162 BUREAU COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



ods so as to keep pace with the progress of the age, and with the 

 onward sweep of civilization, will not be indifferent to this 

 threatened danger of a perpetual blight on agriculture. Apa- 

 thy will be fatal. Safety will only be assured from an aroused 

 public sentiment, stimulating individuals to watchfulness and 

 care, moving the press, agricultural societies and legislative 

 bodies, each in its sphere, to do its appropriate work. With 

 all this we need not fail, but if we do, it is at least noble to 

 try. Self interest, duty, and patriotism all speak with one 

 voice ; and I trust it will move to proper action the intelligent 

 and public spirited of our noble State. 



THE SWITCH GATE. 



It is sometimes convenient to have a stable door open into 

 a front yard, or a rear yard, at will. I have an arrangement 

 to effect this object. The fence dividing the two yards points 

 in the direction of the stable door. At the distance of sixteen 

 feet stands a post, as for a gate. From this post to the door 

 is a panel, constructed like a gate, and hinged to the post. 

 As this gate is too heavy to swing on hinges, a friction wheel 

 is placed on the end next to the door, and a plank is laid for a 

 track, so that it may move easily from one side of the door to 

 the other. Turn this gate to one side and the opening from 

 the stable will be to the front yard ; by turning it to the other 

 side, the stable will open into the rear yard. The stable door 

 should be a slide door, or at least it should not open outward. 

 The " switch gate " should have some convenient device for 

 self-fastening, as it is moved from side to side ; and this fasten- 

 ing should be such as to be easily opened from either side of 

 the gate. As my arrangement for this might not be so well 

 adapted to another place, I omit its description ; but will re- 

 mark, that it can be opened or closed with ease by the operator 

 on horseback from the side of the rear yard where this opera^ 

 tion is most needed. 



I have in use two of these "switch gates" to accommodate 

 two different openings. One is seven feet high, boarded close, 



