244 



THE FARMERS CABINET- 



VOX. Iv 



the least poisiblo force of team. This, I 

 think, can be accomplished by making the 

 face or acting side of the mould board of such 

 a form, that the parts of the furrow which are 

 raised shall pass from the lowtst to the highest 

 points in cycloidal curves. As tiiese are 

 curves by which a body will descend from 

 one point to another, not in a vertical line, in 

 the least space of time, it seems to follow as 

 a necessary consequence that they will offer 

 less resistance to a body ascending than any 

 other form. 



What the length of those curve lines should 

 be for a given height is another consideration ; 

 perhaps they should be such as a ball would 

 roll from the highest to the lowest points in 

 the same space of time that the velocity of the 

 team or moving power would cause the parts 

 of the furrow which are raised to pass from 

 the lowest to the highest points. The above 

 remarks are strictly applicable to those 

 ploughs where the relative position of the 

 mould board and beam are stationary. 



In the Hill side plough, where the mould 

 board changes its relative position with the 

 beam ninety degrees, so as to turn the furrow 

 either to the right or left, each half of the 

 share and mould Ijoard on opposite sides of a 

 curve line from the point of the share to the 

 tail or posterior part of the mould board , should 

 be made as near as possible by this rule. 



Chester County, Pa., Feb. 18, 1837. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Ci'i!>-,ES©Mses. 



Some few years ago, my crib-house was 

 eo infested with rats, I thought it almost im- 

 possible to secure it from their attack. How- 

 ever, I had a preconcerted plan which I in- 

 tended to put in operation as soon as I could 

 make things convenient for my proceedings. 

 In the summer of 1831, 1 selected a quantity 

 of timber, and had it sawed, that it might 

 season by the ensuing fall. Having divested 

 the house of its original fixtures, I then com- 

 menced my new plan. Instead of making- 

 the floor of inch boards, (as we usually do,) I 

 layed it with two inch plank. On the east 

 side and ends, I weather boarded with cedar 

 siding. On the west, which has a shed, I 

 took of two inch slats, placing them on half 

 an inch apart, and likewise inside. While 

 cribbing my corn, I kept the doors open day 

 and night, that the air might circulate through 

 freely. The next spring, when thrashing the 

 corn, I found to my benefit, that the rats had 

 not touched it. Weather-boarding cribs on 

 the outside is an essential benefit to every 

 farmer. Year after year, the corn was 

 damaged much in the east crib, and I could 

 not account for it until I made all tight. Now, 

 instead of my cribs being part filled with 



snow, they are secure. Farmers that build 

 crib-houses should never slat them on the 

 outside, for it is a disadvantage in two respects^ 

 In the first place it lets in rain and snow, 

 wets your corn, stains it till it is not fit for 

 market. In the second place, storms driving 

 in, rot the house more or less every year. 



A FARMER. 



From tlie BaltiiDoie Farmer and Gaidener. 



■^Vork for Marcli. 



ON THE FARM. 



Now the farmer must begin to bestir him- 

 self in preparation for the labors of the 

 opening season. His implements of hus- 

 bandry must all, without further delay, be 

 examined, and those which need it be put in 

 order; it is no time when you have t»sefora 

 thing to be obliged to send it for repairs ; 

 the agriculturist should always be in advance 

 of his business. 



Clover. — This month the farmer will re- 

 collect is the general time for sowing the 

 seed of this great improver of the soil. The 

 practice among most farmers, is to sow ii 

 upon the snow, if there beany, as they thu£ 

 give more uniform appearance to the field, 

 the which, if no other advantage were to be 

 gained by it, would of itself be of sufficieni 

 importance to render it an object worthy 

 of every consideration ; but another and 

 most desirable point is gained; by regulai 

 sowing you keep out pernicious weeds. A 

 fault we consider is often committed in beinc 

 too sparing of the seed : many persons sow 

 but six to eight quarts to the acre ; this, if nc 

 other grass be grown in the field is entirely 

 too small a quantity ; less than twelve quarts 

 should never be sown on an acre, and evei 

 that under particular circumstances might b( 

 increased from two to four quarts withou 

 injury, if not with decided advantage. ; Th( 

 idea that the earth cannot support it if "toe 

 thick," is absurd ; but where shall we fij 

 the standard, to sow beyond which, is " to( 

 thick'?" — the ternt, is entirely too indefinite 

 and means really nothing which can be ap 

 plied successfully to the purposes of hus 

 bandry. There is little soil, indeed, tha 

 will not, if left alone, cover its surface witl 

 some species of vegetation or other ; an( 

 there is no land that will grow clover at all 

 but will support a full crop. But suppos( 

 we sow the seed sparingly and leave unoc 

 cupied spaces, do you presume that they wil 

 remain bald? If you do, you are egregiouslj 

 mistaken. The earth is no idler, and when 

 ever it possesses the principle of vitality i 

 will exert it to the utmost of strength. Tliei 

 if these unseeded places are to be tilled witl 

 weeds, we would ask, would it not be in 

 finitely preferable to have them employed ii 



