1849, 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
109 
upturned masses into a pulverised condition- to draw 
out weeds by their roots, exposing them to the air and 
death; and to cover over seeds when sown on the pre¬ 
pared earth. It is somewhat remarkable that the im¬ 
portance of these operations should not have earlier 
produced improvements, leading to economy; nor is it 
less strange that on many , I had nearly said most farms, 
this operation is performed with an imperfect tool, or, 
in a most imperfect manner. The want of Order indu¬ 
ces the first error; the want of System causes the lat¬ 
ter—and from this also, we see too often, the custom 
of entrusting the harrow to boys, whereas harrowing 
is in fact, when properly done, a laborious business, for 
to be well done, we need fast horses, a quick movement 
and careful over lapping of the lines. 
What is the inevitable consequence of slow and un¬ 
steady harrowing ? or of work performed with an im¬ 
perfect implement ? The ready answer is, a rough and 
uneven field, unequal distribution of seed and its de¬ 
struction by exposure; of course, a diminished product 
per acre, pressing its penalty upon the farmer, who 
don’t care —or thinks u its good enough,”—or u as 
good as his neighbors.” Such men are without order 
•or system; as to economy, they know not its meaning. 
The chief improvement in the harrow, has been in its 
form, not effecting any very decided general advantage- 
but its defects have led to the introduction of another 
implement, the cultivator , which in a great degree, su¬ 
percedes the harrow, and renders the second plowing of 
fields often useless or unnecessary. 
The cultivator, when first introduced, was confined 
to the corn field and potato crop-—but lately it has been 
so constructed and improved by Mr. Ide and others, as 
to follow the plow very successfully in the preparation 
of the ground—-but more especially to perform all the ne¬ 
cessary operations of a fallow after the first plowing. 
This implement or cultivator, as made by Mr. Tra¬ 
cy, of Wayne county, and by him introduced into Onta¬ 
rio and Seneca counties, seems to be an admirable sub¬ 
stitute for the purpose of cross-plowing, and all the 
usual work of the harrow; being so constructed as to 
cut six inches deep, or, only to skim the earth, as may 
be desired. Here then we have a labor-saving machine, 
for, as it is 4 ft. 6 w r ide, with four teeth in the .rear, 
and three in the front row,—it acts at the same time, 
on a breadth of soil equal to at least four “ bouts” of 
the plow—stirring the earth 6 inches deep. Substitu¬ 
ting the cultivator for the plow, after the first plowing, 
the gain, by its use instead of the plow is, at least six¬ 
ty-two and a-half cents per acre, or, the difference in 
cost between plowing and harrowing—an item of im¬ 
portance in every field of grain; the thinking farmer 
will readily find other advantages. 
I cannot discover any trials of the cultivator, to 
show us the quantity of force required for its proper 
use, an omission on the part of our agricultural imple¬ 
ment makers, of more importance than they imagine; 
let us hope that, hereafter more anxiety wall be felt to 
prove the saving of labor or force, not by assertion but 
by measure , and thus save us farmers from much loss 
of time, and disappointment. 
It was intended to follow the remarks on the plow, 
with a consideration of the harrow, cultivator and seed 
sower ; the season however, for planting corn is so near 
at hand, and the corn crop is so important, that I ven¬ 
ture a repulse from your well stored columns, to show 
if I may, the economy with which this most valuable 
grain can be raised, and is produced in this part of our 
State. 
Long Island and the valley of the Mohawk, has 
heretofore produced a larger amount of corn per acre, 
but that advantage is equalised to us of the inland 
counties, by the greater economy of labor and possibly 
of system. 
A machine is in use here, produced by the ingenuity 
of Mr. H. L. Emery, of Albany,* simple, and worked 
by a single horse; we call it the Corn planter, though 
it is arranged for the planting of any and every kind of 
seed in vows or drills. When this corn planter is so¬ 
lidly and strongly put together—and the ground is in 
proper condition for planting, we plant not less than 
ten acres per day,—-one man and one horse only being 
necessary for the work. The rows of corn are placed 
three feet or three feet six inches apart, and the seed is 
dropped about six to eight inches asunder in the rows. 
The after cultivation, or hoeing, is effected by the 
horse hoe. The following results have been derived 
from the use of these machines: 
Plowing, harrowing, hoeing and preparing 21 acres for 
Corn, at $2.27 per acre, ... $47 67 
Planting 21 acres with Emery’s Planter, in two days, man 
and horse,....... 4 
Cost of 26 quarts of seed corn, at 75 cents per bu c hel, .... 6 6U 
Husking and housing in crib, at $3.17 per acre,. 66 67 
$124 84 
The yield of this 'field was moderate, being only 
1600 bushels of ears, which at the above cost, is equal 
to seven cents and eight mills per bushel. 
The yield of fodder was very large, but if we esti¬ 
mate it as low as !•§ tons per acre, then the cutting 
and housing of the whole fodder, say 30 tons, was $19. 
06—which added to the cost of cultivation, makes an 
aggregate of,...$143 90, 
Deduct for the value of the fodder, at $2 per 
ton,...... 60 00 
$83 90 
Thus the actual cost of the 1600 bushels of ears is 
$83.90, or Jive cents 24-1000 per bushel— or for the 
grain alone it is ten cents 48-1000 per busheL Such is 
the result derived from the Corn Planter , and Cultiva¬ 
tor. and Horse Hoe, from a moderate yield of corn. 
Much better results have been derived by others, from 
the same system and order; and I think none will deny 
that eeenomy is thus well studied and practiced. Ag¬ 
ricola. Seneca Co., N. York. 
Influence of Agricultura" Periodicals. 
That a great improvement has taken place among 
the agricultural population of the United States within 
the past ten or fifteen years, but more particularly in 
the eastern and middle sections, is a fact which I be¬ 
lieve will not be denied. To what is this improvement 
chiefly to be attributed ? I answer, and I think cor¬ 
rectly, to the influence of agricultural periodicals and 
papers. Agriculture, although one of the noblest of 
callings, has been in times past grossly neglected. 
Like many occupations by which a subsistence may be 
obtained without much exercise of the mind, it began 
to be taken for granted that the exercise of the mind 
was not required, and was a matter of but little impor¬ 
tance. Men farmed as their grandfathers had farmed, 
half a century before them. Agriculture, instead of 
improving, stood nearly still, or retrograded somewhat. 
Lands became worn out by bad tillage; and most of 
those who could escape from the plow, left their homes 
to seek out employment by which more money could be 
made with less hard physical labor. Here and there a 
man was to be met with who had become rich through 
trade or commerce, and had retired to a farm; but it 
was not the profit, but the pleasure of farming be had 
gone to enjoy. Matters were somewhat in this condi¬ 
tion about the time of the establishing of the first ag¬ 
ricultural papers. From that period to the present 
time, there has been a steady progression in agricul¬ 
ture. 
* For cut and description of this implement, see last vol. Culti¬ 
vator, p. 329. 
