108 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Davidson County Agricultural Society, at their 

 meeting at roy place in May last. 



I respond with pleasure to the inquiry, espe- 

 cially as the harrowing was an experiment, 

 which proved successful — increasing the pro- 

 duct over similar lands twenty per cent. The 

 harrow weighs 136 pounds, the frame of 

 which consists of three pieces of timber, 3 by 

 4 inches square, formed somewhat in the shape 

 of the letter A. The side pieces are 5 feet 8 

 inches long, and the sweep or width between 

 the rear teeth, 5 feet 6 inches. There are 17 

 iron teeth, 8 on each side and 1 in front, 1 

 inch square and 12 inches long. The front of 

 the handles rest on the frame, and the rear is 

 raised by uprights tenoned in the cross-piece 

 of the frame, similar in height and shape to 

 plow handles. The driver, by having his 

 hands on the handles, can easily guide it or 

 raise either corner to drop any substance that 

 may clog or drag and cause the tearing out of 

 the wheat. This is the most simple harrow in 

 use, and yet in my judgment the best, for all 

 purposes for which a harrow is used upon a 

 farm. 



I must remark, that no one experiment is 

 reliable for all locations and seasons, and 

 would recommend your correspondent to try it 

 cautiously, and don't be alarmed if 20 per 

 cent, of his wheat is absolutely torn out by the 

 roots in the operation, but follow it with the 

 roller, and the branching out will exceed the 

 amount torn out. 



I am very respectfully yours, &c, 



THOS. B. JOHNSON. 



Tennessee Farmer. 



From the Papers of the Piedmont Fauquier Agri- 

 cultural Club. 



Mr. Nathan Loughborough's Result from 



Graining and Grazing Cattle. 



"We call the attention of every grazier in the 

 State to the following statement in regard to a 

 lot of cattle grazed by Mr. Loughborough of 

 Fauquier. We deem the paper of great value. 

 The thanks of all graziers are due to Mr. 

 Loughborough for the experiment, and to the 

 club of which he is a member for giving them 

 to the public. The Secretary asks if any gra- 

 zing county in the State can beat it in the way 

 of profit. We cannot say, but the Planter is 

 open to any gentleman who can. There are 

 some large grazing counties besides Fauquier, 

 and they talk occasionally as if they made 

 money on fat stock. LinvilPs Creek boasts right 

 good grass, and our friend Matthews says 

 Wythe " handles fine." Matthews, Saunders, 



Kents, Cloyds, McGavocks, Crocketts. Do you 

 mean to let Fauquier beat you ? 



To the Editor of the Southern Planter. 



Oak Hill, Dec. 16th, 1»57. 



Dear Sir : 



As Secretary of the "Piedmont Fauquier 

 Agricultural Club," I have been directed to 

 lay before you, for publication, the subjoined 

 report of a lot of cattle grazed by Mr. Nathan 

 Loughborough," who resides in the upper end 

 of this county, and to desire you to request the 

 " American Farmer also to give it a place in 

 its columns. 



Mr. Loughborough bought, October 1856, 

 forty head of cattle averaging in weight 1073 

 pounds for $34 88 per head. The said cattle 

 w^ere wintered upon straw and fodder, and a 

 couple of barrels of inferior corn each. They 

 were turned out upon a sod-field April 22d, 

 1857, grass having sprung very little. At this 

 date they were again weighed, and were found 

 to have lost an average of fifteen pounds to the 

 steer. 



Sixteen of the smaller cattle were sent to 

 market in the month of June, and notwith- 

 standing they struck a heavy market, netted at 

 home $60 per head, a profit of twenty-five dol- 

 lars and twelve cents each. Had Mr. L. ac- 

 cepted an offer made him at home, for said lot 

 of 16 cattle, he would have realized considera- 

 bly more. In the month of July, ten more 

 were sent off, which netted at home $68 37J, 

 being a profit of thirty-three dollars and forty- 

 nine and a half cents (33 49J) per head. 



Mr. Loughborough has on hand, at this time, 

 fourteen (14) beeves, for which he has a stand- 

 ing offer of 80 (eighty dollars) per head. It is 

 to this portion of his lot we wish to direct the 

 particular attention of farmers and graziers. 



Weight of Stock 



Weight Sept. 1 st. No v. 1 st. 



Cat 



leOci 



185G. 



1857. 











Pounds. 



Pounds. 





gain. 



No. 



1. 



*1240 



1575 



1656 



416 



No. 



2. 



1210 



1620 



1762 



552 



No. 



g 



1170 



1533 



1687 



517 



No. 



4. 



1150 



1524 



1637 



487 



No. 



5. 



1130 



1515 



1604 



474 



No. 



6. 



1110 



1510 



163.2 



522 



No. 



7- 



unknown 



1508 



1630 





No. 



8. 



1120 



1505 



1625 



505 



No. 



9. 



1100 



1500 



1594 



494 



No. 



10. 



unknown 



1449 



1581 





No. 



11. 



1140 



1431 



1490 



350 



No. 



12. 



unknown 



1422 



1550 





No. 



13. 



(< 



1413 



1531 





No. 



14. 



<( 



1400 



1516 





* No 1. when purchased was four years old, and 

 his condition was among the best in the lot, fully 

 equal to the average of the grass beef of this 

 country. The rest of the cattle were three years 

 old with the exception of No 11. This steer 



