1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



247 



IMPROVED HINGE HASKOW. 



The true work which a harrow should perform 

 is generally quite imperfectly understood. Its 

 principle office is to pulverize, — to make the soil 

 finer and lighter than the plow leaves it, as this 

 condition of the soil is not only important in or- 

 der to facilitate labor in the cultivation of crops, 

 but important in order to bring the soil into that 

 friable condition, which will attract and readily 

 receive those atmospherical influences upon which 

 plants greatly depend for their growth. Levelling 

 with the harrow is of secondary consequence. 



A light harrow, with rather long, slender and 

 smooth teeth, drawn quickly through the soil, 

 will do 7nore and better work, than a heavy one 

 moved slowly. 



The harrow represented below may be folded 

 double, or separated into two parts, for the con- 

 venience of transportation or other purpose. 

 Either half may be lifted for any purpose while 

 the implement is in motion ; and the easy and 



to draw either end forward ; and when the teeth 

 become dull by working in one direction forward, 

 the team may be hitched tg the other end, and 

 they are sharp again. 



This harrow Avas "got up" by Mr, Holbrook, 

 our Associate Editor, who has given the subject 

 his usual discriminating attention, and finds up- 

 on practice with it, that it operates better thai 

 any other he has used. 



independent play of the parts up and down upon 

 the hinges, enables the instrument to adajijt itself 

 to the surface of the ground in all places, so that 

 whether going through hollows, or over knolls 

 and ridges, it is always at work, and every tooth 

 has an operation upon the soil. There are thirty 

 teeth in the harrow, and yet they stand equi-dis- 

 tant and wide apart each way, so that while from 

 their number and arrangement the ground is 

 worked fine, they are not liable to clog. This 

 harrow is made heavy for rough land and the 

 pulvei'izing of sod furrows, or light for grain and 

 grass seed. It is a very light, pretty harrow for 

 one horse, when made of bars 2^ inches square, 

 with teeth of half-inch steel ; and thus made, and 

 carrying a breadth of five feet, one horse will 

 harrow as much ground in a day with it, as is 

 usually accomplished by two horses. It is made 



EXTKACTS AND REPLIES. 

 GRAFTING CHERRIES, PLUMS AXD PEACHES. 



Will you inform me of the best time of the 

 year for grafting stone fruit, such as cherries, 

 plums and peaches ; and also if peaches grafted 

 into the wild cherry will do well ? 



Plum and Peach. 



Osterville, March, 1858. 



Remarks. — Cherries should be grafted as ear- 

 ly in April as the weather will allsw it to be 

 done comfortably to the grafter, and in which the 

 wax may be handled. Plums should come 

 next, and then peaches — but all some time in 

 April. We have never worked the peach on 

 the Avild cherry, and do not know how it 

 would succeed. 



recipe for making sap beer. 

 Take one pound of good hops, put them in 

 a clean barrel, and take it to the orchard; fill 

 the barrel with sap and set it a*vay for use ; in 

 about two weeks it will be fit for drinking, 

 and will remain good till June. 



Thomas G. Holbrook. 

 Manchester, Vt., 1858. 



TARRED PAPER FOR ROOFS. 



"A. S." may find plenty of tarred paper for 

 roofs or sides of buildings at the paper store 

 of Messrs. Conant & Hood, 141 Blackstone 

 Street, Boston. It is sold for about $3,50 

 per 100 lbs. One pound will cover about ten 

 square feet. . 



WHERE MEATS AND COOKS COME FROM. 



There is a satisfaction in the fact that your lit- 

 erary correspondent, "W. A. A.," applies to us 

 farmers to instruct him as to the origin of the 

 lines which he misquotes ; but he is right, Mr. 

 Editor, for I can assure him the sons and daugh- 

 ters of our farmers are as competent to answer 

 his inquiry as those who have learned more and 

 know less. 



If "W. A. A." will read Dr. Oliver Goldsmith's 

 "Retaliation," he will be amused if not instruct- 

 ed ; and he will find in David Garrick's reply, 

 among other caustic things, the following 



JEU d'esprit. 



"Aro these the choice dishes the doctor has sent us? 

 I^ ttiis the great poet whose works so content us .-' 

 This Goldsmith's fine feast wlio has written fine books? 

 Heaven sends us good meat, but the devil sends cooks." 



Framingham, March'iO, 1858. J. w. C. 



