CORN FOR THE EUROPEAN MARKETS.-DRAINING. 
193 
In some places, a hoe and a few bushels of seed 
only, are requisite to make a large crop ; and in all 
others a few plows, and teams to draw them, are 
the principal items of expense. With a boundless 
extent of soil reaching from Maine to Mexico, suited 
to its growth, with the enterprise and well known 
skill of our productive classes, stimulated to the 
highest pitch by exorbitant demands, we may well 
apprehend that our future crops will rather be in 
excess than deficient in this article. Certain it is,' 
that while every effort should be made for its largest 
production, where it is following out a present 
adopted system, yet in no case should a deviation 
from an ordinarily cultivated crop be made for the 
sake of this. The sugar-planter, whose cane has 
been cut off by frost or diminished by excessive 
rains; or the cotton-grower, whose plants have 
been thinned and rendered comparatively barren by 
caterpillars, rust and other causes, may be inclined 
to turn from his course and trust his luck with corn, 
which is generally a surer, and may be supposed 
to be a more profitable crop.* 
It may be, and no doubt generally is, the most 
profitable course a planter can pursue, to divide his 
products to the extent of raising his own supplies 
for plantation use ; but beyond this, it is not deemed 
profitable to go, by such as have lands well adapted 
to crops already profitably occupying their atten¬ 
tion. 
The effect of high prices in one prominent pro¬ 
duct, has almost invariably the tendency of raising 
others; as the increased price obtained for either, 
stimulates demand for all. Especially is it to be 
apprehended, that cotton may fall behindhand, 
from the many casualties and the low prices that 
have attended its culture for the last few years. 
But my present object is more particularly to call 
the attention of the readers of the Agriculturist, at 
points remote from the seaboard, to the propriety of 
properly preparing their grain for shipment. We 
are now beginning to receive accounts of heavy 
losses from the heating of grain after shipment. 
This damage has, in many cases, exceeded one-half 
the entire value of the cargo; and although this 
loss, in the first instance, falls on the shippers, it is 
pretty sure, in the end, to reach back to the producer. 
This hazard has become so great, from the exces¬ 
sive tendency to heat in Indian corn, if retaining 
the slightest moisture when stowed in the vessel, 
that some of the heaviest dealers in New Orleans 
have determined to risk no future shipments, with-, 
out the grain being first fully prepared for it, and 
this is effectually done by kiln-drying. 
Several establishments have been recently erected 
for this purpose in this city, two of which at least 
have proved defective in accomplishing the objects 
satisfactorily. Another is about being put up, of 
sufficient capacity to kiln-dry five thousand bushels 
per day. Kilns have already gone into operation 
in several of the exporting places on the river 
above, and there is no doubt these will be rapidly 
multiplied, till sufficient capacity shall have been 
* An intelligent planter of the Southwest says he 
prefers raising corn at 30 cents per bushel to cotton at 
6 cts. per lb. This opinion is not generally entertained, 
and its correctness must depend entirely on the adapta¬ 
tion of the soil, season, freedom from accidents, &c., 
as to the peculiar advantages either may possess. 
attained, to prepare effectually every bushel of grain 
destined to a distant market. 
The best plan for this purpose, on an extensive 
scale, which I have seen in operation, is a new, 
and apparently valuable improvement for kiln- 
drying, the invention of George W. Woodington. 
He is about taking out a patent for it, for himself 
and Mr. George Gilbert, both of Cincinnati. 
The first one ever erected, has just been put into 
operation. It consists of substantial brick mason- 
work, about twenty-four feet long, six wide, and 
eight high, arched with brick. The fire and 
grate occupy three feet of the centre, at the bottom. 
Immediately above the fire are iron plates, resting 
on the walls on either side, extending the whole 
length. At the other end, the flame and smoke are 
divided, and pass up through two iron pipes at each 
corner, and then on either side, and almost in con¬ 
tact with the cylinder, they return the smoke 
through the kiln, where they pass out. 
The cylinder is of strong sheet, light boiler-iron, 
three feet in diameter, and occupies the entire 
length within the mason-work. On the inside of 
this, flanges are riveted lengthways and spirally, 
turning about 170° of the circle, in the whole length 
of the cylinder. It is placed one foot above the fire 
in an arch, which is kept at a temperature high 
enough effectually to dry the corn while passing 
through, which requires some ten minutes. r Ihe 
corn is fed into one end of the cylinder, by a spout 
leading from a hopper above, and it is discharged 
from the other end, and through a short iron con¬ 
ductor. It is capable effectually of drying 800 bush¬ 
els in twenty-four hours, which it accomplishes 
without burning or cracking any of the kernels. 
Not one is scorched or discolored, but all have the 
bright, clear appearance and original tasteof the grain, 
while its germ or vitality is effectually destroyed, 
thus removing all tendency to change and injury. 
I cannot but believe, that all com destined for re¬ 
mote shipment hereafter, will be kiln-dried. There 
is a saving of 9 per cent in freight, in consequence 
of loss of bulk and weight in drying—a saving of 
insurance—there is no danger from weevil from 
any kiln-dried grain ; and there is, lastly, the fre¬ 
quent saving of the whole grain, which would other¬ 
wise spoil by moisture. I have the above fixtures 
for sale at my warehouse, 75 Camp St, New Orleans. 
New Orleans, April 2 9th, 1847. R. L. Allen. 
Draining. —A correspondent from North Caro¬ 
lina informs us, that he has pretty effectually 
drained a large body of land with a fall of only 
fifteen feet to the mile, in the following manner: 
When I first took possession of the farm I found 
no drains upon it, and the fences were a complete 
wreck. I first cut a ditch six feet wade and four 
feet deep, entirely round a tract of 300’acres; then 
a canal twelve feet wide and five feet deep through 
the centre of the farm to the creek. Then I laid 
out the tract into squares of two and a half acres 
each, by tributary drains communicating with the 
main canal. The land getting well dried, last fall 
: I sowed 70 acres with wheat, and 30 acres in oats. 
| This spring I planted 150 acres with Indian corn, 
; 25 acres in potatoes and cotton. I have also laid 
j out 25 acres for pasturage, which I intend to sow 
all with clover next spring. 
