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principal items of which lias been, “divide up your land into small farms.” In a recent num ber of the Cultivator we published an article on Belgian farming, in which the statement is made that the tendency is to larger instead of smaller farms. The statement is significant because the advocates of small farms are in the habit of point ing especially to the success of Belgian farming in support of their views. The truth is that, in all densely populated countries, necessity forces their inhabitants to the point of obtaining the maxi mum yield from their lands and stimulates there fore incessantly in the direction of improved methods of husbandry. But the fanner who op erates on a small scale, with little capital at his command, labors always under difficulties, just as the small trader or the small manufacturer does. It will not pay a small farmer to buy a reaper, mower or grain drill—his little crop can be harvested more economically by hand ; the man who cultivates one or two acres cannot af ford to keep a horse, Ac., &c. The only alterna tive in such cases is, for one person in a neigh borhood to purchase such things and do the ■work of several. This, however, is attended with numberless vexations and annoyances, and makes the farmer too dependent on others to work successfully. We oppose, therefore, the subdividing of our southern plantations on the ground that such division stands directly in the way of the introduction of labor-saving imple ments. At present the greatest error committed by our farmers is the investing of too much money in labor and too little in machines. In breaking up land, the 2 horse, 3 horse or 4 horse plow r , should take the place of the one horse. The corn and cotton planter should take the place of hand dropping and covering with the plow. The or cultivator, or gang plow, should take the place of the shovel. The gram drill or broad casting machine and harrow, should take the place of a careless hand-sower, and a one horse plow for covering the seed —and the reaper and mo-wer should take the place of the cradle and the scythe. It is useless to say such things can not be worked by the negro. Only a limited number would be needed to use them, and the intelligent ones among them could, with a little care and patience, be educated up to the requi site point. We have made carpenters and ma sons and blacksmiths and wheelwrights of ne groes, why not driven* of reapers, Ac., &c. SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. For tin* Southern Cultivator. A PLANTATION GATE. We send you a plan of “our’ gate which wo think cannot be excelled for cheapness and durability. « ’ a " ' a a a—a a, arc two locust or durable posts, which may stand 10 feet or less above ground. b b f ' is a cap which may be a pole or slab, to the underside of which the posts are secured by te non, pin or spike. c the sill is sunk in the earth, even with the surface, and let into the posts or strongly secured between them, so as with the cup to hold the posts immovably to their places. v., the back rail fits by round teiions into two inch auger holes in the cap and sill; the tenons should be set some two inches or more in the sill, and should project above the cap—the cap is put on the back rail and the posts at the same time, and this is the last thing done. If made of good materials this gate will outlast many hinges. x., the main brace reaches from the top of the hinge rail or back rail to the bottom slat, and entirely prevents sagging. For lightness the pickets and frame of gate, except the hinge-rail, should be made, say of sassafras, or other light material. No part of the post, cap, or sill needs ever to be hewn. No nail need be used, nor iron, except to fasten the pickets, but it is cheap est to nail the rails and slats. This gate, of whatever size, swings easily. * Any man that can handle an axe and an augur, can make it. It will last as long as the materials. The making of it is about one day’s work for one man, inclu ding the splitting of the pickets. As for the 435