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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, JULY 1, 1882, 6 it is left to hatch. In a few days—the time depending on the temperature of the water— the eggs hatch, not a frog, but a tadpole, breathing like a fish through gills, and liv ing entirely in water as fish do. This tadpole grows very rapidly and in ten or twelve days the transformation to the frog commences by the appearance of the two hind legs; next comes the fore-legs and the little fellow presents the curious appear ance of a frog with a tail. The horny beak with which the tadpole's mouth is armed now drops offand the toad’s mouth takes its place. Gradually the tail is absorbed and a diminu tive toad leaves the water, breathes like an animal through nostrils instead of gills, and now may be drowned in water while the tadpole would have been drvumed in air. The little toad now starts out to make his living by catching the insects which trouble us so much by destroying our vegetables and flowers. We hope the boys who read this will never wantonly kill toads again. J. S. N. Compost for the Garden. Vegetables need a cool, loamy, moist soil deeply broken and thoroughly pulverized. All observant Southern gardeners huve noticed the beneficial effects upon the soil, produced by the very heavy mulch used on Irish potatoes after it becomes partially de composed and incorporated with the soil. It darkens its color thus increasing its power of absorbing heat; it improves the mechanical condition of the soil, rendering it more pulverulent and enabling it to bet ter absorb and retain moisture; it adds to the supply of pluut food in the soil what ever the substance used for the mulch con tains, and in a readily available form. Now let us learn a lesson from this obser vation and utilize otherwise wasted mate rial in preparing a most valuable vegetable compost for the garden. Select some convenient point readily ac cessible from the garden and house. Dig out a space ten feet in diameter and two feet deep. Into this pit collect the weeds, grass, trash and scrapings of the walks in the garden, sweepings of the yard, scrapings from tlie fence corners and occasionally scrapings about the horse and cow lots. When any considerable quantity of green vegetable matter is thrown into the pit sprinkle air-slaked lime over it and throw in a luyer of earth. Empty all slops from the house nml kitchen over the heap. Throw the ashes and soapsuds, sweepings from the fowl-house—indeed all refuso matter col lected about tho premises into the heap. Continue this through the summer and fall. Itefore plowing the garden in winter cut down the heap and mingle with it a few sacks of high grade super pliosplmto and spread broadcast over the soil. A large quantity of vegetable mold may be collected through the year in this way which from our experience with it is inferior to nothing we have ever applied. A quantity of good manure may thus be collected principally from substances which would otherwise be wasted. J. 8. N. The Soap Tree. There is a tree in the forests of Chili, which is called, from the fact that its bark contains the saponacious element, quillaja laponaria, the soap-yielding tree. For dress ing silk and wool, it is said, chemical science has not yet discovered any equally efficient substitute for the bark of this tree, and it has accordingly come into large demand, in France and England. Australia and New- zealand are both great wool-producing coun tries, and consequently, they are interested to procure an ample supply of such a pow erful alkaloid. The climate, in some of the extreme British colonies, must be similar to that of Chili, and, unless the soil of Chili is peculiarly adapted to the growth of this tree, there seems to be no reason, why the quillaja should not become acclimated in some of them. If it could become acclim ated in Australia, it would be a grateful re turn for the Australian euealyptue, which, with this wonderful property of rendering miasmatic localities healthy, has been so beneficial to the southern states. Perhaps the quillcja might also be acclimated in In dia, as every variety of soil Is found there, and the indigenous silk manufacture would be greatly benefitted by a supply of a cheap and powerful cleansing material. Possibly, it might be acclimated in some parts of our extensive domain; a thing desirable, for, owing to the recklessness with which the natives strip off the bark, the tree is fast disappearing from the Chilian forests. Stirring the soil soon after a rain is one of the cardinal principles of the gospel of a new agriculture. fgg Mtock department Georgia Scrubs. Editor Southern World—The Georgia Scrub is somewhat agitating the public mind, and I have been asked in a somewhat surprised way, why a man of my intelli gence should advocate her. I will try, and in as lucid a manner as it is possible, state my reason for her support, or rather the de fense of and advocacy of Georgia scrub cat tle. First, because nineteen-twentieths of our people own the scrub cow; she was good enough for our daddy’s in days of yore and she should not be ignored, she is the foundation upon which our people must build the fabric of our dairying industry. The stock, or no fence law, at no distant day will have control of this State—(God speed the day)—when we as a people will look to our own interests in all things, and more especially in cows. Wen a man finds that his cow of to-day, with free pasturage from all over the country, is dear at $10 or $15 per head—that under the law that compels him to keep her at home and feed her or starve her, as his interests dictate, that his cow from scrawny bones sticking through a more dead than live hide, has turned into a very re spectable cow of $30 to $40 value, he will ap preciate the law and the cow. Then when next he wants her to bring forth offspring that free bull, of worse than scrub stock an cestry, is no longer available, and he casts his eyes around to find where the available ani mal is to be found. No, nary—not a b— in ten miles, save neighbor Progress’ fine Jersey or Holstein, and that animal costs $5. Well, it is no use talking, the old cow must give milk or go to the butcher; ah, well I’ll jis lead her over to neighbor Progress’ and raise mo a fine young cow. Thus in half of one decade we will have all graded stock all over the State, and in the year 1900 we will have no Georgia scrubs, but instead, the Georgia improved cows, the best in the world. Ah, ha, says some one, you are changing your tunc ; you arc for grades, you are com ing over to the fancy cow-men. Oh no, not at all. Yes, only by degrees. Tell me wlmt lias fine stock men done for the dairying in terests of Georgia or for themselves either? So far as that is concerned, they have not made ten per cent, upon their investment in fine stock, and only to a limited extent, graded the cattle in their immediate neigh borhoods, while I am demonstrating that scrub cows will pay from eight to ten ]icr cent per month and their keep. If a scrub will do it, won’t a better cow pay better? If I can do this, are there not in the State fifty thousand more men or women that can do the same ? Can you find one hundred men with the inclination and the means, in this State to follow the leadership of fino stock men ? I speak to the middle class of men and women who have their homestead and a few cows. These are the people that have got to do that, must and will develop the dairying interests of Georgia. I thank my opponents, the faucy stock raisers for their aid in introducing them. Wo, the rank and file, will utilize them at no distant day. The calf next. Wm. J. Camp. German Carp, Editor Southern World.—As you have been an advocate of the interests of the South, I thought a few words about the fa mous carp furore would not be out of place. They are a great fish and splendid table fish; but whalet are not raised in small bodies of water, and a carp to weigh 4 or 6 pounds is a splendid fellow. They are not a wide fish on the shad or perch order, but are built more like the red horse or hump back sucker. One 18 inches long is perhaps 3% or 4 inches wide and perhaps 2 inches thick at the largest part of the body. Artificial food may grow them well, but it takes nat ural food such as aquatic plants, bugs, worms, roots and such things that they have to root after. Carp spawn at the age of two years in our latitude, and carp that hatch this year will not spawn until 1884. I sell this year’s carp at ten cents each, and last year’s at twenty cents each; the latter will spawn next year and they are worth all the money charged for them at these fig ures, and did I not have them, knowing what I do about them, I would give $5 each to get a start. I write this for the benefit of those who write me in regard to fish and to those who may want information about such things hereafter. I say to all readers don't believe too big a Juh etory. I am writ ing from nine years experience and stating what I honestly believe the truth. If a 3 to 6 pound carp can be raised it ought to satisfy any man. I go now on small pond schedule; of course in a large body of water they grow to an enormous size. I grow 3 varieties of carp, and all of fine delicate, de licious flavor. I think the large scale a lit tle different in flavor. I furnish shipping cans free. Hastily, yours, A. A. Wriuht. Griffin, Ga. FARMING IN MISSISSIPPI. Mayersville, Mississippi. Editor Southern World—I am more than pleased to see the growing interest of our agricultural people in the progressive era now rapidly dawning upon the South; this interest is made manifest by the extensive circulation of such worthy journals as the Southern World, Some and Farm and many others. Their success is the best evidence of a new and better state of affairs among farmers generally. Good journals and news papers are great educators of the people, and no country can prosper without them; hence the wise action of our forefathers in guaranteeing the freedom of the Press—se curing for their descendants greater and more extended knowledge of a useful character than they enjoyed in those days. With newspapers to spread over the land useful knowledge, new discoveries, inven tions, etc., is it any wonder that people of the present day are more enlightened, farther advanced in the sciences and arts than those of the past generation? The Southern World comes a welcome visitor to our household every fifteen days. We find much to interest us, much to pre serve in memory for future use, and I will join my voice with its many readers in giv ing it all praise. A word from this portion of our common country may serve to interest your readers, since it may be said that this is peculiarly a cotton producing county. From this and connecting river counties comes what is known in the cotton market as “beadees," being cotton of more than average length of staple, commanding usually from % to 1 cent more per pound than upland cotton. It seems to be a peculiar nature of the soil that causes the difl'ercnce in the staple, since we plant no particular long staple variety. The Chinese Prolific, Peeler, Taylor, and several others, only an improved variety of tho common sorts, springing originally from the lloyd, Dixon and other seeds. From Vicks burg, Mississippi, to the upper end of Boli var county in this State, long staple cottons seem to flourish and give better results than in other portions of the South, and I feel assured that in the near future, the longest staple cottons grown will come from this district. I make no exception as to sen Is land, for I am satisfied, from observation and experiment, that a longer staplo cotton than the sea Island can and will be grown in some future day, and not far distant either. I have now growing ten rows of cotton that I feel assured will give nearly three inches staple Last year I had two stalks that 1 found growing in the midst of my “cobweb” cotton that gave this average from every boll upon the two stalks. The seed were carefully preserved, and the ten rows are now growing finely. The two stalks above men tioned were rather small and bushy; tho bolls average size, but very long; it opened well, but was a little tedious to pick. I should judge it to be quite prolific since the stalks were loaded with bolls. I did not weigh the cotton, so have no idea as to yield. I give this as an item of interest to planters. Issaquena county fronts on the Mississippi river and is therefore alluvial, or riparian; subject to occasional floods, although until the present year’s flood, one county has not been under water since 1867. The counties of Bolivar, Washington and Issaquena are embraced in one levee district, under the control of a board of Levee Commissioners, under whose management the levees have been a great and safe protection against the highest waters previous to the present year, and would doubtless have served us as faith fully this, as other years, had the counties above Tunica and Coahoma been well pro tected by levees. Many of our plantations were under water to the depth of from six to eight feet, sometimes greater. Still the water receded early. I planted my crop on the 17th ultimo, (commencing) and now have cotton well advanced. The cut-worms have done serious damage, bat we still hope to get a fair crop. Cotton is the only crop,—this the rule- occasional exceptions may be found. Why cotton should prevail as the crop is one of the things “ no fellow can find out.” Corn does well, yielding from forty to sixty bushels per acre under the careless culti vation prevalent on cotton plantations, where corn is neglected, never worked ex cept when the time can be spared from cot ton. This you may readily surmise is not often. Corn usually receives one plowing and is “ laid by.” If, under such miserable cultivation, these lands produce forty bushels per acre, what might It not yield under proper treatment. Oats do well here, but like corn, is seldom planted. Various grasses flourish when proper precaution in the preparation and seeding have been taken. I have experimented with various grasses, grains, eto., and have yet to find one that does not or cannot be made to pay; still they are neglected. One cause of this lies in the fact that Issaquena plantations are large, seldom less than 400 acres and fre quently 3,000; of course it pays owners of large estates to rent their lands to negro ten ants, since the ruling rates are from 80 to 100 pounds lint cotton per acre, and every por tion of the plantation pays rent—even the sloughs, roads, etc.,—since in the surveys made they are all embraced. It is, therefore, more profitable to receive from $8 to $10 per acre for rent (without any risk, except utter failure of tenant to make enough cotton to satisfy the rent,) than could under any cir cumstances be made by the owner cultivat ing the lands himself—he risks nothing and generally makes large gains. A plantation improved, consisting of several hundrod acres, say, GOO in cultivation, can be bought easily for $20,000 cash, rents yearly for$6,000 to tenants. Is the investment not a paying one ? Our system of cultivation may be judged by the class of labor. Yet, without one par ticle of manure of any kind whatsoever, and many of these lands have been in cultivation sixty years, we are greatly disappointed if we fail toget 400 pounds lint cotton per acre. Here, again, would the right kind of culti vation bring larger rewards. Averago crops seem satisfactory to those most interested, and yet, average crops never pay, they make no “ big money” for the grower. It is only extra yield, nnd consequently, reduced cost that gives the proper result to energetic, go- a-beod farmers. Now, here, it makes no dif ference in the profit of owners, if the tonant makes Ills 100 pounds rent; so of those I do not write, but of those tenants who are some times white men, who ure not able to buy lands, but must rent, at the usual rates, $10 per acre, sometimes—yes, they more fre quently make money than lose it, even at this rate. Yet, 800 pounds of cotton on one acre would give double the margin for profit that 400 does, and the cost to produce would be less than now. Since saving of his own “hard licks” would be an item,two acres would be handled easier and better than four. This is no stock country, at least there is none here worthy the name; a few milch cows, that afford, perhaps, two quarts of milk per day, the veriest scrubs. No sheep or hogs; the latter do not flourish in negro communities. Sambo’s fondness for fresh pork is proverbial, for this, and this reason alone, hogs are banished, since we do not wish to raise pork for our tenants free of ex pense. This would be a grand fruit country if we could ever feel perfectly secure against en croachment of the Mississippi water. The finest peaches I ever saw were grown here. Apples, while bearing well and are hardy and long lived, don’t seem to be as good fruit us those grown in higher latitudes. Pears do exceedingly well. Strawberries the finest and largest I have ever seen are grown here. Figs in great abundance. Plums, of course. Wild blackberries by the acre; in a mile of my dwelling there is at least 200 acres covered with blackberry bushes, and the ripe fruit might now be gathered by tons, and, yet, no one ever dreams of gather ing them for market. If five acres of cotton was found some where, without an owner, every man, woman and child would be found there gathering it. As one of the results of all cotton, the following local prices for farm products pre vail, and bear in mind that each article named grows here in paying quantities even for market: Corn—$1.50 bushel; Oats—$1.26 bushel; Hay—$30 ton; Potatoes—$1.00 peck; Pork—$30.00 barrel; sides. 16c. pound. Would it not pay to raise a little? Steele’s Bayou. The pea crop is one of the most valuable raised in the 8outh. Every season thousands of bushels are ungathered because of the difficulty in cleaning them of the hulls. Messrs. Dicky and Pease of Racine, Wiscon sin, advertise a mill in the columns of the Southern World, which is said to meet the great want. It would be prudent In farmers to give their fanning mill a thorough trial and increase the crop of peas in market thereby.