312 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



seen. In that respect they are more troublesome than the cultiva- 

 ted sorts. 



Di'. Peck thought the wild sorts when cultivated had greater 

 firmness than when growing wild. 



Mr. Quinn thought those who were not satisfied with the Lawton 

 would find in the Kittatinny, Wilson and Dorchester all that any 

 one could reasonal^ly require. 



Horses — Shoeing. 



Jas. E, Larimer, Guilford, Ind.: Will any one who knows talk 

 about horse-shoeing, and less about moonshine and water-witching? 

 Farmers are much interested in the subject of horse-shoeing. 

 Much is lost by thoughtless, ignorant or penurious fiirmers, who 

 either keep shoes on too long, or leave them off until they lose 

 thrice the value of shoes by lame feet. Much is also lost through 

 shoeino- by ignorant smiths. The subject needs a thorough dis- 

 cussion." 



Mr. N. C. Meeker — I fully agree with this correspondent about 

 the question of horse-shoeing being an important one for farmers. 

 I have had some costly experience in this matter in Southern 

 Illinois. In one instance, we kept an account of the distance 

 traveled in the efi'ort to get a horse shod, which summed up eighty- 

 five miles. That was not all, for the horse was severely lamed 

 duriuo- this travel. My boys then concluded that it would be profit- 

 able for farmers to have a blacksmith's shop of their own, Ac- 

 cordino-ly avc purchased tools, and they have since done their own 

 work, a little slow and clumsy at first, Ijut better than traveling 

 eighty-five miles to get a horse shod. 



Dr. Snodgrass said his father had such a shop and it paid better 



than any other investment on the farm. 



Adjourned. 



Jcmiuary 2, 1867. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



Machine for Unloading Hay. 

 Mr. Homer W. Fitch, Lithgow, N. Y., calls the attention of the 

 club to Hinman's automatic hay elevator and conveyor, to be placed 

 in barns, which is a great labor-saving contrivance, for mowing 

 away hay. It consists of two tracks, or wa3's, a few inches apart, 

 made of scantling and secured to the rafters, near the peak of the 



