The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-04-26
M',he Esatm.
The Thomas Harrow.

The following testimony in favor OF
the Thomas Smoothing Harrow, at the
request of the editors of the AMERICAN
FARMER, was furnished by the Secre-
tary of the Gunpowder Agricultural
Club of Baltimore county Mr., Thomas
Gorsuch, and published in the March
number of the FARMER:
To the Editors Of tie america" Farmer:
Gentlemen: In compliance with your
request, the communications of Mr..
McCue were laid before our Club at its
regular meeting on the Sth instant,
The following opinions We're elected
from the members present who had been
using the Thomas Smoothing Harrow:
JOSEPH BosLEY said: The Thomas
Harrow can be made remunerative on
the farm-he has been entirely satisfied
with it for the uses he made of it. 1t
slides over any but very rough stones;
it is not so liable to catch stones as the
common harrow. He used it last sea-
son backward over rough ground to
collect and carry off stalks and other
filth; it did the work well and without
injury to the harrow. He has employed
it most and very successfully on new
set meadows where cattle had laid, to
break up and scatter their dropplngs
He has used it two seasOns-the flrst
on over 120 acres, the last on consldera-
bly, more and thinks it will be good tor
five more In regard to the cost of the
harrow, he is not sure that mechanics
in this section of country would make
it cheaper. He considers it worth the
money he paid for it. In his Judgment
it is not frail considering the work it is
designed for-on ground OF average
smoothness it is sufficient for its work.
DICKINSON GoRsUCH said: He would
not like to do without the smoothing
harrow; it is valuable implement, and
of as much benefit to him as any other
he uses. As stated in his crop report,
by the aid of the drill and smoothing
harrow, he had greatly lessened, sim
plifed and lightened the labor of grow
ing corn. On one field of 10 acres,
that welded 100 l-2 barrels, two-thirds
of the entire cultivation had been done
with the smoothing harrow. He pre-
pares the soil for Spring crops more
cheaply and satisfactorily with it by
following Immediately after the plows
when the ground is in good blowing
order than with other harrows. The
smoothing harrow can be used to advan-
tage on any of his ground which will
admit of the use of the ordinary har-
row: it will work satisfactorily on
ground too rough for reaper; and, in
fact, it is adapted to any ground ON
which improved agricultural machinery
is generally employed. Its construction
in three-hinged sections, permits the
lifting of the wings, and renders the
passage of the harrow over protruding
rocks and other distractions compare
lively easy and harmless. On account
of the oblique rearward set of the teeth,
the strain on them is very slight. The
timbers are large enough, but he would
prefer them of white oak 1t was sug-
gested that some species of ash were of
equal toughness with best white oak.
SECRETARY.
SAMUEL N. PRICE said: In II, just
about the time the corn on field of Il
acres should have been coming up, there
came a heavy rain, which baked the
ground hard. At loss what to do, he
tried the smoothing harrow with COM
plete success. The surface was rough
and stony, vet no damage was done to
sprouting corn and none to the harrow,
excepting the bending of a few teeth.
He is satisfied that without the use of
the harrow to break the crust, the corn
would not have come up. Last year
he used the harrow on IS acres of corn
to his entire satisfacton-has used it in
the Spring on wheat to put in clover
and timothy seed. A neighbor who
saw it driven across rows of drilled
corn inches high, was astonished to
find it tore none out-considers the
smoothing harrow the best implement to
put on potato ground. By it potatoes
can be worked with onc-half the labor
otherwise usually required Increasing
the size of the teeth might be an i'm
provement, but he would not desire the
wood any heavier o..
That the soil which these farmers cul-
tivate, Messrs. Editors, is not aluval,
the above illusions to rocks and stones
abundantly show Their land is in the
main rolling, though parts are billy and
parts level, and runs from a rotten rock
to heavy clay. Previous to the intro
duction of the Thomas Harrow among
US, the ACCESSIBILITY of its employment
was discussed in Club meetings, and, in
fact, to the logical discontinue of its
advocates, none of whom had ever set
eyes on it. Nevertheless they had what
seemed the temerity to send their adj
dress, and the articles came, and now
their confusion appeared complete, for
no one could be convinced that an imple-
ment of such delicate structure appar-
emily would stand for a single day the
hard knocks it must inevitably be sub
iect to on our billy and stony lands. -
The friends of the harrow were mute,
in measure dumbfounded But the
sequel has justified their venture, as
above SO clearly shown.
Root Culture.