1846. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
S3 
the influence of the sun and the atmosphere. When 
this is done, the cambium or sap-wood acquires a firmness 
which will enable it to last, even if exposed to the 
■weather, for years. Indeed, in point of firmness, it 
will not fall much if any behind the heart-wood of the 
same tree. We know of no purpose for which timber 
can be applied by the farmer, for which we can offer 
any objection to its being- cut in this month, if it sea¬ 
sons with the bark off. There is one consideration 
only, in our mind, which gives winter a preference for 
chopping. That is, that it is a season when the farmer 
is more released from other labors, and hence, in our 
climate, it is a season which seems admirably set apart 
for the operation. But chop** when you will, if for 
timber, strip the bark as soon as possible, if you would 
arrest the progress of decay. 
Another consideration to be attended to to facilitate 
reproduction, is to cut close to the ground, and economy 
in timber also indicates the same thing. 
Yours, truly, Wm. Bacon. 
Mount Osceola, Join. 10, 1846. 
ON PLOWING. 
Mr. Editor —Reverting, as is my custom during 
stormy weather, or a season of comparative leisure, to 
the back volumes of the Cultivator, for instruction, as 
well as amusement, and sure to find it, my attention 
has been often directed to the subject of plowing —that 
most important of all labors—and my mind having of 
late been much exercised on that topic, I have been led 
to re-examine the very numerous articles relating 
thereto, which I find scattered up and down your in¬ 
valuable pages, forming an almost endless variety of 
information on a business that demands far more of our 
consideration than it has ever yet received. And 
assuredly, the most interesting and important of all 
those articles is that which occurs at p. 10, vol. vin., 
number for Jan., 1841, continued at p. 11, of the next 
number, which may be said to form the text-book of 
this country as well as of England, embracing as it does, 
a very minute account of the most important trials of 
the plow in both countries, and which may be said to 
set the matter pretty much at rest, so far as comparative 
merit is concerned. But it must be confessed, that is a 
subject which I do not at present go in for. My busi¬ 
ness being with a much more important consideration, 
namely, the degree of cultivation bestowed by the plow 
—of far greater consequence than that performed by the 
harrow and roller combined; the pulverization being 
as perfect at the bottom as on the top of the furrow, 
quite out of the reach of those implements, and ren¬ 
dering, in a great degree, their aid unnecessary, es¬ 
pecially in autumnal plowing, which is beginning to 
receive that consideration which its importance demands. 
And to this view of the case I am brought by the late 
trial of plows of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society’s 
exhibition, during the three days of which, the center- 
draught plow of Prouty & Mears, was kept going on 
an adjoining field, from which a very heavy crop of 
corn had been removed; the stalks, full of vigor and of 
enormous growth, with weeds four feet in height, being 
buried as though they had never been, by a pair of 
horses, carrying a furrow nine inches deep and fif¬ 
teen inches wide; the plow, a considerable portion 
of the time requiring no holder. Here I saw and 
understood the meaning of the term spade plowing ; for 
assuredly, no one could more perfectly pulvervize the 
soil with the spade than was done, to the depth of nine 
inches, with the plow. And on visiting the scene of 
action, after rain, snow, and frost, I am convinced that 
a double plowing and thrice harrowing after any other 
plow could not have brought about such a state of 
thorough cultivation, with no danger of winter wash¬ 
ing. It need not be added, this plow again took the 
first premium at the match. 
But I have an act of justice to perform, which I re¬ 
spectfully ask you to assist me in rendering, by the use 
of your very widely disseminated pages, in declaring 
that to Messrs. Prouty and Mears, are the public indebt¬ 
ed for the first introduction of the principle of Centre- 
Draught among us. And although the Farmer’s Monthly 
Visitor observed very truly, that “Mr. Prouty of Bos¬ 
ton, is undoubtedly entitled to the credit of inventing 
and making this first great improvement of the Ameri¬ 
can plow,’ 9 yet there ax-e many who consider the ques¬ 
tion of priority of invention not fully decided. To such 
I have only to produce the testimony, boi-ne by your¬ 
self, in the article above mentioned, as affording the 
clearest proof that at the trial at Worcestei’, in 1840, 
which embraced the plows of Px*outy & Mears, Ruggles 
& Nourse, Howard, Wilson, Stevens, Stewai-t, Bergen, 
Whiting, and Barnaby & Mooer, the Px-outy plow wa.s 
the only one that worked on the principle of Centre- 
Draft. It is well known, that, with a single excep¬ 
tion, plows are so constructed, that the point of the 
shai-e is in that line, &c. “The plow noted as an ex¬ 
ception, being Prouty & Mears’ Centre Draft, which 
obtained a premium of $100 at the Worcester fair, 
and which worked 100 per cent, easier than some 
other plows on the ground, the draft being equal on 
both sides of the beam, as was proved by its showing 
no disposition to deviate from its course when left to 
its own guidance, and of course, imposing no labor on 
the plowman or team in their efforts to keep it in a 
proper position.” 
To those who enquire “What is the meaning of the 
tei*m centei'-draught?” a writer has given a satisfactory 
answer. “ The center-draft of a plow is proved by the 
power applied for its guidance—and the plow that has 
a perfect center draft, would require no guidance at the 
handles in a soil of equal moisture, provided the draft 
was applied in a straight line with the furrow.” Prouty’s 
plow must therefore be the beau ideal of the principle 
of center-di*aught, according to the report of the com¬ 
mittee on plowing at the meeting of St. George’s, Del., 
which says—“ The second premium for plowing is 
awarded to Wm. Banks, Prouty & Meai-s’ center-draft 
plow, No. 5-i, it being impossible to award the first 
premium to the plow—so perfect in all its parts as to 
go without guiding—the premium being intended for 
the plowman and not for tlie plow.” 
I find that this plow was not permitted to enter for the 
premium at Prince George’s Md., the present year, 
“having already obtained the highest award”—the 
highest praise in the committee's power to bestow, and 
I would beg to recommend the practiee worthy of 
adoption elsewhere, as being far preferable to the award 
of second premiums, which never give satisfaction to 
any one. Middletown , Del. L. D. 
IMPROVED SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 
Luther Tucker, Esq. —Having recently received 
a letter from Thomas Bates, Esq., of Kirkleavington., 
Yorkshire, England, and believing some extracts from it 
will possess sufficient interest to insure them a coi*dial re¬ 
ception to many patrons of the Cultivator, I here with take 
the liberty of enclosing them to you for publication. It 
will be perceived that these exti-acts, principally l-elate 
to premiums recently awarded to Short-Horn Durhams, 
at some of the principal cattle shows in England and 
Scotland. They can hardly fail of being interesting to 
gentlemen whose efforts are directed to the improve¬ 
ment of the cattle of this country, and particulai-ly so, 
to such as have purchased from my herd, cattle possess¬ 
ing the same strain of blood as those to which Mr. 
Bates alludes. 
Mr. Bates remarks, “ I think I gave you an accoxxnt 
in my former letter, of Mr. C. W. Harvey’s, of Walton, 
(near Livei’pool,) successful exhibition of his Short- 
Horn bull Walton, at the Beverly show of the Yorkshire 
Agricultural Society, having obtained the highest 
premium for the best bull of any age. This bull Wal¬ 
ton, was from the own sister of the dam of Lady Bar 
rington, 3d, (513) which latter coav I sent out to Ame¬ 
rica to you, Sept. 1844. The sire of Walton is Loco¬ 
motive, (4242,) whose dam and your Duke of Welling¬ 
ton’s dam is my premium cow Oxford, (752.) 
