420 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MOWING MACHINES. 



Many experiments have demonstrated that an 

 acre of grass can readily be cut by one of these ma- 

 chines in forty minutes. Such was the fact in the 

 experiment at Salem, July 16, when one team cut 

 a quarter of an acre in ten minutes ; and other 

 teams in less time, as reported. 



Of this I had some doubts, untU this morning, I 

 saw a well trained team of horses, under the direc- 

 tion of a skilful driver, pass around a lot of herds- 

 grass, 12 rods by 30, and so continue to go round 

 and round, until the whole was laid completely flat, 

 in less than two hours. The macliine used was 

 Ketchum's, with latest improvements, and the crop 

 of more than one ton to the acre, was spread as 

 even as I ever witnessed. After such operations, 

 oft repeated, no one can doubt that machines of 

 this character are destined to come into general use. 



Sujjpose a machine to cut a swarth one-quarter 

 of a rod in width, it will readily be seen that a team 

 will have to move only two miles, to complete an 

 acre. Or suppose it to cut a swarth one yard in 

 width, then it will have to move less than three miles 

 to complete an acre. There are few teams that will 

 not do either of these, without urging. I cannot 

 doubt that machines will, ere long, be so construct- 

 ed, that one horse will do tliis work with ease, when 

 skilfully directed ; and then one-half of the hardest 

 labor of the man, will be changed from the shoul- 

 ders of the man to the shoulders of the beast, for 

 whose use this fodder is gathered. *. 



Salem, July 27, 1855. 



P. S. — I say nothing of the operations of other 

 varieties of machines, such as Manny's and Russell's, 

 because my purpose is to speak only of what I have 

 myself witnessed. But if rumor is to be credited, 

 some of these, when in order, have done quite as 

 well as Ketchum's. Like the use of the plow, much 

 will depend upon the tea7n and the driver. I am 

 not mimindful, that it has been knowii for many 

 years that grass could be thus cut : still, so true is 

 it, that culti\'ators of the soil are slow in introducing 

 new modes of operation, that many of the best im- 

 plements now in use have had a hard struggle be- 

 fore they came into general favor. Who Avould now 

 consent to dispense with cast iron in the structure 

 of the plow ? Still, who does not remember how 

 its first introduction was ridiculed ? 



PAINT FOR HOUSES. 



We recently jniljlished a few directions on this 

 subject, which seem to us important. One who 

 seems to be versed in the subject, as a practical 

 painter, makes other suggestions, in the Indiana 

 Farmer, which we are disposed to endorse. He says : 

 "It is no easy matter for some painters who pre- 

 tend to considerable experience in their art, to paint 

 the interior of a house in a proper manner. White 

 lead and oil, mixed as for outside use, will dry, it 

 is true, and preserve the wood-work ; but before 

 three months, the paint will become almost yellow, 

 and have exactly the appearance of being smoked. 

 This is not the case with external painting, because 

 the light and air bleach the paint precisely as it 

 does linen or cotton cloth when exposed in a similar 

 way. 



To paint white in the interior of a house, very lit- 

 tle linseed oil should be used, except what the white 



lead was at first ground in. Spirits of turpentine 

 should be the principal fluid used to mix the paint, 

 Japan being added in small quantity as a dryer. 

 The first coat, or "priming," should be mixed with 

 linseed oil alone, being well rubbed down when drj-, 

 with sand paper. Two coats should afterwards be 

 put on with the turpentine alone, the last coat being 

 rather the thickest. 



To make a very handsome white finish, for parlors 

 and other nice rooms, after putting the paint on 

 very carefully. Gum Demar varnish should be put 

 on over all. This makes a beautiful gloss, and 

 keeps the paint of a brilliant white all the time. 

 Should the paint become dirty, it can be washed off 

 as easily as a pane of glass, using nothing but warm 

 water, as strong soap destroys the vaniish. Eveiy 

 house-builder desiring a permanent, brilliant white 

 finish to his rooms, should use this varnish. It an- 

 swers a very good purpose to mix it in with the last 

 coat of paint, making a much handsomer finish than 

 when not used at all, but much the best way is to 

 give the entire work a coat of the varnish after the 

 paintmg is finished and partially dry. 



Kitchens should be painted a light slate or lead 

 color, made by mixing a small quantity of lamp- 

 black with the white lead ; particularly the doors, 

 mantel-pieces and wash-boards. The floors of porch- 

 es and kitchens may be painted with the same ma- 

 terial, or they will look pleasant and cheerful if yel- 

 low ochre is used, ground up with linseed oil and 

 Japan. 



In putting on green paint, slate color should first 

 be used as a priming, two coats of the green being 

 added afterward. Paris green makes the brightest 

 color, and must be gromid in oil, adding Japan as a 

 cb-yer. Chrome green makes the deepest and most 

 permanent color, and white lead is used to temper 

 the paint to the proper hue. — Ohio Farmer and 

 Hoiiicidtunst. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



RAPE, OR COLE PLANT. 



Respected Editor : — In reading your valuable 

 paper of June 30th, I noticed that "A. B." of Sud- 

 bury, Mass., made an attemjit to cultivate the rape 

 or cole plant, which proved unsuccessfid, wiiich may 

 be attributed to the season of sowing, which should 

 have been done in the fall. 



Ha\ing been anxious myself to obtain some veg- 

 etable oil wiiich might be used as a substitute for 

 the unwholesome fat of the swine for culinary pur- 

 poses, I have made some investigation concerning 

 the various kinds of vegetable oils, and find that 

 rape seed produces a very beautiful, inert and pleas- 

 ant oil, which is greatly admired and much used by 

 the French, taking the place of lard in the kitchen. 

 A Frenchman who had used an abundance of the oil, 

 and from whom I obtained the most of my informa- 

 tion, assured me that one bushel of the seed would 

 produce three gallons of oil. Of this I have no 

 other proof than liis stiitement, but am confident 

 from expressing a few seeds that they are very 

 productive of oil. I have been entertaining hojies 

 that some one would malvc an attempt and give 

 the result of his experiment to the public. 



In the foil of 1S4S, I procured a small quantity 

 of seed, which I kept until the next year, and 

 soAved about the first of Sei)tember; it came up, 

 grew well, and made a good head or top before cold 

 weather came on. I let it remain in the ground 



