The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-10-05

asked The Judge. othing, 7, replied the
editor 81 the ican--Ye mean the
~ except to ask you TO pity a
poor osphan.',
TIE SOUTHERN Observation-Disclosures
i've, not she Planter. 1.-THE Southern
Planter for October has been for some days
on our table. It, il a good No., showing in
several respects more enterprise than; has
been exhibited by any agricultural jonrHaal.
ever before published In the South. The,
monthly contributions OF correspondents
are devoted to subjects Of very great inter-
est to farmers, and some OF them are very
instructive. We particularly invite atten-
tionto the papers on the subj eet of anaiyzing
commercial Fertilizers. The State Chemist
and Assayer Or. WILLIAM n. TATLoR(, in
d letter to the editor Of the Planter, gives
some information as to the. cost Of Analysing
these fertilizers which will be especially i'm
portant to the farmer. The State created
the Office OF Assayer, and the Governor ap-
pointed DR.. TAYLOR to fill it; but the State
pays no compensation for the services Of the
Assayer, and leaves thatto be paid by those
who want such services, only providing
that they should. be performed for q g g rea-
.sonable compensation y: which everybody
knows is about aspnigh unaseertainable as
anything else that is so nominated: While
on The subject, we notice that, DIR. PAGE,
Professor Of Natural History, and ,Experi-
mental Agriculture Of the University, in .
recent report Of experiments in corn cul-
ture, gives the following hints as to econo-
my in fertilizers: -, III. r.;,..
tt1he cheapest commercial sources of nj
trogen are nitrate Of soda or Cha Sattpetre
and sulphate of ammonia. These can be
obtained directly FROM the supporters, test
ing, ,95 per cent, ut about four cents per
pound. The sources of phosphorsc acid are
lsuperphosphatej . OF lime, or pure dissolved
bone, yielding IA per cent. phosphoric acid
at S85 per ton, and strictly pure ground
bone at the same price.;.9O potash, the
cheapest sources are ,tfkainit,' .sor 80 per
cent. ;sulphate of potash at SO per ton, or
muriate ofpotash, Testing 80 per cent? at
| three cents per pound, gf!l li.t"at'
! clam clearly Of the opinion that it would
be cheaper for .allarge class Of our farmers
to purchase these chemical fertilizers, mix
them with their domestic manures and COM
posts, and apply them, than to buy many OF
4 The, manipulated, commercial fertilizers ut
4 the present rates. II this method is per-
sistentiy,followed, it will befound that the
permanent effects wiIlbe much greater than
by the use of fertilizers alone" - j; /"
The Planter has employed Dr.. ELLzEY, Of
the college at Blacksburg, to edit the :" Stock
Department" and the Doctor opens with
nm interesting and instructive collection Of
things. On the (" Dogs and Sheep" subject
he is for the GO sheep" He reasons strongly
for them, and advises the employment of
sufficient means for protecting against
their greatest enemy, the dog. Indeed,
this enemy is more destructive than wolves
ever were; and now that wolves are gone
the farmers find that the Legislature, which
was wont to afford them relief from wolves,
is taking the side Of the dog, which is
so much more to be dreaded than the W of.
The Doctor suggests some means OF pro-
lection against the pet Of the represents
tives Of the people," d. =, .cr. r.! lag:
We especially like what the Doctor says
about the Generat-purpose Horse" His
4, views on the subject are very practical. His
model Of this horse is the :; Morgan, - though
he thinks the Morgan would be better Of a
little more weight. He recommends this
animal as the most gentle and practically
1 useful as traveller and draught-horse. But
he-properly, we think-says that horse
| .hoH sob ostyt,i mo
"twelve hundred pounds, is better than any
charger or heavier horse for all work OF the
"farm, and this is an unexcepti0nable
"model for road-horse Also" lie further
says that the incapacity Of very heavy horses
for anything but very slow work must be
admitted; and adds:
"The Dutchman's farm-horse-fat, sleek,
and slow-moving, like his master, comforta-
!, bly, housed and abundantly fed, with regll-
lar hours for neutrality-suspicious. salts
factorily and we'll the work OF the farm;
1 but when exposed to the irregularities and
{ hardships OF the campaign, and subjected to
the profane and disrespectful treatment OF
the Confederate Jehu, with Federal cannon
laundering in his rear, the heart OF the
Conestoga was broken, and he wilted like O
worm on hot shovel" - go
This picture is as good as though drawn
by Rosa BoNHEUR. Fancy the "feelings"
Of the sturdy Conestoga whiting like q
worm on hot shovel" as upon occasion he
certainly did. - al" ...@- 20
DR.. EILzEY gives some good advice on the
subject Of "breeding" horses. He contends
that it is great error to attempt to increase
the size Of the horse by breeding from small
mares and large stations. The progeny Of
such a union are (as he pithily says ssapt
"to look as il they were made up OF the fore
"end OF big horse coupled to the hinder
"parts Of small one" resembling WHIT.
TUNsTALL's Accomac bull: &c fore, four
year-old; behind, calf|"] while: the Off
spring Of a large mare and thoroughbred
stallion proportionally smaller" will be Of
style and action like the sire, having some
thing Of the weight and constitution OF. the
mother, and q kind disposition to work in
l.