250 



THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



grooves in the head, both of the quarter and 

 thigh bone, fitting in each other, and when bent 

 short forward, these grooves and ridges would 

 be exposed to injury, was it not for a cartilage 

 similar to our knee-pan, operating as a defender 

 of the joint. This cartilage is confined by ten- 

 dons to the muscle above and below, and when 

 the horse is standing at his ease, may be felt to 

 play loosely with the hand, but when this carti- 

 lage gels stifled over the head of the joint, either 

 on the in or out side, by accident, it creates so 

 much pain to force it back, the horse will not 

 permit it, if he can possibly avoid it, and, there- 

 fore, is disposed to keep the stifled limb in a 

 contracted position. The remedy is simply to 

 pull the limb straight back till the stifle joint 

 assumes a right line with the two bones joining 

 the same, and the cartilage at. once assumes its 

 proper place. About thirty years past I dis- 

 sected a stifle joint of a mare which I had killed, 

 from becoming useless from this cause. She 

 had been stifled twelve months or more. I found 

 the cartilage had adhered closely to the adjoin- 

 ing parts, and from creating friction on an im- 

 proper part of the bone on the outside of the 

 joint, the bone itself had become diseased, from 

 which reason a stifle of long standing would be 

 incurable. I have put several stifle bones in 

 place since my discovery, as above ; indeed, all 

 that I have tried, by simply tying a rope around 

 the pastern joint of the stifled limb, roping the 

 other end, one around a stake or post, holding it 

 in my hand so as to let it loose when the horse 

 has been made to pull forward sufficient to 

 straighten the limb by a careful hand hold of 

 the bridle, which should be done suddenly, as 

 the horse will avoid it if apprised by a gradual 

 move. If this step be taken immediately after 

 the accident happening, the horse or owner will 

 suffer but little inconvenience from it. 



Ryland Rodes. 

 Nelson County, Oct. 18, 1846. 



N. B. — Mr. Botts, when I asked you, in Sep- 

 tember last, to put the above information in the 

 Planter, you preferred my writing it out myself 

 and subscribing my name to it for publication, 

 which I declined, but remarked, that I would 

 subscribe some fictitious name; but I since con- 

 cluded as anonymous pieces are not so popular 

 with myself, and no doubt with others, to so 

 simple a statement of facts so well known to 

 myself to be true, I would give you my name 

 and residence. R. R. 



For the Southern Planter. 



PLOUGHS. 



Mr. Editor, — In the September and October 

 numbers of the Planter there are communica- 

 tions from a writer styling himself "The Far- 

 mer's Friend," the design of which is to show 



that the patent laws ought to regulate the prices 

 of the patented articles. To your pen, Mr. 

 Editor, we leave the question in dispute between 

 yourself and your correspondent. Our purpose 

 is to prevent or correct an impression which 

 those articles are calculated to produce upon 

 the minds of the uninformed. That writer en- 

 deavors to illustrate and enforce his views by a 

 reference to the plough and the wheat machine. 

 Though, in his remarks on the extravagant 

 prices of patented ploughs, he instances only the 

 " Boston Centre Draught Plough," yet he evi- 

 dently intends his remarks for patented ploughs 

 general!} 7 . "If these ploughs," says he, "were 

 not patented they could be had for at least eight 

 dollars, or one-half of the present price." Would 

 " The Farmer's Friend" believe us, if we say, 

 that we are manufacturing in Richmond, a pa- 

 tented plough, the invention of a Virginian, 

 differing in the principles of its construction from 

 every other plough in the Union as widely as 

 the "Boston Centre Draught" differs from the 

 common plough, varying in sizes from a light 

 one horse to a large three or four horse plough, 

 with either wrought or cast shares, of which 

 we have sold four hundred since January last, 

 and yet we have never sold a plough for " six- 

 teen," nor even for "fourteen" dollars. In our 

 advertisement, published for months in the En- 

 quirer and Whig, we say, " We expect to sell 

 our ploughs as low as ordinary ploughs are sold 

 in the city market." As it is difficult to com- 

 pare sizes and prices with judgment without 

 actual inspection, we respectfully invite "The 

 Farmer's Friend" to visit our factory and we 

 will convince him of his error, at least in regard 

 to our patented plough. We can give the names 

 of numerous intelligent, practical and successful 

 farmers, who regard Watt's Cuff Brace and 

 Gauge or Centre Draught" Plough, the cheapest 

 plough they ever used. Its advantages, such as 

 simplicity, strength, durability, ease and accu- 

 racy of adjustment to the horse, the landing 

 and draughting, greater freedom from choking, 

 &c, are all afforded to the farmer without addi- 

 tional cost. 



We think, Mr. Editor, it would have been 

 but an act of justice in you, while comparing 

 Richmond ploughs with the "Boston Cenire 

 Draught Plough," to have dropped at least a 

 word in regard to Watt's Plough, so as to dis- 

 abuse the mind of " The Farmer's Friend" of 

 his great error, as manifested in his sweeping 

 declaration in regard to the exorbitant prices of 

 patented ploughs. By-the-by, Mr. Editor, in an 

 article from your pen, in the June number, 1842, 

 (Vol. 2, p. 143,) on the whole, quite compli- 

 mentary to our plough, you express yourself as 

 "almost afraid that these qualities are gained at 

 the expense of permanency and simplicity " — 

 You also said in regard to another advantage 

 claimed, that "Upon this point we will seek 



