No. 8. 



Economical Gates. — Clay Drains. 



265 



ECONOMICAL GATES. 



A WRITER in the 3d volume of the Genes- 

 see Farmer, estimates the difference of time 

 between passing through gates and bars, 

 ■where a man and team passes but once a day 

 for half a year, to be equal to three days and 

 a quarter, and goes into a calculation of the 

 amount, of which this time would pay the 

 interest. As a moment's reflection will con- 

 vince any one that there is a great saving of 

 time in using gates instead of bars, I will 

 give my method of making what may be called 

 Improved Balance Gates. 



For the top rail, take a tree eighteen or 

 twenty feet long, and about twelve inches at 

 the butt, diameter ; hew the small end for 

 eleven feet, beginning three by four inches 

 at the end, leaving it six by four, at the dis- 

 tance of eleven feet. Now mortice, six 

 inches from the small end, a hole four inches 

 long and one inch wide ; also another mortice, 

 eleven feet from the end, six inches long and 

 one inch wide ; and a third, midway between 

 the two, five inches long and one inch wide : 

 into these mortices insert slats of good white 

 oak, of a size to fill the mortices, and extend- 

 ing to a depth of four feet and two inches, 

 which will form the height of the gate, and 

 on these lay boards, either four, six, or eight 

 inches wide, and as wide apart as suits your 

 convenience or taste ; then take three slats, 

 similar to the first, only thinner, place them 

 on the boards opposite to those morticed 

 through the top rail, and rivet them together, 

 one rivet in each end of each board, and your 

 gate is ready for hanging. 



The post on which the gate is made to 

 swing must be strong, and either round or 

 octagon ; insert into the top of this post a cast- 

 iron gudgeon, having the end oval, such as is 

 technically called a step-gudgeon ; let it pro- 

 ject above the top of the post two and a half, 

 or three inches, and insert the box, for this 

 gudgeon to run in, into the top rail so deep, 

 as that it will but just clear easily, the top 

 of the post. The gate should hang so close to 

 the post on which it rests, as not to sag when 

 opened, and if hung right, it will turn as 

 easily as if suspended on hinges. If the end 

 of the top rail is too light, weight must be 

 added, if too heavy, hew some from the sides. 



The best fastening is a sliding bar, to enter a 

 mortice in the post, so that the gate cannot 

 be raised, nor the bottom shoved through, 

 either way. — Cultivator. 



The slats and boards for the gate should be made of 

 the lightest wood. If willow is cut in May, or early in 

 June, sawn immediately into scantling, and submitted 

 to the action of fire for seasoning, it will be found to 

 last longer than any other wood whatever, without 

 such seasoning; and be the lightest that can be ob- 

 tained for this purpose. — Ed. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Clay Drains. 



Sir, — There is a most simple and expe- 

 ditious mode of Draining practised on some 

 of the clay lands in England, which might 

 possibly be introduced into some parts of this 

 country, with great convenience and effect. 

 It is suited to all clay soils that have a sufS- 

 cient descent, but better adapted to grass- 

 land than to fields of tillage ; it requires no 

 cart-work, is very durable, and may be com- 

 pleted for eight cents per six yards in length. 

 The ease with which these drains might be 

 constructed, their cheapness and durability, 

 will, in all probability, be the cause of their 

 superseding all that are now in use, on soils 

 that are suited to them. 



A wedge-shaped drain to the desired depth 

 is first made, two inches wide at bottom, 

 widening to four inches, at the distance of 

 nine inches from the bottom; then, five pieces 

 of wood are prepared each one foot long, nine 

 inches deep, two inches wide at bottom, and 

 four inches wide at top, and arched: they 

 may be fastened together by links, or joints, 

 and to the centre of that block which is in- 

 tended to go foremost, a chain about four feet 

 in length is to be very firmly fixed, having a 

 ring or larger link at the other end, through 

 which a wooden lever six or seven feet long, 

 and pointed with iron, is passed, for the pur- 

 pose of getting a firm hold in the bottom of 

 the trench, thus forming a lever, to force 

 the blocks forward, after the clay has been 

 rammed upon them. The use of these joints 

 in the blocks is to admit of a drain being 

 turned a little crooked, if necessary ; in other 



