5
Sowing Oats at the South.
A correspondent of the Southern Cultivator,
J. A. Smith, of Cokesbury, S. C, gives his
experience as to the difference in sowing oats
in the Fall and Spring, as follows: &
The lst and 2d days of September, with
two 32-inch dickson sweep's, I plowed in 18
bushels of red oats in twelve acres of cotton.
I think the land averaged half a bale cotton
to the acre. It was well prepared and lightly
manured for cotton. The oats yielded about
forty bushels to the acre ; were the finest I
ever saw, and that Was the. opinion of many
others. ' '
In January I turned ten acres of land that
had been in cotton, with "Holbrook's Swivel
two-horse plow, and harrowed in red oat3, a
little more than twe and a half bushels per
acre. I think they made from fifteen to twen
ty busheh to the acre. In February and
March I sowed some more the same way they
dh not. get high enough to save many. So
I have concluded that early in the Fall is the
time to sow red oats ;. and after January it is
too late to sow them.
Another correspondent, of the same State
also urges every farmer to sow oats in the Eall.
lie says : '
Last Fall 1 had an acre that was in corn.
The Corn being very poor, I cut it down in
August, and a fine crop ot crab grass soon
came on. I cut this off in September, and
flowed itup first as deep as I could with a
one horse plow ; in October I sowed 40 bush
els ot cotton seed, 2 bushels red rust-proof oats
and plowred in with a small plow. Made 42
shocks of one dozen bundles each, cf the finest
oats I ever saw. And I would suggest to every
tanner1, and more especially to those who are
making slim corn crops, to plant one or two
dcres and manure highly, to come on early
$ext spring. It will make him feel right good
next May, just about the time their fodder is
giving out, to harvest a few hundred bundles
ot fine oats Experience has taught us that
the philosophers stone, in farming, is to make
the farm self-sustaining. On this hangs all
the law and the prophets, and I may truly add
profits.
Cotton Seed as Food. Y
(Rural Sun.) .
How many of our readers have ever tried
rti-i4-f-r cot id qc q frrA for nattlf 1 AT anv wft
doubt not. have tried it, but not in the form
to which we reter. Cottonseed as it comes
from the ein is w'holly unfit for any animal
food, and it is a cruelty to use it. . But cotton
seed ground into meal and pressed into a cake
is one of the most valuable foods ever given to
cattle. We repeat, there is scarcely any known
particle ot cattle food richer in flesh forming
ingredients than properly prepared cotton-seed
cake or meal. We have fed it to fattening cat
tle and to milk stock, and arei satisfied of its
value.. But we are not alone in this opinion.
. Several years ago, Prof. Voelcker, the con
sulting chemist of the Royal Agricultural So
ciety ot England, made analyses of a 'large
niimDer oi speeimeub ui uuui iuc uajie aim iuc
meal, and published the results in thelTournal
of the Society, Vol. XIX,p. 429, et seq. From
this report we quote the following summary of
-" LAI i (j x 14 U J ft V w v v vy k.' vwikv m m ., .
1'. The best cotton seed cake is richer in oil
and albuminous (flesh forming compounds
than linseed cake, but contains less mucilage
and other respiratory constituents.
2. The mineral portions ot cotton-seed cake
resembles closely in cbmposition that of lin
seed and other oil cakes. Like the ash of all
cakes, it is rich in earthy and alkaline phos
.phates, and well adapted to supply animals
with bone materials. i
3. As tar as the indication of chemical An
alysis can be depended on, the. best decortwja
ted cotton-seed possesses about the same v.feie
as linseed cake. r yi
4. Decorticated cotton seed cake an4'r oiL
meal are, in comparison witn other yarnciai
iooa, ueciueuiy cueap iceuing iuaieriai
both no doubt ere long will find thatfavbr
with the British farmer which a really Valua
ble and cheap article of consumption is cer
tain to command.
The analysis to which scferenco is made is
as follows :
7.67
14.93
43.21
Water
Oil.-.,
Albuminous compounds flesh-forming
principles. .
Gu,m, mucilage, sugar, and digestible
fibre, (heat producing) '. .. 14.47
Cellulose (indigestible fibre). ... .t..- 11.45
Mineral matter . 8.27
1 'Total. .
100.00
In another part of the report Dr Voelcker
says : ; "Cotton -seed cake contains a very high
and much larger percentage of flesh-forming
matters than flax-seek cake. This circum
stance suggests that cotton-seed cake may be
given with great advantage to young stock
and to dairy cows, as by far the larger portion
of the nitrogen, of food is ; not assimilated in
the system, but passes away with the excre
ments of the animals ; the dung produced by
stock fed upon cotton -seed cake will be found
particularly valuable."
The cake and meal are made from the solid
matter of the seed left after the oil which it
contained is pressed out.
The hull should be separated from the ker
nel, since it is too'hard and sharp to .bo fe d to
cattle. But this hull is itself ot much talue
as a manure ; it contains
Carbonate of Potash. ....... . . ... 13.27
Sulphate of Potash. . . 1 . . . . . . 6.7S
.Carbonate of lime . . 47.79
r Phosphate of lime. ... . . . : . . . . . .. 19.90
Total. ................ .... S7.74
Here we have a combination of values equal
ed in no other seed that we are acquainted
with. We most confidently recommend the
cotton seed cake and meal as a food for cattle.
In our.own experience we began with a pouud
of dry meal, and increased gradually to. two
pounds, mixed with wheat bran and hay for
milking cows, and the results were uniformly
satistactory. It is manufactured in most of the
Southern cities.
Underdraiiiingf.
The subject of underdrainage is not well un
derstood Xo one can hardly tell you the use
of draining lands, nor the kind of lands that
need it. As a general thing we may mention
those lands that need drainage as all clay lands
of whatever character ; all lands with clay sub
soils ; all lands with compact gravel beneath
them ; and all upon the surface of which wa
ter will remain for a day. The object of drain
age is to remove the superfluous water held in
te soil. Some lands do not need artificial
draiuageuas nature has provided for it. But
take the most of lands, and their fertility will
be best developed by drainage. In order to
remove this superfluous water, ditches are dug
to a depth of two and a half to three feet, at
suitable distances apart, that the excess ot wa
ter wilt find its way into them. This opera
tion lowers the surface of saturation so that
the roots of plants willnot reach the water and
thereby retard their growth. These drains
make the ground porous, because the water
seeks them, and by so doing must percolate
the soil anji leave numerous interstices which
are immediately filled with the atmosphere,
which bfcings warmth with itself, and the fer
tilizing agents, such as oxygen, nitrogen, car
bonic acid,&c. The oxygen renders the ground
soluble, and prepares it for the plant, to take
its food therefrom, while the other elements
furnish the most essential part of the food.
Underdraining fits the ground for work earlier
in the spring, because when the frost leaves the
soil there is no extra moisture to he, evapora
ted by the sun, but on the contrary the ground
is porous and dry The water never lies in the
fall in stagnant pools on ground well drained.
Tlie soil does not become saturated by the late
fall rains. Both spring and fall are lengthen
ed by drainage, and the farmer will have more
time to attend to his crops. In time of drouth
the moisture comes to the surface, and in times
of freshets the extra water' finds the ditches
and is carried off. Grain sown on drained lands
isa not destroyed in cold, wet weather, by un
congenial cold and wet. It is estimated -that
on one drained acre there can be produced as
much astwo acres undrained. This has
been pro Cl time and again, yet the farmers
will not believe it. In England underdraining
is carried on extensively. And in that coun
try there it produced from agriculture $1,000,
000,000 from 50,000,000 acres, which is an av-
lerage of $20 per acre: In this country the av
erage is only 14 per acre, where money val
ue is mueh less than in England. It costs
money and labor to drain our lands, but such
an investment would return alarger per cent
than we now receive.
in .
Wheat-Threshing: in California.
A subscriber sends us the following account
from a local paper, of the way in which
threshing machines are run in California:
The thresherstood atone end of a narrow
passage-way, between two stacks of wbeat.-r-The
engine stood at the other end, some dis
tan ce from the stacks, and was connected
with the thresher by a band. Ten pitchers toss
ed the wheat upon aprons on either side of the
cylinder, before which the feeder stood, who
crammed it into the capacious throat of the
thresher as fast as his busy arms could work.
The threshed and cleaned gram poured in a
ceaseless streain from the machine on the
other side. It was received by the sack ten
der, who has always two sacks ready. As one
is filled, a moveable slide turns the grain to
the other, he passes the first to the sack-sewer
just behind him. The sewer lifts the sack to
settle the grain perfected by practice, with
a few deft and rapid motions, he sews and ties
the corners of the sack. The whole operation
requires about thirty seconds. The sack
packer carries away the sacks placing them in
order so that they may be easily counted.
The work requires the following crew; one
engineer; two leeders; ten pitchers a. sack
tender; a sack sewer; a sack packer; a water
hauler and a " straw buck," who removes and
keeps the machine clear of straw, with the aid
of a -horse. In all eighteen men, and the
owner, who is superintendent. The: owner
pays the two feeders and engineer, 50 per
day each: the water hauler $2 per day; f the ten
pitchers, $2 per day each; the sack sewer and
packer, each $3 per day the "straw buck"
works for fun. The owner boards all hands
and ; pays four cents a bushel for the wheat
turned out. ,; The full capacity of the machine
is 1,500 sacks a day, the average work about
1,000, holding over two bushels each.
While we were present, a stack of wheat
was finished, and it became necessary to re
move to another part ot the field. We, with
others,'timed the operations. The last sack
was filled and sewed simultaneously with the
last revolution of the cylinder. The band wa
slipped and in fiity-nine seconds both ma
chine and engine, with crew following, were
on the way, to the other stack the time em
ployed in reaching the stack four minutes
The machine and thresher were re-set every
man 4vas at his post the band was attached,
and tljie straw was crushing through it in just
two minutes. The time from the filling of
the last sack at the firsts position to the com
mencement of the first at the second position
was just seven minutes and the distance be
tween was a little less than four hundred
yards.- Country Gentleman. ; V
Poultry in Small Yards.
I live in a small town and have fenced off
as a poultry yard a little corner of my vege
table garden, making a space of about 1G by
5 feet and have in enclosed by a slight fence of
plastering lath in which I have also a small
sliking bate, to put in fresh water to the chick
ens. At one end is,, of course, a few boards
put up as a roof, and under it a couple of poles
to roost on. A box-on the ground projecting
outside with a lidjto lilt up but having the
opening within the yard, constitutes the lay
ing apartments with three divisions, in each of
which is a porcelain nest egg. The arrange
ment cost including Jabor about $2.7o.
In this simple poultry. establishment I have
four Leghorrr herns, which on some days lay
me 4 eggs, on some days lay me three, and for
the past four months have averaged 18 eggs
per week. When I first put them in, one
wing was slightly shortened, and after one or
two attempts at first there has been no effort
since to fly out, and they seem entirely happy
and contented in their small domain.
I thought it might be useful to some otyour
readers similarly situated in small towns or
city lots to know how easy it is to have a
supply of fresh eggs without much trouble or
expense. When the yard is mown the grass
is thrown into them. I supply them, also with
the egg shells, broken bone, gravel, scraps of
meat, the refuse of the kitchen, fresh water
two or three times a day, and consider they
pay me well for all trouble. Corn is dispensed
to them occasionally but the principal food is
scraps. They require also occasionally green
food, for which the refuse of the garden also
answers well such as superfluous beets, im
perfect cabbage heads, pea haulms, grass and
weeds. Some of the large green worms which
infest tomatoes, are thrown in to them and
devoured with the greatest zest. It will thus
be observed my poultry establishment utilizes
many things which would otherwise be a nui
sance, and by gathering up the 'fragments
so that nothing is lost, I reap my reward in
plenty of nice fresh eggs. Levi Hinson in
Practical Farmer and Journal of the I arm;
Rotation.
Ajdicious rotation of crops is absolutely
necessary in maintaining the fertility of the
soil, i This heeds no demonstration, for it is
universally admitted. But how to rotate, to
securs the greatest advantages, is the, main
question. No specific can be given to suit ev
ery cpta because "circumstances alter cases"
very4ich in regard to this point. The sys
tem)!,' at would succeed, on one farm would at
teTlylsil in another, and vice versa. Govern
ed! byljeneral principles, the farmer must de
cide iig matter for himself. Each crop ex
tractVfrom the soil the elements essential to
its' growth and maturity, and by continuous
cropping, however judicious the rotation may
be, the soil will eventually be exhausted.
Hence the elements extracted must be return
ed It the soil in the shape1 of fertilizers. This
settles one point that farmers must Qteep
sck, and the nearer they come to keeping
stock enough to consume what their farms pro
duce the nearer they come to the most im
proved culture. '
T leraost usual rotation is from tjie sod
corn, oats or barley, wheat, and then grass.
In' good soil two crops of wheat can be grown,
clover being sown on the first, in the spring,
which will furnish one crop, and one to plow
under for second .crop of wheat, on pasture
lands. A prominent agriculturist recommends
the following six years' rotation ; First year,
corn, potatoes arid roots, with ground heavily
manured : second, oats; third, clover plough
ed in and sowed with wheat in the fall ; then
timothy and clover sowed on the wheat in the
spring of the fourth year ; then let it lie in
grass tro years.
Other Bystems of rotation have their advan
tages suited to the surrounding circumstances
of soil,' climate, etc. In wheat districts, where
the soil rests on limestone or plaster, a' simple
rotation of clover two years and wheat one, is
found to be good, always promising that plon
ty of manure is returned to the soil. Ohio
Farmer. ;
Diversified Agriculture.
A Georgia farmer says that he has found
that diversified agriculture pays him best. He
had twenty-five acres in turnips. His pre
mium crop produced 1,552 bushels, but the av
erage was 1,000 bushels per acre. He planted
two pounds ot seed per acre, three feet apart,
on a clover ;sod. He used 1,500 pounds of
South Carolina phosphates and 4,000 bushels
of stablemanure. He broke up , the ground
ten inches deep and turned over the sod in
June. He found clover and cow peas excel
lent fertilizers.
Our Laborins: Men.
"God bless the honest laborer,
The hoary son of toil, ,
The worker in the clattering mills,
The delver of the soil."
The true kings of a nation are Its producers
its farmers and mechanics. Though rough,
and otten uneducated, they bear upon their
honest brows the royal stamp and seal of
God"; and their drops of sweat aro worthier
"than diamonds in a coronet." Without them
the pride and glory ot a nation would begone.
Nay, more. Blot out the farming interest,
and at one fell blow you utterly destroy the
national existence.' Do away with the me
chanics, and you destroy cities, towns, railroads,
factories, navigation, and the entire commerce
of the continent. All honor, then, to our no
ble working men ! We never strike hands
wJth one without feeling that we touch the
hand of a nation's nobleman. Yes,
"llie noblest men that live on earth
Are men whose hands are brown with toil,
Who rear the cities of the plain,
Who dig the mines, who build the ships,
And drive the commerce of the main.
God bless them ! for their toiling hands
Have wrought the glory of all lands."
Sour Hay...
Corn fodder and oats are preserved fresh by
German farmers with entire success. This is
done by closely packing fodder on the roofs
after they are pulped and mingled with cut
straw, in pits or troughs, dug in' dry soil, and
covering the mass with a thick layer of earth
to exclude the air. In this way fresh beet or
turnip leaves, green corn fodder, clover, lu
cerne, pulped beets, tn angels and turnips are
perfectly well preserved during a whole year.
After being thus stored fermentation sets in
and is completed in two months. The food
thus preserved goes by the name; of sour hay,
but it is not sour, being on the contrary alka
line from the presence of ammonia. When
fed with out straw it i3 especially valuable as
preventing the constipating effects of the dry
food. Stock eagerly consume the fodder,..and
are kept in healthful condition during tho
winter season by its use. Among the pro
ducts of the fermentation a variety of fatty
acids, with some alcohol and other carbo-hydrates
unusual in' fresh fodder have been de
tected. It contains less water than green
fodder, and is therefore to be considered as to.
that extent a concentrated food. Jrrobably
upon dairy "farms where fresh food is desirable
during the winter and early spring thht plan
of preserving fodder might be found a valua
ble addition to our resources. "
Ousrlit the Granges or a Coimly to. es
tablish a Bank of Deposit 1 ,
The qnestion is an important one. The ar-
nnmonts naofl ?n ifa fnvnr orfl trprxr'fitmnflr Wft
. t . xt i . ' j. if M '
mignt give tne arguments .against me poncy,
but, in this as well as in arguments in favor
of Grange banks, we desire to hear the opin
ion of the members of the Order, as well as
of such gentlemen or ladies who dp not beloog
lO Hie wruer, as luant; latwc mi juicicck.
We have not hitherto discussed, or even
tonched upon th'o question pertaining to Na
tional Banks and greenbacker, because we re
gard it as likely to become an open issue be
tween the great political parties, that we fear
ed it would become thus a bone of contention
at once ugly and dangerous. But this ques-
tion ot . private banking cannot, we think, be
said to be open to any such dangers. How
ever, it is one of the most important questions
pertaining to the co operative branch of the
Grange, ond one that needs the most thought
and careful investigation before a Grange en
ters into the business .There are such banks
in operation- "How do they pay ? How aro.
they run I Why, if such has been the fact,
did certain of them faill" These, as well as.
a thousand and one questions, are constantly
being ashed, or are working in the minds of
the neonle. and it will be well to diensa them.
American Patron.
Continental Money.
r (Southern Home.)
To our friend W. Il Stowe of Gaston, we are
indebted for the extracts below from an old
account book of charges made during the first
rebellion. We are somewhat reminded of the
charges made during the short life of the Con
federacy so-called.
1779, Jany. 30, Mr. John Calvert to John
Collum Dr.
To 2 pr shoes for Miss Weathers,! $73.33i
April, 1779, Estate of Wm. Withers to Henry
Gray, Dr.
Piece ot Irish Linen, 20 yds. at 1,333,33 IS
Nov. 10, Estate of Wm. Withers, to J. John
son, f Dr.
To 8 vds. of cloth, at ) $133,33 1-3
i pound oi thread, at n,tot
1 side upper leather, 50,00
" 1 side sole leather, bl,U$
" 1 gaL of Jamaica Rum . 550,00
" 15 lbs. of sugar, 762,00
" 4 gal's, of West Indies molasses, for
the carpenter, at 93,33 J
1778, Nov. 2, John Calvert bought of
.Taftoh Kntler. 17t VQS. ! OI CailCO
at
1 526,661