THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



67 



to their numbers from the county of Dutchess, 

 probably the richest and best cultivated portion 

 of the State of New York. In allusion to this 

 emigration, Governor Hill, in the last number of 

 the " Visitor," remarks : 



" We have fully satisfied ourselves of the fact, 

 that there are many thousands of acres of land 

 in the States along the Atlantic seaboard now 

 lying useless that may be purchased and culti- 

 vated to better advantage and profit than the 

 best lands offered for sale at the West. The 

 Dutchess county farmers who have taken up 

 land for improvement in Fairfax county, Virgi- 

 nia, if their history for the next twenty years 

 could be written, will turn out to be more uni- 

 formly successful than an equal number with 

 the same means who have removed to the far 

 West. The new western lands may be more 

 easily brought into cultivation ; but Commodore 

 Jones has demonstrated, and the emigrants from 

 Dutchess county will prove that the best and 

 most profitable investment of all will be the ju- 

 dicious expenditure and labor bestowed in re- 

 claiming the worn-out lands of Fairfax county, 

 Virginia." 



In this connexion, we will take occasion to 

 mention, that we are authorized to sell a tract 

 of land of 1,700 acres, lying in the county of 

 Prince William, (the adjoining county to Fair- 

 fax). The situation is remarkably healthy, the 

 water excellent, and the wood abundant; the 

 whole affording fine pasturage for sheep. It 

 would afford a capital stand for a tavern and 

 store. The whole tract can be purchased for 

 three thousand one hundred dollars, cash, or for 

 two dollars an acre, on a reasonable credit. — 

 This is probably one of the greatest bargains to 

 be had in Virginia, and northern Editors would 

 no doubt be conferring a favor upon their sub- 

 scribers by disseminating information of the op- 

 portunity it affords. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 M'CORMICK'S REAPING MACHINE. 



Messrs. Editors, — I find that you did not ap- 

 prehend the purport of my 4th inquiry relative 

 to C. H. M'Cormick's reaper. When I asked 

 "can the reaper be conveniently used unless the 

 wheat ripens in large bodies," I did not mean to 

 inquire whether it would be advisable to pur- 

 chase one unless the farmer had large fields to 

 reap, but simply to learn whether the machine 

 could be conveniently used to cut small lands, 

 when the grain ripens not in " large bodies," but 

 irregularly in patches, as it sometimes does, or 

 whether from the inconvenience of turning, you 



must embrace several acres in a land to work 

 the reaper to advantage % 



As this inquiry is fully answered in a letter 

 received by me from an intelligent practical far- 

 mer, (Mr. Abraham Smith, of Rockingham,) 

 and as he speaks in terms of high commenda- 

 tion of the reaper, I shall take the liberty of 

 sending you an extract, thinking that the expe- 

 rience of this gentleman in the use of the ma- 

 chine for three harvests, may be acceptable to 

 many, who, like myself feel an interest in its 

 success. 



Very respectfully, 



George A. Smith. 



February 8, 1843. 



"Dear Sir, — Yours of the 18th instant came 

 to hand on yesterday. I shall endeavor to an- 

 swer your inquiries respecting C. H. M'Cormick's 

 Reaping Machine in the order in which you 

 have made them. 



1st. I have used one of them for three har- 

 vests, and have found no reason to alter my cer- 

 tified opinion. 



2d. I never cut wheat with dew or rain on it, 

 consequently cannot answer your question on 

 that subject. 



3d. It cuts grain on land not more inclined 

 than six or eight degrees as well as on level 

 land. Indeed I have worked it on land much 

 steeper, and found that it did not do so well. It 

 was inclined to run in or out of the grain. If 

 above, it would run in, if below, run out. 



4th. You must cut a way with the cradle to 

 start it, and when a square is nearly finished, 

 you will save time by finishing it with the cra- 

 dle — too much turning with the machine is too 

 great a loss of time. It is not profitable to in- 

 clude less than three or four acres in a square ; 

 for instance, if I wish to cut a twenty acre field, 

 I would start through the middle of it, and cut 

 backwards and forwards until it got too wide for 

 profitable work — after which I would make two 

 cuttings of the field. 



5th. I have never seen it work upon bedded 

 land, but have been informed that it has been 

 worked on the James River lowgrounds, which 

 is generally bedded, with advantage. 



6th. I have never found the ground too wet 

 on my land yet. I would suppose that when it 

 was so miry as to let the wheels sink much, it 

 would not work well. 



7th. The cutter has a sickle edge, and if a 

 good one, will cut well ten or twelve days; I 

 have two for my machine ; the sickle can be 

 ground. 



8th. In wheat three feet high, and upwards, 

 or if tangled, it will save grain better than any 

 way 1 have ever seen — in fact it saves all. 



9th. It will reap from twelve to fifteen acres 

 a day, if well tended. It requires two active 

 boys to drive and rake it alternately. 



