376 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
B. WOODCOCK’S SELF-SHARPENING PLOW—(Fig. 99.) 
In reference to this plow, the manufacturers enumerate the following advantages: 
ts 1st. Individuals who have used it, say its draught is about one-third less than other plows—two horses doing 
the work of three. 2d. It is constructed so as to turn a funow against a moderate hill equally as well as on level 
ground, or down hill, and competent judges say it is superior to either the Crane, Hornet, Bull, Crockett, Franklin, 
Peacock, Patent-lever, or any other plows they have used, as it performs with more ease to man and horse, and 
makes better work. It turns the furrow round on the top and hollow below, thus leaving the plowed surface more 
exposed to the action of the harrow, than other plows, and gives the vegetable matter a better chance to decompose 
than if turned flat or irregular. 3d. It is comparatively free from choking or carrying dirt, and is said to make the 
ground more productive than other plows. 4th. It admits of three kinds of points and two kinds of shares, (but 
one point and one share being used on it at the same time,) of which the following is a description: First, the me¬ 
tal point, (fig. 1,) can be turned upside down when the under side wears round, at which time other points become 
useless, and thus repeated until worn out. The second (fig. 2,) is a renewable point, made of cast or wrought iron, 
and is formed to receive a piece of iron or steel on the end secured by a rivet. The third (fig. 3,) is also renewa¬ 
ble, and made of wrought or cast iron, with a V formed piece of iron or steel on the end fastened with a rivet. 
These can be renewed with little expense. The first share (fig. 4,) has two edges, and turns laterally. When the 
outer edge wears dull, the inner edge may be turned out. The second share, (fig. 5,) is self-sharpening, with one 
edge, which, when beveled below, can be turned end for end and thus throw the beveled side up. One metal point 
and share costing 25 cents, can plow 40 or 50 acres of good ground, to which fact hundreds can testify. 5th. The 
cutter, (fig. 5,) is made in a triangular form with three sharp edges; when the front edge wears dull, the under edge 
may be turned in front, then the third, until worn out. Thus the friction parts of the plow are renewed with little 
expense, as it is in detached pieces. 5 ’ These plows are manufactured by B. Woodcock & Co. Wheeling, Ya. 
INDUCEMENTS TO EMIGRATION TO VIRGINIA. 
To the Editor of the Cultivator —Having obser¬ 
ved in the newspapers that there is a growing disposition 
among our northern friends, who are inclined to emi¬ 
grate, to turn their attention to Maryland and Virginia, I 
have thought it might be acceptable to some of your nu¬ 
merous readers, to have laid before them descriptions of 
locations in Virginia, that hold out inducements to emi¬ 
grants. I shall therefore, in this communication, endea¬ 
vor to lay before them a brief description of a region in 
Virginia, with which I am well acquainted, and also 
point out some of the inducements it offers to emigrants. 
1st. The region to he described. —Its south-western 
boundary lies about five miles N. N. E. of Fredericks¬ 
burg, Virginia; its north and north-eastern boundary, 
about fourteen miles from the same place, extending from 
Potomac Creek to Aquia Creek, about nine miles in a 
northern direction, and stretching westerly from Poto¬ 
mac river about twelve miles. 
2d. The inducements offered to emigrants. —In this re¬ 
gion are found nearly all the varieties of soil, that are 
commonly found in Virginia. Here are some ten to fif¬ 
teen thousand acres of land that might be purchased, at 
prices varying from two to six dollars per acre, and some 
good situations that might be procured on long, and in 
other respects, very favorable leases. Near the middle 
of this district, as we proceed from the Potomac wester¬ 
ly, are found inexhaustible deposites of the best blue 
marl and green sand, the efficacy of which, as a manure, 
has been tested, and its fertilizing effects may be seen by 
any who would visit this region in the months of May 
and June. By the use of this marl and other resources 
for manure, that are found here in great abundance, di¬ 
rected by skill and industry, these lands might soon be re¬ 
stored to a high degree of fertility. Here also, are found 
never failing springs of excellent water, and many of the 
locations are as healthy as any in Virginia, and most of 
them more healthy than those usually selected by emi¬ 
grants to the west. 
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail¬ 
road, passes through the middle of this district, thus 
bringing it within easy and rapid communication, with 
the markets of Richmond, Fredericksburg, and the Dis¬ 
trict of Columbia. To our northern friends, then, who 
contemplate emigrating to the west, we would say— 
“ Come hither, and see!” A. 
Fredericksburg , Va., Nov., 1844. 
DISEASE OF THE POTATOE. 
Mr. L. Tucker —Among the various speculations re¬ 
specting the disease of the late potatoe crop, I have re¬ 
cently heard a cause assigned, which appears to me more 
satisfactory than any I have seen in print. It seems that 
on the night of the 15th of August last, there was a “ ho¬ 
ney dew,” as it is called, a glutinous exhalation with a 
sweet taste, which settled on the herbage and leaves of 
the trees throughout this region of country. 
A neighbor of mine informs me that a farmer of his 
acquaintance in Hartford county, on the afternoon before 
the falling of this dew, removed a carpet which his fa¬ 
mily had spread out on his grass, and spread it on a part 
of an adjoining potatoe patch, where it remained through 
the following night and morning, and that after the tops 
of the potatoes in the rest of the patch had entirely decay¬ 
ed, the tops which had been covered by the carpet, con¬ 
tinued green until fall; and that while the rest of the crop 
almost wholly rotted, the part under the carpet gave a 
sound and abundant yield. Another neighbor informs me 
that on the morning when the u honey dew” appeared, 
he heard a farmer say that it would kill the potatoes. 
Now this “ honey dew” is a phenomenon of which I 
never before heard, but to you and most of your readers, 
it is probably familiar. It seems at all events, if it pre¬ 
vailed over the eastern and middle States at the time men¬ 
tioned, to afford a rational and satisfactory solution of the 
much vexed question. A glutinous substance covering 
the potatoe tops at the period of their most luxuriant ve¬ 
getation, would stop the pores and cause sudden death. 
The disease and death of the tops, would cause the tubers 
to decay in the precise manner they have done. Please 
give your views on this subject, and oblige 
Yours, John Boyd, 
Winchester , Ct., Nov, 6, 1844. 
