TO PREVENT SMUT IN WHEAT.-SIDE-F'LL PLOW.-ETC* 
ZU'A 
TO PREVENT SMUT IN WHEAT. 
Although we have given directions how to 
prevent the smut in wheat in a former volume, 
many of our readers do not seem to have read 
them, and therefore we repeat them. Make a brine 
strong enough to bear up an egg, be careful that it 
is not above blood heat, then Jet the grain soak in 
it from one to twelve hours, as is most convenient. 
While in soak, stir up the grain occasionally, and 
every time this is done, take off the scum, foul 
stuff, and light seeds that rise to the top of the 
brine. As the grain is taken out, spread it on a 
floor or in the sun, and scatter slaked lime, ashes, 
or plaster, over it, to dry it. Lime is the best ma¬ 
terial for this purpose, if to be had. It will dry in 
half an hour in the sun, and is then ready to be 
sown. Copperas water and urine are frequently 
used instead of brine to soak the seed; but we 
much prefer brine, as it is cleanly, and never dan¬ 
gerous in application. Some say grain may be 
soaked 24 hours in the brine without injury; but 
if it be a thin-skinned variety, we should think it 
would endanger its germination to soak over four 
hours or so. It is a good plan to prepare rye, 
barley, buckwheat, and oats, for sowing in the 
same way as wheat, especially oats, as they are 
frequently as liable to smut. 
These plows are so constructed that the 
mould board is easily and instantly changed 
from one side to the other, which enables 
the operator to perform the work horizon¬ 
tally upon side-hills, going back and forth 
on the same side, and turning all the furrow 
slices with great nicety, downward. This 
prevents the washing of the soil by heav} 
rains, to which all side-hills are more or 
less liable when plowed as level ground. 
They are much liked at the South for horizontal 
plowing ; for by this system of turning up and lay¬ 
ing the soil, it is prevented from being washed into 
those deep gullies, so destructive to the general 
face of the country. They are also highly useful, 
and by many much approved for level plowing, as 
this leaves the held without any centre dead or 
finishing furrow; nor does it make bauks or ridges 
by turning two furrows toward each other. They 
are likewise useful in enabling the plowman to 
turn the furrow from his walls and fences. Ano¬ 
ther advantage, they save much trouble in enabling 
the team to turn short about at the end of the fur¬ 
rows, instead of obliging it to travel across the wide 
ends of each land in the field. Price $5 to $14. 
REPEAL OF THE BRITISH CORN LAWS. 
We had the gratification in our last, of announc¬ 
ing the repeal of the exorbitant and odious Custom 
House duties which have been so long levied upon 
the importation of breadstuff's into Great Britain, to 
the serious injury, and often heart-rending suffer¬ 
ings of her people. It is one of the most beneficent 
acts of the age, and does honor to the men who 
were instrumental in passing it. The people of 
Great Britain and Ireland have at length attained 
the common rights of humanity, and are now en¬ 
abled to supply themselves with food where it is to 
be had best and cheapest. We hope henceforth to 
hear no more cries for bread, from half-famished 
thousands, when it can be had at a low price from 
a neighboring country. 
It is not, however, as an act of beneficence 
wholly, that we desire to call the attention of 
American farmers to the repeal of the British Corn 
laws, but as one likely to redound to their perma¬ 
nent interests. We are not, and never have been so 
sanguine in our belief, that their repeal would raise 
the price of breadstuff's materially on this^ side of 
Side-Hill Plow.—Fig. t>3. 
the Atlantic, and if the people of the United States 
expect any such thing, they will find themselves 
greatly mistaken ; a rise of prices is only to be 
looked for after a bad harvest in one country or the 
other. With our widely extended and highly fer¬ 
tile territory, and unprecedented increase of rural 
population, there is a constant tendency in reason¬ 
ably favorable seasons, to produce a large surplus 
of provisions. Now if we were obliged to keep 
this surplus at home, there must inevitably be a 
steady fail in the prices of agricultural products, 
and a greater, or less loss every year from the inju¬ 
ries to which such bulky and perishable articles are 
constantly liable. The ports of Great Britain being 
now nominally free, we shall easily get rid of our 
surplus produce, and thus be able to maintain fair 
prices. 11 the tillers of the soil will take this fact 
duly into consideration, they will see that it is like¬ 
ly to he a greater boon to them than fluctuating 
high prices. Under the former tariff, Indian corn, 
one of the largest productions in the United States, 
was virtually a prohibited article—now it can be 
exported in large quantities. 
Notwithstanding the promising harvest in Eu¬ 
rope the present year, it would not surprise us if the 
; exportations of corn, wheat, beef, pork, lard, butter, 
and cheese, should amount to twelve or thirteen 
millions of dollars. This amount will be steadily 
on the increase, and in a few years doubtless ap¬ 
proximate to twenty millions ; while the freight 
and charges earned by American citizens will be 
five millions more—and let it be recollected that 
those engaged in the transportation of these pro¬ 
ducts are consumers, and not producers. Hence 
the disastrous effects cannot be so great as appre¬ 
hended by some, as many of our farmers will grow 
richer by the sales of their produce, our shippers 
and sailors will find employment, and the country 
will still prosper. 
