1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
51 
from a single one of these trees, or from all 
four indiscriminatelj'. We liave heard only one 
unfavorable account of this variety, and this 
from an experienced cultivator in Conn. It 
may he that the progeny of the different origi- 
nal trees does not prove equally good, and that 
the above exception "» the general verdict is 
due to the fact that cions have been dissemi- 
nated from more than one of the four seedlings. 
As Mr. S., in his letter, speaks at one time of the 
"original tree," and at another of "original 
trees," we are left in doubt on this point. He 
states that he has liad pears from the original 
tree that weighed 18 ounces; that the tree is not 
subject to blight, but that in some localities the 
fruit is, at intervals of several years, of an insip- 
id qualit}', and that this happens with the origi- 
nal trees. It is singular that a fruit possessing 
the marked high character of the Sheldon should 
have been before the public for more than a 
quarter of a centurj' and been so little dissemi- 
nated, while during this period many foreign 
sorts have been generally distributed and culti- 
vated, and many of them abandoned. This 
slow progress in popularity is attributed by Mr. 
Sheldon to the fact that it has had no person 
especially interested in its sale to puflF it, but 
has depended entirely upon its own merits. 
Some Weeding Implements. 
Fig. 1 — WHEEL HOE. 
A large share of all the labor in the garden is 
devoted to the destruction of weeds, and any- 
thing that facilitates this work, is of great im- 
portance to every one who has a garden. The 
ordinary hoe has been more or less superseded 
by weeding contrivances in great number, and 
we give a few of the simplest, such as can 
be made during the winter's leisure, with the aid 
of the blacksmith. Mr. Wm. R. Tatem, Phila. 
Co., Pa., sends a drawing of a "Wheel-hoe which 
he finds very effective in working between rows 
of onions, and other crops sown in drills, as well 
as in cleaning paths. It consists of a V-shaped 
blade attached to a handle with a wheel at one 
end. The handle, the whole of which is not 
shown in the engraving, is of Ij inch stuff, 4 
feet 9 inches long, 3 inches wide at the lower, 
and 14 inch at the upper end. A cross handle, 
15 inches long, is attached at the upper end, to 
allow the hoe to be worked with both hands. 
The wheel is of cast ii'on, 10 inches diameter, 
Fig. 2— MISSIONARY HOE. 
with a rim li inch in width. It is attached to 
tlie handle by means of a curved shank, having 
two arms between whicli the wheel revolves. 
The axle is fix^d in the shank, and the wheel 
turns upon it. The upright of the blade is of 
i inch iron, 14 inch wide, and 13 inches long ; 
this is attached to the handle at 6 inches from 
its lower end. It is found convenient to have 
:3ome contrivance to altfjr the hight of tJis )joe 
in order to adapt it to the use of a boy or man, 
as may be required. It is used by means of a 
backward and forward motion of the arms. 
Fig. 3, the Missionary-hoe is an implement on 
a similar principle, though differing in construc- 
tion. A straight and narrow blade, about 8 
inches long, is attached to a frame just behind 
a wooden roller, which serves as a wheel to reg- 
ulate the depth to which the blade shall enter 
the soil. We have used this implement with 
satisfaction, and found it the safest thing to put 
Fig. 3— SCUFFLE HOE. 
in the hands of an unskilled laborer. It is said 
to have been invented by a missionary to some 
of our western Indians, and in clean, mellow soil 
it does good and rapid work. — Fig. 3, the Scuffle- 
hoe, also called Dutch-hoe, and Push-hoe, is a 
very convenient implement for destroying weeds. 
A Boston correspondent, is so much pleased 
with it that he is desirous that all our readers 
should become acquainted with it. We give a 
cut of one form of the Scuffle-lioe, and let our 
correspondent speak its praises as follows : 
" Since I commenced its use I have kept my 
garden free from weeds with so much less labor, 
that it seems to make all the difference between 
weeds and no weeds. It should not interfere 
with the use of the hoe in loosening the ground 
around hills of corn, melons, etc., but for clean- 
ing off weeds and breaking the crust after a rain, 
for running between rows of strawberry plants, 
of beets, onions, and other root crops, etc., it 
saves much hoeing and hand-pulling of weeds. 
A hoe must be pressed into the ground with 
considerable exertion, which is quite fatiguing 
to most of the thousands to whom the posses- 
sion and care of a kitchen garden should be 
a luxury and a recreation ; but the Scuffler slides 
just under the surface, pushing out the young 
weeds, while it allows the body to be maintained 
erect and requires but little effort. It is particu- 
larly useful for scuffling close to a fence about the 
posts, under currant, and especially about black- 
berry, raspberry, or bushes of a briery nature. 
To get the best advantages from it, one needs 
to be careful about the pattern, as there are 
many forms in the tool stores. I think the 
blade should be just 5i inches, that is the hap- 
py medium between too wide and too narrow ; 
the handle should be long, say six feet, and the 
blade must be set upon it with such a slant as 
will enable a cut to be made either way, and the 
tool to be used without leaning over, that is, so 
that the blade may be flat on the ground when 
the end of the handle is at the higlit of the 
shoulder. If the ground has been allowed to get 
packed hard, or tlie weeds become large, the 
Scuffler won't answer, and one needs to brighten 
his hoe, or turn all the soil over with a spade." 
In July last we figured and described the 
Ba3'onet-hoe, and since then several have writ- 
ten in praise of this simple and useful little im- 
plement. Mr. C. B. Meek, of Canandaigua, N. 
Y., states that he brought one with him from 
England, 38 years ago, and he has the identi- 
cal hoe in use yet, it having been occasionally 
relaid with steel. He says : " I make all my 
drills for seed with it, and by working it deep 
between my growing crops, I can defy all 
drouths." Mr. M. states that this hoe was in- 
vented by the late Lord Vernon of Derbyshire, 
J^iPg; and that the proper nam© is the Vernon 
Hoe. We were aware that it sometimes bore 
this name, and as it was earlier called the Span- 
ish Hoe, we gave the name by which it is best 
known in this country. Whatever may be the 
oldest and therefore most proper name, it is 
certainly a most valuable garden implement. 
« I ■■■ — ►--■ 
Gardens for the Children. 
A Michigan lady thus sensibly pleads the 
cause of the young people : " A great deal can 
be done to encourage horticultural tastes and 
industrious habits in children. Why don't 
farmers fence off little gardens for their larger 
boys and girls, and allow them to have all they 
can raise from them ? Put agricultural papers in 
their hands, and encourage them to try exper- 
iments in wheat raising, cultivating seedling 
fruits, etc. Put a good magnifying glass into 
their hands, that they may become acquainted 
with their insect friends and enemies. To those 
old enough to appreciate and take care of them, 
give choice plants to cultivate, or what would 
perhaps sometimes be better, let them earn 
money in some way and purchase them for 
themselves. Don't turn them off with an Isa- 
bella grape when it will not ripen for you ; let 
them have a Delaware or a Concord, that they 
may be more sure of a return for their labors. 
So of strawberries and other things. Excite 
in them a desire of excelling in raising fine 
fruits and vegetables. Let them get up chil- 
dren's agricultural fairs and horticultural socie- 
ties for discussion, etc. Don't you think the Ag- 
ricultural papers will be studied if you do this, 
and don't you think you will raise a family of 
intelligent and well-informed men and women ? 
"So of domestic animals. If you have a boy a 
dozen years old, give him a yoke of calves to 
train ; give the girls lambs, and let them have 
the fleeces as a reward for good care, or allow 
them to raise some fine cows for themselves. 
Children need objects to love, and incentives to 
faithful labor, and they will love home all the 
more if you attach them to it by pleasant mem- 
ories and good kind instruction." — Well said. 
« I -m»^ .-« 
A Diminutive Variety of Corn. 
There are upon our Exhibition Tables some 
ears of corn about 15 inches in 
length, and we do not know 
how much larger ears may be 
produced ; but in the opposite 
direction we think that the mini- 
mum has been reached in an ear 
sent us by Mr. A. Berry, Hamil- 
ton Co., O., with the name of 
"Brazilian Pop Corn." The 
engraving gives the exact size and 
shape ; the color is a fine gar- 
net red. An experiment with 
a few kernels shows it to be of 
excellent quality for popping; 
though it does not make as 
large grains as some other kinds. 
Mr. B. thinks he has acclimated 
the variety ; at all events the ear 
sent us seems to be perfectly 
matured. It is recommended to 
grow it in drills, leaving the 
plants 18 inches apart. The 
suckers are not removed, as they 
bear as well as the main stalk, 
and each plant yields from 4 to 
10 ears, or even more, accord- 
ing to circumstances. We are 
not informed if the variety is in the market. 
