58 



Prevention of Smut in Wheat. 



Vol. X. 



of the furrow and the width of furrow-slice, 

 with perfect facility and ease. 



We are quite sure that it runs very light, 

 and is of course easy for the team. But we 

 did not make any trials with the dynamome- 

 ter, and tlierefore are unable to make any 

 comparative statement between the draught 

 of this plough and that of others. All we 

 pretend to otfer upon this point, is the result 

 of our observation upon the apparent effort 

 and fatigue of the team; a conclusion which 

 can be relied on to some extent, though we 

 admit, far from being conclusive. We how- 

 ever would remark, by way of fortifying our 

 opinion, that at the celebrated trial of ploughs 

 made at Worcester a year or two since, this 

 plough bore off the premium of one hundred 

 dollars, after a very severe competition with 

 some of the most celebrated ploughs. So 

 far as the ploughman is concerned, we can 

 with certainty assert, that severe labour and 

 strenuous ertbrt on his part, are almost entirely 

 done away. Even skill is comparatively use- 

 less in working with this plough. 



This may seem a strong position to take ; 

 but in confirmation of it we must state, that 

 we saw furrow after furrow ploughed with 

 great nicety, the hand of the ploughman 

 having been laid to the plough only to enter 

 it at the commencement of the furrow. As 

 to the style of work performed, we can only 

 say, that some of the ploughs lap the furrow- 

 slice — and they are those which we prefer — 

 and to which our report mainly refers, while 

 another — the one to which the one hundred 

 dollar premium was awarded at Worcester — 

 turns the furrows flat. 



The workmanship of the plough is excel- 

 lent, and we beg specially to commend the 

 casting of the share from a composition 

 which is much harder than ordinary cast- 

 iron, thus ensuring a great degree of dura- 

 bility to the ploughshare. If to this it be 

 added that the share is also constructed 

 upon the self-sharpening principle, it can 

 easily be conceived that the purchasers of 

 these ploughs are ensured against the too 

 frequent recurrence of the vexation that re 

 suits from the rapid and often unexpected 

 wear of the share. 



In conclusion, we would remark that this 

 plough has obtained great celebrity, and has 

 received and is daily receiving the cordial 

 approbation of men whose opinion have far 

 greater weight than ours. We believe that 

 it has lost none of its celebrity by the trial 

 which we witnessed, for out of the nume- 

 rous company present, there was not one 

 who did not seem to be both surprised and 

 delighted with the performance of the plough. 

 It may be asked how it comes that botli 

 this plough and the Worcester county 



ploughs, Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse & Ma- 

 son's, were condemned at the Fair of the 

 English Agricultural Society last year. Nor 

 is it easy to answer the question. Prejudice, 

 national prejudice, may have had sometliing 

 to do with it. All we can say is, that some 

 of the committee at least were practical 

 men : we have reported only that which we 

 saw. Moreover, there was present on the 

 ground an English ploughman, recently ar- 

 rived, whose judgment was perfectly un- 

 biased, who pronounced this equal to any 

 PJnglish plough he had ever handled, and 

 fully concurred with the committee in the 

 opinion expressed by them. 



J. B. NoTT, Albany Co. 



T. HiLLHOl'SE, " 



John McVean, Monroe Co. 

 C. Hannam, Genesee Co. 



Prevention of Smut in Wheat. — It is 



stated on authority that it is believed may 

 be relied upon, that wheat grown from seed 

 which was thoroughly ripe before cutting, is 

 much less liable to be affected with smut, 

 than that grown from seed which has been 

 cut earlier. Farmers who have adopted this 

 practice, it is said, are seldom or never trou- 

 bled with smut. To make the best flour, 

 wheat is usually cut a little before its full 

 maturity, and such is generally used for 

 seed. This may be one cause of the exten- 

 sive prevalence of smut, tliough there are 

 unquestionably others. It is recommended 

 to defer cutting the portion designed for 

 seed about a week later than the rest of the 

 crop, until the berry shall have become per- 

 fectly ripe. This measure of prevention is 

 one which may be adopted with very little 

 trouble, and is believed to be richly worth 

 the trial. 



We shall speak more fully of the causes 

 and prevention of smut in our next. — Michi- 

 gan Farmer. 



To Cleanse Gloves without Wetting. 



— Lay the gloves upon a clean board, make 

 a mixture of dried fulling-earth and pow- 

 dered alum, and pass them over on each 

 side with a common stiff brush; then sweep 

 it off, and sprinkle them well with dry bran 

 and whiting, and duft them well ; this, if 

 they be not exceedingly greasy, will render 

 them quite clean, but if they are much soiled 

 take out the grease with crumbs of toasted 

 bread and powder of burnt bone: then pass 

 them over with a woollen cloth dipped in 

 fulling earth or alum powdered ; and in this 

 manner they can be cleansed without wet- 

 ting, which frequently shrinks and spoils 

 them. 



