THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



55 



that condition heated : they have then only to 

 be immersed in calcined borax ; or to have the 

 prepared borax (borate of soda) sprinkled oyer 

 the joint, and are ready to adhere by being 

 hammered together. The borax for this pur- 

 pose, is to be prepared by being previously heated 

 to a full red, and kept heated till it becomes a 

 soft powder like flour. What the chemical 

 effect of the calcined borax on the metalic sur- 

 faces is, is not perfectly understood, farther than 

 that its affinity for oxygen is such as to deprive 

 the jointed surfaces of any portion of oxygen 

 which might prevent a ready union of the sur- 

 faces. When small pieces of steel are to be 

 welded, they are to be heated to the full cherry 

 red, and immersed in the calcined borax, and 

 are then to be hammered together. The most 



extraordinary point in the process is the fact} 

 that if the steel is but a little overheated, it will 

 immediately crack into fragments ; but by a 

 shifted process, and with the use of borax, the 

 cracks and defects may be healed and rendered 

 sound and solid. We have witnessed the fact, 

 that by a judicious management, a fine tem- 

 pered cutting edge of cast steel may be bent, 

 warped and hammered, and its shape materially 

 changed, without breaking, or affecting the tem- 

 per. More may be said on this subject in a fu- 

 ture number ; but we close for the present with 

 the remark that, even Anderson & Co. the cele- 

 brated manufacturers of cast steel, are evidently 

 unacquainted with all the merits of its peculiar 

 properties. — American Mechanic. 



WINGED COULTER, 



The engraving represents an implement very 

 highly recommended by Mr. James M. Garnett, 

 in his report to the Board of Agriculture, for 

 opening corn furrows. We have known it used 

 for several years past greatly to the satisfaction 

 of some of our best farmers. It is in fact no- 

 thing but the old-fashioned coulter, made some- 

 times in one shape, sometimes in another, with 

 the addition of the wings, that may be placed 

 higher or lower, or altogether removed, at plea- 

 sure. The coulter is sometimes made with a 

 double point, so that in case of wear or accident 

 to the front, it may be reversed, and the other 

 point brought into play. Mr. Garnett thus de- 

 scribes the one figured in the sketch above: — 

 " The letter A represents the bar of the coulter. 

 1 foot long, and made out of inch square iron. 

 At the end D, it has a point which fits into a 

 hole in the heel of the coulter B. This is 6 

 inches long from heel to point, which is sharp, 



and about an inch and a half broad. The up- 

 right part of the coulter should be about one 

 and a half inches wide, and three-quarters of 

 an inch thick. The letter C represents two 

 small mouldboards of wood, about 6 or 7 inches 

 long, and 4 wide. They are fastened on with 

 screws or nails, and are to be used only for open- 

 ing a furrow to plant corn, or any thing else 

 planted in the same way. The advantage of 

 this fixture is, that the furrow will be opened 

 only to the required depth, whilst the coulter, 

 which works several inches deeper, pulverizes 

 the earth below the seed, and thus forms a soft 

 bed for the reception of their roots. In using 

 the coulter to prepare new grounds for the 

 plough, or for other purposes, the mouldboards 

 should be taken off. The letter E represents 

 the screw bolt which fastens the end of the bar 

 to what may be called the helve." 



