THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



87 



which repays for the pain in the healthy circulation 



which it promotes. 



Agricultural Hints. 



For the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 



As labor is the hi^^iiest article in the market, it 

 is of vast importance to all to make the most of it ; 

 and to none more so tiian the farmer. 



In illustrating this subject, I do not expect to 

 advance any new idea, or bring forward any new 

 truth, but merely call the attention of your readers 

 to facts which are better known than practised. 



The general mania and rush of the people of A- 

 inerica to engage in internal improvements, man- 

 ufacturing, and to cover the waters of our lakes 

 and rivers with steam craft, have increa^Jed the de- 

 mand for labor, and raised its price ; and as the con- 

 sequence it has drawn oif the young men to some 

 one of these employments, until you rarely find at 

 the present time more than one man and a small 

 boy on each of our farms. TJierefore it is of vast 

 consequence tliat we make the most of labor. 

 Hence tiie inquiry is, or should be, ho v shall this 

 be done ? We answer, by a tliorough cultivation 

 of the soil : that is, to raise the culture and im- 

 prove every part of our cultivated lands to the ut- 

 most of our means. To do this eflectually we 

 should select our best lands, and improve no more 

 than we have manure to place in a high state of 

 cultivation; a^ mucli is h3st by spreading our ma- 

 nure over too much ground. 



When Indian corn is the crop, there is very little 

 danger of applying too much manure, or of making 

 the land too rich in order to make the most of it. 

 This subject was better illustrated by the farmers 

 in the vicinity of the Winnipisseogee lake, last 

 year, than by any tiling I can say. There the far- 

 mers raised from IIG to 137 bushels of corn to an 

 acre, which is probably more thin our tarmers will 

 average, take the State through, on three acres. 

 This was done by highly manuring the land and 

 giving the soil superior cultivation. 



Wljen land is raised i.o tiiat state of culture 

 which affords the best crop of corn, it is of course 

 in preparation for tlie best crop of wheat. And if 

 we do not raise quite so mucli as a townsman of 

 ours, Mr. Isaac Adams, raised last year, who grew 

 fifty-four bu.-^hcls on an acre and a quarter, yet we 

 may grow a crop that will be profitable ; and what 

 is of not less importance the land Is then in a sit- 

 uation to prod nee large crops of grass for several 

 ensuing years ; and this 1 deem the most important 

 crop to a New England farmer. 



The writer of this has taken as much if not more 

 money for hay on an average, during the last twen- 

 ty-five years, tiian for any other item sold from his 

 farm in the same time. 



It may perhaps be said tiiatif we attempt to cul- 

 tivate so thoroughly, and manure so highly, we 

 shall be able to cultivate but small quantities of 

 land; but we will not despair, since the editor of 

 the Visitor has told ns of a fanner in West Cam- 

 bridge, who has sold produce the past season from 

 seven acres of land, amounting to nearly four thou- 

 sand dollars ! 



Again, if we would make the most of labor, let 

 us determine what kind of stock is best adapted to 

 our farms and circumstances. If neat stockbe the 

 best, we should obtain the best animals, and then 

 cross them with the most improved breed from a- 

 broad ; and be sure and not keep any more than 

 we can keep well. It costs but a trifle more to 

 raise a pair of oxen thnt, in ordinar}'^ times, will 

 fciell from eigiity to a hundred dollars, at four years 

 old, than at fifty dollars. 



And further, it is almost incredible whataquan- 

 tity of butter may in one season he made from a 

 good cow, well kept. The writer well recollects 

 that a citizen of Jatfrey some lour or five years 

 since, who kept but one cow, told me that the in- 

 come from this cow was in the sale of the calf 

 and butter, oddintr what was consumed at home, 

 from forty-five to fifty dollars, to say nothing of the 

 milk which helped to make a good pig. 



Should our stock be sheep, it is especially im- 

 portant that we obtain a healthy fine wooled breed, 

 and that we constantly improve itb)- crossing. We 

 cannot in any other way so clearly show the great 

 advantao-e and large profits of fine wooled sheep 

 as to refer the reader to an account, given in the 

 tenth number and first volume nf the " Farmer's 

 Visitor," of tbo high price obtained by Messrs. 

 Sibley and Barnard of Hopkinton, N. H. fijr last 

 yt-ar's clip, of Samuel Lawrence, Ksq. of Lowell, 

 which ranged fVom fifty cents to one dollar per 

 pound. The* profits of Messrs, Sibley and Barnard 

 were not, as we understand, owing to any particu- 

 lar advantages as to farm, but to selecting and im- 

 proving their flock, accompanied with the best of 

 care. May not othcT3 do likewise ? 



Anotlier item of importance for the saving of 

 labor is to adopt, as enrly as possible, the best and 

 most highly -ip^roved farming tools and labor sav- 

 ing machines, as much is lost by using poor tools. 

 And we sliould have a place-for every implement, 

 and keep it in its place when not in use, and not, 

 when an article is wanted, have to inquire of all 

 the boys, and run round tiie lot, and after a long 

 hunt, find the hoe, rake, or axe, as the case may 

 be, on tiie ground where we left it a month before. 



It is furtlier important ns a saving of time and 

 labor, to adopt the (dd maxim of never leaving for 

 to-morrow wliat can be done to-day. 



If many of our farmers were to write down ev- 

 ery day or parts of days unnecessarily spent in the 

 course of a year and charge the price they would 

 have to pay for labor, they would find at the end 

 of the year no inconsiderable hill. 



If we would make the most of labor, let us not 

 only thorou2"hIy cultivate, manure and improve 

 what we till, make n.se of those kinds of grain 

 and grass best adapted to our soil, and select the 

 most approved stock and best farming tools, but let 

 us take and read a well conducted agricultural 

 Journal, by which we may avail ourselves of the 

 information, experience, and experiments of oth- 

 ers, and apply them to our own advantages, for it 

 will scarcely be possible for us to read an able and 

 well edited agricultural paper, without realizing in 

 value many times what we pay for it. 



We should also give a close personal attention 

 to all our concerns, and endeavor to excel in what- 

 ever vie undertake ; that is, we should endeavor to 

 produce the best and most valuable articles, as on 

 the best articles we generally realize the most pro- 

 fit. 



In fine, let us dispense with the old method, if 

 we have not already, of skinning our farms and 

 deteriorating the soil ; and adopt the new system 

 of husbandry, by raising them to the highest state 

 of cultivation our means will admit. 



This will not only make a saving of labor, but 

 enhance the value of our lands, render an essential 

 service to mankind, and be a source of new and 

 rational pleasures. JOHiN CONANT. 



JafFrey, June, 1S40. 



Pitts' Horse Power and Machine for 

 Thrashing and Cle.ining Grain. 



Col. Oliver Herrick of LQ,wiston, Maine, is 

 the proprietor of this Horse Power and Thrashino- 

 Machine fir the State of New Hampshire. 



Pitts' HORSE rOWER is peculiarly well fitted 

 for general purposes, as well for propelling 

 Thrasliincr IVTacliines, Cider Mills, &c. as for Rail- 

 road Corporations where horse power is used in 

 propelling cars, for ca»ial boats, and for meclianics 

 who want a cheap and eincient power for latlies, 

 grindstones, circular saws and other important ap- 

 paratus. Tiie macliine is simple in its construction, 

 liirbt, durable, and not liable to get out of repair, 

 singularlv elhclent and easy in its operation; can 

 be easily removed from place to place ; and can be 

 made for a comparatively small sum, for one, two, 

 four, six or more horses. The two horse power is 

 in much request for thrashing mowed and other 

 grains. 



But as connected with this Horse Power a sub- 

 ject of peculiar interest to the whole agricultural 

 community is the THRASHING and SEPARA- 

 TING MACHINE, being not only a hihor saving 

 huizi grain saving machine. The Horse power 

 was patented in the year 1834, and the Thrashing 

 Machine with the Separntor was patented in the 

 3'ear 1837, and from that time to the present there 

 have been improvements made at every new con- 

 struction. 



Before the Separator, which entirely divests the 

 grain from the cliaff, was added to this machine, it 

 received tiie high commendation of many distin- 

 guished judges where it had been used. A com- 

 mittee of the Maine Kennebeck County Agricultu- 

 ral Society, in Sept. 1S31, thus rejiorts of this ma- 

 chine : — 



" We were next sumnmned to examine Pitts' 

 improved Horse Power and Thrasher. This is an 

 improvement invented and patented by Messrs. J. 

 A. *lt H. A. Pitts of Winthrop, and your committee 

 think that very considerable improvement has been 

 effected by them. The principle is on the endless 

 chain — but the horse travels upon wood, and the 

 bgs are kept from sagging by a new and ingenious 

 application of a system of rolls called by the in- 

 ventors 'surface rolls.' The improvements appear 

 to be — \. A greater ease to the horse; 2. Less 

 weight in the machine; 3. Less expense to the 

 purchaser. It can be made with slight additional 

 expense, for two horses. It thrashes clean, and on 

 the whol^ is a yaltiable implement for the fartne-r. 



We think the Messrs. Pitts richly entitled to a gra- 

 tuity for introducing their improvement afnong 

 us." 



Robert Eastman, Esq. of this town, the inven- 

 tor and patentee of a saw and clapboard machine, 

 and an excellent judge of machinery, certified in 

 1835 of Pitts' thrashing machine that he gave it 

 the " preference of any that lie had ever seen." 



Hon. John W. Wkeks, Gen. John Wii son and 

 other gentlemen of Lancaster, N. H. March 3, 

 1835, say that " having witnessed the ojieration of 

 Pitts" Patent Horse Power and Thrashing Ma- 

 chine, and as they have worked to our entire sat- 

 isfaction, we freely give it as our opinion that thpy 

 are superior to any now in use." 



The late Judge'BuKi., in Oct. 1835, says, " Mr. 

 Pitts' Horse Power and Thrashing Machine having 

 been put in operation in my barn, and having ex- 

 amined it closely with the committee at tiie Alba- 

 ny Fair, 1 do not iiesltate to recommend it to the 

 public patronage." A medal was awarded to the 

 machine at this Fair. 



Thus muclj for the Machine before the Grain 

 Cleanser was incorporated with it. When we first 

 saw the artich' extracted below in the American 

 Farmer, published at Baltimore, Maryland, we 

 were not aware that it was an invention of i^ew 

 England, and that our citizens might soon have an 

 opportunity to witness its operation and use : — 



AnnayoUs^ August 8, ISSD. 



Dear. Sir — I now give you the day's work as per- 

 formed by Pitts' Machine for thrashing and clean- 

 sing grain on the 27th ult. as certified by Messrs. 

 Wilson, (the three sons of Dr. Thomas Wilson, of 

 EastonNeck, Kent Co. Md.) Edward Paca, Esq. 

 my son, Richard J. C. Jones, and myself The 

 machine got out in fifteen minutes ten bushels 

 white wheat as clean as it could be done by passing 

 it through the fan three times if got out in the 

 connnon way. Since that period I got out in 4 3-4 

 days, 1082 bushels whent, and 336 bushels oats — 

 1st day, 204 bushels; 2d day, 240; 3d 20G ; 4th 

 252; 5th 173 bushels red wheat, weighing G6 lbs 

 per bushel by the steelyards ; whii-.h will be an 

 average of about 240 bushels per day, which divi- 

 ded into ten hours work per day will gTve twenty- 

 four bushels per hour. The large band from the 

 horse was old and rotten, and frequently broke, by 

 which much time was lost. — 25 bushels per liour is 

 a moderate calculation. 



The wheat got out by this machine commanded 

 three cents per bushel more than any other in the 

 market: 115 cents was the highest price given for 

 wheat on that day, which was heavier, but not 

 clear of dust. Will not this circumstance add 

 greatly to fhe value of this machine ? There is an 

 ingenious contrivance to throw the band pully out 

 of geer, so that when you want to stop the horse 

 power suddenly, (if a horse should fall) the cylin- 

 der ceases to revolve and leaves the horse power 

 to be slacked at once. A valuable horse's life was 

 saved by this improvement — he was thrown down 

 by the shat\s, and his neck doubled under him, oc- 

 casioned by a person passing before him while go- 

 ing around, which threw him back upon tlie shaft 

 and tripped him up. 



The difterence in the price at market, and the 

 g-reat saving of grain and labor in 20U0 bushels 

 will pay for the machine — it does not leave a grain 

 in the straw, and the wheat never touches the 

 ground but is bagged and put on board of a vessel 

 or in your granary at one operation ; it is pronoun- 

 ced in Baltimore to be more free from dust and dirt 

 than any other wheat in the market. Never were 

 measurers better pleased with handling a crop, 

 tliere being no sneezing or cougliing from dust — 

 in fact, they could not but believe that it had been 

 repeatedly and particularly well fanned. 



1 have already had application to thrash for far- 

 mers who had engaged other machines, but are 

 now determined not to make use of them if they 

 can be accommodated with Pitts' macliine. The 

 part that separates the grain cannot he attached to 

 any other machine — the fan can be taken off if 

 thought desirable, but the machine makers here 

 consider this as superior to any other ever produc- 

 ed, and think there is no room left for improvement 

 except one which 1 have suggested, and which will 

 be attached to any that are built hereafter, and will: 

 save the labor of one hand — that is, instead of the" 

 wheat falling into the boxes under the fan, I intend 

 to fix a shoot that at an angle of 40 degrees, will 

 run the wheat from the fan into a large trough, a- 

 longside the machine, and thence be measured up 

 and put into bags at once — this can be done by 

 raising the fan one foot hia^her ; and the other im- 

 provement is, to have a fall leaf at the back of the 

 fan to keep the wind from blowing the chaff and 

 straw back and thereb}' choke the riddle. I sub- 



