184 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



known as Hussey's reaper: he, therefore, in- 

 vited Mr. M'Cormick to meet him again at Mr. 

 Roane's on the following Wednesday. At this 

 exhibiiion we were present, and we were much 

 pleased with the opera! ion of both machines.— 

 The company, consisting of some fifteen or 

 twenty gentlemen, seemed pretty equally di- 

 vided between the two. For our own part, we 

 thought that there were some advantages ap- 

 pertaining to the one that did not belong to the 

 other, and vice versa. For instance, M'Cormick's 

 is the lightest draught, being worked by two 

 horses, whilst Hussey's requires four. From 

 all we could learn and judge from the construc- 

 tion of the two, we should infer that M'Cor- 

 mick's would cut best in damp grain; but on 

 the other hand, in lodged or tangled grain, Hus- 

 sey's certainly possesses great superiority. It 

 is also a heavier, stronger, and more efficient 

 machine, cutting, we should suppose, if well 

 attended, from a fourth to a third more in a day. 

 The price of Hussey's machine is $160, that 

 of M'Cormick's $100. 



The greatest advantage we conceive about 

 these machines is the extreme cleanness with 

 which they both cut. They shatter, too, infi- 

 nitely less than the cradle. Either is worth 

 more than its cost to any farmer, who cultivates 

 a large tract of smooth, level land in wheat or 

 oats ; still, we would advise no one to go into 

 his harvest relying upon his machine alone; 

 what with wet wheat, tangled wheat, gullies, 

 and hill sides, he will find that the cradles can- 

 not be dispensed with, and it will be necessary 

 to have them ready to take the place of the 

 machine where such circumstances oppose its 

 operation. 



which lay some brush ; it makes a fine harbor 

 for the chickens ; they run under from the hawks, 

 and go under them frequently to enjoy the shade. 

 By keeping the ground ploughed up, the chick- 

 ens never have the disease called the gapes, 

 which I have seen thousands die with. They 

 should be fed upon dough which is made up 

 with buttermilk, and sometimes grease may be 

 put in to an advantage. I have no doubt but 

 the same plan would be equally as good for tur- 

 keys when young. Ducks and young geese 

 require grass to feed on ; it is said that there is 

 a very fine worm, not larger than a thread, in 

 the grass, which the young fowls get in their 

 throats, and which is one cause of the gapes; 

 in other cases, it is said to be occasioned by the 

 dew or wet grass after rains. 



Yours, respectfully, 



J. W. M. 



Tye River Warehouse, July 2, 1843. 



For the Southern Planter. 



CHICKENS. 



Mr. Editor,— Having a friend from Missouri 

 with me last night, we were talking over many 

 things ; among the rest, he mentioned a plan of 

 raising chickens which had proved very suc- 

 cessful, and gained great popularity in that sec- 

 tion of the country. Being very much pleased 

 with it, and placing a high estimate upon the 

 profit and convenience of raising all kinds of 

 fowls, I communicate it to you for the benefit of 

 the readers of the Planter. Have a lot of suffi- 

 cient size enclosed, so as to keep your chickens 

 in it, and keep it regularly ploughed up, to pre- 

 vent any grass at all from growing in the yard ; 

 set some little forks in the ground, about one 

 foot high; lay some poles across them upon 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



We have received the June number of the 

 above work, published in Richmond, Va., by C. 

 j T. Botts, and have perused its pages with much 

 I interest. It is neatly put up in pamphlet form, 

 contains about twenty-two pagesand is published 

 once a month, at the unusually low price of $1 

 per annum. We are well aware that many 

 agricultural works are of no manner of use to 

 the agriculturists; as they are poorly edited; 

 filled with communications from tyros and fancy 

 farmers; or, with immoderate puffs of new in- 

 ventions, new wheat, new potatoes, new kinds 

 of hogs and cattle— the first calculated to mis- 

 lead the young reader and make him too jid- 

 \gety in farming — and the latter, to drain his 

 pocket. There is a great deal of humbuggery 

 in this world, and we have men who practice it 

 | as a calling. They go upon the idea that, " all 

 the fools are not dead yet," and put at our pock- 

 ets, with multicaulis, then with Italian Spring 

 wheat, next with Dutton corn, and now with 

 Berkshire pigs, Durham cattle, and T. H. Bickes' 

 plan of making luxuriant crops on poor land 

 without ploughing and without, manure. How- 

 ever, from the spirit of the Southern Planter, 

 i we thuik it will at once expose to derision and 

 contempt each new humbug as it is presented ; 

 and thus guard inexperienced persons against 

 parting foolishly with their money. The late 

 Judge Buel warned the readers of the Cultivator 

 against the multicaulis fever, and said specu- 

 lators were at work, long before the disease had 

 reached this part of Virginia. Had the editors 

 of agricultural papers been equally candid, mil- 

 lions might have been saved to the unwary - — 

 We think Mr. Botts will pursue the same course, 

 and cause his publication to be useful, instead 

 of detrimental, to the agriculturist. 



An agricultural work, suited to the farmers, 



