228 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 4 



year's end ; though perhaps, their hzy master's 

 stomacli would liave risen agninst tiie iliird meal. 

 Nor did I ever find that my working horses or ox- 

 en refused tlie same hay and corn the year round, 

 but eat clean up as much as was given them, 

 while those that were pampered and led, and kept 

 sleek and fine for market, were a-5 whimsical and 

 squeamish as the nicest beau. This must be at- 

 tributed to the want of due labor and exercise. 

 'Tis just the same with the earth ; for take a small 

 piece, and manure it very well for some years, 

 without either ploughing, or mowing, or feeding 

 on it, for there are exerches of the earthy and it 

 will denote a foulness of stomach, by putting forth 

 nothing but rank weeds ; but after you have given 

 }t sufficiently of these exercises, you need not fear 

 clogging its stomach" (a very needless caution 

 ibis, to most of us Virginia farmers,) "with loo 

 much and too constant (bod, if it be a proper sort ; 

 ifbr it will always manifest a good digestion, by the 

 grateful returns it, will make you." 



On the subject of agricultural machines and im- 

 plements, Ellis treats very largely, and describes 

 peypral as long used in England, which have been 

 supposed, in the United States, to be modern in- 

 ventions of our own. I will invite our brethren to 

 make trial ol' at least two which he extols very 

 highly. These are the piong-hoe, (or "houirh," 

 as hf, spells it,) and the "beck- hough." I can 

 say of the first, after more than twenty years use, 

 that it is incomparably the best implement lor tak- 

 ing up and throwing course manure into a cart or 

 Other vehicle used (or the purpose, that I hnve 

 ever seen. It is also far preferable lo any oiher (c)r 

 cleaning out wet drains obstructed b}' trash of any 

 kind, and it is an excellent tool (or hoeing up gar- 

 den ground, as it pulverizes at (he sime lime. Al- 

 though it is much used in some parts of our stale, 

 yet I know that in others, ii is entirely unknown, 

 and theref()re I confidently recommend it. The 

 prongs (three in number.) should be flat, about an 

 inch or inch and a quarter wide at the widest part, 

 and tapered lo ^ofan inch at the point, whiL-li 

 should be sharp and well steeled. Theii lengtli 

 ehouM be about that of a common hilling-hoe, 

 and they should be eliglilly curved inward. The 

 whole width of the implement, including the spaces 

 between the prongs, many he about eight inches, 

 although the whole size should he proportioned lo 

 ithe strengtli of the person who is to use it. The 

 beck-hoe I have never seen, but am so well sat- 

 isfied with Ellis' description of it, that f shall cer- 

 tainly try one as soon as I can cct it made, fie 

 eays, "it diflers from the common pick-axe, or mat- 

 tock, only by having its two ends about four inch- 

 0:S broad." He adds that, "at Farnham, in Sur- 

 ry, it is so esteemed, that there is hardly any other 

 tool used to weed their hop-grounds and allnys, 

 and to keep them clean and hollow ; for by its 

 priake, the digger can enter the earth deeper than 

 with either the prouu-linnd-hniiivh, or pronir- 

 epade ; and it is with ihis tool that they keep their 

 plantations ol hops in a most fine lilih," &c. 



Whilst I am on Ihis siihject, permit me once 

 more to recofnmend, most earnestly, the drag-log 

 — the credit of contnvini; which is entirely due, 1 

 believe, to your worthy correspondent, AJr. Gay. 

 For the combined quabiies of simplicity, chenp- 

 ness, and utility, I have met with nothing that 

 will bear any comparison with it in regard to the 

 purpose which it is designed to eflect, and that is 



pulverizing the soil. This it will most certainly 

 eflect i)y heinir dragged otdy once over the sur- 

 (iice, (iir heller than either harrows or rollers can 

 do it l)y passing two or three times, while the 

 draught is very little greater, if any, than that of the 

 largest .sized harrow made (or two horses. The 

 first lime I used it, (wliich was as soon as I could 

 get one made, alter reading Mr. Gay's description 

 of it,) I became thoroughly satisfied of its great 

 superiority to rollers and harrows (or reducing land 

 lo fine tilth preparatory to sowing or planting any 

 thing ; and I have been using it ever since. Both 

 the last mentioned implements are very useful lor 

 other |)urposes, and therefore, nothing here .^aid is 

 designed to supersede them by the drag-log, but 

 merely to represent their great inferiority as pul- 

 verizers and crushers of rough, clotldy land.* 



And now, my good sir, having succeeded in a 

 part at least, of my design, which wns to make 

 this episile a kind of hoich-poich affair, in the 

 hope of affording to )ou and jour readers some 

 variety, as well as a mite or two of what may be 

 uselul. I will conclude by proposing, (as you seem 

 (<)nd of giving captions to the communications of 

 your correspondents,) that you should entitle mine 

 an "Olla Podrida, or dish oCall sorts," and heartily 

 wishing that it may pove palatable, 

 1 remain, dear sir. 



Your old friend and constant reader, 



J. M. G. 



From tlif Farmer and Garilcncr. 

 P.ROOM-CORN-CHOP. 



The proprielorsof the broom factory at George- 

 town, I>. C. take fileasure in laying before their 

 agricultural friends, an accurate statement of the 

 product of this new grown crop. The estimate 

 is made on the measurement of seven acres of 

 land 'he hist year, although the season was un- 

 liivuriihle (or corn. From the seven acres ihey 

 secured 24,488 lbs. of broom brush, cut with six 

 and seven inches stalk, with seed on. 



Alter taking the seed off, the net brush weigh- 

 ed, - - - - 5,549 lbs. 



The seed measured from I he same, 473| bush, 

 and weighed 40 lbs. per hush, making 18,939 do. 



Jiecapitulation. 

 Net weight of the brush from 7 acres, 5,549 lb?. 

 Net weight of seed from the 7 acres, 18,939 do. 



Making the gross weight grown, 24,4S8 do. 



Value of crop as fallows : 



5.549 lbs. of net brush, at 5 cents per lb. or 

 .^100 per ton, - - - $277 45 



473i^ bushels clean seed, at 50 cents 

 per bushel, - - - 236 75 



$514 20 

 Amount of crop grown per acre on 

 seven acres, - - - $7^ 45^ 



It would be well here to state, in Ihe year 1835, 

 with a more favorable season, the same seven 

 acres of land was planted in Indian corn, and pro- 

 duced 57| bbls. and sold at $4 50 per bhl. ,$231 75 



Making the difference in favor of 

 broom-corn, on seven acres. - $272 45 



* The drag;-log was fully described, and its peculiar 

 advantai^es stated at page 7.51, vol. ii, and 616, iii. 

 Far. Rec:.— Ed. 



