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the first one ever tried in Mississippi. I think I tried one in 

 1838 or 1839, and continued trying to improve it, until Smith 

 Taylor, a blacksmith of Jackson, Mississippi, beat me so bad, 

 I had to take his. The suggestion was first made to my 

 brother, in October or November, 1837, by a Mr. Tilgman, of 

 Tennessee, who had to take log-cabin fare for a night. I 

 deem it proper to say, that many planters here say they 

 scrape with the turning-plough as well. I have tried both, 

 and as one is as cheap as the other, and the scraper works 

 best with me, I retain it. 



I am positively certain that upon land put in first-rate con- 

 dition for scraping, that I can have eighteen acres scraped in 

 six days, by one hand. I mean he can average three acres 

 per day, for six days. Of course the land must not be wet, 

 and in the condition that we can have it nine years out of ten. 



Allow me, en passant, to say to Hinds, of Cayuga, Miss., 

 that he is not many miles from me, and if he will come this 

 way, that I will show him one-fourth of my crop planted in 

 Hogan seed. The Banana, Hogan, and Pitt " identical I" 

 " All in my eye and Betty Martin too !" The Pitt is as much 

 unlike Hogan, as Sugar Loaf is unlike Mexican. They have 

 not leaf, stalk, or boll alike. There has been too much specu- 

 lation in seed ; but my dear fellow, let us be cautious lest we 

 do injury otherwise. You have heard of the Montgomery on 

 Fourteen Mile Creek the elder brother, A. K. Montgomery, 

 says his Hogan excelled, last year, Mexican, nearly two-fold. 

 His father, an aged planter, plants it this year, after his ex- 

 perience last year. Do you know H. W. Griffith, between 

 Palestine and Utica ? He will assure you that he exceeded 

 a bale per acre, last year, with the Brown seed. David Gib- 

 son, of Warren, exceeded a bale per acre, of the Banana. And 

 more I might name, but I suppose enough for the occasion. 



The Banana is a seed introduced by David Gibson, of War- 



