214 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



tion has taken place. The susceptibility is cooled by 

 exposure, and the homogeneous qualities are quickly 

 lost, which enable bodies to attract each other, and to 

 enter into cocabinations. Fire is a most violent agent ; 

 and the result of its action must be applied immediately 

 on being produced, and before the nature is altered and 

 neutralized by the introduction of adventitious elements. 

 In the case of using lime and clay in conjunction, the 

 quick use of the lime in the hot, caustic state, is the 

 primary consideration, forming the useful compost by 

 mixing the two substances. 



A compost manure of clay and lime is very generally 

 accessible to the farmer ; and the results of its action as 

 a top-dressing on grass-lands, and as a manure en 

 arable grounds, are certain and durable almost beyond 

 any other substance that is used, in the first case of ap- 

 plication. Composts of lime and earth are very su- 

 perior in effect to lime itself, on inferior soils ; and on 

 grass-lands, the duration exceeds any other top- 

 dressing. The two properties — general accessibility, 

 certainty and duration of effect — constitute a very 

 powerful recommendation of use. 



ON FARM IMPLEMENTS 



Harrows 



Are best in the rhomboidal form, or a disjointed 

 square, which lie flattest on the ground, and proceed 

 most steadily. Clay lands may require drag harrows of 

 iron, which are heavy for the purpose, and a gang of 

 light grass-seed harrows may be added. 



Rolls 



Are most approved in a cast-iron cylinder of six feet 

 in length and three feet in diameter, weighing about one 

 ton. This implement most effectually crushes all turnip 

 soils that are in fallow, also clay lands by repetition, and 

 levels meadows and grass lands. A weight of six cwt. 

 may be added for rolling potato drills and other light 

 purposes. 



Our experience adds only one tool to the three imple- 

 ments that have been now mentioned — a turnip-drill 

 scufiler, and to earth up the ridges of potatoes. 



Of the several searifiers that have been invented and 

 used for the purpose of working the intervals of green- 

 crop drills, our practice with most of them gives the 

 preference to two skeleton ploughs joined together by 

 diagonal bars over the beams, and set at the distance of 

 the width of the drill. The implement is drawn by two 

 horses, and directed by a man. The small mould- 

 boards lay a furrow from both sides of the drill into the 

 intervals, leaving the row of turnips standing on a nar- 

 row ridglet that admits an easy process of being thinned 

 and set in single plants. The narrow point of the share 

 pierces the ground and ploughs the interval, and effec- 

 tually removes the weeds from the growing turnips. 

 This is a cheap implement, simple in the construction, 

 and easily repaired and replaced. 



A Scarifier 



Follows, that is provided with a front share which moves 

 the bottom of the interval, and having two hind curved 

 knives attached laterally for cutting the sides of 

 the drill from the bottom to the side of the tur- 

 nips. This implement, drawn by one horse, performs 

 the summer work of fallowing the intervals, after 

 being ploughed and moved by the skeleton ploughs in 

 the twin formation. The curved knives are removable ; 

 and two mould-boards are fixed to the breast of the 

 plough, when the implement is used for earthing up the 

 drills of potatoes, with a heavy furrow raised by two 

 horses, and once or twice done, as may be wished. 

 This tool is cheap and simple, and answers two purposes. 



A machine for sowing grass seeds in broadcast, is an 

 indispensable tool on farms of any extent. A horse, 

 man, and lad will sow 40 acres in a day of 10 hours, 

 and in a manner very superior to any hand-sowing. 

 Peas are well sown by this machine, which is cheap, to 

 answer the objection of performing only one purpose. 



A double-drill sowing machine for turnip-seeds is re- 



quired on turnip farms, which is cheap and easily 

 maintained. 



With the tools now mentioned, any cultivation of land 

 may be accomplished ; and our estimate agrees with the 

 Earl of Leicester. 



Reaping Machines 



May never become established implements of the farm ; 

 and, With all the ingenuity that has been employed, and 

 may be called into action, the reaping of grain crops 

 may ever remain a hand operation, at least in the greater 

 ratio. Machinery requires certain provisions for its 

 use. The steam-engine requires a level surface of iron 

 rails ; and wheels require a flat surface on which to run. 

 Reaping machines require a crop of reedy, unbroken 

 stems of a certain height, standing upright, not bent in 

 any direction; and a level surface of ground. These 

 demands are too many, except for some few situations, 

 as in South Britain, of which the climate is early, and 

 the winds moderate. The implement may be used in 

 the north of England and south of Scotland, in the early 

 season of harvest, and on some certain grounds and 

 crops ; but the general use never can be obtained, as 

 many crops of grain are laid by rains, twisted by winds, 

 and sunk by their own weight ; and any reaping by ma- 

 chine is wholly beyond the question. 



The machines are costly, complicated, easily de- 

 ranged, and repaired with difficulty. Where the use 

 can be admitted, an extent of ground is required, to 

 allow the saving of labour to stand in account against 

 the interest and prime cost. In small occupations, the 

 cost of the tool and the limited use set aside the enter- 

 tainment of reaping grain crops in that way. The scythe 

 and hand-sickle are cheap in value, easily wrought, and 

 replaced with small outlay. Reaping machines stand 

 idle, except for a short time of the year, expend much 

 capital, and have little opportunity of repaying it. 



Steam 



May never perform the detail work of the farm —its 

 locomotive powers are beyond daily iise, and then 

 transported to other places and purposes. The sta- 

 tionary use in thrashing grain is quite another thing. 

 In that application, every farm above 200 acres should 

 have a power of 6 to 10-horse, for thrashing the grain 

 crops, provided by the land-owner as a permanent 

 article, and upheld by the farmer for this temporary use. 

 If the land be ploughed by steam, the apparatus is too 

 costly, and too cumbersome and dependent on contin- 

 gencies ; and only one purpose is eff'ected. The steam- 

 powers for thrashing can be applied to cut turnips into 

 slices, and to cut all straws for litter into short lengths. 

 In this way the use enjoys the opportunity of repaying 

 capital with interest. Even with thrashing machines, 

 an extent of occupation is required in order to justify 



