320 Transactions of the American Institute. 



The experiment was made with a sheller that Mr. Macy has had 

 in use for nearly a year, similar to the one sent to Pai'is, and he 

 told the committee that he is perfectly satisfied with its operation. 

 He thinks it is the best corn-sheller that he ever met with, and all 

 the members of the committee coincided with this judgment. The 

 sheller is simple in construction, not at all liable to become deranged 

 by unskilled laborers, and very large ears of corn, and very small 

 ones, whether green or dry, can be shelled without any readjust- 

 ment of the sheller. 



SUMMER FALLOWS AND WATER PIPE. 



Mr. Albert Tompkins, Mount Frisco, Westchester county, N. 

 Y. — I send a few of my notions about farming. I like the old- 

 fashioned way of summer fallowing as being the best way of 

 improving land with the least expense, for then we have ample 

 time to work at it. Land that has never been plowed, and grown 

 to bushes and briars, so that one could hai-dly get through them, 

 and stony withal, I have subdued in one season — comparatively 

 speaking, have made the wilderness to blossom like a rose. I 

 think the practice of raising buckwheat in this county poor, if one 

 is desirous of improving land, for if summer-fallowed, as it should 

 be, it will soon be good. One not having seen the result of a good 

 summer fallow, can scarcely realize the difierence between it and 

 the cropping system. I have never failed of having a good crop 

 of rye in this way, and of grass after it, of course. I sow plenty 

 of grass seed and plaster, while I have seen entire failures by the 

 contrary treatment. Why does not the Club recommend pipe 

 made of common cement for conducting water to farmers' dwell- 

 ings, as the price of lead pipe is high, for I have known it to 

 answer well, and think of using it myself. It must, of course, be 

 made in the ditch; use a bar of iron similar to a rake handle, turn- 

 ing it while the mortar sets. I have thouorht that if we could hear 

 more from those comparatively new beginners, who have their 

 farms to improve, hired help, interest money and taxes to pay, it 

 would be as instructive as from those farmers who have a bank to 

 goto. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — We have seen cement used for water pipes, 

 but unless placed below the reach of frost through the whole 

 course, they burst. The suggestion that farmers with difficulties to 

 overcome have something instructive to impart, is good. That class 

 of farmers have a plenty of ideas, and in their eflforts they are cer- 



