1859. 



XEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



367 



After the different one horse machines had 

 each cut two swarths on the side of the field, it 

 was proposed that they should cut a double 

 Bwarth, and the Ketchum immediately entered 

 the middle of the grass, and performed its work 

 in such a manner as to render its superiority still 

 more striking. Nothing can exceed the beauti- 

 ful manner in which this perfect little mower ac- 

 complished its task, and by the almost unani- 

 mous consent of the unprejudiced portion of the 

 spectators, it was acknowledged to be the best 

 and most complete one horse machine on the 

 field, or in the market. Although, for many im- 

 portant reasons, the trial of the two horse mow- 

 ers was an event of loss interest than the trial of 

 the one horse machines, still I would not deny 

 to them their just amount of attention. 



Whatever superiority the one horse Ketchum 

 mower may have possessed over its rivals, when 

 I say that in less than five minutes, it was trans- 

 formed into a two horse machine, cutting a swarth 

 four feet, six inches wide, (the only change be- 

 ing the substitution of a pole for the shafts, and 

 the longer bar for the short size) it must be evi- 

 dent to all, that the same superiority remained 

 with it, and the superiority of the two horse 

 Ketchum mower was no less apparant, and no 

 less appreciated, than in the case of the one horse 

 mower. In fact, would it not be a good idea for 

 some of our farmers to have the machine arranged 

 for one or two horses ? I presume they could do 

 60, cheaply. 



But the greatest novelty of the occasion re- 

 mains to be mentioned. The proprietors of the 

 Worcester Ketchum, not content with the suc- 

 cess of their one and two horse machines, de- 

 eired permission to mow with one of somewhat 

 heavier build, cutting a swarth six feet wide. 

 The attempt was not only another success, but 

 an agreeable surprise to the numerous specta- 

 tors. I did not see that the horses labored much 

 harder with this, than with the other machines 

 of less capacity. It presented a truly noble ap- 

 pearance, as the tottering grass came tumbling 

 down, and having finished its double swarth, the 

 opening of twelve feet of cut grass presented 

 quite a gap to the eye. I would sum my account 

 of this trial, by saying that, upon the whole, its 

 result was a decided triumph of the Ketchum im- 

 proved patent mower of 1859, manufactured by 

 Nourse, Mason & Co. 



Permit me to consider now, for a moment, 

 Bome particulars which it would be well for a far- 

 mer to notice in buying a mower. When he is 

 unable to make up his mind as to which mower 

 18 best, he naturally inquires the cost, weight, 

 draught and other characteristics of the rival 

 machines, respectively. I was able to gather 

 these facts concerning the machines exhibited, 

 from the circulars and politeness of the proprie- 

 tors of each. 



The Ketchum two horse mower cuts a swarth 

 of four feet, six inches wide, weighs 480 pounds, 

 and costs $85. The two horse Manny mower 

 cuts a swarth four feet, four inches wide, (two 

 inches narrower than the Ketchum,) weighs 750 

 pounds, (270 pounds more than the Ketchum,) 

 and costs $110, — $25 more than the Ketchum. 

 My experience teaches me that the Ketchum 

 mower has the least draught. I was also im- 

 pressed very favorably with the simplicity and 



durability of its construction. Being entirely of 

 iron, the parts are much lighter, at the same 

 time stronger and more durable, than those of 

 the Manny, which are principally of wood. In 

 conclusion, I would confidently recommend to 

 the farmers of New England, as the result of 

 careful observation, the Ketchum improved pa- 

 tent 1859 mower, as the best in the market. Ad- 

 ding that these ideas, though well founded, are 

 hastily put on pa|)er. TRUTH AND Justice. 

 Boylston, June 15, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 A SICK COLT— STAGGERS. 



Mr. Editor: — In looking over the .Y. E. 

 Farmer to-day I noticed a communication from 

 "W. D. Sear," describing the case of his colt, 

 which I understand to be what is generally de- 

 nominated staggers, which arises from conges- 

 tion of the brain and lungs, with loss of tone in 

 the digestive organs and very unequal circulation 

 of blood. 



I had a work-horse badly affected this spring, 

 and within the last eight years have seen perhaps 

 a dozen in all stages of the disease. I have di- 

 rected to keep the animal warm and dry, to rub 

 the limbs twice a day with common spirit and 

 cayenne pepper, and gave them a quarter of a 

 pound of a deobstruent powder, to be given one 

 teaspoonful in bran or oats wet, three times a 

 day, or if the horse was down and would not eat, 

 put the powder in a junk bottle of warm water 

 and pour it down, saying, if it cures your horse, 

 give me a dollar, and I have always got my dol- 

 lar. Lawson Long, M. D. 



P. S. — A moderate bleeding from the nose is 

 proper. 



HolyoTce, Mass., June, 1859. 



HINGING THE GSAPE VINE FOR FRUIT. 



The practice of ringing, or cutting oft' the bark 

 of the branches of trees bearing fruit, for the 

 purpose of enlarging and improving the quality 

 of the fruit, is beginning to be better understood 

 and more practised. At Bordeaux, in France, 

 there was recently exhibited portions of a vine of 

 the Chasselas variety, which had bunches of very 

 unequal size and quality. The bearing shoots 

 which had been left to themselves, had only 

 bunches of grapes in the common condition, 

 while the contiguous ringed shoots each bore a 

 superb bunch of magnificent grapes, each twice 

 as large as the grapes borne by the same piece 

 of wood that had not been ringed. This was the 

 case in every instance where one shoot had been 

 ringed and the other had not. In the opinion of 

 the exhibitor, the advantages of ringing, are a 

 fortnight's earliness, finer berries, and better 

 quality. The practice of ringing, consists in re- 

 moving a ring of bark something less than half 

 an inch wide, just below the insertion of the 

 bunch to be experimented upon. The only dif- 

 ficulty to be encountered is the danger of cutting 

 too deep. The time for ringing, is when the vine 

 is about to flower. The shoots selected for this 

 operation are those bearing ones which should 

 be pruned oft" next season, as the ringing of course 

 destroys the branch wiih the maturity of the 

 fruit. — Michigan Farmer. 



