Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-04-03

m nc in rroVth. and that they were ~
re than twice as thick N the rows. lie D.
a Is, made every allCrua'r row enc tool apart IN
stead of two. 81 that he had about three tines a.
many plants as had to the same ground.
After the first cleaning, tried using shovel
plough, but il covered weeds and plants together.
| then made a small cultivator, having I'VE teen
like little shovels. the size OF man mana 'h,s
was the thing required, as 1t cut OH the WeedS
and mellovcd the soil without disturbing INC
plants. With this went over the field three
times in two weeks; then followed with shov.
cl.plounh twice to a row, with boys to pull
weeds out of the rows and uncover any plants
that got buried. This left the field clear OF
weeds and finished the work till harvest.
Not being quite certain as to the proper time
or best manner Of harvesting the crop, again
went 10 Mr. Parmaec for information; ! there
found that he DELAYED cutting I'LL the pods were
dead rpe and the stalks were nearly dry. i
was then cut with eicEles, the kind with
smooth edges, sometimes called grass sickIcs III
this coun,ry--ED and laid in small heaps for
several DAYS, to dry. | waited till my crop be-
came sufficiently ripe, and had some knives or
sickles made for the purpose, of form that !
found was quite an improvement On those sold
at the shops.
The handle is two fee, in length and of size
-
bu, is less curved. The edge forms a regular
half circle. say twelve inches in diameter. and
the shank is 50 formed that a straight lire drawn
lcngIwise Of The handle would strike the edl @
a the mdde Of the curve /: BY til 5 means, when
usinr the knife it is drawn with a slipping cat,
ins'eld Of square across the sta ks ~ IS usually
the case with the common sickle. thus making
easier work and causing less Jar ard waste 81
seed in cutting. Al first cut during all the
working hours Of the iav. bnt perrcvnG that
the seed shellcd ont much worse after the dew
was off than before, | hired half dozen hands
to work for me at SIX and quarter cents per
hear each morning, from daylight TIL the dew
was oil, during which time we cut about an acre
each notwithstanding about one dollar and fifty
cents. The cuttin. was done from the Isl to
the 10Th of August.
Alter leaving the stalks in the the field 'ill
perfectly dry, hauled them to the thrashing
floor on 4 sled. having a frame TOP covered with
canvass, fourteen feet long and Twelve feet wide.
so as to catch the seed which sheliod ou'. Tie
tlirashirG floor consisted of canvass twelve feet
wide and twenty feet long, surrounded on three
sides with strip of brown muslin two yards
wide. (supportcd By stakes. At the onen end
Of this door sufficient numbe. OF sheets wore
spread 10 contain the stalks as brought from the
field. In thrashing, the stalks were laid head
70 head, in two rows along the floor, eight 10 ten
inches thick, then beaten Mth green hickory
poles, ten Or twelve feet long, Owe found them
better than fllils,) till free from pods and ec2d
Two mon ilrashel in this way. and rahcd of
the course chat, as fast as a man and two boys
brought the stalks on the Sled the distance va
rymG from ten TO forty rods. We thrasbcd in a
week the product Of the field, amounting to
about fifty bushels. After taking Off the course
chat, which was easily done with a common
rake, the seed was spread on dry floor where
it lay for = month being stirred three or four times
week to facilitate It's drying, Che chat aud
dust which remains prevents II from heating or
becoming IN lcwoi) When thoroughly dried
! cleaned the seed with common tanning mill
passing it through twice, and the tailIngs three
or four times
OJserrajonS-Th improvements that have
been suggested to my mind by this experiment
are the following:
II. That he crop should be sovn on sand.
bottom sol. Which Ia mellow and not liable g.
suIlar from drought; and saili'.aa''' r.h 50 al
ford noursnmen' go iHe plant and seed N'.'"
i,H arn.,a i.n % manure; .s have discover. .
slvn growth # stalks with but l'jie seed
.. What 1t is beuerto have he rows arranC
ed as Nr Parucec duas-'uc spaces alternate
ly one loot AID two feet wide and the >'cd
should no; he dropped in single line or row %
the drills but scattered along 50 that the yonu.
/ plants cover two or three inches in width ~ caci
row. thus: