THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



77 



This corn (which I have no doubt is the 

 identical Wyandot corn in all except name) is 

 called bv some the "Hicks Corn," by others 

 "Extra Prolific/' and from fair trial it has 

 been ascertained to stand a drought better than 

 any other, and in any season to produce about 

 one third more than any other species of corn. 

 In other words, three crops of this corn are 

 equal to four crops of other kinds. On good 

 ground the stalks will bear from four to seven 

 full ears. On inferior land (which would not 

 produce other corn at all) they bear from two 

 to four ears, and all full. It is precisely the 

 same kind of corn described by Mr. Moody, 

 and makes beautiful white meal, and I have 

 noticed that the corn, when shelled, weighs 

 over fifty-six pounds to the bushel. 



These facts can be well authenticated, and 

 the corn can be procured in any quantity on 

 application to numbers of gentlemen in this 

 community. The price, I suppose, (not know- 

 ing) would be from one dollar to one and a half 

 per bushel. Very respectfully, 



" J. F. S. 



N. B. — Messrs. B. W. Bass, W. T. Sledge, or 

 G. T. Simmons, have been cultivating this 

 corn, and could no doubt supply orders for it. 



PLAN OF A TOBACCO HOUSE. 

 A short time j,go we applied to a friend for 

 a plan of a tobacco house which might at 

 pleasure be converted into a hay house. Though 

 the information was sought entirely for our 

 private use, we find the suggestions so good, 

 and the directions so complete, that we think 

 it well worth publishing ; especially for those 

 unfortunate people, who, like ourselves, have a 

 hollow where the bump of media nic-iveness 

 ought to be. — [Ed. So. Planter. 



Gale Hill, Albemarle, Jan. 10th. 1857. 

 & * * ' * * * : * * * * 



* * You say you want a house with the posts 

 let into the ground, and framed for vertical 

 weatherboarding. Now, unless you have locust 

 or cedar posts, I think it better policy and 

 cheaper in the end, (if not as cheap in the first 

 cost,) to frame the bottom of the posts into a 

 good twelve or ten inch square sill, and put 

 the sill either upon blocks, (as a temporary sup- 

 port,) or upon suitable brick or stone under- 

 pinning. If, in accordance with the above sug- 

 gestion, you abandon the idea of putting the 

 posts in the ground, so well ; and you have 

 nothing to do but frame the house with strong 

 timbers, (corner braces,) well put together in 

 the usual way, except that I would advise that 

 the corner braces should be longer than usual, 

 and thus brace higher up on the corner posts, 

 the advantage of which needs no explanation ; 

 if, however, you put the posts in the ground, 

 (and they should be put in from three to four 



feet deep, and well rammed and plumbed,) they 

 should be well braced not only with diagonal 

 braces from post to post at the ground, but also 

 with swinging braces (that is, from* post to 

 plate,) at the corners, — so much as regards 

 bracing the corners under either plan. Your 

 upright posts should be at least ten inches 

 square, (rough-hewed will answer.) and ten 

 feet apart, though they might be as much as 

 twelve feet apart, if the size of the house re- 

 quired it, and the plates four by eight inehes, 

 and well morticed and pinned on the top of the 

 posts; then your joists or top-tier poles should 

 be well pinned on the plate at both ends, or at 

 least every other joist should be thus strongly 

 pinned at both ends to the plate, and the ends 

 of the joists should project eight inches (or 

 more) beyond the outerside of the plate, which, 

 with the projection of the shingles, will give 

 at least one foot eave, — this will do ; though 

 more is better in a high house. The scantling 

 (,or purlins as they are commonly called) should 

 be three by four inches and of length to suit 

 the distance from centre to centre of the up- 

 right posts, (except the corner posts, where 

 they should extend out flush with the corner,) 

 and they should be let into said posts, at inter- 

 vals of three feet, (two feet nine inches would 

 answer,) one inch and a half deep, having the 

 insertion sawed out of the posts with square 

 shoulders to support well the purlins, and the 

 purlins to be well pinned (with inch pins) into 

 each upright post, not only at the ends of the 

 purlins where they meet on a post, but wher- 

 ever they cross the line of a post — this forms a 

 strong horizontal bracing to the house ; and on 

 these purlins, which are three inches thick, the 

 ends of the tier-poles are laid, after being 

 slightly flattened at the end to keep them from 

 turning over, (and this three inches at each 

 end will be hold enough for the tier-poles if 

 they are pretty stiff, which old-field pine poles 

 of suitable size skinned and seasoned will be, 

 and they make the best ;) and on the outside of 

 these purlins, together with the plate and sill, 

 the vertical weatherboarding — with plank, or 

 three quarter, square edge with the edges in 

 contact, not Lipped — is well nailed ; this wea- 

 therboarding braces the house again, and sup- 

 ports the purlins, which enables them to bear 

 the weight of the tier-poles loaded with green 

 tobacco. 



Next, as to the height and size of the house. 

 I would have six vertical tiers between the 

 I ground and the joists inclusive that would do to 

 lire tobacco on ; this would require the lower tier 

 eight feet from the ground, the next tier eleven 

 feet, the next fourteen feet, the next seventeen, 

 and twenty and twenty-three, at three feet be- 

 tween the tiers, which is the most approved 

 space, and it is undoubtedly best for large to- 

 bacco; but thirty-three inches makes more 

 space than is often found in log tobacco houses 

 after a few years settlcage, and is space enough 

 for ordinary tobacco, (average I mean). Upon 



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