200 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



distinguish the grain from the Cob in the ground 

 state. If it be economy to crush corn and cob, 

 which can scarcely be doubted, then few im- 

 provements have been introduced, of which the 

 farmer should more promptly avail himself than 

 of this. Other machines for the same purpose 

 are favorably spoken of, which may prove more 

 desirable than this on trial — the Excelsior for 

 example, upon the same principle and about the 

 same costs. 



IMPLEMENTS OF PROMISCUOUS USES. 



5th. The committee recommends Wells' Seed 

 Sower as a valuable implement. By it, time, 

 labor and seed are saved and the operation of 

 sowing, better and more uniformly done, than 

 by hand-sowing ; but the price so far exceeds a 

 fair profit on the cost of manufacture as to 

 amount to extortion, and, therefore, the commit- 

 tee will not recommend its use. 



The English Clod Crusher, which consists of 

 a series of revolving sections, whose outer edges 

 are indented after the fashion of a cross-cut 

 saw, is costly, very heavy and effective. On one 

 or two farms of the stiff lands of James River it 

 is highly esteemed. In our Piedmont district, 

 implements of far less cost may be substituted 

 when necessary, though occasions for such rare- 

 ly occur. 



The ordinary roller, either plain or pegged, is 

 indispensable upon our light lands to secure a 

 stand of young grasses. Of straw cutters the 

 committee unhesitatingly award its preference to 

 Smith's of Richmond, for its simplicity, expedi- 

 tion, durability and the evenness of its work. 

 No stable should be without one. The scraper, 

 so valuable for removing earth, ditch banks 

 and levelling inconvenient equalities of surface, 

 is recommended. The various improvements in 

 shovels and forks for handling manures are 

 w r orthy of consideration and adoption. 



JAMES NEWMAN, ) 



PHILIP B. JONES, V of Orange. 



HENRY M ASSIE. ) 



Pot Cheese. — There is an other dish, 

 when one is scarce of sause, that we may 

 use a great deal : Take a crock or two of 

 thick milk ; put it on the slove, stir it once 

 in a while ; let it get milk-warm and no 

 warmer ; take it off and pour it into a thin 

 bag ; hang it up five or six hours, so that 

 they will run off; then take a bowlfull, and 

 put on enough sour cream to make it quite 

 soft, and it is good, and certainly cheap. 



Boil your Molasses. — When molasses 

 is used in cooking, it is a very great im- 

 provement to boil and skim it before you 

 use it. It takes out the raw taste, and 

 makes it almost as good as sugar. Where 

 molasses is used much for culinary purpo- 

 ses, it is well to prepare one or two gallons 

 in this manner at a time. 



[From the Valley Farmer.] 

 STEAM POWER FOR FARM PURPOSES. 



You request me in your letter to furnish you 

 with an account of my "Portable Steam Engine 

 for Farm Purposes," which I do with pleasure, 

 fully assured that the substitution of such a 

 steam power, on all our farms of moderate size, 

 is only a question of time. 



The Engine as yet has been tried only under 

 the most unfavorable circumstances. Standing 

 out doors, entirely unprotected, the weather in- 

 tensely cold, the wood green, the machinery all 

 new, many little advantages not given in it, — yet 

 yet it more than equalled my expectations, and 

 gave entire satisfaction to all who saw it work. 

 I tried it threshing again with perfect success — 

 not using more than one-third the amount of 

 steam, which was kept up without the least dif- 

 ficulty — nor did there appear to be the least 

 danger of setting fire te the straw. I then tried 

 it crushing corn in the cob with one of Pitt's 

 Crushers, which I have had in use for the last 

 four years, and though it was dull, and many of 

 the teen broken, with such an application of 

 power, I never saw better nor faster work done. 

 I also tried the engine cutting straw, corn stalks 

 and hay with equal success, using one of Sin- 

 clairs 12 inch cutters. I was satisfied that the 

 engine could have driven the three machines all 

 at the same time. Will the Engine do? is a 

 question quite settled with me, and in future I 

 shall use it as a motive power for all the ma- 

 chinery on my farm, to which power can be 

 conveniently applied. The space occupied by 

 my Engine is G by 9 feet. The boiler is 41 

 inches in diameter, and made of the best No. 4 

 4 Philadelphia stamped iron. The exhausted 

 steam paases into the smoke-pipe, killing all the 

 sparks. The smoke-pipe is 19 feet high and 12 

 inches in diameter, which gives a strong draft. 

 The whole machine is mounted on a strong iron 

 truck, with wheels 20 inches in diameter, and 

 can be easily drawn to any part of my -farm by 

 four horses. My Engine can be worked up to 

 about an eight horse power. The weight inclu- 

 ding the truck, is 4900 lbs. These engines are 

 manufactured by Messrs. A. N. Wood & Co., and 

 for compactness of form, simplicity of construc- 

 tion, arrangements of working parts, durability 

 and good workmanship, they can scarcely be 

 surpassed. They are easily managed, as you 

 may judge from the fact that mine is being 

 safely run and perfectly well attended to by one 

 of my negro boys, who had never so much as 

 seen an engine before. The price at which 

 these engines are afforded places them within 

 the reach of nearly every farmer. They are 

 made from 2J to 10 horse power, costing from 

 $225 to $835. My engine consumes from three 

 to four barrels of water per day, and about J 

 cord of wood. [Signed,] 

 J. A. HUMPHREYS. 



