Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-06-01
VOLUME A, NUMBER 81.

on the same Idn0s ploWlng tuo sWncot IN.
A continuance of harrow levelled the
ground after the plows. Each plow was.
drawn by two oxen. The plows were of
the same pattern used by the Romans
1000 years since made of the fork of >
small tree, one prong was cut long enough,
TO fasten the oxen to f.; the other prong off
about foul feet long, and sharpened at the
! end, and q single stick fastened into the
fork and projecting back, made the handle.
barrel. When forked tee cannot be
found, the short stick is morticed into the
long one. The short prong was the coul.
ter-the long one the beam. This was
fastened by raw-hide thong to the or
yoke, which, in turn, was fastened in front
of and to the horns of the oxen. by an.
other raw-hide thong. The handle was
held by peon, armed in the other hama
with long pole, with a sharp goad in the
end of it, which he unsparingly plunged
into the oxen to quicken their speed, or to
change their direction.
Some of the better pIows have the coul.
ter shod with piece of iron, resembling
a bull tongue, eight inches long, and taper
ing from thence 10 two inches al the point.
This is the greatest improvement made
upon the plow.
The ground is never thoroughly broken
up, and is only scratched into burrows
few inches deep. Efforts have been
made TO in troduee better plows, and some
have been brought from the United States:
But the Mexicans did not like to use them.
They were soon broken or thrown aside
as useless, because no one weuld ploW
with them.
The harrow was as simple a contri+
vance as the plow, and consisted Of Sin1
gle stick Of square timber, the size of q
jois,, fastened in two places with raw
hide rope to keep it square to the front,
and drawn by yoke of oxen to level the
ground.
The mqtate, or stone corn mill, used for
preparing tor!illar, is the same article that
was used by the Indians at the conquest of
Mexico.
Their hoes are clumsy. rough machines;
decidedly worse than the meanest hoe id
Old Virginia-aud that is as bad a des!
cription as know how to give them,
Their axes ara long aud clumsy, with
blades about three inches wide, and re.
sernble the upper part of PickaIe or
grubbing- hoe. 1t looks remarkable that
they should ever be able to peck tree,
down with one. The great superiority of
the American Ak is so evident, that some
few venluresome persons have commences
ed the use of them.
A Mexican cart is the most unique Of
all their inventions. 1t has not piece OF
iron in or about it. 1t is constructed en-!
tirely of wood and rawhide. The axle
tree is rough hewed log, round al the
ends. The wheels are made of knot!y
live oak, two feet and half through the
hub, aud trimmed down to seven inches
in the tread. Two slabs of the Same
width are planted on to the centre piece,
to give rotundity to the wheels. A heavy
tongue is mofticed into the axle, and has
wooden pin inserted through the upper
end, by which to fasten it to the yoke
The body is made Of OGDEN poles. inser-
ted into rough saplngs eight feet long
This is used for hauling wood, &c. When
they wish to haul corn, cornstslks are
placed across the wooden poles and dashed
tightly to them, with strips of rawhide.--
When wheat or shelled corn is to be car
red, they line the inside of the stalk bed
with mating made of the palmitla, which
resembles the material of which gunBy
bags are made.
The ox.yoke is piece of timber five
inches wide aud three inches thick, slight
ly indeu,ed near each end. This is tied
in front CT and across the horns, with q
piece of tough raw hide. Another piece.
fastens the yoke tightly TO the tongue of
the cart. A strong rope of rawhide, Of
sufficient length fastens their yoke to the
tongue ofthe cart.
The driver moves along by the side Of
the cart, sometimes on foot and sometimes
riding an ugly, Unlocking mustang. with
long ox.goad in his hand. He uses this
freely, and when he wishes TO ''fle LEFT"
he pops this goad into the off OK, who
screws his tail and runs around his fellow,
and changes the direction of the cart
They move more briskly than the Ameri:
can oxen. This is no wonder, for they
are all taught to "walk Spanish"
They haul very large loads in these
carts, and travel as fast as horse teams
usually do on a journey.
A Mexican frequently carries his wife
and children in these carts. He then
puts raw hide on the bottom, to keep
The children from falling through, and puts
another over she top for a coyer-when,
in crawls the whole family. As soon as
all's set" he Kisses at bis oxen, as bear
hunter would do when close on bruiu,and
off starts the contrivance with q full band
of road music, produced by the outlandish
schreeching Of Mexican cart.