THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



243 



The owner of the horse will, therefore, find it 

 his interest occasionally to visit the forge, and 

 guided by the simple principles which have 

 been stated he will seldom err in his own opinion 

 of what is going forward there. He should 

 impress two principles deeply on his mind that 

 a great deal more depends on the paring out of 

 the foot than in the construction of the shoe: 

 that few shoes, except they press upon the sole, 

 or made shamefully bad, will lame the horse, 

 but that he may be very easily lamed by an ig- 

 norant or improper paring out of the foot. 



Where the owner of the horse has sufficient 

 influence with the smith, he will find it advisable 

 always to have a few sets of shoes ready made. 

 Much time will be saved, in case of accident, 

 and there will not be, as is too often the case, 

 the cutting and paring and injuring of the foot, 

 in order to make it fit the shoe. More injury 

 than would be readily believed is done to the 

 foot by contriving to get on too small a shoe. 



Stewart. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 END IRONS AND AN ERROR CORRECTED. 



M\ Botis, — In my remarks, published in your 

 late number in reference to corn houses, there is 

 some error committed by you or my copying 

 clerk, as I am made to say "filing closely around 

 these legs, plates of tin are sprigged to the under 

 part of the sills whereas, I intended to say, 

 " fitting closely around these legs up near the 

 sills, plates of tin, which are sprigged to the 

 legs" My reason for putting the tin up so high 

 on the legs, is that the rats may start to ascend 

 before they reach the tin, and then they can't 

 leap over it. But perhaps if the sheets of tin 

 were sprigged (as I am made to say) to the un- 

 der part of the sills, and then upon the sides of 

 the sills also where the leg is connected with 

 them, it might answer as well. I will now add 

 that in putting the tin around the legs I do not 

 make the edges of the tin meet on the edges of 

 the leg or post, but in the middle, lest I may 

 form some foothold for the rats, as they are sure 

 to run up the corner of a post. 



I have just invented, in my opinion, a very 

 convenient end iron. Having long observed that 

 in making fires of wood in fire places made of 

 bricks, the wood falls close to the back and pre- 

 vents the blaze and smoke from ascending up 

 the back, which is apt to make it smoke, and in 

 throwing on wood carelessly as many do, the 

 back soon gives way and falls, and is said to 

 burn out, when in truth it is broken down by 

 throwing on heavy logs carelessly, especially 

 when the bricks are hot and wood wet with 

 rain or snow, and sometimes by crowding the 

 wood on, the end irons are forced from the back 

 and slip quite too far out. Now to remedy all 

 these evils and inconveniences, and indeed to 



save expense of putting up backs that have 

 fallen, I had a pair of end irons made in my 

 shop of wrought iron, one inch square, and the 

 bar on which the wood lies is riveted into a 

 piece to form the leg at the back, which piece 

 extends up the back some twelve to sixteen 

 inches, and is shaped to fit the back {a a hang- 

 ing one.) Now, by my plan the blaze and 

 smoke can always ascend up the back, and if 

 the wood should be thrown on wet and care- 

 lessly, it can't touch the backs, but falls against 

 the irons, and the pressue being general, it does 

 no harm. And in crowding the wood between 

 the two uprights, the end iron cannot be moved 

 out of its place, but stands firm. It is an im- 

 provement I have never seen nor heard of, and 

 though very simple, I think those who may 

 think proper to try it, will not regret it. 



W. TlMBERLAKE. 



Belle Mr, Oct. 26, 1846. 



We have no doubt that this is a capital im- 

 provement in andirons or end irons, as Mr. Tim- 

 berlake calls them. The origin of the term is 

 generally supposed to be found in the phrase 

 shovel, tongs and irons. The derivation is not 

 entirely satisfactory, and as orthoepists we should 

 like to know how Mr. Timberlake derives his 

 expression. 



From the Indiana Farmer and Gardener. 

 WHEAT AMONG CORN. 



The fourth number of the Farmer and Gar- 

 dener contains an article from the Michigan 

 Farmer which recommends the sowing of wheat 

 amongst corn. On reading it, it occurred to me 

 that it would be well for me to communicate my 

 observations on the subject ; my proper avoca- 

 tions have occupied my time, until now, that it 

 is so late that neither good nor harm can be 

 done the present season ; but some observations 

 may be offered for reflection against another sea- 

 son, and in that way some good may be done. 

 Wheat amongst corn has always been a com- 

 mon practice here in Knox county. I know of 

 two instances, and 1 have often heard of a third 

 in an adjoining county, Sullivan, in which this 

 practice seems to be successful. One of our old 

 French farmers, Mr. P. B., has a field of twenty 

 or more acres, along which it has been my lot 

 to pass some hundred or more times each year 

 for the last fifteen years. During this time this 

 field has alternately been in corn and wheat, 

 the wheat sowed amongst the standing corn, 

 and has always produced fine crops, very good 

 corn and good wheat. But, during all this time, 

 nothing has been taken off of this field but the 

 ears of corn and sheaves of wheat. It is a 

 piece of level prairie. The corn is planted in 

 four-feet rows. If broken down by the wind, 



