1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



confined by lofrp, almost mvariably leak, and keep 

 the cabin floor always wet; wiiicli, I have no 

 donbt, is one oritrin of tim catarriial alloclions 

 which lorniin;ite in what iscallcii "iieirroconpnni|)- 

 tion." Bat the^e c;d)insare <rninir liif^t ont of use. 

 It is hiijhly important lliat dirl-lloor.^ siionid be 

 raised a loot hiirher than t lie surroandinij pui face 

 of the earth, and well rammed, to keep them (by. 

 The hewed lo": cabins witli hewed sills, will out 

 last three sets ofca'in rooled houses. 



REMARKS ON RAKKS AXD HOES — NARROW 

 BEDS. 



Jlpril 5th, 1837. 



To the Editor of llie Farmers' Rc^stor. 



In the conchidint^ number of the last volume of 

 the Rcirisler, is an oriijrnal communication over 

 Ihe inilials, \l. I). K., in which lie expresses the 

 hope, that those farmers using "hoes, in the weed- 

 injijof corn, will at once renounce them — convert 

 them into rakes — and have three or four rows 

 weeded, in the time employed in weeding one." 

 The idea of convertmjj lioes into rakes, is to me 

 orijxinal, and will doubtless be so to many of your 

 nunierous readers, nor does R. D. K. inform us, 

 whether he has adopted the change he so strongly 

 recommends to all, or with what success* As an 

 agriculturist, I have had considerrtble practical ac- 

 quaintance with the hoe, and of its importance as 

 an agricultural implement, in its proper place; and 

 do not like the idea of so unceremoniously casting 

 aside an implement, which ought justly to be con- 

 sidered as essential on every ftirm. I am not, 

 however, so strongl}' wedded to old practices, fif? 

 to reject new ones oflerinrj decided advantages 

 over the old; but, notwiihslandiiig R. D. K's. 

 statements, I very much doubt whether rakes 

 would, in a majority ol' cases, be of much u.^e in 

 the weeding of corn. I at least know 61 few farms 

 where they would be so ; the rake is a useful im- 

 plement in the smoothing off, and collecting 

 weeds, after their being cut to the surface, but is 

 useless for rooting them up ; however ornamental 

 it may be to have a flower border well and nicely 

 raked and smoothed ; in rntiny cases there would 

 be reason to tear serious 'njury, in very i'ew to 

 expect any benefit. The hoe does not only serve 

 the important purpose of eradicating weeds which 

 the plough cannot reach, but is essential to the 

 properly loosening and opening of the soil, a mat- 

 ter of much importance to the growing com, and 

 an advantage which could be gained only in a 

 very partial degree from the use of the rake, par- 

 ticularly such rakes as a bo}' of girl of "12 or 13 

 years of age" could wHeid at least so as to do the 

 work of 3 or 4 men with hoes. Il'childrcn of that 

 age can do so much with the rake, I should like to 

 know how much of such work an expert adidt 

 raker could perform ? I can easily allow that it is 

 possible to use the rake, (but I much doubt whether 

 with the rail road velocity indicated bv K. D. K,) 

 so as to bring the earth loosened by tlie plough.*, 

 in the balks, so as to cover partially the grass and 

 weeds in the corn rows; by this process the corn 

 loses all the benefit which it derives by having the 

 earth well loosened around its roots by the hce. 

 and notwithstanding its fine smooth antl pleasai t 

 to the eve surface, the work aiust be very imper- 

 Vol. V-5 



fectly performed with rakes, unless indeed it 

 might be that the soil is ver^ light and free, and 

 certainly itiuch freer from weeds than most corn- 

 fields. 



As to the next operation afier the rake, ns de- 

 described by R. D. K's. correspondent, that of 

 thinning and hand weeding the corn, we are 

 not eiilightenefl as to the time which it occu- 

 [lies. I shall, however, be inclined to think that, 

 even in ordinary circumstances, if all grass and 

 every brier and weed is carefully pulled up, that 

 it must be a tedious operation, unless his CufTeea 

 are more careful than such laborers irenerally are, 

 and their overlookers more than usually Argus- 

 eved ; and also much suspect more of the tops are 

 broken off', and the roots left to vegetate afresh, 

 than IS generally done with careful hoeing. 



Ff this raking practice is really and truly the 

 time and labor-saving mode of cleaning corn, 

 (though to a much less extent than three-fourths 

 that of the usual mode of hoeing,) as described by 

 Mr. Gay ; Ij for one, vvould like to be informed as 

 to the nature of the soil, its condition with regard 

 to the general growth of weeds, and the prepara- 

 tory cultivation to which he subjects his land on 

 which he has for so many years used the rakes; 

 and If the rakes used are actually converted hoes; 

 that I, and probably others, mightjudgeby acom- 

 parifson of our different corn fields with his, 

 whether his experiment might warrant a fair trial 

 with a probability of sharing the benefits, which 

 he says lie has derived from it ; the amount of 

 corn per acre under this practice, would also be 

 desirable information ; and whether he has ob- 

 served auv material difference in the results of the 

 crop in wet or dry seasons, and in light and stiff 

 lands. These are pinching times for many far- 

 mers, and any new mode that could be adopted to 

 save labor and consequent expenses, would be 

 desirable. 



Fronj the high character given Mr. Gay by Ri 

 D. K., as an agriculturist, and supposing him 

 to be withal a patriarchal tiirmer, (if, as stated, he 

 is the inventor of narrow beds,) bis experience 

 must be very considerable, and an experiment 

 made by him should doubtless be entitled to at- 

 tention. Lislinir lands for corn appears to be one 

 part of his practice, and one of his actual experi- 

 ments, and frona which "Mr. Gay is taught to 

 believe, that the listing of land for corn is a sure 

 remedy against the ravages of the cut worm." I 

 must confess I cannot see into the rationale of 

 this.* So many supposed preventives havebeenin- 

 efiectually tried to get rid of this pest, that an ef- 

 fective one would be of great importance, and in- 

 formation on this would also be desirable. What- 

 ever'eff.'ct listing of land for corn might have for 

 destrbying the cut worm, 1 have considered it a 

 slovenly mode of farming, and far from being a 

 proper preparation for that crop. With the gen- 

 erality of good farmers, listing may sometimes be 

 adopted fi-om necessity, seldom from choice. 



Mr. Gay'p invention ofnarrowbeds,just "dawn- 

 ing" in Goochland, seems very much like that re- 

 corrimended, if I mistake not, by Arator, and whichf 



* The rationale is this — the grass growing m the un^ 

 broken balks furnishes enough food for the cut- worms, 

 so that they are not compelled to feed altogether ori 

 the young corn. — Eb. 



