HEMP-BRAKE. Mr. Colver, of Mis souri, has invented a hemp-brake, which with four men and two boys, will break 2,240 lbs. in a day. This machine is pre cisely on the principle of the band-brake, the swords moving with great rapidity. On each machine there are two places for breaking, and two for cleaning the hemp, the ends of the swords serving admirably for the latter purpose. The machine is as simple as the hand-brake, as easily kept in repair, and it can readi ly be moved about in the field.
The loss by tow, &c., is only about from 12 to 20 per cent.
HOE. In agriculture and gardening, an instrument for stirring the surface of the soil, cutting annual weeds up by the roots, and earthing up plants. The hand hoe is a thin plate of iron, six or eight inches broad, and sharpened on the edge, fixed at right angles on the extremity of a pole or rod, which serves as a handle. This is called a draw hoe, because in the operation of hoeing the instrument is drawn orpulled towards the operator. Another of garden hoe has the blade or iron plate fixed on the extre mity of the handle, and in continuation of it ; and this is called a thrust hoe, be cause in hoeing the operator always pushes the hoe forward. This kind is
also called a Dutch hoc, most probably from having been first introduced from Holland. In agriculture there are hoes of the thrust kind drawn by beasts of la bor, and commonly called horse hoes. In general form they resemble a plough ; but instead of the share they have one or more iron blades, or plates with sharp edges, fixed to perpendicular iron rods at their lower extremities. These sharp ened plates being drawn through the soil, cut through the roots of weeds an inch or two beneath the surface. Agri cultural or field hoes are only used in the case of those field crops which are sown or planted in rows. There are a great many kinds of field or horse hoes ; but it is worthy of remark, that they differ very little in mechanical merit. The im plement, indeed, does not seem suscepti ble of the same degree of improvement as the plough and the harrow.