REVIEW OF THE MAY NUMBER OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
309 
front axle is a T plate about 14 inches on the bot¬ 
tom of the bolster, and running back about 22 inches 
on the bottom of the perch. A king-bolt and a 
strong guard receiving the king-bolt in the under¬ 
side of the axle, and curving up gradually so as to 
allow the axle to cramp, are then attached to the 
perch by the back-bolt of the T plate. The irons for 
the tongue or pole are made the same as the ordinary 
way of ironing roller-poles. The wheels are built 
by bolting, with six bolts in each, the six pieces of 
plank being fitted upon the cast-iron pipe-box, 
which is cast in the form of a spool with projecting 
sand-bands, all cast in one piece. 
The platform, or bottom, on which stone, ma¬ 
nure, &c., are drawn, is composed of four strong, 
loose planks. The side-boards are also portable, 
being attached to the stakes by leather loops nailed 
on the outside of the board. 
The entire cost of the truck is about $ 20 . Should 
I build another, I would use but two pieces of plank 
4| inches thick, for the wheels which I would dowel 
together and use a band-iron-tire, dispensing with 
the bolts, which would make the cost about the 
same. Farmers wishing to build after my plan, 
can obtain the boxes by applying to me at the 
Dutchess Agricultural Institute, Poughkeepsie, 
Dutchess County, N. Y. John Wilkinson. 
REVIEW OF THE MAY NUMBER OF THE 
AGRICULTURIST. 
“ The complaint is often made, that our paper 
being printed at the North or East, is not adapted to 
the wants of the South and West,” &c., is the old oft 
told excuse for not taking any paper, however well 
it may be adapted to the wants of those who make 
this an excuse. But such persons are not blama- 
ble, for the reason that they do not know what the 
aper contains. There are thousands who would 
ecome subscribers to this paper, if they could be 
induced to read one number. How they are to be 
induced is the only question. And it is an impor¬ 
tant one, since it is undoubtedly conceded that agri¬ 
cultural publications within a few years past have 
been the means of promoting a great improvement 
in agriculture wherever they have been read. Per¬ 
haps the best'method would be, if suitable persons 
could be employed to travel constantly and make 
known by public addresses, the advantages that 
might be acquired if they would only read. The 
objection against the plan of publication would then 
soon give way. In fact, where you hear this ob¬ 
jection most their local papers are least supported. 
Quantity of Corn per Acre .—I wish every skep¬ 
tic upon the subject of raising 100 bushels of corn 
to the acre, wouid carefully measure the ground and 
count the ears upon some garden patches of corn 
during the present summer, and they can be con¬ 
vinced how easy it is to raise 100 bushels of corn 
to the acre, upon land with the soil of garden-mould 
and a similar cultivation. 
New York Farmers' Club .—One of the most in¬ 
teresting subjects mentioned at this meeting, is the 
silk-grass, or Florida hemp. This article has often 
been noticed ; but yet, notwithstanding its adapta¬ 
bility to the manufacture of many fabrics, it is 
slow in coming into use. If Mr. Jones, or any 
other southern gentlemen who have the ability, 
would prepare a few tons and send it to New York 
for sale, I have no doubt it would open a new 
branch of trade for all the South. It is said that 
this plant, when prepared like hemp, produces the 
strongest of all vegetable fibres. Several of the 
family of aloes afford strong fibre, and I have no 
doubt might be very profitably substituted for 
hemp. In Mexico, the Agave americana is exten¬ 
sively used for cordage. The “ Spanish bayonet,” 
and “ bear-grass” (which latter I believe is a 
local name for the Yucca filamentosa), have both 
been strongly recommended by Gov. Call of Florida. 
The Spanish bayonet is said to afford a fibre quite 
silky in appearance. Two or three crops of the 
Yucca filamentosa can be cut in one season; and 
the roots are of such a saponaceous quality, that it 
is often made use of in washing woollens. 
New York State Agricultural Society .—“ We in¬ 
vite attention to the Premium List of this Society, 
published in the present number of our paper.” 
From this am I to understand that you invite criti¬ 
cism upon the fitness of premiums, as well as the 
length of the list and magnitude of the sum total ? 
If so, I have a word to say. Where is the fitndss 
of the premiums on farm-buildings ? Twenty dollars 
are offered “ for the best design, accompanied with 
plans, elevation, and cost of construction, combin¬ 
ing economy, convenience, and good taste,” for 
a farm-house, I conclude. Now I only profess to 
possess the ability in a limited degree, to compete 
for this premium ; and yet I should feel that I was 
degrading the little talent that I do possess, if I 
should undertake to perform the amount of labor 
required, for such a paltry consideration. I could 
give it freely ; but I would not contract to labor for 
such a contemptible reward ; particularly when my 
next neighbor might get half that amount for the 
plan of a hog-pen. And to make the thing still 
more contemptible, “ competitors must pay their own 
postage .” It was a very narrow mind that con¬ 
ceived this little fipenny bit piece of economy. 
The $150 offered in premiums on cheese-dairies, 
should have been entitled “Reward to those who 
are able to own 20 cows, to enable them to exclude 
all of their poorer neighbors from participating in 
the benefits of the State Agricultural Society.” 
Ditto of butter-dairies. 
Where is the fitness of excluding boys under 16 
years of age from the premiums for training three- 
year old steers ? And still more, where is the fit¬ 
ness of the premiums offered to such boys as well 
as those younger, for training younger steers ? Not 
one in a hundred that would compete for the first 
premiums will ever read them. Ditto of the third. 
,How much more fitting a premium would it have 
been, to give the lad a Daguerreotype of himself and 
steers ! How many thousands while looking at it, 
would be told with proud exultation, “that is a 
premium of the New York State Agricultural 
Society, which I obtained in 1847.” 
I have no objection to book-premiums ; but there 
should be some fitness of the books to the taste of 
those who are to receive them. There is none in • 
offering such books to plow-boys, or knitters of 
stockings, spinners of linen thread, or weavers of 
rag-carpets. The whole list seems to me to be the 
same old stereotype of former years. Cannot new 
subjects be discovered more worthy of encourage¬ 
ment, than who can stuff the most lard-oil into a 
