144 
Farm in g Tools-*-Ackno wled gements. 
And it is observable not only in the more 
complicated instruments whose character for 
utility is not fully established or generally 
acknowledged, as in some of the mowing and 
thrashing machines, but with those of the 
simplest construction and of universal use. 
We have, for instance, found it for two sea¬ 
sons past almost impossible to procure at the 
western extremity of this state, a well-con¬ 
structed durable hoe, rake, pitchfork, or bas¬ 
ket. Here are utensils that almost any me¬ 
chanic can make, in use for thousands of 
years, and of absolute necessity, and yet not 
to be found of a proper kind in an extensive 
market. There are an abundance of the ar¬ 
ticles, to be sure, such as they are, and cheap 
enough,—for no one could object to the price$ 
but being, like Pindar’s razors, made only to 
sell, are so utterly useless to any but the 
manufacturer and merchant, as to leave it 
very questionable whether a person could not 
do almost as well without as with them. 
This vexatious condition of the tool market 
is, to a great extent, owing to the farmers 
themselves, who, in their eagerness to get 
things cheap, carry the principle so far, at 
last, as to get such as are utterly valueless. 
Axes, shovels, and spades, cradling and other 
scythes, are articles that subject the work¬ 
man to so much less labor when good ones 
are used, that, for many years, by universal 
consent, only the best, the very best , would be 
tolerated ; and it is no difficult matter to find, 
in every market, such as are made on the 
best principles, and of the best and most du¬ 
rable materials. The others, by almost as 
universal consent, have been allowed to de¬ 
teriorate to a point beyond endurance. The 
only remedy we suggest, and it is a suffi¬ 
cient one, is for farmers to buy only the best, 
and give such prices as will enable the ma¬ 
nufacturer to make a fair profit from them : 
the inferior he ought never to buy, if fur¬ 
nished at one-fourth the price of good ones. 
In this way he will always secure a supply of 
such as may be depended on. We need not 
add, that every farmer should always see that 
he has tools enough, and always in order, and 
always at hand, that time should not be lost 
in finding or putting them in order, when he 
ought to be at work with them. More time 
frequently is lost by borrowing twice of a 
neighbor, than would suffice to purchase the 
article, to say nothing of the loss and incon¬ 
venience to them, which is an item not to be 
overlooked by men of even moderate honor 
and integrity. Money cannot be put to bet¬ 
ter interest than in a surplus stock of good 
tools, if kept properly housed 
ACKN OWLEDGEMENTS. 
To T. B. Stevenson, Esq., of Frankfort, for 
bound vols. 1st and 2d, of the Kentucky Far¬ 
mer. This has always been a favorite work 
with us, and the two first vols. being out of 
print, we esteem the present of them on the 
part of the editor, very highly. We regret 
exceedingly to learn that it is now discon¬ 
tinued for want of patronage sufficient to pay 
the printer. Mr. Stevenson would never re¬ 
ceive any remuneration whatever, as editor, 
and notwithstanding other onerous duties de¬ 
manding his time and attention, with a high- 
souled love of the cause, and the hope of his 
doing his country some good, he volunteered 
to conduct this work gratis, and 5 vols., 
through as many years of labor, attest the 
value of his services. 
To Charles Foster, Esq., publisher of the 
Western Farmer and Gardener, at Cincinnati, 
the two first bound volumes. This work is 
better illustrated with engravings from Mr. 
Foster’s own pencil, than any other agricul¬ 
tural publication that we know of in the 
United States, and having turned its attention 
to southern as well as western products, its 
correspondence is greatly enlarged, its pa¬ 
tronage increased, and we are glad to notice 
the 3d vol. going on with renewed spirit and 
success. We will gladly accept the agency 
of it, and take pleasure in offering it to our 
friends. 
To Mr. Beltshover, near Pittsburgh, of 
some of the tallest rye we have ever seen. 
It measured over 9 ft. high, and the heads 
are large and well-filled, and we are informed 
it was a fair specimen of the crop of the en¬ 
tire field. Such a crop would gratify a Mis- 
sissippian fresh from a bear hunt in a cane 
brake. 
From several friends we have specimens of 
rice, sugar cane, and a variety of Southern 
products. We hope, with the assistance of 
the able correspondence promised at the 
South and West, to give the cultivation of 
these articles a due interest in this paper 
hereafter. 
Dr. Tegarden has engaged to forward us, 
next winter, a box of roots of the grass 
Herba Hispania, with some other Southern 
products, which we shall distribute among 
our Long Island and New Jersey friends, 
with a view to their cultivation in this lati¬ 
tude ; and, in the mean time, if any of our 
correspondents at the north have already ex¬ 
perimented on this or similar products, we 
shall be glad to hear from them. 
