356 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



ing upon the suggestion, I replaced the trap to 

 receive further patronage. The next morning I 

 found two more. Repeated the operation of the 

 preceding day, and on the third day I found but 

 one. Since that time we have neither seen, heard, 

 or been troubled with anymore rats. They closed 

 their career without acerbity, having retired from 

 the busy scenes of their lives nweetlij. Should 

 any of your subscribers feel disposed to try the 

 trap, I have no doubt that molasses would answer 

 as well as honey. 



Can any of your numerous readers give me 

 any practical information in regard to the Dios- 

 corea Batatas, or Chinese Potato ; is there not 

 considerable of Rohan about it? — John R. Simp- 

 son, in Rural New-Yorker. 



PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE. 



• The N. Y. Observer says the following good 

 things of progressive agriculture : 



"Under its influence, spring up tasty and con- 

 venient dwellings, adorned with shrubs and flow- 

 ers, and beautiful within with the smiles of hap- 

 py wives, tidy children in the lap of thoughtful 

 age — broad hearts, and acts as well as words of; 

 ■welcome. Progressive agriculture builds barns 

 and puts gutters on them, builds stables for cat- 

 tle and raises roots to feed them. It grafts wild 

 apple trees by the meadow with pippins or green- 

 ings, — it sets out new orchards, and takes care of 

 the old ones. 



It drains low lands, cuts down bushes, buys a 

 mower, house-tools and wagons, keeps good fences 

 and practices soiling. It makes hens lay, chick- 

 ens live, and prevents swine from .rooting up 

 meadows. Progressive agriculture keeps on hand 

 plenty of dry fuel and brings in the oven-wood 

 for the v/omen. It plows deeply, sows plentiful- 

 ly, harrows evenly and prays for the blessing of 

 Heaven. Finally, it subscribes for good reli- 

 gious, agricultural and family journals, and pays 

 for them in advance, advocates free schools, and 

 always takes something besides the family to the 

 county fair. 



LIMA BEANS, 



For twenty years I have tried to raise Lima 

 beans, but with poor success, failing at least dur- 

 ing one half of the time to raise any. About 

 seven years ago, B. Beman, Esq., of Mecca, in- 

 formed me of his method of growing the Lima 

 bean, and following his instructions, I have not 

 failed since that time in raising a good crop. 



In early spring I select a piece of rich, mel- 

 low soil, and setting my poles, — that are about 

 six and a half feet long — about three feet apart 

 each way, I plant three or more beans in each 

 hill, being careful to set each bean with its gei-m 

 downward. After they have grown awhile, and 

 before they begin to run, I pull up all but the 

 most vigorous plant, thus leaving but one plant 

 to each pole. The plant is then carefully tied to 

 the pole if necessary. When it has ascended to 

 the top of the pole I pinch off its end and con- 

 tinue to do so to all the branches whenever they 

 reach that height. This checks the liability to 

 run to vines, and to make them blossom, bear 

 sooner," and more abundantly than they otherwise 

 would do. — Adam Gkiswold, m Ohio Farmei\ 



Pot the New England Farmer. 

 A STUMP MACHINE. 



Mr. Editor: — I have on my farm a great 

 many pine stumps, and if they could be taken out 

 of the ground with the roots attached, they would 

 make excellent fences. There are stump fences 

 in this vicinity which have been built nearly for- 

 ty years, and are as good as new ; they have had 

 no repairs, and will probably need none for forty 

 years to come. To dig up pine stumps with a 

 crowbar, hoe, spade and lever, is a tiresome and 

 expensive operation, and when so extracted, they 

 are unfit for fences, as they must of necessity be 

 detached from the roots in digging. Some forty 

 years ago, there was a stump machine, consist- 

 ing of two wheels, an axle-tree and windlass at- 

 tached, vised in this town with very good success 

 for a short time ; but it required so much strength 

 to lift the ugly thing, that the whole machine 

 (though strongly built,) soon* became worthless 

 from wear and tear. Since which time very few 

 pine stumps have left the soil of the fertile valley 

 of Otter Creek, while many have been added 

 thereto where once stood the stately pine. 



Now, Mr. Editor, we would be willing to pay 

 a good pile of shiners for a good durable stump 

 lifter, one that will do the work effectually, and 

 no humbug ; or we are willing to pay well for the 

 privilege of using another's invention, if a valua- 

 ble one. At the first sight of your illustration of 

 "Hall's Hand Power Stump Machine," in your 

 paper of April 17,1 thought it was the very thing 

 so much needed in this pine stump region, and I 

 now think it may he used with some success, and 

 not knowing Mr. Hall's post office address, and 

 as you have seen the thing yourself, I would like 

 to inquire of you in relation to its construction, 

 an answer to which inquiry may enable the read- 

 ers of the N. E. Farmer to judge more correctly 

 of the merits of Mr. Hall's invention than they 

 can do by merely looking at the illustration. The 

 beam or axle-tree around which the lifting chain 

 winds must have great strength, or it would break 

 in raising anything but infant stumps. Is it of 

 iron or timber, and of what size is it ? It must 

 also be considerably elevated to raise the stump 

 from the ground. How high is it above the bot- 

 tom of the feet ? What is the size of the posts ? 

 Of what material are they composed ? What is 

 the length and size of the levers ? And are they 

 timber or otherwise ? The feet will be on the 

 roots of the stumps if near each other, and for the 

 machine to stand on the stump while attempting 

 to raise it from the ground, would be like the 

 man who lifted himself by the seat of his panta- 

 loons. How far distant are the feet from each 

 other ? The feet must be long or they would set- 

 tle into soft ground, and the machine would tip 

 over, from the great weight it would have to sus- 

 tain in raising large stumps. What is the length 

 and size of the feet ? Are the posts braced at the 

 feet ? The lifting chain on the old Pittsford 

 Stump Machine used to weigh about three hun- 

 dred pounds, and used to break sometimes. What 

 is the size of the chain used by Mr. Hall ? 



Pittsford, Vermont. A Subscriber. 



Remarks. — We cannot give the actual dimen- 

 sions of Hall's Stump Machine without a good 

 deal of measuring. "A Subscriber" can address 



