G16 FARMERS' REGISTER— SHUCK MATTRESSES— GRUBBING PLOUGH. 



to (liir.inisli or iiicrease the distance of your torn- 

 lulls. The ends of the mpe must then be tied to 

 two sticks or poles, five or six- feet lon<;;, and be 

 carried by two of the hands : they stretch the rope, 

 and take tiieir station in the furrow opened for the 

 corn — your planters or droppers stand behind the 

 line, each one just oi)pns!te a rag — the corn is 

 dropped and covered with the foot of the person 

 who drops — the line-carriers then move to the 

 next bed, and so on. To keep straight, have a 

 pole stuck up some distanci? ahead, of one of the 

 line-carriers, and he can walk perfectly straight. 

 This mode is very expeditious, and on level land, 

 ■where it only answers, I will venture to say, that 

 one hand will plant and cover twice as much, as he 

 can in any other mode. I forgot to mention tliat 

 in this mode of planting corn, you move across the 

 beds. ' II. 



COKX-SnUCK BIATTUKSSES. 



To the Eilitor of thn Farmers' R-cg-ister. 



As the laudable object of the Farmers' Register, 

 is to diffuse as widely as possible the mass of know- 

 ledge which relates to domestic economy, therei)y 

 procuring for the many, tlie com(()rts which arc 

 at present possessed by the few; I take peculiar 

 pleasure in aiding the benevolent design, so fiir as 

 the narrow limits of my own information extend : 

 and so, meth.inks, should every matron whose ex- 

 perience has surmounted the perplexities of house- 

 hold cares. For this purpose, I have deemed it of 

 some importance, to call llie attention of its readers 

 to the use of shucks in making mattresses. I have 

 oiten been surprised to find shuck mattresses so 

 rare in families, where every convenience was at 

 hand to make (with the most inconsiderable ex- 

 pense,) this article of comfort and utility. 



Nothing but a little management is required for 

 every farmer's family in the state to possess them. 

 Independent of the comfort of mattresses in sum- 

 mer, I have often heard experienced physicians 

 plead hard for their general use in this bilious cli- 

 mate ; though comnton sense, I should suppose, is 

 sufficient to discover the relaxing and debilitating 

 elfects of being nigh.tly smothered on a feather bed, 

 through the heat of summer; and the increased 

 suffering produced by tlieir use, during the preva- 

 lence ol fevers, incident to our climate. For my 

 own part, I have often suffered painful regret, as I 

 have looked on the sick beds of the poor, where 

 the possession of a hair mattress would be a luxury 

 next to an impossibility for them to obtain; but I 

 am happy to say, that the discovery of the use of 

 hackled shucks, obviates all pecuniary difficulties, 

 in the farmer's case at least. 



There are few families in Virginia, where there 

 are not some slaves, incapacitated by age or de- 

 crepitude for active labor; and since the bright 

 era, which introduced the cotton gin, to supersede 

 the use of fingers in picking cotton, they are 

 thrown out of employment altogether ; or, have 

 little else to do, than to sit and stupify in the chim- 

 ney corner. Now, for the benefit of all parlies, I 

 would recommend that a plenty of shucks, a flax 

 hackle or common fork, and a barrel, should be 

 conveniently arranged for the occasional exercise 

 of the sul)ject's faculties, until a sufficient quantity 

 is shreded and packed up. When you have pre- 

 pared your tick, and the weather is suitable, im- 

 merse and soak the shucks well in clean water, and 



then spread them thin in the hot sun to dry. This 

 will cause them to curl and acquire the elasticity 

 of hair. Be careful after hackling every bunch, 

 to cut off the hard ends. 



These shucks stuffed in a common tick, and 

 tacked in squares through and through, will be 

 quite comfortable on a feather bed, where cotton 

 cannot be afforded — but if a case is made after the 

 mattress style, and baits of carded cotton laid at 

 top and bottom, of several thicknesses, and neatly 

 tacked in squares; they may be made to equal, if 

 not surpass any hair mattress ; for you can have 

 them as thick as you choose ; and in neatness and 

 purity of material, they will sui-pass the hair, 

 though they may not in durability. I should think 

 it a useless, or presumptuous display of my own 

 knowledge on the subject, to describe farther the 

 process of making the mattresses, but that I was 

 told by an intelligent young housewife, that she 

 had no idea how they could be conveniently com- 

 pleted. As I shall in such dilemmas, ever feel it 

 a delightful task to assist the young idea,! will 

 merely suggest, that the piece which divides the 

 top and bottom of the mattress case, should be sewed 

 ail round the bottom, and bound with tape made 

 for the purpose. The top part should be sewed to 

 one side of this piece only, like a lid to turn back, 

 until the batls of carded cotton are laid on the bot- 

 tom of several thicknesses, and the shucks care- 

 fully and regularly packed in. Place the layers 

 of cotton again over the shucks, and turn the lid 

 over all, and bind it round like the bottom. It 

 must be then laid on a frame, for the purpose of 

 tacking it througli and through. This will require 

 a very long needle, which can be made at any 

 blacksmith's shoj). 



A FRIEND TO COMFORT. 



February 20th, 1834. 



GRUBBING PLOUGH. 



From the American Farmer. 

 Margaretta, York County, Pa- 



December 9, 1833. 

 Mr. Hitchcock : — In the last number of the 

 Farmer, a subscriber inquires, " wheth.er or not 

 there is such an implement now in succesrful use, 

 among farmers, as the grubl)ing plough." This is an 

 implement of husbandry I have never seen, there- 

 tore, the object of the present communication is not 

 to recommend any new invention of the kind, but 

 to inform your correspondent of the manner in 

 v/hich I cleared a piece of ground, which Avas 

 grown up with bushes and undergrowth of various 

 sizes from three to ten feet high : it was with a 

 pair of oxen and a chain often or twelve feet long, 

 with one end attached to the yoke, and forming a 

 noose with the other around as many of the spi'outs 

 as could be encompassed by it, which wh.en thus 

 made fast, they drew out by the roots with great 

 ease; it was in the spring v/hile the ground was yet 

 loose : it is probable the operation would not be so 

 easy when the ground is dry and hard. Two ac- 

 tive boys of fifteen years of age, will clear more 

 ground in this way, than ten men will grub out in 

 the ordinary method with mattocks. I do not 

 think that the plan suggested for destroying the 

 willow and alder, will entirely destroy the roots, 

 and so long as any part remains, they will be liable 

 to sprout again. 



Yours, H. Y. s. 



