THE GENESEE FARMER. 



49 



by analysis, can tell the difference between a soil 

 which has been dressed with 500 pounds of guano 

 j>er acre, and one which has had nothing on it, — 

 when, in other words, he can tell by analysis the 

 difference between a soil which will produce a good 

 Crop of wheat and one which wiU not, — we will 

 cheerfully take back all we have said against the 

 utility of soil-analyses. 



TEHEE- HOBSE WHIFFLE -TEEES. 



It has been shown by the experiments of Puset 

 and others, that velocity has no influence upon 

 draught in plowing ; in other words, that the rate 

 at which the horses walk, exerts no influence on the 



Fig. 1. 



draught of the plow. And this result is in accord- 

 ance with the results of experiments upon friction, 

 which indicate the entire independence of friction 

 on velocity. It is true, the dynamometer indicated 

 great irregularity in the draught of the plow con- 

 sequent on an increase of velocity ; — a stone in the 

 soil, on .which the point of the plow-share should 

 impinge with double the ordinary velocity, would 

 obviously cause a momentary strain on the dyna- 

 mometer of double the ordinary intensity ; but the 

 average draught is the same, or very nearly so. 



This fact indicates the importance of employing 

 draught animals which naturally walk at a rapid 

 pace ; — it is a fact which should not be overlooked 

 in considering the relative advantages of employ- 

 ing horses or oxen in plowing. 



"We have sometimes 

 thought that the gen- 

 erality of American 

 horses were somewhat 

 too light for farm 

 work ; but whether 

 this be so or not, there 

 can be no doubt that 

 light, active, muscular 

 horses, that naturally 

 walk (not trot) at a 



smart pace, are more economical plow-horses than 

 heavy, slow ones. Other things being equal, the 

 quantity of food required by a horse is in propor- 

 tion to his weight ; and, so far as plowing is con- 

 cerned, there is imdoubtedly greater advantage in 



keeping a team of three light, active horses, than a 

 span of heavy, sluggish ones. 



Light horses, however, work to great disadvant- 

 age in plowing when they are taxed so heavDy that 

 they can not walk at their natural rate. On the 

 other hand, there is a loss of power when they are 

 not taxed enough, masmuch as the power required 

 to carry their own weight is the same in either case. 

 On this point judgment is required. It is an un- 

 necessary expenditure of power to employ a heavy 

 team to do that which a light one would accom- 

 plish; and, on the other hand, to attach a light 

 team to a plow which they can not take through 

 the soil at their natural pace, involves an equal loss 

 of power. Better u?e three horses 

 abreast, and let them walk at a 

 good smart pace. 



"Whiflfle-trees for three horses 

 abreast are usually constructed as 

 shown in the annexed engraving 

 (fig. 1). The two horses are at- 

 tached to the short end of the first 

 draught-bar, and one at the longer end, which 

 should be twice the length of the other, so that the 

 labor will be equally divided among the three. 



Fig. 2 shows a more complicated set, but one in 

 which the horses are more uniformly arranged. 

 Here the resistance is divided, by the first draught- 

 bar, into two equal portions of one and a half horse- 

 power each, and by means of the second pair of 

 bars these are again distributed so that three horses 

 may be attached, the middle horse, it will be seen, 

 taking the long end of the second pair of bars ; and 

 as a c is twice the length of a b, the force attached 

 at 5 being thus balanced by half the amount of c, 

 one horse in the middle is able to balance the force 

 of the two at its sides. 

 Any one can make these whiflfle-trees. No farmer 



Fig. 2. 



should be without a set. Now is the time to attend 

 to this matter, while you have leisure, instead of 

 putting it off till they are wanted. They s>ould 

 be as light as possible consistent with the requisite 

 degree of strength. 



