3:2 STATE BOARD OF AGKICULTURE. 



more \Tork ■with them. Whatever the size of the farm, have as few fences as 

 possible, and make room for machinery. 



There are several implements I -wish to speak of, that having used, I can 

 recommend highly, and the hrst is the field roller. I believe it will pay to use 

 it on all farm crops. Gardeners consider it necessary that the soil should be 

 pressed down firm around seed of all kinds when planted, as the seed will make 

 a better start. Hand seed-drills without a roller, ought never to be used, un- 

 less the land is to be rolled afterward. 



Light soils are better for being packed down fine, and on hard or heavy soils 

 the roller breaks up the lumps, and makes a better seed bed; but it should 

 never bo used while the soil is wet. I would harrow and roll winter wheat and 

 rye in the spring, especially if seeding with clover, and roll spring grain after 

 sowing, as it not only packs the soil among the seed, making it germinate bet- 

 ter, but breaks up the lumps and leaves the land in better shape for the reaper, 

 mower and horse rake. 



I would roll corn and potatoes after planting to pack the soil around the 

 seed so that the plant would not be easily moved, and run a light harrow over 

 them as soon as they come up, and again before the plants are four inches 

 high, this would kill the first crop of weeds, and loosen up the soil so that the 

 corn or potatoes would grow rapidly, and with careful cultivating, hoeing may 

 be dispensed with altogether. 



One of the best implements to use on crops both before and after they come 

 up, is the Thomas smoothing harrow. The teeth are made of round steel 

 drawn to a point and slant back. It may be run over corn, potatoes and grain 

 after they come up if the soil is not too loose and uneven. It loosens up 

 the surface, causing the plant to grow more rapidly and destroys the first crop 

 of weeds. The only objection to this implement is its price, which is too high. 



DISCUSSIOK. 



Captain Ilendryx said that although it was the penalty that man should 

 earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, he believed it was every man's privi- 

 lege to get the most bread possible with the smallest expenditure of sweat. 

 In order to do this it was necessary to have the best of implements. That was 

 not always best that cost the most. The farmer himself could construct at a 

 very trifling cost, some very useful implements. He believed in sometimes cut- 

 ting feed, but he did not find any advantage in using an expensive cutter. He 

 used one that a farmer miglit make in a day and he preferred it to some 

 much more expensive. 



Mr. Hathaway, and others, spoke of the marker exhibited by Mr. Gulley. 



Mr. Diirkee said that farmers frequently, not being good judges of the adap- 

 tability of machines, spent many thousands of dollars on implements that 

 were not suited to their purpose. Ditferent soils require different styles of im- 

 plements, and it was necessary to understand what was suited to our individual 

 wants. Some of the more expensive machines used on tlie farm, he thought 

 it was better for most farmers to hire than to own them. 



Widely different opinions were expressed in regard to the value of the 

 Thomas harrow. Messrs Gage and Morris did not like it. J. J. Woodman 

 thought it one of the best harrows ever used. A number of farmers spoke 

 very highly of the spring-toothed harrow. 



Hon. J. J. Woodman said : I have been very much interested in this discus- 

 sion on farm implements. The improvement that has been made in farm 

 implements is a triumph of brains over brute force. During my visit to Eu- 



