290 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH as, 1R3D. 



only ciucstioii is whether we can raise, iu sufficijnt 

 quantities, tlie particular i<in(ls, wliicli tlie taste and 

 wants of the iH'Oi)le denuuid. 



As my observations have chiefly been made 

 along the valley of Connecticut river, so the re- 

 marks which 1 shall offer nuist be applied to the 

 place where the observations were made. It 

 must be left for others to decide, whether they 

 can have any application to other plaees. 



It has, until recently, been a very prevalent 

 opinion among the farmers of this valley, as well 

 as in other paVts of the State, that wheat could 

 not be successfully grown ujion our old lands — 

 upon those which have long been under cultiva- 

 tion that a foir crop could be reasonably antici- 

 pated only ui>on new land, as a first crop after the 

 clearings off the wood and timber. But this 

 opinion has been forced to give way under a long 

 course of successful experiment. The cultiva- 

 tion of wheat has much increased within a few 

 years; but we have only begun to yrove llu: 

 capacity of our soil, iu relation to this grain. Its 

 culture may be increased to a very great extent. 

 Almost every fanner has it in his power to raise 

 it. Some part of almost every farm in this and 

 the other towns lying between the hills, east and 

 west of the river, and some parts also in the towns 

 after you ascend the hills, will i)roduce a good 

 crop. All that is requisite is a proper preparation 

 of the soil to receive the seed. This constitutes 

 the principal difliculty in this branch of husbandry. 

 In those parts of our country which are compar- 

 atively new — where the soil has recently been 

 opened to cultivation, more aljundant crops and 

 with less labor, may generally be expected, than 

 from lands which have been subjected to the 



pl<"'gl'- e 



I believe it may be laid down as an axiom ol 

 sufficient certainty for all practical puriioscs, that 

 upon every soil, where this grain could be grown 

 upon new land, it may, with "an equal jirobability 

 of success, be grown upon the old land. A con- 

 siderable portion of our lands, which are of easy 

 culture, and which, by nature, are well adapted 

 to wheat, have been iiterally worn out by hard 

 usage— have been exhausted by along siiccessicm 

 of scourging crops. A more rational and judi- 

 cious course of husbandry is practised at the pre- 

 sent day, and our worn out lands are recruiliiig. 

 These in their |n-esent condition will not produce 

 wheat. But may they not be restored to a proper 

 state? And from the consideration of their con- 

 dition when formerly producing wheat, have we 

 not indications of whai is required for their re- 

 storation ? The ground was then filled with 

 vegetable manure formed chiefly of the falling 

 leaves of the forest. On these lands, wheat 

 grows luxuriantly. Restore the exhausted lands, 

 as nearly as may be, to the condition in which 

 they were when the timber was removed, or to a 

 condition approxiiiiating that state, and will not 

 the land sustain the same products ? If a soil, 

 enriched by decayed vegetables, has once given 

 proof of its adaptation to tiie growth of wheat, 

 why will not the same soil, if again enriched and 

 rnlivcncd by similar substances, repeat the evi- 

 dence of its adaptation to thi« giain ? We have 

 no reason for suiiposiiig tliat ihc leaves of the 

 forest are more fertilizing and nutritious tiian 

 other vegetables. Experience has shown that 

 vegetable crops, of various kinds, are favorable to 

 the production of wheat. If o«r exhausted loads 

 should be enriched by the application of vegetable 



crops, and barn manure (for that is chiefly vege- 

 table) then they would produce wheat as certainly, 

 and as abuiidantlv, as the first crop after clearing 

 off the timber. Many of our fields arc so far ex- 

 hausted, that they cannot suddenly be recruited. 

 It must be the work of time. But the farmer 

 may adopt a rotation of crops and pursue a course 

 of husbandry, by which it will eventually be ac- 

 complished. And by an annual concentration ot 

 his improvements to a small portion of his farm, 

 he will be under no necessity of leaving it .o 

 another generation to test the capacity of his 

 exhausted lands for the production of wheat. 



A considerable portion of our farms is now in 

 a state of cultivation full high enough for the 

 profitable culture of this grain. The soil may be 

 too rich — the growth may be too luxuriant. 

 There must be sufiicient nutriment iu the soil to 

 feed the stalk, and to fill out the grain ; but a soil 

 moderately rich, and thriving, improving lively 

 and mellow will generally produce more gram, 

 than one in a very high state of cultivation. This 

 plant delights in fresh food, — upon that which is 

 not so far" decomposed as to have lost its activity, 

 by lying too long in the soil. I have known an 

 instance of a soil, by nature light and inclining to 

 sand, highly enriched by the apjilication of a 

 large quantity of manure from the distillery, pro- 

 ducing more than fifty bushels an acre. But this 

 was in the summer of 1816, when the growth 

 was retar.led by the cold so as to permit the stalk 

 to acquire strength and solidity sufiicient to sus- 

 tain Its own weight, as it advanced towards ma- 

 turity. With the heat of our ordinary summers, 

 it would probably have grown so rapidly and so 

 large, as to have fallen ju-ostrate, and have per- 

 ished under an excess of nourishment. Every 

 farmer who has cultivated this grain, must him- 

 self have witnessed the fact, that where, by acci- 

 dent or other cause, an undue proportion rf 

 manure has fallen upon some part of his field, 

 there will be an excessive grpwth of straw, but 

 before harvest, it will have fallen to the ground 

 and the grain will be blasted. 



(To l>e continued.) 



[Forllie New F.nglanil Fanner.] 

 THRESHING MACHINE. 



To Farmers, a labor-saving threshing machine, 

 has long been considered a great desideratum. 

 Threshing with the Flail is so laborious and ex- 

 pensive, fiiat there is less inducement to grow 

 large crops of grain. 



it gives me much pleasure to announce, that 

 Mr William Laighton, a very ingenious and 

 skilful mechanic of this town, has recently invent- 

 ed a threshing machine, which, I have full confi- 

 dence will eflVct the desired object. He assures 

 me that it will thresh, if well tended, over a hun- 

 dred bushels a day (and a much larger quantity, 

 could it be constantly suppled, and the straw re- 

 moved) leaving no grain in the ear or head, and 

 doing very little injury to the straw. I have care- 

 fully examined the machine, seen it in operation, 

 and" entertain no doubt in respect to its great jirac- 

 lical utility. 



Under the belief that the merits of Mr Laighton'.- 

 invention eclipse those of all prior inventions of 

 the kind, I will attempt to give a brief description 

 of his mnchiue, with a view that the public, as well 

 as a young man of genius may be benefitted. But 

 inv description must necessarily fall far short 



of an ocular view. The latter would, of itseli, 

 afford conviction, that it will answer the purib6se, 

 and its construction is very simple. The process 

 of separating the grain from the car or head. 

 comes as near to perfection as is necessary. 



The machine is made of very solid and dura- 

 ble materials ; its length 5 feet 9 inches ; width 

 3 feet ; height 34 feet ; whole weiglit 650 pounds, 

 —and price $65- Within the frame at one end 

 near the top is fixed, horizontally, a conical cylin- 

 der 2 feet 7 inches long, one end of which is 20 

 inclies, and the other 16 inches in diameter, made 

 of hard wood, which has 12 ribs wrought upon 

 it» surface, lined on one side with iron, graduated 

 to the size of the cylinder. The cylinder turns 

 upon a steel axis passing through its centre, by 

 which it is fixed in a case or cradle, the internal 

 surface of which (a semi-circle) has ribs to cor- 

 respond and come in action with those of the 

 cvliuder. By which action, the ears or heads of 

 the grain are split, the grain falling through grates 

 (set 'obliquely) towards the centre of the machine, 

 and going out at one end ; while the straw, falling 

 also U|)on said grates, is thrown out at the oppo- 

 site end by a set of winnowing fans, back of the 

 cylinder. 



The machine, put in operation by a horse, and 

 tended bv two persons, is capable of threshing 

 grain of all kinds, reaped or mowed. It will 

 rhresh jicas, beans, &c. Whether it will be use- 

 ful for Indian corn, I have not formed a very de- 

 cisive opinion ; but the inventor says he has shell- 

 ed with it a bushel of corn in 4 minutes although 

 not designed for the latter purpose. 



By turning screws, the ribs of the cylinder and 

 its case may be brought neariy in contact, or sep- 

 arated ; being regulated according to the size ol 

 the grain, &c. to be threshed. 



The apparatus by which it is jnit in motion is a 

 perpendicular shaft, fixed near the centre, from 

 the top of which extends a small, short sweep, to 

 which a horse is attached, as at a cider mill. In- 

 side is a horizontal cast iron bevel wheel 30 in- 

 ches in diameter (confined to said shaft) which 

 turns a cast iron pinion or small cog wheel, anc 

 the latter propels a perpendicular cast iron cof 

 wheel, 30 inches diameter, on the outside of tht 

 frame, and this turns a small cast iron cog wheel 

 the latter propelling a perpendicular wooden bell 

 or band wheel 39 inches diameter, and the last, b] 

 means of a band running round it and also a piil 

 ley, turns the pulley connected with the conica 

 cylinder. 



The winnowing fans are turned round rapidlj; 

 being connected with the axis of the inner smal 

 cog wheel. By means of the multiplying wheeli 

 the shaft is turned with great ease, and th 

 cylinder with great velocity. So easy, that a ma 

 may supply the place of a horse for short period 

 of time. 



The inventor says, that " its simplicity is sue 

 that it can be built, or repaired by most Farmei 

 at small expense." It is not so liable to get out ( 

 reiiair, as those machines which have teeth, wirf 

 or springs. And it is so firm and compact thi 

 it may be easily moved from place to jdace. 



In highly recommending this machine to Fal 

 niers, in the grain-growing sections of the counti^ 

 1 affirm only my own conviction of its great prai 



tieal utility. 



William Claggett. 



PorUmouth, March 17, 1835. 



