The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-31
THE CIRCASSIANS.

try there are loth Turks and Circassians
the first, ignorant as they are everywhere,
combine the grossest superstition and un-
s!ii!funess they have no other remedies than
the verses Of the Koran to apply to the dis
eased. The Circassians pursue a more
reasonable plan; they Use herbs, butter,
wax honey and bleeding. They employ
the latter, especially, for Affections OF the
head; they make IN incison with cut,
ting Iron in the painful part, and stop the
bleeding with nettlcs or cotton. They are
particularly successful in curing wounds,
tor which they only use vegetable sub.
stances; but the ceremonial which accom-.
panies the treatment of the wounded. is
somewhat curious.
The patient is laid in separate room;
they place at the foot of his bed a plough
shcarc, hammer, ard a cup of water, in
which he places new laid egg. The pco
pie WHO come to visit him, when entering
strike three blows OF tho hammer on tho
plouGhshare, and dipping their Gugcrs in
the water, they sprinkle him with it, at the
same time praying that God will speedily
restore him to health; they then range
themselves round the chamber.
lie who accidentally seats himself in the
Place Of the physician, pays him forfeit !;
and these little presents are the principal
emoluments of the sons Of 1f,sculapius.-
it is usual to pass the whole nigh. in the
apartment of the invalid tie relations and
friends take their supper with them, which,
among other things, often consists of a
sheep or a goat. Towards evening, the
young people Of both sexes repair to this
assembly with 4 flute, and an instrument
much resembling flute. The boys place
themselves on one side of the chamber, and
the girls on the other; they commence
with arlile song, of which the accom-
panying words are in praise cf valor; the
g'fls then dance around. The instrument
tai'sts then play for some time; and they
conclude, before supper, with the recital of
some table. AS soon IA supper is moved,
they play at different trifling games: and
the last is that of fastening pac!sthrcad to
the ceiling, and tying to the end cf It a
Kind of flat cake or biscuit, which the
young people throw to one another. and
try to catch it with their teeth; so that fire..
quently the game does not end without
some of them being broken.
Thus the first night is spent without one
venturing to sleep. The sick person does
not appear to be at all incommodcd bv the
noise; whether he fears to expose his weak.
ness, whether the war-like songs reanimate
h'' courage, or whether, in short, the scene
Of gaicty before him acts as a soother of
his pain; certain it is, that he appears in
sensible to it, and that the show of lardi-
hess which he makes does not in the least
prejudice his recovery.
-.-.~
Grcjti"g and ztimming.-A cul,iva
tor IN Dutehess County, N. v, writes
thus -
"scions for grating should be cut in
February, which is the right season to in :
sure their living and doing well; they
should then be housed in cellar until the
time for inserting them arrives, Which, with
you, might be by the last week of April or
the first of May, and during the latter
month. They should be put only into
healthy, vigorous brances, such as YOU
would not care to remove from the tree.
and thus you will have an artificial tree
that will be ready for bearing in about three
years. -,. ..,
By removing too many branches from
tree injury may be done. Careful atten-
ton should be given to This point in lop.
ping tho branches preparatory to grating,
in order that the sap may pass into tile re-.
naming branches and keep the tree heal.
thy and growing. I give you these ideas,
knowing that fruit trees are cfen injured
by those who 60 about the country ma.
king it their business to set gratis in April
and May, setting as many seions as they
can, and getting pay for those that live,
thus doing great damage to the trees.
Many farmers in our county have, I
think, wrong idea as to the time Of prun.
ing their apple trees, saying it is Of little
consequence when the tree is pruned, if it
only needs pruning. This, I am ready to
say, is a sad mistake, for at all seasons
when the sap is down it is entirely wrong.
The first or second week in June is the only
fit'season for pruning the apple tree. Then
the sap is in full flow, and the wound
made by cutting off bough begins to heal
and grow over Immediately" :.
~ Tho CAinahona Iree.---A letter from C. n.
Buekeiew, of the United States Legation at
Ecuador, to Dr.. Leidy, Of phitaaelphia calls at.
fo,f 90 he -