A CORN-SHELLER.—-TUSSAC GRASS. 
343 
A CORN-SHELLER.— Fig. 64. 
This machine. Smith’s Power Corn-Sheller and 
Separator, consists of a horizontal toothed cylin¬ 
der six feet long, and one foot two inches in 
diameter. The ears of corn, in the operation, are 
confined to a part of the upper and rising side of 
this cylinder, by means of a cast iron concave ex¬ 
tending the whole length of the machine, and be¬ 
ing shoveled or let in the machine at one end, 
they are driven through, and the cobs discharged 
at the opposite end, while the grain falls below, 
being admitted on either side of the cylinder. 
The operation is governed by elevating or depres¬ 
sing the discharge end, which causes the machine 
to discharge the cobs fast or slow, and of course 
operates more or less upon them ; thus securing to 
the operator the power of finishing his work. 
This machine is capable of shelling three hun¬ 
dred bushels of ears per hour. 
F. N. Smith, Patentee. 
New York, Oct. 1844. 
TUSSAC GRASS. 
The introduction of tussac grass in Great Britain 
has been deemed of so much interest there, as to 
have enlisted the efforts of some of the high offi¬ 
cers of government for that purpose. Tn a recent 
No. of The Transactions of the Highland and 
Agricultural Society of Scotland, I noticed’ a com¬ 
munication to the society from Lord Stanley, sec¬ 
retary of state for the colonies, enclosing a letter 
from Governor Moody of the Falkland Islands, 
where the grass is produced in great perfection. I 
give an extract from the letter of the governor : 
“ I have proved to my own satisfaction, nothing 
can answer better than the tussac, sown and 
planted out in rows, the tufts of grass being about 
six feet from centre to centre. I am resolved to 
pursue this practice by having a large field laid 
out at Port William, in order to cut bundles through 
the winter to fodder horses and cattle in a stable, 
in the same manner as is done with the Guinea 
grass in the West Indies. I know that at pres¬ 
ent it may be cut twice in a year; but under 
proper cultivation it may be gone over much 
oftener. It greatly improves by cutting, and grows 
fast. Horses injure it by grazing, and pigs destroy 
it. My present experiment tends to show that it I 
will grow on almost any soil, and that it is not j 
necessary for it to be exposed to the spray of the j 
sea, although a width of from 300 to 400 yards 
along the shore is the place of its natural growth. 
In some places the extent of the patches appears 
to be very capricious, the reason of which I can 
not discover, as it occurs where the soil and other 
circumstances appear to be uniform. This is par¬ 
ticularly illustrated on an island of some elevation 
in Port Salvador. Although the tussac grass may 
be cut and amply remunerate the planting in the 
first year, it seems to take three years from the 
seed to arrive at perfection; but the tufts bear 
planting out extremely well. As to how many 
years the same roots may last, I can offer no infor¬ 
mation. Decayed portions of the root appear to 
accumulate; but in a properly attended piece of 
ground those would be annually removed. Under 
our present imperfect system, allowing the cattle 
to roam and graze at will, pulling out, wasting, 
and trampling as much as they eat, the rough, 
irregular patches of tussac on Long Island, amount¬ 
ing together to about 150 acres, keep in good fat 
condition for six months* 250 cattle and 70 horses. 
Under proper management, it is my opinion the 
same quantity would be found to maintain three 
times that number throughout the year. The grass 
rises high above the snow, is fresh and green all 
the winter, and from its height, completely shel¬ 
ters the horses and cattle lying among it. Perhaps 
the best experiment which could be made in Eng¬ 
land would be to plant tussac in one of the small 
islands of the Orkneys, such as Hunda, if it met 
with the approbation of the owner; and I con¬ 
ceive it would be greatly to the advantage of the 
landed proprietors of the Orkneys and Shetland 
Islands to send from among them an intelligent 
person to the Falkland Islands, to study the habits 
of the grass and to collect seed. He should arrive 
there early in October.” 
The Falkland Islands are situated between 51° 
and 52 Q south latitude, and nearly parallel with 
the Straits of Magellan, from which they are dis¬ 
tant about 8° east. The climate is therefore very 
severe. If' the tussac be so entirely adapted to 
that situation, analogy would lead us to expect 
it would be every way suited to a large extent of 
our northeastern coast. Their winters being the 
reverse of ours, it is necessary, as suggested, that 
one desirous of studying the habits of the grass 
* The cattle are kept on Long Island only during the 
winter months. 
