1S2 



THE FARMERS CAP.IXKT. 



VOL. I. 



opposite leg, close to the floor, and close up 

 to the box, so that one end of the piece of 

 wood above named, may rise and fall between 

 this iron and the leg. Have a knife made 

 with a blade about two feet long, similar to 

 the blade of a drawing knife or shave, only 

 about twice as stout ; let the lower end ex- 

 tend two. or three inches beyond the blade, 

 and with a screw, to the piece of wood in 

 such a manner that it cannot turn, so as to 

 strike against the iron at the end of the box. 

 The upper end of the knife should extend 

 about eight or nine inches above the blade 

 and then turn and have a wooden handle on 

 it, similar to that of a drawing- knife, only 

 larger, and the end next to a person should 

 stand out about two inches. The hay is 

 laid in this box, and with the left hand, the 

 operator pushes it under the bow of iron 

 and with the right hand he uses the knife, 

 which is brought down close against the 

 iron at the end of the box, and as it is brought 

 down, it is carried end-wise by the lower 

 end being extended by the piece of wood as 

 it is falling ; this draws the knife across the 

 hay, straw stalks, or whatever is to be cut, 

 and by pushing the fodder along more or 

 less, it may be cut fine or coarse. The 

 piece of wood where the knife goes on it, 

 should be a little thicker, so that the knife 

 may be brought out far enough to come 

 against both parts of the iron on the box at 

 once. Let the whole work be regular and 

 new, and the knife good, and the work will 

 be easily performed. Tliat part of the knife 

 which plays against the box should be fair 

 and straight, like the under part of a draw- 

 ing knife, and taper to an edge, with a bevel 

 on the other side. — Yankee Farmer. 



From lilt' Piiaiiie Rcrorclur. 



MaEBHffe. 



Ithas been rightly said, that " the manure- 

 heap is the farmer's gold mine," therefore 

 he should constantly endeavor to increase it. 

 — This important article is not sufficiently 

 attended to by farmers, in general, although 

 it is the principal source of their wealth ; 

 without it, after all their care and labor, they 

 can have but miserable crops. 



The barn-yard is the principal reservoir 

 on which the farmer can depend for his 

 manure, therefore he should construct it so 

 as to retain its contents. It should neither 

 be level, nor sloping outwards, but all parts 

 should descend toward the centre, so as to 

 prevent all rich liquid matters from finding 

 their way out, and wasting their fertilizing 

 properties on ground that does not require 

 them. 



If nature has not formed such a place it 

 should be done by art. In order to increase 



the quantity of manure, the farmer should 

 annually deposit in his yard all the coarse 

 grass, brakes, weeds, pumpkin vines and 

 potatoe tops which can be conveniently col- 

 lected. 



Brakes are particularly useful, on account 

 of their being so full of salts ; they should 

 be cut when green and laid in the yard to 

 putrify and mix w'ith the dung. 



Leaves are also recommended ; they may 

 be gathered in large quantities at a proper 

 season, and deposited in some convenient 

 place, and used as a litter for cattle and hogs, 

 during the winter; leaves mixed with dung 

 in this way, make the best manure for pota- 

 toes. Still farther to augment the mass, 

 swamp earth may be added to advantage. 

 These materials will absorb the liquid of the 

 yard. 



Cattle should be confined to the yard, con- 

 tinually during the foddering season ; the 

 practice of allowing cattle to go to a distance 

 to water, is attended with a great loss of ma- 

 nure, besides innumerable accidents, to which 

 they are e^vposed by going without a driver, 

 as they commonly do. 



Every yard should be supplied with water 

 from an acqueduct or well ; the former is 

 preferable, as the water is brought from a 

 distance and consequently is not impregna- 

 ted with the excrements of the cattle. 



EcoHOMiy of Fodder. 



BY REV. H. COLJMAN. 



Let US compare the value of hay with 

 other crops for the feeding of stock. An 

 acre of hay 5'ields one ton and a half of 

 vegetable food ; an acre of carrots or Swedish 

 turneps will yield from ten to twenty tons, 

 say fifteen tons, which is by no means an 

 exaggerated estimate. Crops at the rate of 

 twenty-five tons of carrots and twenty-two 

 of Swedish turneps to the acre, have been 

 raised among us, and much larger crops than 

 these are upon record. 



By an experiment, ithas been ascertained 

 that three workino- horses fifteen and a half 

 hands high consuni'-d at the rate of two hun- 

 dred and twenty-four pounds of hay per 

 week, or five tons one thousand five hundred 

 and forty-eight pounds of hay per year, be- 

 sides twelve gallons of oats each per week, 

 or seventy-eight bushels by the year. An 

 unworked horse consumed at the rate of four 

 and one (]uarter tons of hay by the year. The 

 priiduce therefore of nearly six acres of land 

 in this mode of feeding, is necessary to sup- 

 port a working horse by the year; but half 

 an acre of carrots at GOt) bushels to the acre 

 with the addition of chopped straw, will, 

 while the season for their use lasts, do it as, 

 well if not better. These thingrs do not ad- 



