more valuable than lime, bushel for bushel; they contain both lime and potash.

am satisfied, is a change in our system of farining operations; that is, to cultivate more grass, both for pasture and provender, cultivating less Hogs are now so liable to disease, that, we land in grain, making more manure in the farm think, the most profitable, for ordinary farm use, yard, and buying less imported; raising more is some healthy, thrifty country hog, crossed with stock, and taking better care of it. Also, in a close-made, Chester county hog, or almost any cultivating a portion of the land, lay one-eighth improved breed of good size. The Little in fruit, and pay close and strict attention to it, Guinea" is too small for profit, though an ecoso as to compete with our Northern fruit grow-nomical feeder, and the "Big Guinea" we are ers, even in their own markets. More energy not acquainted with.-ED. FARMER.

and less complaining.

"Never dim joy's brightest rays.

By gloomy fears of coming sorrows;

But always cheat the cloudy days,

With hopeful thoughts of happy morrows."

A J. R.

For the "American Farmer."
JOYNER'S DEPOT, N. C., January 18, 1867.
Editors American Farmer:

Will you please imform me, through the Far-
mer, how to prepare and manure, with bought
manures, (as home made manures are not to be
had) one acre of poor land for clover. The land
will produce only about ten bushels of corn in
its present condition, and the clay is about fifteen
to eighteen inches from top of ground. I wish
to sow an acre in clover for a few hogs, and it
(the land) will not produce the clover in its pres-
ent condition, and I wish you to inform me what
kinds of bought manure is best, and how much
of each kind should be applied to make the land
produce good clover. What is the difference be-
tween shell and stone lime for agriculture, as a
manure? Which is worth the most, a bushel of
ashes or a bushel of shell lime? How many
bushels of lime are necessary to be applied to an
acre of land?
A. C. S.

Maryland State Sorgho Convention.

The third annual Convention of the Maryland State Sorgho Association assembled at Gilmour's Hotel on Tuesday, 12th February, and was called to order by the President, A. R. Durbin, of Carroll county, who made some remarks. He said there was no doubt that molasses and sugar could be made from the sorgho, but whether it will pay Maryland farmers to raise the plant for their own use is a problem yet to be solved. During the past year the product showed a marked deterioration, more than half the cane having been worthless, though raised from pure seed. He thought the annual meet

ing of the cane growers will be productive of good, and the members would do all in their of producing their own syrups. The report of power to present to the farmers the importance the State Board was presented, and its questions discussed. Fifty specimens of syrup, one of granulated sugar, and several of mush sugar, were exhibited, and a committee appointed for the purpose made a lengthy report on their qualities.

The following resolutions were discussed and adopted:

Resolved, That regular sorgho is the most productive and valuable variety of cane for general peculiar qualities, is worthy of further cultipurposes, but that the Liberian, possessing some Offered by Mr. H. Ball, of Harford

vation.
county.

Resolved, That early and deep plowing, plant

Answer-Land that will produce but ten bushels of corn to the acre, should have two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds of some good superphosphate-whatever you have found to do well in your neighborhood-in order to get a good growth of clover. A bushel to the acre of ground plaster, (sulphate of lime,) should be sown upon the clover when it gets the third leaf. The landing more seed than is intended to stand, the must have been well cultivated the previous season in corn, or other hoed crop. It is difficult to get a set of clover on poor, and very sandy land, without a top-dressing of manure, having straw or other litter in it.

Ordinarily, shell lime is quite equal in value to stone lime, weight for weight; fifty bushels of slaked lime per acre is a medium top-dressing. It will help very much to make light lands produce clover and grass. Good oak ashes, are

plant then suckering less, with thorough working with cultivators, is the best method of cultivaOffered by Mr. Kinsey.

tion.

Resolved, That any speedy market fertilizer is more desirable to start cane than stable manure, but that a well-improved soil is to be relied on for its successful growth. Offered by Mr. Brus

ter.

Resolved, That a light sandy loam soil, with a trace of lime in its composition, is preferable

to a clay loam or sub-soil. Offered by Mr. Cloud.

Resolved, That the planting of soaked or dry seed is successful in proportion to the kind of weather that succeeds said planting, and that a mixture of soaked and dry seed is advisable, so as to adapt its growth to any weather that may follow the planting. Offered by Mr. C. C. Kinsey.

Resolved, That a committee of three he appointed to experiment with canes, as follows: Take pure seed, and plant free from contact with any species of the millet family; then plant the same kind of seed with broom corn and other species; after the canes are matured, test results as to quantity, quality, and density, and report result to next annual meeting. Offered by Mr. Bruster.

Resolved, That shallow and rapid evaporation is attended with the best results; also, that fire

is more convenient and durable than steam as an evaporating agent.

Arrival of First Steam Plow at N. Orleans.

It will interest our planting friends, factors, and others interested in the agricultural development of the South, to know that one of the steam plows of Messrs. Fowler & Co., Leeds, England, has arrived by the steamship Alhambra, from Liverpool, consigned to Messrs. Longstreet, Owen & Co.

We strongly recommend the attention of agriculturists to this fact, believing, as we do, its introduction will at no far distant day prove it an implement of the greatest importance in the cultivation of our cotton and sugar lands, and in the highest degree save a vast amount of animal and human labor in the production of our products, sugar and cotton.

Messrs. Fowler & Co. have introduced their plows throughout England and in Egypt, and we are informed hundreds of them are now be

ing worked by the Arabs and Bedouins in the valley of the Nile, preparing the soil for the crop of this year. Mr. Eyth, the engineer, accompa

Resolved, That sorghum syrups should be cool-nying the engine, informs us that as soon as all

ed down to a temperature as low at least as 175 degrees as soon as possible after being removed from the pan.

Resolved, That Maryland farmers can produce and manufacture sorghum syrup at a cost per gallon not exceeding one-half the cost of corn per bushel.

Resolved, That for ordinary domestic operations in sorghum, vertical mills, being less expensive, and receiving the power more direct, are the most economical and appropriate. In large operations, requiring machinery of large capacity, horizontal mills should be used.

A paper was adopted declaring, for the benefit of all operators, that all taxes upon sorghum syrup and sugar have been abolished; and that manufacturers are only required to procure a license when the whole product of the season's operations exceed $1000.

Mr. Bruster, of Baltimore county, offered the following resolution, which was also adopted:

Resolved, That the State Board be authorized to confer with the officers of the Maryland State Agricultural Society with a view of introducing and benefitting the sorgbo interest in its various branches by encouraging with premiums and

otherwise.

The Convention, after some conversational discussion, adjourned sine die.

The Secretary of the Iowa Board of Agri. culture claims that full one-third of the receipts of wheat at Chicago are from Iowa.

the parts of the machine are landed from the vessel, an exhibition of its working will be given, in the vicinity of the city, to afford an opportu nity for our planting friends and others to see it in operation, and to test its power and suitabili ty for the great agricultural district of the Mississippi valley.-New Orleans Weekly Times.

KICKING Cows.-J. J. Watson writes the New

England Farmer in this wise: I had a kicking heifer a perfect kangaroo. I tried moral suasion-no use; then retaliation-when she kicked, I kicked-she grew worse and I no better. I then "tied her up," but that didn't affect her hind legs-she spilled her milk-she jammed the pail she rapped my shins. I was then advised to take up one fore foot and slip a short strap over her knee, so as to compel her to staud on three legs, being "tied up," of course. This done, cut your nails, and milk at your leisure. She can't hurt you, and will come to her milk," and give up kicking.

66

A Scotch paper says a farmer in that county found two lambs in a culvert where they had been, without any food, for twenty-one days. A third lamb had died, but these two were still alive, although very weak.

The plan of planting a few acres with forest trees, to be used as fuel, and allowed to grow up again, thus furnishing a perpetual supply, is strongly recommended to prairie farmers by some recent writers.

Sunday Reading.

Imagination cannot form to itself a more ex

quisite and affecting piece of scenery than that exhibited by Solomon in the book of Proverbs. In his seventh chapter, he introduces the world, by its meretricious blandishments, alluring the unwary to the chamber of destruction. In the succeeding chapter, by way of perfect contrast, appears in the beauty and majesty of holiness the Son of the Father, the true and eternal Wisdom of God, with all the tender love and affectionate concern of a parent, inviting men to substantial joys and enduring pleasures of immortality, in the house of Salvation.

The high mountain and the pinnacle of the Temple seem to point to Satan's chief temptation, the sin of pride, whereby he himself fell, and wherewith he seeks to make havoc of our souls, in things sacred, even in the very temple of God. How difficult it is, yea, impossible to mortal man, to stand unmoved on the high places of the earth, so as to say, "I refrain my soul and keep it low."

"Get thee behind me, Satan."

How is it possible for God to make an intelligent creature to receive its happiness from anything, but Himself, since this would not only be giving His glory to another, but in some sort an annihilation of Himself? For, whatever constitutes, or confers our happiness, will, in the reason of the thing, be our God, and we cannot be persuaded to place our desires, to pay our homage anywhere else.

Had Hercules sat at home by the fireside, and passed his life in effeminate ease and indulgence, he had never been Hercules. They were the lion, the hydra, the boar, and all those monsters he so laboriously defeated, which exercised his virtue had not been thus dangerously emhis gallantry. What honor had he acquired, if ployed? What benefit had mankind reaped from so great a soul, if he had declined the occasions of exerting it?

We are, by nature, half angel, half brute. We must rise towards the one, or sink towards the other; and at length, associate to all eter nity either with angels or devils. To feed, to strengthen, to exercise, the spiritual part of us, is to rise. To feed, to strengthen, to exercise the brutal part, is to sink and be lost forever. "We lost the innocence and dignity of nature by eating," says Athanasius, "and must restore ourselves by abstinence."

Before you begin your psalm of praise and rejoicing in God, make this use of your imagnination: Be still, and imagine, that you saw the heavens open, and the glorious choirs of the Cherubim and Seraphim about the throne of God. Think upon this, till your imagination has carried you above the clouds, till it has placed you amongst those heavenly beings, and made you long to bear part in their eternal music.

I suppose, that in the baptism of Christ, the mystery of all our baptisms was visibly acted; and that God says to every one truly baptized, as He said to Him, (in a proportionable sense,) "Thou art my Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Consider four things; Christ's baptism, His departure into the wilderness, His fasting, and Jesus is cleansed; and dost thou despise purilastly, His contest and conquest over the Temp-fication? By John, and dost thou say ought ter and temptation. In the first, we call to mind our regeneration in the fountain of grace; in the second, our departure from the vanities of the world; in the third, the mortification of the flesh; in the fourth, how to resist the enemy.

He, that brought ruin into the state of man, began the same by eating; but He, that brought recovery into the ruinated state of Adam, began the same by fasting. He fasted days and nights; whence we may gather that we must be armed against the tempter, as well in the days of prosperity, as nights of adversity.

against thy teacher? At thirty years old; but dost thou in teaching precede thy elders?

Prayer is the way to have heaven upon earth, and to have some foretastes of the grapes of Canaan, whilst we are in the wilderness of the world, before we get a full meal of them.

sin than it was to commit the first; and a great It is a great deal easier to commit the second deal harder to repent of a second than it was to repent of the first.

Prayer tranquillizes and cleanses the soul, so All the sayings, syllables, accents, and dots in as to render it more fit for the reception of God's the Divine Scriptures are full of meaning.

gifts.