THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



171 



eighth of an inch in diameter. The size of the 

 holes of course must be fixed at first by trial of tiie 

 rate of seeding. But when onco fixed, and the 

 same borer kept for use, there is no more trouble 

 in regulating the rate. 'JMie seeding is very regu- 

 lar, and equal. A gallon to the acre is the most 

 that is ever given —and eomeiimes only 3 quarts, 

 and found an ample allowance. The manner of 

 using this box is for the sower to carry it hori- 

 zontally across and in (iont of the middle of his 

 body, supported by a leather strap over his shoul- 

 ders, and the box kept evenly poised by his hands. 

 He walks at ordinary rate along the middle of 

 each bed, and at every step ehilis the box a few 

 inches, first to one side and then to the -other. 

 The box is made of light plank only a quarter of 

 an inrh thick ; and, with seed in every compart- 

 ment, the weight is not considerable, and the la- 

 bor light enough. As no skill is requisite, any 

 laborer, at first trial, can sow with perlect accura- 

 cy. I had deemed my plan ofsowing, by ihrov/- 

 ing the seeds against a board, (described in a 

 former volume,) to be a very valuable improve- 

 ment upon the usual mode of casting the seed. 

 But the sowing box is better. And this is an 

 example of how long a simple implement or pro- 

 cess may remain almost in disuse, merely because 

 it is not seen in actual operation. This sowing 

 box is pictured and described in Bordley's Hus- 

 bandry, where I saw it more than thirty years 

 ago, (lor it was one of the books read lor amuse- 

 ment in my boyhood,) and wh'ch I have never 

 since heard of being used, until seen now. There 

 is another machine described in that same book, 

 for gathering clover seed, by a comb-edged box 

 on wheels, or barrow, drawn by a horse. I went 

 once to the shop of Jabez Parker to order such a 

 machine to be made, but was discouraged and 

 prevented by learning that he had made but lor 

 one order, and that one a long time belore. — 

 Hence, 1 concluded, as of the sowing box, and as 

 most larmers are very apt to conclude oi'new im- 

 plements known only by description, that it would 

 certainly have been more in use, if not attended 

 by some insuperable objection. On the other 

 hand, the most taking recommendation of any 

 new implement, is that many other farmers have 

 already bought it. Thus, hundreds, (including 

 myself with many much belter farmers, whose 

 names alone seduced me into the scrape,) former- 

 ly bought Clark's thrashing machine, the most 

 unmitigated cheat of a machine of which I ever 

 heard ; as to no purchaser was it worth a cent. 

 Ifagricultural societies were worth any thing, one 

 of their most useful operations would be to cause 

 to be tried as well as exhibited, all new or improv- 

 ed implements, by having the trial executed by a 

 judicious farmer, and causing to be published his 

 report of the result. Such practical and disinter- 

 ested trials of implements would bring into use 

 all that deserve it ; whereas, the mere exhibition 

 of new implements and machines at the show ol 

 an agricultural society, is rather calculated to aid 

 the success and progress of humbug and decep- 

 tion. 



There was one practice seen, and which seem- 

 ed by the results to justily Mr. Selden's approba- 

 tion, which I would otherwise have thought cer- 

 tainly wrong, and have always acted and advised 

 otherwise. This is, the not cleaning out the vva- 

 ler-furrovvs between the beds, but on the contrary 



rather working so in preparing for and covering 

 the seed wheat, as partially to fill up and level 

 the existing furrows. I had always supposed that 

 any land requiring beds and water-furrows, for 

 better drainage, would require that the furrows 

 should be kept open and clean. And also, sup- 

 posing that any plants growing therein would 

 perish with wet, oral least be liseble and produce 

 poorly, it was inferred that it was even better for 

 economy to have a deep, narrow water- furrovir, 

 open and clear of all plants, that the shoulders of 

 the furrows, or outsides of the beds, might be belter 

 raised, and safer from wetness. Mr. Selden how- 

 ever, thinks diflerently, and says that both the 

 wheal and clover grow as well, generally, in the 

 furrows as on the beds, excepting from the great- 

 er depth of soil and greater fertility of the crowns 

 of the ridges. Even this difference does not pre- 

 vent the heads of whear, when grown, appearing 

 nearly level. On spots particularly subject to wet, 

 only, he has the water furrows kept deep and 

 open. It is certain that at the time of viewing, 

 the wheal in the furrows where not opened seem- 

 ed none the worse for being so low. It may yet 

 be questioned whether land whose texture and 

 surface will permit such treatment, though a clay 

 loam, and nearly level, as is this farm, might not 

 be cultivated level, or without beds, safely, and 

 yield as well. Mr. Selden thinks that even if this 

 were so, it is more economical of labor in plough- 

 ing to have beds. One of the gains which he 

 counts upon, is the space left unbroken and cov- 

 ered by the meeting on the old water-furrow of 

 the two first fnrrow-slices thrown, in reversing the 

 beds, when turning in the clover lay for the next 

 crop of wheat. The space so covered by the 

 large ploughs used, must be at least two fieet in 

 the bed of eleven feet. However contrary to rea- 

 son, as some might suppose, Mr. Selden, and most 

 other good farmers hold with " Arator" that there 

 is no disadvantage in leaving this covered strip 

 unbroken. The so leaving it, certainly makes 

 much neater and easier ploughing, and in a great- 

 er degree than the mere saving the labor of 

 ploughing two more furrows. 



Upon inquiring of Mr. Selden what were his 

 views as to applying manure on the surface, he 

 said that he carried out manure, and so applied it 

 without the fear of loss, at any time of the year, 

 v/hen he? had it to dispose of; and the labor was 

 convenient. He preferred, however, to plough 

 under the unrolled farm-yard manure that was to 

 be used for the corn crop. He was then hauling 

 out wheat straw li-om the stack, and spreading it 

 on the clover field at the rate of about 18 or 20 

 large ox-cart-loads to the acre. This quantity, 

 when spread, was so thick that I should have tear- 

 ed it would smother much of the clover ; but was 

 lold there was no danger of (hat result. But 

 though this top-dressing will be no doubt highly 

 beneficial to the clover and still more to the wheat 

 of next year, I ihink it would have been far bet- 

 ter if applied last summer or autumn, or early in 

 winter. However, it could not be earlier here, as 

 the carts have been hauling out the straw (of a 

 crop of 50j0 bushels of wheat made last year,) 

 as long and as often as the limited force, and the 

 other heavy demands for labor permitted. One of 

 the younger farmers present, who would not pre- 

 sume t-o compare either farming knowledge or prac- 

 tical operations in any respect with Mr. Selden, 



