Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-07-18
THINGS Wor,hv of A,,en,,on

ne contest In which We are engaged must produce
revolution in our industrial pursuits certainly so far
the plantation States are concerned. Heretofore we
have had but one money crop. We have sold Cotton
and little else 1t has been supposed be good econo-
my to buy almost every thing that we have consumed
This state of things is brought to sudden close. We
are glad OF it. Loss of life is indeed to be depored-
But so far expenditure is concerned if this war shall
cost US millions, it will have been money well spent if
1t have the effect of developing resources as
render US commercially independent people, 1t would
seem that nothing short of this violent convusion in
public affairs could bring people to reason To talk
or write OF permanent and not temporary and faacous
prosperity to demonstrate against the excoriaton and
denudaon OF our soil to utter warnings against the
time when the exhausted earth should cease to bring
forth her accustomed products all throwing straws
against the wind long Cotton bore full price,
and that price could conveniently buy the neces-
saries OF life than could make them ourselves.
The keen nsighted Yankee has been smtten with blind
ness His silly blockade not only closes his own market
for the present, but for AL future time He will compel
us to what we should have known before that the
great bulk of the articles with which he has supplied
can be made more cheapy by ourselves-a thousand
times cheaply when take into account the
pid improvement of soil which must be consequent
upon diversified industry.
Let US look around us. This change in our pursuits
must be promptly made. We have no time for delay.
There are articles of prime necessity which we have
been in the habit of getting from the North, which
can get no longer from that quarter. What they
Can make them ourselves? If so, what is the best
way of doing it +? These are important questions and
deserve prompt and thoughtful attention.
So far, the promise of Grain is abundant. Unless
some accident should happen to the Corn CROP we may
dismay apprehensons about bread.
The cannot be said about Meat. Hogs have
been terribly hnned out by disease. The scarcity of
food for several past winters has greatly diminished the
number of Cattle. Dogs have been suffered to commit
such ravages among Sheep that if this county Cass is
fair sample of the South the number of Sheep has
been seriously diminished.
The supply of meat demands grave attention. No
sow pigs should be spayed at least until they brought
one litter of pigs By adopting this course, for this
season. the deficiency could be made up. The hogs for
next winter should be pushed from the time that they
have CLEANED the harvest fields In fattening Hogs, it
should be borne in mind that Corn cut up and thrown
to Hogs just after it is in roasting ear goes much fur
ther than when it is matured. They will then eat all
the blades and good deal of the stalk. They fatten
much faster then than in colder weather. Where Corn
is cut off at that early stage the Pea crop is much in
creased By letting the Hogs get good start in the
harvest fields pushing them with green Corn in field
or large shady lot and afterwards giving them the
of the Pea fields, small Hogs may be made to attain a
heavy weight By these and similar precautions We
may obtain supply OF bacon. We should not obtain
it unless extraordinary effort is made. No heiter calves
and eve lambs should be killed. Why do not oul
planters cure mutton hams? Why do they not make
corned beef? Both excellent articles Of food fOl
white and black and both much less expensive thar
bacon, though not convenient Tor use.
In this connection, although not an article of food i
may be proper to advert to kindred subject. We fo
the present must stop T1slng mules and raise horses
he epidemic among horses has destroyed great numbers
of them There scarcely enough in the country
for farm and plantation purposes Thus tar, in the con
duct of the war; have had but little need for cavalry
The points threatened heretofore have been chiefly
the coast. AS the the form Of invas
ion, draggoons will be increasingly demanded. Wner
the horses to come from and yet keep up the
saTy operations of the farm? In the county in which
We live CaSs which farming county, we learn tha
there has been difficulty in obtaining horses of the RICH
kind for a single cavalry company. The deficiency
where there used 10 be oVer-supy arises from th
two causes mentioned-the epidemic and the excessive
raising of mules Brood mares difficult to get
If the practice OF mule raising be arrested we sha
> suffer serious inconvenience from it.
Heretofore Hay has been brought almost solely
from the North Ptauters have usually made enough
fodder for their own consumption. But not enough tt
supply the towns and cities This is indispensable
article Great quantities will be needed for army pur
poses, well as for city supplies There ex
pedens to which resort for present purposes
! our permanent reliance must be upon meadows.
AS small grain be got out of the field
Peas be drilled by running furrows three feet apar
. and covering with another urrow and then breaking
out the mddles As as the Peas begin to riper
they should be cut with scythe On rich land it is bet
ter to at the distance and cut and cure
An of Corn Fodder cut, will make more hay tha
an of Peas but requires much richer land. Bot
can be packed into bale in the common cotton screw
and can be shipped to market in neat and pOrtabl
{ packages.
o For Hay for future use Lucerne should be sowe
o about September first By sowing it so early it wi
y, give heavy cutting next year. Remember that
should be only the richest of upland, broke
at least ten inches deep-the deeper the better Lucern
to require but two things at the SOuth-hat tn
land which it is sowed should be rich and dry.
thrives we'll the sandy soil of islands as doe
4 on the clay lands of the middle country.
On almost every plantation, there are either river
l. creek bottoms, branch lands which too wet fo
cultivation. Planter or farmer-these are the mos
n valuable parts of your plantation Begin on them
e you lay by your crop, or as soon they ar
dry enough to allow you tU enter them. Cut down th
& timber upon them-grub them carefuly-burn ever
thing that be burned, and early in the fall wit
Herds Grass and White Glover. Other grasses Nigh
be mentioned but the seed cannot probably be obtained
Herds Grass be gotten in quantity from Tennessee
You need not drain the land for Herds Grass no matte
how wet IL is in the winter provided the water is
j. deep and stagnant Don't pow such piece of groun
you will tear it up into tussocks. Scratch it wit
an ron-toohed harrow, then the seed-f it is rair
l. ing it need not be covered. If it is dry harrow
again or brush it in. Your first crop will be manl
b swamp grass That should be cut very early and wi
t. make tolerable hay-the Herds Grass and Glover wi
finally take possession 1t that only those thing
which meant to be cut with the scythe can stan
]. cutting-the whole tribe of annual weeds ard grasse
disappear before it.
e What are we to do in the cities for Butter? Th
question applicable not only to cities but the nterio
e towns and villages. Northern butter has been cor
santly brought in and is in fact reliance, in Atant
and other towns far removed from the coast So ia
of as know there s not dairy farm in the State
IS Georgia Why should not make butter enough fo
e the supply of demand There is good fo
+ it. There is mistake on this subject 1t is suppose
d. that there is little profit in butter making Nohin
ct can be erroneous The profit large, where it
b made business OF by proper persons
We had an opportunity to look carefully int