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REMARKS ON IMPROVED FARMING IMPLEMENTS. 
REMARKS ON IMPROVED FARMING IMPLEMENTS. 
Probably there has been no one fact, within 
the last ten years, which has given so strong 
proof of a new impulse in favor of agriculture, 
as the multiplicity of new and improved imple- 
ments and machines. These are both time and 
labor-saving, and do the work a great deal bet- 
ter than the old machines ever could do. So, 
when the farmer can save time and labor in 
his business, then he saves mone)' ; and yet, 
very few of the mass of farmers, seem to appre- 
ciate this doctrine, from the fact that they do 
not practise it. I well know, that we farmers 
are too apt to go on the " patch-up plan," in 
using farming tools; that is, we like to use the 
old plow, harrow, &c, as long as possible, and 
much longer than it will pay. 
One of the most important and ancient of all 
agricultural implements is the plow. It is said 
that, in the early ages of the Christian era, 
it was simply a crotched stick, sharpened 
down to a point, while, for a team to draw it, 
an " old woman and an ass were yoked up to- 
gether," which was probably the best team they 
could get. And even now, it is stated by trav- 
ellers, that, in many districts of Europe, the 
plow has undergone very little change in its 
form or construction, for the last three hundred 
years. It was a great era for the plow, when 
the iron moldboard first came into use twenty- 
five years ago. And yet, there is as much differ- 
ence between the improved iron plows of the 
present day, and the first ones that came into 
use, as there was be f ween the first iron plows, 
and the old wooden ones, which went through 
the ground more like drawing a sharpened bil- 
let of wood, than they did like plowing. 
Every farmer knows, or should know, that 
when a soil is well and' thoroughly plowed, 
that at least two thirds of the labor of the cul- 
tivation of the crop, is already done. Hence 
the necessity of having a plow that works on 
correct principles. And I am happy to say, 
that there is at the present time, many kinds of 
plows that are made to work through the soil 
with great ease ; also doing the work, as a 
plowman would say, in a scientific manner. 
Notwithstanding this, there is only now and 
then a farmer, who knows how to appreciate 
the difference between these improved plows, 
and one of the common ones in general use. A 
common saying with farmers is, " I can buy a 
plow for five dollars, which will answer my 
purpose just as well as your " centre-draft," 
that you have to pay ten and twelve dollars for." 
But stop, farmer, we have heard that doctrine 
preached so long, that we have learned it by 
heart: and yet, we mean to say that there is 
not one word of good sense in the whole of it. 
It is true that you can buy a plow for five 
dollars, and it may answer some kind of pur- 
pose, and that is about all you can say. The 
truth is, the cheap plow cannot do the work 
right, because it never was made right, to begin 
with, while the ten-dollar plow, is just the 
article, for it runs through the ground like a 
charm, doing the work in a perfect manner. 
Many times I have heard of men being " penny 
wise and pound foolish." If that doctrine was 
ever true, it is so with these farmers who pur- 
chase tools to farm with. 
Derby, Ct. L. Durand. 
LONG-ISLAND LANDS. 
In your remarks in the last number of the 
Agriculturist, upon the wild lands of Long 
Island, you say, " Why emigrants should all be 
sent off a thousand miles to the west, when there 
is so much vacant land within a few hours' sail 
or ride of New York, is more than any one, we 
think, can answer." The answer to this, is 
simply, because nobody has ever, heretofore, 
brought these lands to the favorable notice of 
those desirous of settling on new lands, and 
from the opinions entertained and promulgated 
by the people of Long Island, adverse to culti- 
vating them, and for no other reasons ; for these 
lands are productive, when cultivated like those 
of other parts of the island. 
Let those who doubt this, go and examine the 
beautiful garden and grounds at Lake-Road 
Station, where, a year ago, there was nothing 
but " brush and barrens," and also at Yaphank, 
and other places east of Lake Road. Nothing 
can exceed the thrift and vigor which the crops 
at these places now exhibit. They will com- 
pare favorably with any gardens or crops on 
the old and more cultivated parts of Long 
Island. E. 
Brooklyn, July 16th, 1850. 
Great Crop of Hay. — A mowing lot, says the 
Springfield Republican, of H. W. Clapp, at 
Greenfield, Mass., containing seven acres and 
one hundred rods, yielded last week, twenty-nine 
tons and four hundred and ninety-seven pounds 
of hay, or over four tons to the acre. We think 
this hay must have been weighed in rather a 
green state. When so much grass grows upon 
an acre, it is almost impossible to cure it as dry 
as when a less quantity is produced. We have 
no doubt, however, under any circumstance, 
that it was a magnificent crop. A friend at our 
elbow, gives it as a decided opinion that this 
mowing lot was well manured ; and, further- 
more, that whatever was put upon it, paid as 
well, in the long run, as digging California dust, 
or Wall-street speculations. 
Your Neighbors Hens. — Do they trouble you ? 
feed them and coax them over your side of the 
fence and they will leave you all their eges, and 
then the owner will take care of them. He will 
be a little mad at first, but will afterwards laugh 
at the cunning trick. Try it, it is better than 
shooting them. 
The Best Manure for Trees is decayed 
leaves. To a cord of this, add four bushels of 
oyster-shell lime and one of salt, and as mu?-h 
charcoal as you like and you will find it a valua- 
ble compost for fruit trees or shrubbery. Wool 
ashes or potash, in moderate quantities, in any 
shape, will be found valuable. 
