1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



8t7 



shels per acre: ihat at least, the half of them had 

 been eaten oft' the uroiind by sheep; and that the 

 fjrass after the barley had been pastured at least 

 two years, we are more disposed to ascribe the 

 laiiure of the "grasses to the system of fartiiiiii!; de- 

 scribed by the duke, as beiiijr quite inapplicable 

 to such soil, than to injurious eli'ects from the 

 bone-dust. 



one placed upon the ground and two others put 

 around it. 



It is the opinion of practical larniers, that the 

 practice of cutting corn in this mode secures the 

 greatest amount of corn and lodder with the least 

 expense, and is decidedly an unprovenient on 

 the old Virginia phxn, more especially when ai)- 

 plied to the leedhig ol" cattle or mules. 



From tlic I-'raiikliii Farmer. 

 HARVKSTIKG OF CORN. 



To the Editor — As the season is approaching 

 in which the larmers will commence the securing 

 the abundant crop of corn with which a bountiful 

 Providence has blessed our country, it may be 

 pertinent to the occasion to offer a lew remarks up- 

 on the best mode of harvestmg the crop. 



Our Virginia ancestors and those who think it 

 wise to plant and cultivate and gather as our fa- 

 thers have done, pursue the old method ; about 

 this tinie'they gather the blades below the ears of 

 corn — after they consider the corn to be ripe, they 

 top the stalks and secure all of the fodder in 

 stacks for winter use. In November they pull 

 the corn and remove it to cribs, where it is husked 

 out at leisure. This mode is rapidly yielding in 

 the stock districts to that first introduced among the 

 graziers on the south branch of the Potomac. 

 The farmers in the northern and middle districts 

 of Kentucky, and in the Scioto valley of Ohio, 

 have generally adopted this latter mode; which 

 is to cut the stalks, corn, flidder and all, and place 

 them in shocks commonly embracing sixteen hills 

 square. 



I have seen the richest crops of many climates 

 gathered, and there is no operation in husbandry 

 so animating as that of cutting corn in the mode 

 just mentioned. It is a most cheering prospect 

 to see twenty acres of corn pass in one or two 

 days to a condition in which it is prepared to 

 keep in the field throughout the winter. This re- 

 mark is predicated particularly upon the plan of 

 riddling the squares, instead of cutting the whole 

 square at once. It will readily occur to any observ- 

 ing mind, that as corn does not ripen with pre- 

 cise regularity, if the entire square is cut out at 

 once, some of the corn will mould and sometimes 

 even the fodder will be affected, if the cutting shall 

 be followed by warm or wet weather. To avoid 

 this contingency, some graziers commence wiih 

 the process ol riddling, that is, they select only 

 such part of the sixteen hills square as may be ripe 

 — go through the field m this way, and in"ten days 

 complete the cutting of the square. Ey this pro- 

 cess several important advantases are obtained— 

 the greatest amount of fodder is secured, consist- 

 endy with the paramount object of saving the 

 corn, and a lujcleus for the shock being formed by 

 the first cutting in the square, the shock becomes 

 settled and stands better during the winter. In 

 the rich counties of Clark and Bourbon, they 

 Bometimes cut half of the square on one side and 

 then in ten days finish it. Whilst many graz- 

 iers in Fayette, Lincoln and Shelby, prefer the 

 process of riddling. 



In the course of October and November, 

 these shocks are shucked out, the corn placed in 

 cribs and two of the shocks placed together, or 



THE AOVANTAGK OF " SWATHIKg'" WHEAT, 

 IN REAPING, INSTEAD OF " HANDING.'' 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Re^ster. 



This year the luxuriant growth of my wheat 

 induced me to think that it could not be saved by 

 the long scythe and cradle, and handled by the 

 binders, in the usual way, to advantage. I re- 

 duced my scythes and cradles to Ibriy-eight inches, 

 and swathed my wheat. Being satisfied, from 

 observation, that this method of saving my wheat 

 is greatly to be preferred to the one I formerly 

 pursued, I will slate the manner in which the worl; 

 was done ; and if you or your readers should es- 

 teem this hobby-riding, I am quite willing you 

 should indulge the laugh. I do not think, accord- 

 ing to your definition, you can bring it within the 

 class of humbugs. As I understand you, hobbieis 

 uenerallv brine loss to the owners; humbugs are 

 slarfed by the jockeys for profit. 



The stroke of the cradler brings him half round 

 on the land, and, by raising the heel of the cradle, 

 he lays the wheat across it; his hands both re- 

 main firm on the sneed, the weight of the wheat 

 rests upon him, but lor a moment. The motions 

 being freer than when he gathers by the hand, he 

 cuts faster, and with more ease to himself. My 

 people disliked the change at first, but soon be- 

 came accustomed to it. I had two or three lands 

 cut before the rakers and binders started. Four 

 rakers (the rakers collecting two lands) and seven 

 binders kept without difliculty the distance at 

 which they started, and would have overtaken the 

 cradlers, if I had permitted, and sometimes, in my 

 absence, did so. The task of rakers is easy ; by a 

 little care they collect all the wheat which is cut 

 off, and by gathering it in bunches of a proper 

 size, the binder has to make but one stoop for a 

 sheaf, and there are no scattered heads to be col- 

 lected by hand, which ^really le.?.-ens and lightens 

 his labor. My crop was unusually heavy; but F 

 never gathered wheat at so little loss. My iisual 

 practice has been to run a horse-rake after the 

 binders: but so little was left this time, that I 

 deemed it not worth the cost. The experience ol 

 the harvest has convinced n)e, that by this method, 

 utdess the Avheat is much down, it can be better 

 saved 'han bv the sickk\ 



In New York and Pennsylvania, swathing is 

 the \isual method of gathering wheat ; but I never 

 befJiresawit in Maryland. If it be the common 

 practice in Virfrmin, it would be useless to givB 

 this a place in the Register. To communicate to 

 farmers what they know, is in as bad taste, as to' 

 tell to a company a good story which they had 

 beard before. Among the complaints made by- 

 Sir John Falstaff against Justice Shallow, one 

 was. that he was ever on the rearward of the 

 fiishion, and sung old tunes which carn)en whistled. 

 I have no inclination to be numbered in' the Ikmi'y 



