The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-23

this wayf Why were NOT oil these sn'nss
spoken Of ,hen1 In one word, Why WAS 20
much deception prsctisedf
We can tell the virginian secret OF which
| Il does not seem 10 Be aware. The route nom
Memphis 10 Washington, by the Lynchburg
and Tennessee, Lynchburg and Gordonsville,
and Gordonsyille and Alexandria roads, is not
the shortest, neither is /, the best or most at.
nac,ive. That by the Memphis and Lexing-
ton, Ky, Lexington and Sandy, Covington
and Ohio, Central and GordonsviIle and Alex
dria. is ffy.eight miles shorter, Is over far bet.
ter roads, runs through a more attractive
country, is the directest route to the Virginia
Springs, and is in every respect superior to
the other.
TRIAL OF REAPING MAcHrNEs-In May last,
the Executive Committee of the Virginia State
Agricultural Society adopted resolution, Offering
premium Of fifty dollars to the inventor Of such
Reapiug Machine should after trial in the pre-
sent harvest, prove, In the judgment of commit.
tee, 'the bes. and NEST effective" in i,s operation
At the same time, the Executive Committee ap
pointed Messrs. D. w. Hsxall, E. Ruflu jr., A. P
Crenshaw, Robert Dou.hat, w. A. Selden, James
B. Jones and Henry Cox, a committee to superin-
tend the trial; and Messrs William F. Gaines, John
r. GARRETT Richard Irby, Edward o. Watkins,
Robert NJ Taylor. Samuel Ball and Richard Baylor,
committee to decide upon, 'after testing by full
and fair trial." the comparative merits of the diff.
| ferent machines offered for such trial .ga
Mr.. William Allen, of Claremont having politely
rendered the of his fields for the trial of such
ReaPing Machines as should enter for the premium,
and Tuesday last having been appointed az the day
of such trial, the committees and about two hun,
bred gentlemen, principally farmers, assembled on
Mr.. Aliens "Maiden Hall" farm, on James River,
about fifteen miles below Richmond, to carry out
and to witness the audablo design of the Agricultu
raj Society.
The place was admirably fitted for the trial.
The field was level and the wheat luxuriant and
heavy; and three Reapers, of different invention
and proprietorshp, we're entered for the contest,
viz: Messrs. C. H. McCormick's, Hussey's, and T.
D. Burralls, the latter from Geneva, N. Y. and
comparatively but little known in Virginia.
By arrangement each machine was to op crate
for half an hour at time At the hour of IL, NJ,
Mr.. McCormick's took the lead, and cut around
land of heavy wheat distance of about three.
fourths of mile, nearly three times In the half
hour. The Hussey Reaper followed, and per-
formed the same feat in rather shorter time; and
then followed the Burial Machine, which per.
formed two rounds and fraction in the allotted
time. The speed seemed to depend mainly upon
the drivers of the teams, each machine having
different driver, who seemed to exercise his own
fancy In regard to expedition. The Hussey Reaper
had four mules attached, driven by black driver
the Mccormick Reaper three mules, and also
colored driver-and the Burial Machine two
horses and a white driver. The Hussey team was
generally In full trot-the other teams were dri-
ven with less speed.
The large company witnessed the trial with
great interest and opinion appeared much divided
in reference to the comparative merits of the re.
spective machines. In truth, all three are admira
Bile Reapers, and we should not be surprised If the
committee should be embarrassed In coming to a
decision to which Of the three is the best Hus.
sey's and Burrall's each cut swarth of about five
feet, and lodge the grain in the swarth Immediately
adjacent to the uncut wheat. The Mccormick
Reaper cuts swarth somewhat wider than either
OF the other machines, and throws the cut grain
entirely clear of the swarth ; and this difference
we observed, was a recommend aton with some of
the company. 1t obviates the necessity of re-
movai of the grain before succeeding swarths are
cut The Burial Reaper, which does not vary
much in it's construction from the Hussey Reaper,
appeared to require less drsugh. than either of the
other machines and throws it's grain in rather
better condition for binding-and these qualities
constituted opinions in its favor.
The decision of the COMMITTEES will not be made
known, probably, for some days. As soon as it
shall be ascertained, we will give publicity to il,
After the trial in wheat of straight and luxuriant
growth, the merits of the several machines were
tested in wheat in lodged and tangled condition.
well as in wheat of short, thin and light growth
The result was favorable to all. Each Reaper ex
hi5ited admirable capacities for cutting here, as
well as in straight and heavy wheat
The large company which assembled on this oc
casion-snd we met with various gentlemen large
ly interested in farming, from distant counties
were handsomely and most abundantly entertained
with dinner, &c, by the proprietor of the magnif
mt estate which this gathering of farmers took
place At a single view we could see from the
dinner table, what we estimated at more than
thousand acres of luxurisnt wheat of golden hue,
all in readiness for the sickle In this tract (Curles
Neck) there are, we understand, aboutsix thousand
offertle land the greater portion Of capable
of yielding in ordinary seasons, from twenty to
thirty bushels of wheat per scre-much of the
present crop, no doubt, yielding that amount
Tnis fine landed estate, however, constitutes but IA
moiety of Mr. AS landed possessions
We have rarely, if ever, met with a com pany of
equal numbers, of more intelligence and wealth,
than that which we met here on Tuesday; and we
predict that the happiest results to the interests of
the farming community will follow the efforts of
the Agricultural Society and its friends by such
exhibitions.
THAcKERAYs LEcTunEs.-W have just received
a copy of these world.renowned lectures from J..
w. Randolph Though we heard the greater par,
of them delivered yet that very circumstance en-.
hances instead of diminishing the zest with which
we are now devouring them. To US, they read far
more agreesbly than they appeared when deliver.
ed. We are now enabled to estimate at it's proper
value, the extreme purity of the pelucid English
In which they are couched and TO perceive the