No. 1. 



The Straw and Corn-stalk Cutter. 



swarms taken at the season of the year 

 when they are most valuable. The bees 

 can be prevented swarming again for the 

 season, by additional boxes as the young 

 bees increase. 



IV. This hive is cheap and requires but 

 little mechanical knowledge in its construc- 

 tion; any farmer with ordinary tools can 

 make it from the above description. 



I hope bee growers generally will be dis- 

 posed to give the hive a trial. It is very de- 

 sirable when we feed on the sweets collected 

 by the art and industry of this little insect, 

 that we should not be pained with the reflec- 

 tion that our enjoyment is at the expense of 

 its life. If any are induced to abandon the 

 practice of destroying the bees, and adopt 

 the above plan, my object in writing will be 

 accomplished. 



A LOVER OF GOOD THINGS. 

 Allegheny co., April 25th, 1837. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Agricultural Implements. 



THE STRAW AND CORN-STALK CUTTER. 



There are a great variety of machines in 

 use for this purpose, some with knives or cut- 

 ters placed upon the periphery of a wlieel, 

 others with cutters upon the face or end of a 

 wheel; in both kinds the cutters pass by and 

 rub against a piece of steel fixed to the box 

 in such a manner as to cut the desired object, 

 and the steel at the same time tends to keep 

 the cutters sharp. 



The objections generally made to the for- 

 mer, is the difficulty of preserving the form 

 so as to press against the whole face of the 

 fixed steel, owing to the twist (or irregular 

 ^orm varying from straight lines) which the 

 cutters must necessarily have when presented 

 at a proper angle with the steel. 



The objection to the latter is the difficulty 

 of preserving a sufficient degree of correct- 

 ness between the shaft and box in which it 

 turns to cause the cutters to press against the 

 steel with a proper degree of force to cut the 

 object perfectly, and at the same time pre- 

 serve a perfect edge. And, also, the difficulty 

 of pushing the object to be cut forward be- 

 tween the different cutters. 



Another kind wliich has also a continuous 

 circular motion, but instead of rubbing 

 against a fixed steel, ihe cutters are placed 

 upon the periphery of a wheel and extend in 

 radius or direct lines from it, the edge of 

 each cutter is in a line parallel with the cen- 

 tre of the wheel or cylinder; these edges, as 

 they revolve, press against the periphery of 

 another cylinder composed of wood, lead, or 



other substance, so as to cause the object to 

 be cut between the cutters and cylinder. — 

 The objections to this l^ind are the injurious 

 effect upon animals eating the lead which is 

 necessarily worn off the cylinder, by the ac- 

 tion of the cutters upon it; and other sub- 

 stances either injure the edges of the cutters 

 or are liable to wear away too rapidly. 



Another kind is where the cutter, instead 

 of moving in a continuous circular direction 

 as the three kinds described above, moves in 

 an alternating direction, attached to a slide 

 which moves m vertical grooves, and cuts in 

 its descent, and the object to be cut is pushed 

 forward (while the cutter ascends) by a lever 

 and catch acting on a ratchet wheel or 

 wheels ; the edge of the cutter is at a proper 

 angle with the line of motion, say forty-five 

 degrees or other suitable variation, and is 

 made to press against the face of a piece of 

 fixed steel, both in its ascent and descent. 



A machine made upon this principle, and 

 driven by the power of a horse, would proba- 

 bly be found in practice the best kind of a 

 machine where either straw or corn-stalks are 

 cut in the large way; motion may be given 

 to it by a horse moving upon the Portable 

 Horse Mill, described in a former communi- 

 cation. 



As there is but a single cutter here, and 

 that cutter rubbing against the steel, both in 

 its ascent and descent, it is kept sharp a consid- 

 erable length of time, and should it require 

 grinding, this can be done by almost any one 

 without difficulty as the sides and edge are 

 straight. 



If any practical agriculturist who would 

 think the cutting and steaming of his straw 

 and corn-stalks previous to giving the same 

 to his cattle an advantage, and should erect 

 a machine upon this principle for cuttinc 

 them, I should be pleased to see a communf- 

 cation from him in a future number of the 

 Cabinet, both in regard to the cost and utility 

 of the machine and the relative value of a 

 given quantity of straw and corn-stalks com- 

 pared with the same amount when eaten with- 

 out cutting or steaming tlicm ; and the best 

 process of steaming and the proper tempera- 

 ture for the food. 



nth July, 1637. 



For the Farraeis' Cabinet. 



PrescrvatiOM ©f Tiiinber. 



Since the inquiry appeared in the 24th 

 number of the Cabinet relative to the proper 

 time to cut timber and the best means to pre- 

 serve it from premature decay, &c. ; the sub- 

 ject has undergone considerable discussion in 

 presence of the writer of this, and the gene- 

 ral opinion appears to settle upon the montij. 



