SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
307 
YOUNG AMERICA CRUSHER. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I have just received 
a letter from Mr. W. Henry Steel, of New Prospect, Miss , 
who says that he is a constant reader of your invaluable 
journal, and requests me to inform him through that medi- 
um, as to what sort of “running gear” and “house” he 
will need for the “Excelsior,” or “Young America” Crush- 
er, of which I gave notice in the July number of the CuLti- 
wator. 
Permit me, therefore, to say to Mr. S., and all others 
who may wish to be informed on this subject, that no 
running gear is needed for “Young America” but a single 
tree, and no house but the canopy of heaven. He may 
build a house over it as not, just as he may prefer. 
After he gets the one he has ordered, he can have it in 
operation in three hours, being only necessary to get two 
sills 8 feet long and 10 inches square, these to be let into 
the ground lengthwise, about 4 inches to hold them fast, 
and 3 feet apart, and across these let in two pieces of tim- 
ber 3 feet long and 6 inches square; fasten them there by 
wedges, and fasten the feet of the Crusher on these with 
the bolts he gets with the mill; put on the shaft winch is 
furnished him, and he is ready for crushing 12 to 15 
bushels per hour with one mule. I refer Mr. Steel to the 
drawing of “Young America” to be found in the (Suitlvo.- 
tor. He will there see the v;hole of the mill in operation 
without any sheller. S25 covers the whole expense. 
Yours, &c., G. D. Harmon. 
Utica, Miss., July, 1857. 
IROxN HOOPS FOR BAEING COTTON. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— Having noticed in 
the July number of the Soxdhern CvUivator an article on 
the use of iron hoops for packing Cotton, I beg permis 
sion, as one interested in all agricultural innovations, to 
state, in a concise form, my ideas on the subject. 
I have thought ever since the subject began to be moot- 
ed that hoops would be a good substitute for ropes. It is 
known by all that rope stretches a great deal, and the 
knot slips some, consequently the bale occupies more 
space than when in press, and is, therefore, more un- 
wieldy. The hoops would not stretch and, of course, the 
bale would remain the same size. If it should be said by any 
one that the magnitude of the bale is no objection, then, 
if iron hoops are to be used, there is no necessity for run- 
ning the press down so far, and the bale would be no 
larger than it would be the old way, after the ropes and 
knots had stretched; we would, therefore, save both team 
and machinery ; besides, the bale would look much neater 
and would command a better price. 
But let us examine the objections of “Dixit” to iron 
hoops. He says, “ the cotton presses in our seaport towns 
will throw away the hoops, and make the planter pay for 
ropes, they not being prepared for that kind of business ” 
There is no nece.ssity to throw away the hoops, whether 
they remain on the bale until it arrives at the factory or 
not, but they could be returned, ana used again and again 
— using every year the hoops of the preceding year; the 
farmer having to pay for hoops only a little more than the 
cost of returning, etc. “But they would be removed,” 
ipse dixit, “ because the people in our seaport towns are 
not prepared for this kind of business.” Years ago, 
when cotton seed were picked, and with the lingers, the 
same objection could have been urged against gins; that 
is, it would require so much machinery that the people 
were not prepared for it. I conceive that that cannot be 
urged as a legitimate objection. 
Let us bind over coiton as suits ourselves, and our sea- 
port towns will accomodate their machinery to our cotton. 
The second objection that “ Dixit” urges is, that the price 
cf hoop iron would be greatly enhanced if it were to 
come into general use. He had in mind, I suppose, when 
he made that objection, the principle of political econo- 
my that the higher the demand the higher the price; but 
it is generally forgotten when that argument is urged, that 
the greater the demand, the greater the supply. More 
attention will be turned toward it — more labor will be 
given It — better machinery will be invented — there can 
be a better division of labor, and, consequently, the arti- 
cle will be cheaper. 
There is one other objection urged by “ Dixit ” which 
I conceive is equally futile. That is, that we should con- 
tinue to use the rope, because it is a production of our 
own Southern States. The true patriot and political econ- 
omist knows now that it is best to use the article that is 
the cheapest and suits him best, even though it be a for- 
eign production ; and il a certain home production is not 
wormy of support, let it fail, and then the labor engaged 
in that vocation will be turned to some other home pro- 
duction that can be used without a sacrifice. But in the 
present case the South would not lose any patronage ; 
“ our own Southern Slates” are rich in iron ore, that 
would be brought forward — our resources would be de- 
veloped — It would cause capital to flow in among us — 
manufactories would spring up, and we would see that 
failing to patronize our rope makers, instead of being a 
CURSE, would be a blessing! 
“ Qui Novis Rebus STUDEt,” 
DITCHING SWAMPS AND PONDS — AGAIN. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— I see in the August 
number of the Cultivator, a gentleman writing over the 
signature of “Davy Crockett,” in favor of reclaiming low 
lands, endeavoring to make an application of ’gators, 
toads and poetry, to disprove my objections against the 
same. 
The reasons that I offered against reclaiming low 
lands, I learned in the school of experience — a school 
well calculated to impart light to the mind of “ Crocket,” 
and all of similar views and limited experience in the 
culture and ditching of low lands He says, “ I have had 
strange feelings to creep over me while standing in the 
Alligator’s play-yard and looking upon the fine corn and 
cotton growing in the monster’s hall, and blooming 
around his very throne — that was once shut in by deep 
waters and dark woods.” I have had “ strange feelings 
to creep over me,” in crossing that pond during a drouth 
in summer, when all moisture had departed, and hardly 
a vestige of corn or coiton to be seen, and on the slight- 
est agitation of its surface, there would then arise a fine 
dust, diffusing itself over me, every particle of which in- 
flicting a wound more malignant than the bite of a red- 
bug. I want “Davy Crockett,” when he feels like writ- 
ing again about reclaiming high land, craw-fish ponds, 
and dispossessing ’gators and toads of their long cherish- 
ed homes, “ assigned to them by the God of Nature,” to 
take his hoe and go into one of these ponds, that he gfets 
so poetical on, now and then, and chop a couple of hours, 
some warm, suii-shiney day, when the dust is flying 
freely, and after grappling awhile with that itchy element, 
if he don’t repudiate pond lands and renounce the practi- 
cability of reclaiming such hereafter, there is no truth in 
my experience. 
I will close by saying, that “Crockett” will confer a 
favor upon the farmers of this section that have pond lands 
to manage, by shedding a few rays ot light upon the best 
measures to adopt to stay the ravages of the bud-worm, 
that has too often succeeded in thwarting every effort of 
the farmer in securing a stand, and greatly diminishing 
in value our pond lands, and causing the farmer to realize 
about one-fifth of “ Crockett’s” seventy-five bushels of 
solid corn, when the seasons “ happen to hit right.” one 
time out of a hundred. J. W. Ol, 
Jejfer.'on County, Go,., September, 1857. 
