SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
89 
of gestation oi a cow is 284 days, or, as it is said, 9 calen 
dar months and 9 days; the ewe 20 weeks; the sow 16 
weeks; the mare 11 months. The well-bred cattle of the 
present time appear to me to bring forih twins more fre- 
quently thin the cattle did 50 years ago. The males of 
all animols, hares excepted, are larger than the females 
Castrated male cattle become larger beasts than entire 
males. {Blaine's Ency. pp. 205, 281 ; Quart. Journ. oj 
Agr. vol. X., p. 287.) 
“STANFORD’S GRASS” AND “HUNGARIAN.” 
A friend, who knows all about Grasses and many other 
kindred subjects, writes us: ' 
The “Stanford” does best when sown at the earliest 
date in the spring, when oats is sown. Best to sow in 
drills 1 foot apart, very thick in the drill, or it may sown 
broadcast, 2 bushels to the acre — the land to be well pre- 
pared by a harrow and deep plowing. If in drills, 1 bush- 
el seed per acre will do. 
It is one of the best grassas we have for winfer graz- 
ing, and makes a good hay, growing tall and thick. It 
should be cut just as it is in bloom, if left longer it gets too 
coarse. 
If sown in drills and well top-dressed with manure 
and a coulter run between the drills every spring, it will, 
on good land, yield two tons of hay per acre, and afford 
a splendid pasture throughout the winter; the stock to be 
removed in March, prior to plowing and manuring 
The Hungarian Grass seed I send is pure, having come 
from the Patent Office importation. It will be a great ac- 
quisition to the owners of rich swamp lands, for a hay 
crop, f )r sale, as three to six tons may be raised on an acre 
and much the most valuable hay. 1 think a peck would 
seed an acre. 
The lightest frost kills it. It should be sown late in 
spring; does not do well on thin, dry uplands; is a great 
exhauster of land. P. 
McCOMB’S COTTON PRESS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — A young friend ni 
South Carolina, begs me to give, through your colunms, 
a description of McComb s Cotton Press, with the remark 
“there are several who desire to see a description.” 
My talent, if any, does not lie in discriptions ; yet as 
this has been urged upon me by two other friends, I can- 
not refuse. 
In the first place, it is to be borne in mind, the bale 
is pressed upwards, taken out on 1st floor. The press is 
a frame, firmly connected together with mortice and tenon 
and supported on two stout girders, or gearing beam on 
the upper sills of the gin house, the lower story where 
gin horses work, being the bottom of press, then 1st floor 
in which the bale is pressed, and above that is a garret 
for holding seed cotton, where the picked cotton is put in 
The four main parts of the press, 20 feet long by about 10 
by 14 inches, are connected together side and ends ; 
above is tire follow block against which the bale is pressed 
and moved out to put cotton into box, this is retained in 
position by the top end ties of the press ; box some 8 feet 
long, then side and end doors, with bottom block 4 feet 6 
inches, by 2 feet, running up and down in box. To the 
bottom of this block is attached sockets of iron, in which 
work ends of levers, which I can best illustrate by two 
human arms, the hands attached to centre of bottom block 
in sockets above; the end at shoulder attached to cross 
tie at bottom of press; a cast iron groved wheel attached 
out side at each elbow, in which a 2 1 2 inch rope freely 
runs and the wheel plays on an axle; one end of rope is 
attached to end of axle; is carried to the opposite wheel 
on same side, over it, then to the wheel on the other el 
bow where rope started, over it, then through a shaft ex- 
tending from centre of press under the bottom block to 
the earth on a olock, gudgeons in both ends working 
elbow above and below, and working like a capstan on a 
vessel ; the rope is then carried to wheel on the other side 
of cot'on, over it, to the other, and over it, to the other 
again and made fast to end of axle. A lever is put in bot- 
tom of capstan, a horse attached, and, as he goes round 
the rope winds up on capstan, and as it is so done the el- 
bows are brought together and the lower block forced up- 
ward and bale pressed. 
1 do not know that my friend “C ,” ofSociety Hill and 
the others can understand, but when a model is seen it 
will be plain I have pressed, with 5 1 ands, 20 bales by 
half-past 2 o’clock P M , and am certain 1 can press 30 
bales per day to 2 feet square, bales averaging 4.50 lbs. 
I have repeatedly presst dS bales per hour, with no white 
man to push up negroes, and have sent off lOO bales 
in hoops 8,2 inches in length. 
But Messrs Provost, of Selma, Ala., have brought out 
this year, a press for excelling this in simplicity, in dur- 
ability, in form, and I believe in expeditiousaess, I have 
now pressed nine crops with McComt.s’ press, and I 
think 1 have some claim to experience with it. I built 
my own, with my own negroes ; it cost me about S300, 
but I took more pains than was needful, all ray timbers 
dressed as particularly, as accurate as if I had been milk- 
ing it for exhibition. The Provost can be bought tor $300 
I think, and put up with 4 to 6 hands in about a day. I 
am as anxious to own one, as a boy ever was to own a 
poney, being fonder of mechanism than any other calling 
in life. I hold mechanics is a pursuit that a genth-man 
may follow, but peddling pills ! may do for some— not for 
me 
Hoping others may be as pleased in the reception of 
this as I have been in the attempt, 
1 am yours truly, M W. P. 
Edwards’ Depot, Miss j in, , 1859. 
SOUTHERN MADE IMPLEMENTS. 
Editors Southern Cui tivator — To night 1 learn there 
are readers of your (our) paper residing in several States, 
from Texas east, who are writing to Mr. T. E. C. Brinley, 
of Kentucky, about his plows. 
I beg permission, through you, to inform those of your 
readers vvho are anxious to purchase plows, wagons — ag- 
ricultural implements ijenerally — that Mr. Brin'ey is now, 
in this city, and engaged as Superintendant in the 
Southern Agriculiura Implement Factory The proprie- 
tors are M. W & Z A Philips &Rolt. Kells — myself, 
my borther and my son in-law. 
I admit to any and all. North and South, that I was ac- 
tuated in starting this enterprize ny a deisre to drive out 
the opponents of the South, from selling agricultural 
implements here No need for ms to en'er into trading 
matters; yet, as I could not influence friends to go into 
the business, I influenced my family to do so. We ask 
nothing from our friends, if we are not worthy. If our 
implements are not as well made, if not out of as good 
steel, as good iron, as good wood as are used by our 
Northern friends ! an-l sold not at as reasonable prices, 
then let us sink If we can serve them as well or better, 
and it is their interest to boy of us, then they can do so 
We intend to do our duty, and let others do as they 
will. Yours truly, M. W. Philips. 
Jackson, Miss , Jan., 1859. 
In the intercourse of social liie, ii is in little acts ot 
watchful kindness, recurring daily and hourly, (and op- 
portunities of doing kindiie.-is, if sought for, are ever start- 
ing up) it IS by words, by tones, by gestures, by looks, 
that affection is won and preserved. 
