, without any flank, rest assured that they have been “ drifted.” or in some way injudiciously handled for slaughtering; for if there is no flank there is not much fat. A poor bullock does not wear a good sLoulderlonger than to get rid of his fat, aud the tenderest parts of his flesh, and the neck and round, would be the only parts of such a bullock left for a steak.— Major Dickinson's Pen-Yard Address. — SOAP-SUDS AS A MANURE. Few persons care about saving soap-suds and applying it as a manure; yet it is a most valua ble liquid for promoting the growth of fiuit trees, garden vegetables and flowers. AVe have used it on apple trees, currants, cabbages, toma toes, melons, cucumbers, Ac., and in every in stance found it most useful in increasing the growth of the plant and the size of the fruit. When sprinkled on the foliage it has been found effective in checking the progress of des tructive insects, and preventing their ravages; thus the gooseberry and curraHt caterpillars, the rose-bug, the vine-hopper and insects of this kind, may be driven away by having their fa vorite foliage made unpalatable by an early ap plication of this simple remedy. A correspon dent of the Indiana Farmer says that he finds the cultivation of currants very profitable, and that his bushes are now six or eight feet high, and very thrifty; he attributes their fine growth and productiveness to the use of soap-suds poured around the roots of the bushes in sum mer. Owners of orchards, gardens and flower beds should not allow ono drop of this valuable liquid to go to waste; they should apply it to their trees and plants, at all seasons, and they would be amply repaid by an abundant supply of fruit, or a fine bloom of flowers. — [Ex. t White-Wash fob Fences. —One ounce of white vitriol sulphate of zinc and three ounces of common salt, to every three or four pounds of good fresh lime, will render it durable where it is exposed to the weather. - r " —— PICTURE OF A PROMINENT EX-EDITOR. A sprightly correspondent of the Newbury -1 port (Mass.) Herald, who is travelling hi Texas, 1 and who recently visited George Wilkins Ken dall, formerly the brilliant editor of the New 1 Orleans Picayune, thus sketches him: His abiding-place, a neat little stone cottage, is nestled among the hills I have spoken of as skirting the town westward beyond the Cornel, lour miles from the main plaza, and here I found him. As I toiled up the rocky and rough road, that leads to his residence, I tried to picture to myself the man. I had read something of his writings and knew something of his history— that he was New Hampshire born and in part Massachusetts bred; that he had experienced some vicissitudes of fortune, but bravely fought his way through to wealth and position; that lie had travelled some and had seen much of life socially in the great cities of the world, on tented field, and in “ starred and spangled courts.” I thought then that he must be a man of eminent gravity, venerable from Ins great ex perience, of great dignity and “ awful presence;” yet with suavity and modesty becoming true greatness. The ideal always exceeds the actual. I found Mr. Kendall a middle-aged, jolly-looking individ ual, with fun sparkling in his eyes; his face reddened by exposure to the sun—(perhaps!) and his tout ensemble the farthest possible re move from gravity. I confronted him on his veranda, where 1 found him without coat or vest, in blue cotton pants and leather pumps; with a standing collar, the upper edge of which was considerably above the tops of his ears; and generally arrayed in a style befitting the weath er, which was extremoly warm. He was busily engaged in sewing up a wool sack; for he is a great shepherd, and the shearing season was at hand. The evening of the second day out, we ar rived at Kendall’s ranehe. I found it a site for a fine estate, when developed and Improved; a symmetrical valley of some hundreds of acres, with a brook running through it, inclosed on the four sides by ranges of low hills. Its loca tion is thirty-four miles due west from New Braunfels, and thirty from his own residence. Here, in charge of an intelligent Scotch shepherd, and subject to his own weekly inspection, are Ins great flocks, amounting in the aggregate to nearly or quite five thousand sheep and lambs. He sheared this year three thousand four hundred sheep, yielding, as he told me, thirteen thousand pounds of wool, for which he would realize thirty cents per pound. This year’s in crease of his flocks was fifteen hundred lambs, worth, as they aro three-quarters or seven eighths Merino blood, two dollars per head a week old. This, you will see, yields the snug little income of seven thousand dollars, all of which is deserved by Mr. Kendall for his perse prance in the business, conducted for a timo under difficulties that would have been discoura ging to any man of less energy of character. His sheep, undey his present system, are easily managed, but require constant care. They are divided into four flocks, each with its own herd er and shepherd. The dogs are turned out at sun-rise to range the hill-sides and return at evening. It is pleasant to see them come in about the sunset hour; a cloud of dust at four different points of the horizon; the plaintive bleating of tlie sheep and lambs growing louder as they approach; then the sheep running hith er and thither; the weary shepherds, with their broad-brim hats and pistols in their belts, and the active and baying dogs. ——n> mm HIGH PRICES OF HOUSES AND MULES. When a young man, just graduated in medi cine, we bought what was then a fine horse, and was deemed extravagant in paying a “Ken tucky horse drover" the large sum of sls0 —we think a similar horse would now command $350 —he was-rather on the fancy order, and break ing our “ sulkey ” all “to flinders ” the first week, we sent him to the plow, for we could not trust “ the prettiest girl in Columbia ” to sit behind him, esiiecially when our own neck was saved owing only to its being “ stiff necked.” But this is only a specimen, for ever since we have been on this place, we have paid 100, 125 and $l5O for horses that were as good in every particular as we can now get for 250 and S3OO. We have a mule now in working order, that cost $62 50 in 1842—for her equal we will now buy pairs at S3OO each. Where is this to end ? We ask our readers of the Southern Rural Gentleman, when will horses and mules come to a proper value ? It is need less to say better and cheaper to buy mules and horses at such prices than to raise them." Wq say it is not so 1 Nor do we intend to be un kind, or to insult. We affirm we can raise als hand mule at sllO aud at less expense, less loss to mustle and land, than OQttOn at 10 cents. — The demand for mules has become so great that the raising of mules is decreasing horses, and* brood mares are becoming fewer and fewer.— At this time the Mustang ponies are taken from Texas and South Louisiana to Missouri to re plenish the breeding studs. To pursue the present policy of the South in making large crops of cotton and buying all mules and horses, will not only continue pres ent evil, but increase it. Really, this “blatter might, in our humble opinion, be with propriety made a matter, if not of State action, yet of any agricultural society. Suppose any agricultural saciety would give a premtum of SIOO to the breeder of the most colts and the best, would it not ssimulate to an increased effort to raise horses, and thus in a few years even, decreasing the price $5 each, would add thousands to the State. The money paid out of Mississippi for horses and mules, we doubt not, amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. A friend of ours asked, “ How can you find time to attend to fine stock aud make big crops? But I suppose it is science.” No, sir, we re plied, it is norhing but the master’s eye and hand; his attention. Very little labor and very little cost is required to raise a few horses, mules, cattle, Ac. The main thiug is, let the master see them every day.—[iSbu/A. Rural Gentleman. Three hundred sparrows, selected, were recently sent from England to Australia, to be naturalized in the latter country, and to assist the fanners in keeping down the armies of caterpillars, and other grubs that occasionally devour the harvests. — Cost of Manure. — It is estimated that Eng land pays annually three hundred million of dol lars for manure —more than the entire com merce of that country- The total value of a year’s erop has been reported to Parliament, some time ago, os being about three thousand millions of dollars—the crop includes the animal as well as the vegetable. The turnip crop has been estimated in that kingdom to be worth fifteen hundred millions. 4 We believe in good fences, good farm-houses good stock, good orchards, and children, enough to gather the fruit. 151