502 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 8 



strength. It would be desirable to have the side 

 pieces of sufficient width to dispense with a seam; 

 but that can rarely be done, and never without 

 great waste of timber, as nothing but heart should 

 be used. It will therefore be advisable to hew the 

 long stocks for this purpose, with two opposite 

 sides, inclined or sloping, with a reduction, gradu- 

 ated by the diminished size of the heart towards 

 the smaller end, so as to preserve the heart, and 

 reject the sap. Two of these planks will form a 

 side, with an oblique seam, by putting a wide and 

 a narrow end together. For want ot this simple 

 suggestion, while getting my timber, of which I 

 merely gave my head carpenter a bill, I have been 

 compelled to use four long, narrow planks on a 

 side, in one (though only one) of my lighters, 

 with what waste of labor, timber, and caulking, 

 may well be imagined. These side planks, wheth- 

 er two or more, must be fastened together by se- 

 ven bolts on each side, three-quarters of an inch 

 in diameter, extending from top to bottom, and 

 Bcrewed up so as to make them as compact as pos- 

 sible. Between these bolls, batons one and a half 

 inches thick are nailed on the inside between the 

 bolts. The middle planks, parallel to the sides, 

 may be secured by batons alone, with bridges (as 

 I believe the carpenters call them) introduced in 

 two different places. In cutting timber for the top 

 and bottom planks, it will be some economy to get 

 the stocks of such length as may be divided by 

 the width of the lighter without a remainder — as 

 in mine, 12, 24, or 36 feet. If any sap must be 

 used, it should be at the bottom. In every other 

 situation it should be peremptorily rejected. The 

 spikes for the bottom and top should be wrought, 

 five and three-quarter inches long; those for batons, 

 &c. four and three-quarters. I have mentioned 

 that my lighters are 40 feet long at top and 35 at 

 bottom — each end being bevelled two and a half 

 ieet, to within six inches of the top, where an oak 

 piece, four inches square, is let in, across each end 

 of the lighter; the longitudinal middle planks be- 

 ing cut away to receive them. The sides are fas- 

 tened to the oak pieces by a small horizontal iron 

 knee, one foot each way, secured by four bolts. 

 At the turn of the bottom, where the slope com- 

 mences, oak timbers, cut of the proper form, two 

 feet long and three inches square, are nailed to the 

 side and middle planks; other pieces are then lap- 

 ped on them, and extend along the slope up to the 

 transverse oak piece occupying each extreme end. 

 This is done to strengthen the ends of the lighter, 

 the planks on which are doubly spiked, to enable 

 them to bear the violent shocks they will receive 

 on approaching and striking the shore. Having 

 taken these precautions, the bottom, top, and slo- 

 ping ends, are covered with well jointed plank, 

 nailed cross-wise, and as closely together as pos- 

 sible; the whole is snugly caulked and coated over 

 heavily with pitch. A pump about five feet long, 

 is put in one corner for future occasions, in case a 

 leak should spring; and the lighter, water proof 

 top and bottom, is launched upon its future home. 

 1 should remark that four oak standards, two and 

 a half feet long, and three by five inches square, 

 should be ranged along on each side, secured in 

 their places by staples'with threads at the ends, 

 and taps — the standards next the ends to serve as 

 rullocks by means of a pin near the top, 

 and the whole to serve for loose planks to rest 

 obliquely against, to prevent any thing from rolling 



overboard. The oars for such lighters may be 22 

 feet; the rudder may be a crooked oar in fact, with 

 a hole, to receive a bolt fastened in the stern of 

 the lighter. The lighter above described, it will 

 be perceived, is as tight as a corked bottle, and 

 will so remain as long as it is kept in good order, 

 for which purpose it should from time to time be 

 covered with pitch. It cannot be sunk, though 

 the cargo may be washed overboard; a great ad- 

 vantage, as in my exposed situation, that has soon- 

 er or later been the fate of all the open lighters I 

 ever owned. It is hardly worth while to observe 

 that suitable apertures should be made in the low- 

 er part of the two long partition planks to permit 

 the water, should any ever enter the lighter, to 

 flow from the other compartments into that in 

 which the pump is situated. My lighters were 

 built on blocks raised high enough to allow the 

 workmen to operate beneath. They are calcula- 

 ted to resist high winds: in protected situations, 

 and particularly in narrow and shallow streams, 

 thinner plank than that which I have used, would 

 perhaps answer better; but in regard to that, each 

 one must judge for himself. I have received large 

 quantities of oyster shells, from the vessels, in my 

 lighters, so as to test their utility. I have been 

 too busy since their completion to commence get- 

 ting marl, but shall in a lew days set about that in- 

 teresting operation; and when well under way, 

 you may perhaps hear from me again to the tune 

 of "the Campbell's (camels) are coming." 



H. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE BUCKINGHAM AGRI- 

 CULT U RAL SO CI ETY. 



At the first annual meeting of the Buckingham 

 Agricultural Society, held at Mr. Robert Shaw's 

 on the 15th of October, 1835, the president, Col. 

 Thomas M. Bondurant took his seat, and called 

 the meeting to order. After which, he proceeded 

 to deliver the Annual Address, requested by a re- 

 solution of the society. At the close of the ad- 

 dress, the following resolution was adopted, viz: — 



Jlcsolved, That the president be requested to fur- 

 nish a copy of his address for publication in the 

 Farmers' Register — and also, that five hundred 

 copies of the same be published for the use of the 

 members. 



Maj. Charles Yancey was elected president; 

 Price Perkins, William Woodson and Beverly A. 

 Brown, Esqs. as vice-presidents for the ensuing 

 year. 



The committees appointed to award premiums 

 made their reports, which were adopted, viz: — 



Hogs. The first premium to Col. C. M. Bon- 

 durant's boar Surry. The second premium to 

 Col. T. M. Bondurant's sow Blue Rose. The 

 third premium to Capt. Wm. N. Patteson's boar 

 Buckingham. 



Cattle. For the best bull over two years old; 

 the premium to Col. T. M. Bondurant's Durham 

 and Hereford bull Frederick. 



For the best bull under two years old — the pre- 

 mium to Capt. Richard G. Morris's North Devon 

 bull Thompson. 



For the best cow over three years old — the pre- 

 mium to Richard G. Morris's North Devon cow 

 Odell. 



