THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Gi 



would ever be called upon to dress a horse him- 

 self, but nevertheless he should know how it 

 ought to be done, (a knowledge, by-the-by, that 

 is confined to very few,) that he may teach his 

 groom, or see that he does his duty. How many 

 of our farmers are totally ignorant of the me- 

 chanical construction of a plough, an instrument 

 that is as important to them as a plane to a car- 

 penter. Generally speaking, the agricultural 

 community of Virginia, although one of the 

 best informed upon general subjects, are so ig- 

 norant of mechanical principles that they are 

 hardly to be trusted with a machine more com- 

 plicated than an axe or a hoe. Ingenuity may 

 devise labor-saving machines for the mechanic 



(that will expedite his operations an hundredfold, 

 but what can it do for a farmer, who hardly 

 knows how one cog-wheel drives another. This 

 kind of knowledge has become absolutely ne- 

 cessary, and it must be taught — taught in schools 

 prepared and adapted for the purpose. 

 I There is only one way to get such a school 

 I established — instructions to the Legislature must 

 | be gotten up in every county — the friends of 

 agriculture must take them in charge and get 

 them signed — this is the only voice to which 

 our Legislature will, or ought to listen. 



If we find this notion properly seconded by 

 our friends and patrons, we will press it further 

 on a future occasion. 



IMPROVED HAMES 



1 



We have received from Mr. Samuel L. Post, 

 of New York, a cut and description of an im- 

 provement in the hames for horse collars, which 

 we here insert. The improvement consists of 

 the lever and hooks, as represented in the en- 

 graving, which may be attached to the common 

 hames. The hook plays freely upon the lever, 

 which by its position causes the collar to be 

 pressed evenly upon all parts of the shoulder at 

 once. With these hames, it is said, that such a 

 thing as galling is hardly possible. For further 

 information apply to Samuel L. Post, corner of 

 Broadway and Murray streets, New York. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 HINTS TO AGRICULTURISTS. 



We have had a most infelicitous season for 

 ploughing, and carting out manure; let me beg 

 all young people, and old ones also, who have 

 been in the habit of working, or carting on land 

 out of order, to beware ; there is nothing which 

 more surely blasts the hope of a fine crop, than 

 meddling with wet land. Some persons think 

 it is getting late, and we must plough our corn 

 land, haul out manure, &c. I have known 

 Thomas W. Gooch, Esq., deceased, plant corn 

 in June, rather than plough out of order, and 

 every one in Albemarle well knows his great 



