STUMP PULLER— SEEDING TO GRASS— CORN AND PORK. 



281 



STUMP PULLER. 



As soon as hayitifr is over, or at any rate before 

 snow flies," some of our thrifty farmers will want to 

 get into some of their fields auil claw out the stumps 

 and old snags; the remains of the tormer forest, 

 which have been so long in their way. In order to 

 assist them in this work, we give them a cut and de- 

 serijjtion of a very simple contrivance for pulling 

 stumps, which any one who has two strong chains 

 and a stout log, can get up in a short time. It is 

 from the JVeiv Eneclmd Farmer: 



Here is a contrivance so simple that any farmer 

 may make one before breakfast; and the cost is so 

 trifling, that if it does not 

 operate to his entire sat- 

 isfaction, he will have no 

 regrets at having given it 

 a fair trial. "We find it 

 sketched in the Wiscon- 

 sin and loiva Farmer. 



"We noticed a very 

 simple contrivance for 

 pulling stumps, which Mr. 

 Edgekton says works 

 very ^^■ell indeed. It is 

 so simple in its structure 

 that we commend it to 

 those wishing anything of 

 the kind. It consists of 

 a log of strong timber, 

 from ten to twelve inches 

 in diameter at the large 

 end, and eight to ten at 

 the smaller, and about 

 si.\teen or twenty feet 

 long. To the larger end 

 is attached a very heavy chain about three feet long 

 with a very large and strong hook at the free end 

 while at the other there is a ring sufficiently large to 

 slip over the larger end of the log or lever. To the 

 small end of the lever a yoke of cattle is hitched. 

 The manner of using it is as simple as the machine, 

 and acts on the principle of some tooth-hooks of the 

 dentist. The large hook is caught hold of some of 

 the stronger roots, and the cattle are then driven 

 round the stump so as to wind up the short, heavy 

 chain, and then continue on in the even tenor of their 

 way till the stump gives itself and surrenders its po- 

 sition. Thus they are removed, easily and rapidly. 

 A rough sketch of this ' cork screw,' as it was tech- 

 nically called, we here give." 



should be lost after the hay is otT, in inverting the 

 sward. If this is done during damp, warm weather, 

 decomposition takes place immediately, which aids 

 the growth of the new griiss. The ground, plowed 

 under such circumstances, will probably retain water 

 enough to support the young crop. The moisture 

 will also promote the action of any manure which 

 may be applied as a dressing for the gra.ss. What- 

 ever fertilizing matter is used, it should be in such a 

 condition that it can be readily incorporated with 

 the soil, on the inverted furrows, as it will thus afford 

 much more benefit to the grass — giving it a strength 

 of root which will enable it to withstand the winter, 

 and insuring its early and vigorous growth the fol- 

 lowing season. 



As to the time of seeding, perhaps from the first 

 to the middle of September, as a general rule, may 

 be preferable, but we should not hesitate to sow a 

 few days earlier or later, according to convenience. 



Herdsgrass {phleum pratense) and red-top (a^;-os- 

 tis) are the kinds of grass usually sown in autunm. 

 Red clover will do well on land wdiich is so dry that 

 the roots are not liable to be thrown out by frost. 

 Twelve quarts of herdsgrass and si.xieen quarts of 

 clean red-top are not too much to sow in the acre, 

 without oth^r seed. The large red-toj), which is 

 considerably later in ripening than the small red-top, 

 or " fine-top," is preferable, if a coasiderable bulk of 

 the hay is to be herdsgrass, as the two are in a pro- 

 per state for cutting nearly at the same time. — J3os- 

 ton Cultivator. 



SEEDING TO GRASS IK AUTUMN. 



WiTERE it is desired to keep land uninterruptedly 

 in grass, autumn seeding may be practiced with ad- 

 vantage. Under favorable circumstances, there is by 

 this mode no loss of the hay crop, even for one sea- 

 son. But all seasons are not equally favorable for 

 seeding at this time. Last year, for instance, the 

 ground was so dry as to be difficult to plow, in some 

 cases, and if the seed was sown, it either failed to 

 germinate, or came up too scattering. 



At the present time, however, the moisture of the 

 ground will render working it comparatively easy, 

 and the seed will start vigorously at once. No time 



COBN AND FORK. 



A WRITER in the Ohio Report for 18.i2, makes a 

 calculation as to the cost of pork fed on corn: 



An experiment by S. B. Andrew gives 1050 lbs. 

 of gross increase from 100 bushels of corn. One 

 hundred thrifty hogs were weighed and put up into a 

 pen. They were fed for 100 days as much corn as 

 they would eat. The average consumption was 100 

 bushels every six days. The average gross increase 

 per hog for the 100 days'was 175 lbs.; or at the rate 

 of 1| lbs. per day. According to this, a bushel of 

 corn will produce IGJ lbs. Throwing off 1-5 to corn, 

 at the net weight, gives 8 2-5 lbs. of pork as the pro- 

 duct of one bushel of corn. If 8 2-5 lbs. of pork 

 are made by 1 bushel, or 56 lbs. of corn, 1 lb. of pork 

 is the product of 6J lbs. of corn. 



From an experiment made by Samuel Linn, of 

 this county, witl^ 58 hogs, as reported in the Patent 

 Office Report for 1849, 6J lbs. of corn produced 1 lb. 

 of pork. 



Assuming that it requires 6| lbs. of corn to make 

 1 lb. of pork, the cost ol its production will be seen 

 from the following table. The labor of feeding and 

 taking care of the hogs is not included in the estimate. 



When corn costs 12jc. per bushel, pork costs lie. 

 per lb.; at 17c. per bushel, 2c. per lb.; at 25c. per 

 bushel, 3c. per lb. ; at 33c. per bushel, 4c. per lb.; at 

 42c. per bushel, 5e. per lb. 



The following table shows what the farmer realizes 

 for his corn, when sold in the form of pork: 



When pork sells for 3o. per lb. it makes the price 

 of corn 25c. a bushel; at 4c. per lb., 33c. a bushel; 

 at 5c. per lb., 42c. a bushel; at 6c. per lb., 50c. a 

 bushel. — Ptairie Farmer. 



