58 



FARMERS' REGISTER— TO PREVENT GALLED BACKS. 



carry conviction, I believe, I may eaiely eay, to 

 ninety-ninehuntlredthsof mankind who give them 

 a fair examination, that. the use ol" ardent spirits is 

 unnecessary, injurious, and demoralizing to all 

 classes of men. 



My own experience and observations have 

 brought me irresistibly to the same conclusion. 

 Fot upwards oi" twenty years preceding the last 

 four, I used from sixty to eighty gallons of spirits 

 in harvest yearly. I then rarely got through the 

 season without some accidents of a more or less 

 serious character. .1 had several case.s of wounds, 

 fi'om which the suflerers were long recovering — 

 many cases of spasm, from drinking cold water 

 after previous partial intoxication; and almost al- 

 ways more or less disease immediately after har- 

 vest. It is true, the period was marked by more 

 noise and boisterous mirth, but it was attended 

 with more broils and irregularities, often leading to 

 the necessity of resorting to punishment. During 

 the prevalence of this pernicious custom on my 

 estate, it required from five to six dajs after har- 

 vest, ibr the laborers to recover from what I then 

 thought, was the necessary effect of the excessive 

 labors of the season, but which subsequent expe- 

 rience has proven, Avas the weakness and debility 

 consequent upon the unusual excitement of ten 

 days or a fortnight's use of ardent spirits; thus 

 proving to demonstration, that the cheerfulness 

 purchased by alcohol, must be paid for in bodily 

 strength; to say nothing of the punishment often 

 made necessary by its intoxicating eft'ecte. 



Since I have discontinued the use of ardent spirits 

 in harvest, mark how the scene has been changed. 

 I have saved my grain in better time and in better 

 etyle, than I ever did before — I have less sickness 

 — fewer accidents — I have no broils or irregulari- 

 ties — my people are as fresh, and able to perform 

 as good a day's work the next after harvest, as any- 

 day in the year; and wdaat is still more interesting, 

 (under the sj-stem of measures, of which absti- 

 nence from the use of spirits in harvest is an indis- 

 pensible part) nine^tenths of my laborers have 

 become faitliful members of the temperance refor- 

 mation; and this state of things has been brought 

 about by their own consent, without the use ol' 

 any other means than kindness and persuasion; 

 and furthermore, I verily believe, the following 

 recij)e will prove infallible in producing the same 

 effects wherever it is iairly tried: 



Let each master take to himself as much self 

 denial and christian resolution, as to enable him 

 to join the temperance retbrmation; and then con- 

 descend to explain its advantages to his own peo- 

 ple. The fullest success will surely follow; fur 

 there is no yeomanry on earth more docile to moral 

 instruction, than the negroes of Virginia, if their 

 masters will become their teachers. 



Total abstinence from ardent spirits, I consider 

 of so much more importance in my "harvest man- 

 agement," than any thing else, that it will seem 

 like an inversion of the proper order of things to 

 advert to other particulars; but, it may not be 

 amiss to mention here, that I have substituted for 

 the spirit formerly used, an equal measure of mo- 

 lasses, which being itself a nutritious article of 

 diet, as well as an ingredient in a cooling and 

 pleasant beverage, is used by my people in tlie 

 one way or the other, at their discretion. They 

 are now loud and almost unanimous in their pre- 

 ference of it, to their former allowance of whiskey. 



I hardly need add, that smce so large a portion 

 of my slaves have given up th-e use of spirits, I 

 have remarked the mo.st striking improvement in 

 their moral characters. 



ONE OF YOUR CONSTANT READERS. 



TO PREVENT HORSES BEING GALLED BY THE 

 BACK-BAND. 



To the Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



Powhatan Hill, 25th Jlpril, 1834. 



I am reminded by the season of planting com, 

 to make the readers of the "Register" acquainted 

 with a very simjile and efficacious contrivance, to 

 save our plough horses from galled backs. I have 

 used the saddle which I ami about to describe, for 

 the last two years, a pattern having been made 

 tor me by a gentleman from. Botetourt county. 

 Since then, I have never had a mule's back cut by 

 the back-band. My neighbors are adopting the 

 expedient, and concur with me in recommending 

 it highly. The sole objection is, that it may cause 

 the slovenly practice of using a grape vine or a 

 rope, in place of a proper back-band, as neither 

 can injure a horse's back with this saddle under it. 



The saddle is made of two pieces of oak about 

 eight inches in length and breadth, and with the 

 corners "rounded off" — thick enough to be sub- 

 stantial. The inner side is made convex to suit 

 the horse's back, on each side of the back bone, 

 where they rest. The two pieces are connected by 

 two straps of leather, at each extremity of Avhich 

 are cross straps or loops, through which the back- 

 band is inserted, and which lies over and presses 

 upon the wooden sides of the saddle. 



The back-band ought not to touch the back, so 

 that the pieces must not be more than four inches 

 apart. It is very light: oak is better than pine, 

 only because it holds the tacks more securely by 

 which the straps are lastened. 



This kind of saddle may be in common use in 

 manypfirts of Virginia, but I never saw it before 

 I used it on my own farm. I dare say it is new 

 to many of your readers — and my object will be 

 accomphshed if only a few poor mules shall be 

 indebted to it lor their hides. 



ED. F. TAfl,OE, 



DRAINING. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Fairfax county^ Va. May 20th, 1834. 

 I promised you some weeks past a communica- 

 tion upon the subject of ditching or draining land. 

 Indisposition on my part, and delay in the sur- 

 veyor, have operated to retard my purpose. My 

 main drain is something less than 3000 yards in 

 length, having the capacity to receive and dis- 

 charge the spring and flood water from seven or 

 eight thousand acres of land. 1800 yards were 

 cut through a mill pond which was made by a dam 

 not more than two and a half leet high, which is 

 now put down, by the kindness of the owner. 

 Much ol" the country around is precipitous and 

 broken; the water from which brought great quan- 

 tities of sand and nuid into my drain, and often 

 made it necessary to clean it out i'all and spring. 

 This alone was great labor. Thirty-three years 

 have passed over me since 1 began the work, and 

 I cannot say that it is perfect. A drain like this i 

 must have no angles in itj for they create eddies, \ 



