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force of vegetablo life must possess this power, denied to the chemioal attraction of matter. J.nd, if wheat were planted on soil where there was no silex, tho straw would contain the wont ed proportion. If plants, tIA, by a higher law of ritatie affinity, can elaborate their Maker's fooa from' the soil, and evolve their own pnogor structures, of what use is all this analysis ? Who has found out the peculiar taste and appetite of plants, ‘ can select for them their proper savory food? Their analysis, of all things the most imperfect, can never furnish such knowledge, impenetrable to all science. The processes of analysis are, chiefly by ma ceration, combustion, and destructive distillation. In these processes, some parts of the plant es cape and are lost; some simply decompose, and enter into new combinations, and some, by heterogeneous affinity are converted into new substances, foreign to tho plant. Wood, for in stance, yields potash on combustion, but cer tainly, there is no potash in the wood. If we suppose the wood to contain potassium, as an ele ment, then the potasium could get oxygen from the atmosphere on combustion, and oxydize in to potash. A grain of wheat may be analysed, but cannot be rebuilt again from the elements obtained; although a chemist is said to have re compounded a pretty clever egg, but could not again reconstruct the shell. Modern chemistry has given a prodigious light to the arts, but has done, as yet, but little or nothing substantial for agriculture. Its terms, as seen in books on farming, are vague and in definite in the extreme. As, for instance, phos phated Guiano. Compounds in ate must be from acids in ic. Guiano contains several sali fyable bases; which of the bases has the phos phoric acid, or what can be the chemical sense ? Its languago rectified, so that all could under stand one another, chemistry is a great power. But it is not to be learned from books alone; and he, who would know it, must pull off his coat, walk into the laboratory, and work with his hands and his head. 3. Plants and animals, or all manures, in the last changes they undergo, leave no remains be hind them, or add anything substantial to the soil. They are little other beside solidified or concrete gasses, which escape. Ist. Many years ago I travelled in the coun try, where 1 now live, then a wilderness. In deep valleys, inaccessible to the Indian fires, I found spots where the pure, clean clay lay on the surface, covered with a dense layer of leaves in all stages of decomposition. I reflected— “this deep dense layer has been blown here from the neighboring hills, and deposited by this mighty forest for, perhaps, innumerable ages past; why then, in all their rotting, have they left no soil to cover this clay.” I remem bered—“ that all vegetables, with one or two exceptions, are ternary compounds, but an af fair of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon —that oxy gen and hydrogen readily combine and form water, which can flow away; that oxygen and carbon turn into carbonic acid, which can fly on the wind; and all leave no vestige of anything to cover this naked clay.” 2d. I placed in my field, in a snug pile, the straw of one hundred and twenty-five bushels of wheat. After five or six years, there re mained about a snuff-box full of sooty-looking matter. The field was afterwards planted, and the improvement was scarcely distinguishable, where all this straw had rotted. Afterwards, the same amount of straw was scattered over three acres of land, and tho cot ton planted on it doubled the crop. Thus, man ures are quickly self-destructible, and requiro to be fresh. ■ 3d. Some fifty years since, it became desirable to extend the streets of a city in Italy. An old oemetery had to be removed, in which priests, monks and friars had slept for 300 years, in iron coffins. In the removal, some of the lids fell off, and it was observed thero remained about a drachm of grey, unctuous-looking matter. The bodies of animals, then, in their last ruins, leave no visible vestigo behind for the soil. They have nitrogen, one element more than vegeta bles, for the foundation of their being; or are quarternary compounds of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. How prodigious this nitrogen, to be the sole cause of the difference between the animal and vegetable tissues I These four forms of matter, appear to be charged with tho great life of the world, its most busy and active agents; and possess the most varied attractility! As manure, tho bodies of animals pass down through a more complicated series of revolu tionary changes, than those of vegetables; and must offer to the latter a higher intensity of nu tritive, stimulating power. It is, therefore, only the gaseous and liquid forms of matter, the pri mordial materials of their structures, which all lives return to the dust. These, by their affinities, become again fixed in the soil, ready to explode into new forms of vitality, achieving the eternal rejuvenescence of Nature. 4. Tho action of all manures and of all soils, is by stimulation. The materials, of which I have just spoken, released by death, or returned from former life, and become permanent in the soil, possess the completo power In themselves of developing new lives. All they need is an ovum, or an atom fecundated with contractility, or tho first conditions of life. They stimulate it, and it grows to maturity. According to SniadeXi, these materials, which he calls the “ viable elements offer themselves alike to all vegetable lives; ana, when they get buried in the depths of tho eartb, they are thrown back by the volcanic fires, to hoop up full the life of tho world. ( Theorie des etres or. ganises.) I will here make an important remark. Tho chemic atoms play through a very limited num ber of attractions, forming all the bodies of Na ture ; and, when decomposed, come forth with the same polarities or affinities unchanged; in like manner, tho organic elements returning from their ruins, possess the same capacities fdf new fife ; so that, in those elements, the life of the world holds the prerogative of endless dura tion. 5. Plants are known to enjoy a truo digestion. They decompose their food, eliminate what is improper • and, by their nervimotility of plastic force, assimilate the balance to their own sub stance. This force, higher than all knowledge, tho architect of all lives, is known only by its effects—the modified power of tho first creation continuing. The appropriate materials with which this power builds, I have said, aro the liquids and gasses furnished by the soil, and by all manures. These gasses are supplied by spontaneous de composition, for nature waits for them always in a hurry, for the new lives, in which she takes pleasure. The moment of death is the moment in which they begin to evolve, and the elevation continues on, until every atom is displaced from the order of combination in which tho chemical force of life had placed it It ought, therefore, to bo the greatest care of the farmer, to keep his manures from rotting until the time he wishes to use them. 6. In Nature’s own wild plantations, where 3WE SOVWSBU 111 YX&3BBX3)£. the ground is not stirred up, and nothing inter fering, we may think, the soil produces the drop of trees and shrubs, and maintain forever the equilibrium; or fertility, or that everything jpieves forward on the Silf-supporting system.— But on the plantations of man the circumstances are far different. He removes from the field, and houses a large part of the products. This is a true robbery to the soil, since eveiy blade of gram, every living atom returns to the ground in remuneration. But even this, we may think for many long ages, would reduce the fertility but very little, since every breeze that blows, comes freighted with the nutritive gasses, and administers to plants their delicious food. It is, therefore, the tremendous chemic power of heat and light, which acts on the soil, that culture ex poses, uselessly, and wastefully exploding the food of plants from their bases, and quickly brings an incorrigible sterility. After breaking the soil, then, for the penetra tion of the tender roots, we should cultivate little as possible, so as to subdue foreign growth, for the stirring of the soil, must do more harm than good by breaking up and destroying the roots of the plants, and wasting the fertility. 7. Our remaining propositions have been ren dered sufficiently obvious, from preceding dis cussion. A long series of careful observations,extending through ages, like those, on which were calcula ted the first eclipses of astronomy, made on everything connected with the growth and wel fare of the plants, we cultivate, would achieve inconceivable improvement. Yet farming must ever remain more or less an empirical art.— All the knowledge, we need, can never be ob tained. Besides many things accidental injure which are beyond control. Plants are affected by all meteorological changes, by long unseasonable droughts, rains, heats and colds. They sicken, and at once some of their proximate elements turn into sugar, the food of rapacious insects life. Wound a tree, the eggs are deposited, and it die 3. Besides, these plants are ihe proper food of many insects, as the boll worm, the Hessian fly, et cet., our fellow creatures, which have a right from nature, to share with us the fruits of our labor. The sciences necessary to be studied, and con nected closely with the knowledge of farming are, entomology, chemistry and liydronomics. J. B. Gorman. Talbot, Ga. —-mm- SOILING CATTLE. As this subject is receiving considerable at tention, the experience of Mr. Bell, as related to the New York Farmer’s Club, may be of suf ficient interest to our readers to warrant its in sertion. Ho says: “ Although I have not arranged ray ideas on this subject, I will state the course 1 have pur sued in tho management of my cattle, of which 1 have kept on hand from 100 to 150 head dur ing the season. It is now thirty-five years since first I sa& soiling practiced ; not, however, in this country, but in Scotland, where it was carried on to a great extent. By soiling, I un derstand providing green food for cattle, to be furnished them in the stall at regular intervals, allowing them a little exercise in the yard during the day. This method cannot be adopted in all cases; the soil must be good, and capable of producing good crops, or it will not prove prof itable. It may be pursued successfully on land in the vicinity of New York, in New Jersey, and Long Island ; but on some land in Westchester country, grazing would be preferable, as the ground is so hilly that the other method could not be carried out. I appropriate ten acres to the production of green food for my cattle, of which I keep upwards of a hundred head. This I plow in the fall eight inches, which is deep enough. I plant with Indian corn, which is the only crop I have used for this purpose. Twen ty five ox-loads of good barn yard manure are applied to the acre, which is plowed in; the ground is harrowed in Spring, and about the middle of April the com is sown broadcast, at tho rate of four bushels to the acre. I sow it differently from others. Spaces of fifteer feet are taken; Igo down one side, up the other, and then give an additional cast; this is neces sary, as it would not be enough by going over twice ; more seed of course is used. It is advisable to sow it after potatoes, but as manure must bo applied for each crop, no special rota tion is necessary. The ground, however, should not be sod, but should have been previously cul tivated. I sow the first acre between the mid dle of April and first of May, and plow the seed in, four inches deep, with a single horse plow, as I have found that by the common method of harrowing it is not half covered ; a light rolling is then given it. The corn used is the yellow northern com, which I have found very good for the purpose. On the 10tli of May I sow the se cond acre, and so on the 30th another acre.— Again on the 10th of June an acre, and on the 20th and 30th each an acre ; the same course is pursued in July, which completes the ten acres. The first acre, cut on tho 15th of July, lasts till the 15th of August; the second, from the 15th of August, to the 25th of September ; and thus the whole ten acres come in rotation till ex hausted. The ten aetps supply my 100 cows or more, for three months, with the assistance of feeds of meal, which I find necessary to give them, to help their milking qualities. A space of about one acre and a half is set apart for a yard for exercise. I could soil as many cattle on ten acres as I could pasture on fifty. The outlay for labor when soiling is pursued is cer tainly greater, but my principal advantage is derived from the accumulation of a large quantity of good manure ; and I have in England, to save the liquid matter, the benefit would be much greater. Mr. Campbell, a friend of mine, who has procured all the requisite accommoda tion, is convinced that soiling is tho most profit able method. Milk is quite os abundant as when fed on pasture, and that of a richer qual ity. I have from 1000 to 1200 quarts per day, during the season. I do not contend that ray system of proceeding is strictly in accordance with that of others, but as I have been request ed to give my experience I have done so. - —-*■*•*• - im To Preserve Herbs. —All kinds of herbs should be gathered on a dry day, just before or while in blossom. Tie them in bundles, and suspend them in a dry, airy place, with the blossoms downwards. When perfectly dry, wrap the medicinal ones in paper and keep them from the air. Pick off the leaves of those which are to be used in cooking, pound und sift them fine, and keep the powder in bottles, corked up tight. Dr. Page, of Washington, D. 0., says that herbs should be bruised or crashed while in the green state, and then dried. When so treated, they retaiu their color for a great length of time.—[ Germantown Telegraph. The Edgefield Agricultural Fair will be held on Tuesday, the first day of November, instead of the Bth, as before announced. SOUTH DOWN RAM—MASTER FORDHAM. STOCK GROWING AT THE SOUTH. The importance of devoting more attention than has hitherto been given to this branch of husbandry in all the cotton growing region, is daily becoming more and more apparent. In telligent agriculturists at the South are fully alivo to tho imperative necessity of providing in some way for the renovation of soils naturally fertile, but exhausted by long continued crop ping with cotton. The'cultuie of grasses and the raising of stock is nature's method of reno vating the fields impoverished by long tillage, and this mode of treatment will bo found for the most part efficient and economical. True, guano and artificial fertilizers may be resorted to, but will they thoroughly renovate the soil? We think it will hardly bo claimed that more can be done with the aid of these fertilizers than to maintain a fruitful soil in its present condi tion. Other means must be resorted to, in or der to restore to worn out lands their lost fer tility. The improvement of these by growing stock upon them, instead of being an item of expense, might, in most cases, with proper management, be made a source of profit. It is quite a com mon mistake to suppose that grasses will not flourish upon good cotton land. True, the clover and herd grass of the Northern and Middle States will not flourish in a climate suited to the growth of cotton; but there are other grasses, such as the Kentucky blue grass, will grow on any good soil, and will flourish on such as are rich in lime; Col. Stanford’s wild oat grass, the orchard grass, &c., which will furnish excellent abundant pasturage upon a great proportion of the exhausted cotton lands. Thatiheep, cattle, horses and mules, can be profitably raised at the South has been abundantly shown by a vast number of successful experiments, and it is by many claimed that wool can be grown more profitably here than in any other section of the country. But we hear it said, “The cotton planter’s business is to kill grass, instead of rais ing it; that cotton and stock cannot be profita bly produced upon the same plahtation at the same time; that it is more profitable to wear out the land and go in search of virgin soil.”— May not the correctness of these sayings well be questioned? The growers of tobacco and hemp havo found it profitable to connect stock raising with the production of these staples; and we are confident the opinion is gaining ground a mong tho intelligent cotton planters that it would be to their advantage to pay more attention to the improvement of the soil by stock growing, thus increasing the amount of cotton grown per acre, and lessening the cost per pound of produ cing it. Mast kinds of stock could be grown at a very cheap rate upon a great proportion of the rolling cotton lands which have become exhausted and are now of little value. The large sums now paid by the planter to other States for mules to work his crop, and bacon to feed his hands, would be saved; and while getting these at a cheaper rate, ho will be reaping from such a course a still greater advantage in the greatly increased value of his lands. We do not for a moment suppose that a single acre of rich cot ton fields, such as lie along the valley of the Alabama river, are to be devoted to stock grow ing so long as their fertility remains; nor do we wish to see the aggregate amount of her cotton crop diminish. On the contrary, we should pre fer to see it increase, and this we believe would be the sure result of judicious stock growing up on tho worn out soils. Is not this a subject of great importance, and worthy the careful consideration of every agri culturist at the South ? — Stock Journal. - -»•*. No man is so high as to bo independent of tho success of agriculture: no man so low as not to be affected by its prosperity or decline. WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD FARMER 1 If the Disposer of human events should per mit this world to stand a thousand years longer, the time will surely come when every man who tills the earth will be compelled to be a good farmer or starve to death. This is a strong ex pression, but as true as it is strong. Old fogy ism may continue to denounce those who labor to improve the agriculture of the South; but the time will come when their posterity will see their stupid folly, and be forced to improve the soil which their ancestors butchered. The day has already eorao with England, France, Germany and Ireland, where agriculturists are compelled from true necessity to study their profession, and improve their systems of farming economy, to an extent limited only by their power to do so. If they were to pursue the course that planters of the South are now pursuing, in less than twenty years, they would either starve to death, or be forced to leave “ their own, their native land.” But the question arises, what is “ a good far mer?” There is much diversity of opinion on this question. Sometimes tho men who run over the most land per hand, and drag out of the soil the most money, regardless of the wear and tear of land, and team and force, are called good farmers, yea, the best farmers. But that is not true! I admit it not. To do so would be equivalent to admitting that the doctor who made the most money, regardless of the lives he destroyed, was the best doctor. The one would be about as true as the other —both are utterly false. A “ good farmer,” according to the best and and most intelligent agriculturist of the South, is the man who improves his land, and the ap pearance of his place, improves his stock and takes care of his force. And I think this defi nition of the term is correct. No man, however intelligent on other sub jects, no matter how much money he may be making for the time-being, should be considered a “good farmer,” in the strictest sense of that term, who grossly neglects the improvement of his soil and force and stock. No man who cul tivates the hills and permits his fields to wash into 3'awning gullies, and turns them out for his children to reclaim, at the cost of much labor and expense, or leave their old homes, or starve, is to any extent, whatever, a good farmer. No man who denounces agricultural improvement, and agricultural journals, totes corn in one end of his sack, and a rock in the other end to bal ance it because his “ daddy” done, it can possibly be a “ good farmer.” -———t • i Farming in England and Franck. —Sanford Howard, of the Boston Cultivator, is now visit ing Europe, and makes the following compari sons between these two countries. In England the fields are mostly square, divided by green hedges, and each is devoted to a particular crop. In France, the land is cultivated in nar row strips, without fences, except by the roads. It is not uncommon to see strips of wheat, oats, lucerne, clover, and the different kinds of vege tables, each of a rod in width, along-side e»ch other, and all belonging to the same p»vson. In England, the numerous flocks and he-ds add to the landscape. In France, you iw*y travel for miles without seeing a sheep or a »-‘OW. Eng land strives to produce all the met* she can, and by doing so increases the ferity of her soil. France keeps the smallest n»nfoer of domestic animals she can get along vith, and consequent ly decreases her product'*'® powers. England raises turnip and otter root crops largely. France raises hemp, tobacco, and the cereal grains. The crops a* the two countries show the immense superiority of the English system. The very grass of England is more luxuriant. MB Ml » t The TVayaesboro’ Jew says that four hands ot Col. Janies Grubbs, of Burke county, picked, in one day, 1,743 pounds of Cotton. cm® Airs cioxK-MAxnro. The apple Crop in this section, the present season, is more abundant than it has been for several years. In other sections, howwer, the crop was destroyed by the great June frost, and good apnles command good prices, not only for home consumption, but for shipping to the At lantic cities and to the Western States and Can ada. It is, of course, far more profitable to sell cooking and eating apples than to convert them into cider. But notwithstanding the general introduction of good varieties of the apple, there are still thousands of orchards the fruit of which is too sour to be advantageously fed to hogs or cattle, and too poor to eat or cook, but which makes good cider, and is profitably used for that purpose. Indeed, it is thought that this natural fruit makes better cider than ordinary grafted varieties. _ The usual process of making cider in this vi cinity is, briefly as follows: The apples are al lowed to get as ripe as possible: they are then picked up and taken to the cider-mill, where they are allowed to lie in a heap for a few days, to “ sweat.” This accelerates the ripening pro cesses. They are then rasped or ground into pulp. The pulp is often immediately pressed: but if the weather is cool, and the apples not quite ripe, it is better to let the pulp remain in the vessel for a few days. This gives the Cider a higher color, and it is believed also to change some of the starchy or woody matter of the fruit into sugar. The next operation is to press out the juice.— This is a simple process, but requires some skill. Four boards, about six inches wide, are nailed together in a square, the size it is desired to make the “ cheese.” This is placed on the bot tom of the press, and a little straw is put inside, with the ends extending about a foot all around. The pulp is then scooped upon the press, inside this rim, forming a layer about six inches thick. The straw is then turned over it, and a little pulp put on ft to keep it down. The rim is then lifV ted, and four sticks are placed on the layer of pulp, for the rim to rest on. Some more straw is then placed all around, and another layer of pulp added as before. This process is repeated till the “cheese” is as large as desired —say 75 bushels of apples. Sufficient straw must be used to prevent the pulp from being pressed out at the Bides; but with good straw (rye straw is best) and proper care, a small quantity only is needed. Sometimes the straw is wet with wa ter ; but this weakens the cider. A considerably quantity of cider will flow from the “ cheese” before it is pressed at all. After it is settled somewhat, a very slight pressure is applied, which is gradually increased. If press ed too much at first, there is danger of the pulp bursting out at the sides. After pressing it as much as possible, and the cider has ceased to flow, the pressure is taken off, and the corners of the “cheese” are cut off with a hay-knife and the pomace laid onthetopofthe “cheese,” when the pressure is again applied, and the cider will again flow freely. As soon as it ceases, remove the pressure and cut off four or five inches of pomace from the sides of the “cheese,” place it on top, and apply the pressure again until the “ cheese” is quite dry. Some, instead of cutting of the corners first, cut all round at once. The cider is usually put in barrels at once, and sold while sweet. Eight to ten bushels of apples will generally make a barrel of cider.— The price paid for the use of the mill and press is 12$ cents per barrel, when the farmer finds his own team and hands; or 25 cents when the mill-owner does the grinding and pressing himself. This is the old-fasbioned method of cider-ma king. We have now portable mills, which can be worked by hand, with a pressing apparatus attached. We like one manufactured by W. O. Hickok, of Ilarrisburgh, Pa. It can be worked by hand or horse-power, and is capable of ma king from six to twelve barrels of cider a day. It costs but little, and every farmer can have one of his own, and can make the cider, little or much, when convenient, and not have to draw the apples some distance to mill, and then “ take his turn," and finally do up the work in a hurry. Some writers recommend filtering the cider through sand and charcoal, to remove impuri ties ; but if care has been taken to exclude all rotten fruit, it is, in our opinion, unnecessary. There are a variety of methods resorted to for the purpose of arresting fermentation and keep ing the cider sweet, such as putting a handful of well-powdered clay into each barrel; or two or three pounds of newly-burned charcoal, re duced to a powder, are added to each barrel of cider as it comes from the press. This makes it as black as ink at first, but it finally becomes remarkably clear. Others add a little mustard seed. Another method is to place a few gallons of cider in the barrel, and then a rag dipped in brimstone is attached to a long tapering bung; this is ignited, and the bung loosely inserted.— After the brimstone is consumed, the barrel is rolled till the cider has absorbed the sulphurous acid gas, The barrel is then filled up with ci der. The sulphurous acid gas, acting on the al buminous matter in the cider, arrests fermenta tion. The only objection to this method is that if too much gas is absorbed, it may prove injn rious. ... , . A much better method, and one which obvi ates this difficulty, is to have the sulphurous acid gas absorbed by lime. In other w ords to put a little sulphite of lime (not sulphate of lime, or gypsum,) into the barrel with the cider.— When the cider begins to ferment, the acetic acid formed unites with the lime and liberates sulphurus acid gas, and this immediately checks fermentation. The sulphite is nearly insoluble in water, and lies inert and harmless the bot tom of the barrel till it is needed This is a very simple and effectual method of arresting fermentation at any stage itesired. Os course, in all cases the cider should be kept as cool as possible, without alloy ,ri g it to freeze; and the more effectually th*' a ' r can be excluded, the better.— Farmer. It has be* 11 recently stated on good au thority thW adding sulphite of Lime, produces acetate ** l‘ me in the order which has an inju rious effect on the kidneys of those who drink it. — hi » Bkeadstuffs axd the Markets. —The New York Courier argues, in regard to tho export trade, that there is no prospect of it at present for Great Britain or the Continent this fall. At current prices of prime spring wheat, $1 per bushel; good red winter wheat, $1 10 per bush el ; shipping State flour, $4 50 per barrel; ship ping Ohio flour, $5 25 per barrel —the export won’t pay. There is a bare prospect that the very superior quality of the American wheat may call for an export demand. In regard to corn, the Courier says: There does not appear to be the remotest pros pect of an exportation of corn. All that the country is capable of sending to'this market for some months to come will be wanted at high prices for home consumption—principally for distilling, and this will undoubtedly tend to in crease the consumpiion of wheat, by diminish ing the quantity of com entering into consump tion as breadstuff's. 167