146 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



heard him declare, that if he could not get an- 

 other, he would not take fifty dollars for this 

 little implement. 



But we believe our readers generally have 

 seen and heard enough of subsoil ploughing to 

 satisfy them of its utility. The greatest diffi- 

 culty to its more general introduction, is the 

 want of the implement and a detailed descrip- 

 tion of the proper mode of using it. The sub- 

 soil plough most generally approved in this 

 country, consists of a broad, flat, upright stand- 

 ard, fastened to the beam as the mouldboard 

 usually is : to this standard is attached the point 

 and share of a common plough— commencing 

 where the share ends, and running back, a piece 

 of cast iron, about half an inch thick, three 

 inches wide, and fourteen inches long, is bolted, 

 with one of its edges against the perpendicular 

 standard; at the back of this standard which 

 may be considered the heel of the plough, 

 this piece of iron is elevated about four inches 

 forming an inclined plane, which serves to up- 

 heave and break out the earth from furrow to 

 furrow. We have seen all the subsoil ploughs 

 in use, and have endeavored to describe the one 

 that seems by common consent to be preferred 

 at the North ; but for our part, we confess that 

 we do not see any great advantage that any of 

 them have over a good strcng new ground 

 coulter, such as may be made at any black- 

 smith's shop in the country; especially if to it 

 is attached an elevated wing, to answer the 

 purpose for which the side piece of the subsoil 

 plough is intended. As for the mode in which 

 it is to be used, we make the following extract 

 from an article we find in the Transactions of 

 the New York State Agricultural Society for 

 1844, for a copy of which, by-the-by, we are 

 much indebted to the Secretary of the Society : 



" First goes the soil plough, in the usual way, 

 turning over its slice of soil, and just after it 

 comes the subsoiler, working in the bottom of 

 the new made furrow, thoroughly disturbing 

 and displacing but not inverting the hard sub- 

 soil, to the depth (if required) of fourteen inches, 

 with No. 1, and eighteen or twenty with larger 

 sizes of the plough. Then comes the soil plough 

 again, on its second round, turning over its slice 

 of soil — covering the work of the subsoiler, (not 

 its furrow, for it makes none) and uncovering a 

 new and unbroken line of subsoil for the second 

 round of the subsoiler. Thus they alternate, 

 and experience satisfies me that two teams (one 

 to each plough) will do as much with respect 

 to quantity, depth of furrow and ease of draft, 



and very much more with respect to efficient 

 and profitable tillage, than three similar teams 

 can, with the common plough in the other mode. 

 Thus at least a third of the team work is saved 

 at the outset, besides being altogether more 

 manageable and convenient." 



TO CURE A SNAKE BITE. 



An exchange paper says that the bark of 

 yellow poplar, bruised, made into a poultice and 

 applied to ihe wound — at the same time that 

 the wound is bathed with a strong decoction of 

 the same, and the patient given a half pint to 

 drink every half hour, will effect a cure. 



Charcoal made into a paste with hog's lard 

 and changed often, is also pronounced sovereign. 

 To which we add indigo, treated in the same 

 manner. — Prairie Farmer. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 COCKLE. 



JWr. Editor, — In examining the May number 

 of the Planter I noticed Dr. Wrenn's communi- 

 cation on the subject of cockle and cheat. I 

 will (in advance) subscribe to his views and 

 suggestions, relative to the manner of testing, 

 and bringing agricultural implements and ma- 

 chines into notice; but really I think if the 

 Doctor waits for a machine to be invented to 

 effectually separate cockle and cheat from wheat, 

 and uses no effort nor adopts no plan of his ow T n 

 to get rid of it, he will be troubled with it, in 

 proportion to the yield of his wheat crop, the 

 remainder of his life. I would not suggest any 

 thing (inexperienced as I am) in the way of 

 farming, to Dr. Wrenn, the worthy proprietor of 

 Shoal Bay, but would simply recommend to him 

 a renewal of the "good old way," idle as it 

 may appear to him, of extracting or removing 

 from his wheat field at the proper time all the 

 cockle at least, that may be found there. I pur- 

 sue this plan in my limited way of raising wheat, 

 and am troubled but little wiih cockle; as to 

 cheat, I am told it is produced from unmatured 

 seed wheat, or fiom well matured wheat, re- 

 tarded in some way in its growth. It is no 

 more labor for a large force to pull up the cockle 

 from a large crop of wheat, than for a small 

 force to do it from a small crop, and I would say 

 the proper time to remove it is from its first ap- 

 pearance, previous to the time of its ripening 

 and losing the seed. Remove the cockle from 

 your wheat, Doctor ; select your seed from the 

 best matured wheat of your whole crop, and 

 wait no longer, nor trouble any body about a 

 machine to separate cockle an* cheat from 

 wheat. 'Tis idle even to think about it. 



I w T as much pleased to learn from the same 

 number of the Planter that there is some pros- 



