54 



THE GENESEE FARMEE. 



WAGON TIRES. 



Would not a wagon with a tire four or five inches wide be bet- 

 ter for farm purposes than the one now In use? 



We are a progressive people— "t^nwarrZ, onward 

 — sometlnt:ig «f!P and better — more labor-saving," 

 is the motto of this generation. The great changes 

 our many valuable agricultural journals have 

 wrought in the various operations of the farm, 

 within a few short years, are plainly to be seen. A 

 higher standard for improvement than ever, is now 

 before us. " Slip-shod " farming is among the 

 things that were. Out-door hay stacks, and "little 

 hay barns," with shivering, bow-backed specimens 

 of four-footed creatures, standing grouped about, 

 are becoming each year more scarce; and the one 

 neat, well-batteued barn, with its large, comforta- 

 ble basement, now holds those same specimens — 

 glossy-hiiired and soft-handlers, so that one would 

 fail to recognize them. Tke manure of each year, 

 from tlie same farm, is yearly increasing in quan- 

 tity and value, by this new order of things. More 

 time and labor must necessarily be given to the 

 disposal of this increasing mine of wealth from our 

 barn-yard, and replacing it with the raw material 

 — dry letives, saw-dust, muck, etc. The greater 

 the ease and convenience with which we can mtike 

 this exchange, so much the less is the cost of our 

 farming operations to foot up for the year. This 

 is a matter that must attract the attention of every 

 farmer who follows his occupation for profit. A 

 sleigh in summer is not available. Our common, 

 high-wheeled, narrow-tired wagon, for farm pur- 

 poses, is using unprofitably the strength of ourselves 

 and our teams. In place of it, I would recommend 

 a low-wheeled, broad-tired vehicle, as follows : If 

 you have a strong, heavy lumber wagon — like my 

 own, for instance, one of " Barry's best " — an(l do 

 not wisli another, procure a set of wheels, (it will 

 l^robably be necessary now to have them made to 

 order; but I prophesy that in a few years they 

 can be procured at any first-class establishment,) 

 with hubs to fit your axletrees — front wheels about 

 two feet six inches high, and hind ones three feet, 

 (or larger if you wish,) with felloes and tires six 

 inches loide. The tire need not be very thick, as 

 the great width will carry strength sufficient ; for 

 it is not to be suiiposed that such a wagon will be 

 often driven over rough roads at a "2.40 gait." 

 For driving any distance on the roads, change the 

 wheels to the high, narrow-tired ones, if you pre- 

 fer. The advantages of the low, broad-tired wheels 

 ;ire: for side-liill work, less liable to overturn; for 

 drawing hay or grain, the labor of pitching on a 

 load is lessened materially ; the small stones left set 

 upon edge by the " cutting in " of a narrow wheel, 

 are left flat, as though a roller had run over the 

 ground ; the surface still left, without more extra 

 labor, smooth for the "mower;" another reason — 

 and who, that has ever drove a "mower," has not 



been tempted to s blow, as he "bobbed" over 



the ruts left liy the wagon the last spring. 



But the great and most desirable feature of the 

 whole, is ill drawing manure in early spring, or 

 wet weatlier, over the meadow. While the nar- 

 row tire and felloes "go out of sight," the broad 

 tire rolls over the green sward, scarcely leaving a 

 trace of its onward progress. The advantage in 

 loading stone, wood, logs, etc., upon a wagon of 

 this height, is obvious to any practical man. For 



very steep side-hills, I would recommend a niiw 

 gearing : making the axles each two feet longer — 

 leaving box and bolsters the sajne width, if pre- 

 ferred. A fair truck, for light purposes, may be 

 made cheaply by using a good quality of oak plank 

 for wheels, two and a half inches thick — using 

 two thicknesses, pinned together, with the grain 

 of the wood at right angles, tlius breaking the 

 joints and strengthening it materially — and i>sing 

 heavy band iron for tire. But this, of course, 

 will not compare with a regularly constructed spoke- 

 wheel. JOSEPH JULIASD, 2d. 

 Badnbrid(/e, N. T. 



WATER FOR STOCK 



"On the necessity of a regular and abundant supply of water 

 for stock at all seasons." 



The importance of an abundant supply of water, 

 for stock is about the same as that of food. An 

 animal subjected to hard labor, should be regularly 

 fed two or three times a day, and not at short and 

 irregular intervals ; as the process of digestion 

 occupies a considerable time, and, jlfter that, the 

 the stomach and digestive functions need time for 

 relaxation, and to reproduce the needed stimulus 

 of gastric juice for another task. It needs drink, 

 first, to dilute the food, that it may be more easily 

 acted on by the gastric fluid ; second, to maintain 

 an equilibrium of the fluids of the system, and to 

 counteract the continual exhalation and waste of 

 moisture, caused by the action of the elemeats, the 

 wear and tear of the vital process, and of labor. 

 This should be supplied as needed ; and the desire 

 of the animal is a sure guide, as the sense of thirst 

 is the result of a want of fluids in the system. It 

 will be seen that this want of the system is very 

 variable, and is influenced by various circumstances. 

 It is reported, as the result of actual experiment, 

 that a man who was at work in a glass-factory, 

 was found to have lost in weight five pounds in 

 one hour, by exhalation, which was a dii-ect tax on 

 the fluids of the system, and must be supplied or 

 restored again by drinks. Now, this is the effect 

 of labor, exercise, the action of the son's rays, of 

 the atmosphere, respiration, or oi vital action in 

 all animals. There are various opinions as to the 

 importance of taking drinks with food, among 

 humans; but whichever is rigit in this case, is of 

 no importance with animal?, guided by natural 

 appetites, unrestrftined. 



Drink is a necessity of animal life, as well as 

 food ; and nature is a sure guide as to its frequency. 

 For stock running at large, and especially in the 

 heat of summer, it should always be at hand, in 

 abundance, that the animal may take just what is 

 needed, rather than an overdraught at long intervals. 

 On clear days, when the heat is oppressive, they 

 will need it much more frequently and in greater 

 abundance than in cloudy or cool weather. In 

 ■#inter, the demand is not so great, but it should 

 then be constantly on hand, that it may be taken 

 in small quantities, to prevent the too rapid reduc- 

 tion of heat consequent on an overdraught. In. 

 this way, stock may be kept in better flesh, with 

 the same food, and be less exposed to attacks of 

 disease from colds, besides enjoying more the com- 

 forts of life. E. G. NTB. 



Galesbwg, Hit. 



