No. 42. Implement for Dt'essifig Ruia Baga — Budding. 



S63 



seven feet ; the next three feet, and so on, 

 alternately through the field. The object in 

 planting every other row seven feet apart, 

 was, that it might have all the advantage of 

 sun and air — but not wishing to lose too much 

 ground, by planting so wide apart, I planted 

 a row of potatoes in each seven foot space — 

 the produce as follows: 500 bushels corn, at 

 60 cents, $300; and 500 bushels potatoes, 

 sold at 50 cents, (exclusive of small ones.) 

 $250. The corn was cut off in the fall, and 

 shocked in the field, and the ground sown 

 with wheat, (except where the shocks stood,) 

 which was sown in the spring with millet. 

 The produce was 800 bushels wheat, at $1 

 10 cents, $330. Millet, 4 tons, with the seed, 

 worth $16 per ton, $64. Directly after har- 

 vest the wheat stubble was ploughed in, and 

 part of the field sown with turneps; the other 

 part with buckwheat — produce 200 bushels 

 buckwheat, which sold at 50 cents, $100; 

 and 600 bushels turneps, fed to the cattle, at 

 say 25 cents per bushel, $150; in all, .$1194, 

 independent of straw, fodder, &c. The field 

 was then manured, and laid down in wheat, 

 and sown witli grass seed. The next expe- 

 riment was on an adjoining lot of ten and a 

 half acres, manured and tilled as the first, 

 and planted in rows five feet apart one way, 

 and two feet the other, and not exceeding 

 three stalks in the hill, more frequently one 

 and two ; produce eighty bushels to the acre, 

 at 75 cents per bushel, $630. The next 

 spring it was ploughed, and planted in pota- 

 toes, in rows six feet apart, and manured in 

 the row. I then struck out between the rows 

 of potatoes, and planted corn two feet apart as 

 above — the corn had no manure — produce as 

 follows : 500 bushels sound corn, sold at 80 

 cents, $400 ; 1500 bushels potatoes, sold from 

 30 to 37^ cents, say 35 cents per bushel, 

 $525. The seasons of 1835 and 1837 were 

 unfavorable for corn with us, and it ripened 

 late. Part of the above field is in with 

 wheat, sown in the fall, with a light dressing 

 of compost — the residue in spring wheat, 

 without manure ; both look well. In endea- 

 voring to be as brief as possible, I am appre- 

 hensive I have not been sufficiently explicit 

 to be clearly understood. Thy friend, 



Edward Tatnall. 



The smaller the drink, the clearer the 

 head, and the cooler the blood : which are 

 great benefits in temper and business. 



In all debates let truth be thy aim, not 

 victory, or an unjust interest: and endea- 

 vor to gain, rather than to expose thy an- 

 tagonist. 



^rhe country is both the philosopher's gar- 

 den and library, in which he reads and con- 

 templates the power, wisdom, and goodness of I 

 God. ' 



Fig. 69. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Implement for dressing Ruta Baga» 



Friend Libhy : — As the season for plant- 

 ing the Ruta Baga is now at hand, I send a 

 drawing of an implement I made, and put in 

 operation last year, for dressing them, while 

 small, which, has received the name of the 

 '■'■ Hoe-ta-bagga.'''' A A are two handles, six 

 and a half feet long, made of one inch oak 

 strips, two inches wide, and one foot apart, 

 with the transverse handle B fastened on 

 their ends, and by which the person using 

 the machine propels it. C, a vvheel eleven 

 inches diameter, on which it is driven for- 

 ward, the axis inserted five inches from the 

 end of the handles : D, the cutter, made of 

 steel, two inches wide, welded on iron shanks, 

 which rise at such an angle to the handles 

 on which they are bolted, as will bring the 

 handle B nearly breast high to a man of or- 

 dinary height, the hoe having a very slight 

 dip towards the earth. 



The principle is that of the " German 

 ScufHe." But the addition of the wheel, and 

 lancet cutter, enables a man to go over one 

 and a-half to two acres per day, with ease — 

 rows twofeet apart. I have dressed. my sugar 

 beets with it twice this season, and have no 

 reason to complain of its operation. The 

 highly respectable editor of the "Genesee 

 Farmer," (who is good authority in such mat- 

 ters,) says, the Ruta Baga, planted in rows 

 sixteen inches apart, and kept clear of weeds 

 by the hand hoe, will yield nearly twice the 

 quantity per acre as if planted thirty inches 

 apart, and tended in the usual manner. Act- 

 ing on this suggestion, I shall manure my 

 patch on the surface, plough it under eight 

 inches deep, harrow well, drill sixteen inches 

 apart, thin the plants to sixteen inches in the 

 rows, and cultivate exclusively witli the Hoe- 

 ta-bagga." This machine may be made at 

 an expense of about two dollars. 



Respectfully, &c. 



M. S. KiRKBRIDE. 



Morrisville, 7th mo. 2d, 1838. 



Gleanings for the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Budding or Inociilntiou. 



Stone fruit, such as plums, peaches, and 

 cherries, are more easily propagated by bud- 

 ding than grafting, as they throw out gum, 

 which frequently prevents success in graft- 

 ing. July and August are generally consi- 



