116 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



every operation connected with the management 

 of the horse — the whole gotten up in a very 

 beautiful manner and handsomely illustrated 

 with engravings. 



The book is sold for seventy-five cents ; for 

 this notice, in a regular business wajr, we should 

 have charged one dollar and fifty cents, and yet 

 we think we are p:iid three times over in the 

 copy with which we have been presented. 



From Messrs. Nash & Woodhouse we have 

 received a copy of " Boussingault's Rural Eco- 

 nomy," translated by Mr. George Law, "Agri- 

 culturist." This is a volume of five hundred 

 pages, handsomely gotten up, which is sold for 

 one dollar and fifty cents. We mean to siudy 

 it; for a slight glance at its contents satisfies 

 us that it is a work not to be read but to be stu- 

 died. We hope this fact will not deter those 

 who desire to understand the science of their 

 profession, from purchasing the work, for be as- 

 sured, that there are few acquisitions really wor- 

 thy of attainment that are to be had without 

 labor. The celebrity of the author ought to 

 ensure it a general sale and careful perusal. 



We are happy to hear from Messrs. Nash & 

 W 7 oodhouse, who have lately opened a very 

 elegant book store in our city, that they intend 

 to pay particular attention to the agricultural 

 department of their business. 



We are indebted to the author for a copy of 

 a work entitled " Historical Collections of Vir- 

 ginia," by Henry Howe. 



There is much of the curious and romantic 

 connected with the early history of Virginia, 

 and there is great need of a historian to collect 

 the fragments whilst they are yet floating upon 

 the tide of time. 



Mr. Howe's work is in its nature geographi- 

 cal, biographical, anecdotical, and historical; 

 and in the cursory examination which we have ! 

 bestowed upon it we discern evidences of consi- 

 derable labor and research. We know no work 

 which will afford to the Virginian a more useful 

 or interesting history of his native State. Mr. 

 Howe seems to have collected a great deal of gos- 

 sipping anecdote, which the more stately but less 

 natural historian might have considered beneath 

 his notice. A history of the counties is fur- 

 bished in alphabetical order, interspersed with 

 biographical memoranda of their most distin- 

 guished citizens, and were it valuable only for 

 its statistical information, we would commend it 

 £ts a book of reference to our readers. It is 



liberally ornamented with engravings, sold only 

 by travelling agents, and furnished at three dol- 

 lars and fifty cents. 



MILE. 



There is a great difference in the number of 

 yards contained in a mile in different countries. 

 The following table, showing the difference will 

 be very useful to many persons as a reference : 

 Mile in England or America, 1,760 yards. 

 " Russia, 1,100 " 



" Italy, 1,476 t( 



" Scotland and Ireland, 2,200 " 

 11 Poland, 4,400 " 



" Spain, 5,028 " 



" Germany, 5,866 " 



" Sweden & Denmark, 7,223 « 

 " Hungary, 8 ; S00 " 



REAPING MACHINES. 

 Our ingenious young friend, J. S. Gallaher, 

 of Winchester, has sent us a drawing and de- 

 scription of a reaping machine, which he has 

 lately invented. His object has been to get rid 

 of the reel, with which he considers M'Cormick's 

 to be encumbered, and also by the use of an 

 endless band and a revolving rake, to deliver 

 the wheat evenly and straighlly for the binder. 

 If Mr. Gallaher succeeds in the latter object, 

 he will save the raker from a very laborious 

 operation. 



We expect soon to present our readers with 

 a cut and further description of this implement. 



BOMMER. 



We received from Mr. Earnett, some time 

 since, the article on our cover, which he re- 

 quested us to insert as an advertisement. We 

 wrote him in reply, that such was the prejudice 

 in Virginia against Mr. Eommer and his method, 

 that we thought he was only throwing away 

 his money in paying for the advertisement ; but 

 he informs us that such is his confidence in the 

 value of this process, that he is not afraid to 

 face even prejudice itself with it, and in confor- 

 mity with his desire we insert his advertisement. 



W 7 e have not the least question that this pro- 

 cess affords a speedy, and in many situations, 

 an economical method of decomposing vegetable 

 matter. As to Mr. Bommer's right to this pa' 

 tent, we leave him to settle that matter with Mr. 

 Ellsworth and the public. 



