1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



305 



6. It has a lever attached to the finger-bar and 

 main frame, by which the driver can, with one 

 hand, while on his seat, raise both ends of the 

 finger-bar from the ground to the height of 12 to 

 18 inches. 



7. It is said that it has no side-draft, and has 

 no weight on the tongue or the horses' necks. By 

 our examination of it, we should think that when 

 mowing there would be no pressure on the necks 

 of the team. There may be a little when the bar 

 is folded, but none amounting to an objection. 



8. The last excellent quality which its proprie- 

 tor claims is, that it is easily drawn ; that the la- 

 bor is easier than that of ordinary plowing ; be- 

 ing only from 225 to 275 pounds, as demonstrat- 

 ed by numerous Dynanometer tests. 



These are the principles claimed, and if they 

 can be substantiated, the machine is a good one. 

 We give them, as we are willing to give the prin- 

 ciples of others. We have no personal interest 

 in it, not even knowing the proprietor. In look- 

 ing for a machine, the purchaser will do well to 

 see this in operation, and then form his own 

 opinion of its merits. The prices of them are, 

 $120, $100, and $85 for one designed for a single 

 horse. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



SHEEP AND OATS. 



Mr. Editor : — The inquiry in the Farmer of 

 March 30, by "N. M.," "Will unground oats hurt 

 sheep ?" also, the statement, that the Henniker 

 farmers have lost a number by their use, is truly 

 a new idea. I cannot give the reasons which you 

 ask for, in the affirmative ; in fact, I know of 

 none, and furthermore, it would be decidedly in 

 opposition to my idea of oats as feed for sheep, 

 which idea I have gained by conversing with the 

 Vermont feeders and growers, combined with the 

 experience which I have had the past winter, that 

 oats are admirably adapted to sheep. The Ver- 

 mont feeders of sheep, with whom I have con- 

 versed, do not hesitate to say that their experi- 

 ence with diff'erent kinds of feed proves that 

 oats will lay on more pounds of fat in a given 

 time than corn. Also, that it is a much safer 

 feed. I have also heard it remarked, that sheep 

 fattened on oats, hold out better weight in mar- 

 ket than when fed on corn. We are well aware, 

 fellow farmers, that all kinds of grain should be 

 fed judiciously, and at regular times ; the latter 

 to which particular attention should be given, in 

 order to meet with satisfactory results. There 

 seems to be a diversity of opinion in regard to 

 the kind of sheep best adapted to fattening, and 

 the feed best adapted to the sheep. I feel that 

 there has been something overlooked. 



1. Do we do our part in dealing out the feed ? 



2. Have we provided the sheep with a comfor- 

 table shelter, that they may not be exposed to the 

 storms of winter ? 



3. Has the hay been sorted, and the fine, best 

 quality put by itself, and kept strictly for the 

 sheep ? 



4. Have we done all we could to obtain pure 



water, (running water, if possible,) and then kept 

 the troughs thoroughly cleansed ? 



5. Have we divided them into pens of fifteen 

 or twenty each, taking care to separate the poor 

 ones from the stronger, that the latter may not 

 prevent the poor ones from getting their allow- 

 ance, and thus prevent the common expression of 

 wonder, why that sheep don't fat, (in fact it has 

 gone down hill all winter,) like that one, and in 

 nine cases out of ten, the sheep is condemned, 

 when the fault is in the shepherd ; and finally, let 

 us see that we do our part faithfully, and I think 

 the sheep will, (as the old adage is,) laugh and 

 grow fat. 



I am aware, Mr. Editor, that I have wandered a 

 little from the subject, (will oats kill sheep ?) but 

 trust you will pardon me this time, as I am much 

 inclined to believe that oats will not kill sheep, but 

 on the contrary, do not hesitate to say that many 

 lives would be saved by their use. The husban- 

 dry of sheep is a subject which I hope to see 

 more fully discussed through your paper. 



Hatfield, April 24. j. E. w. 



INCOMBUSTIBLE WASH. 



During the hot and dry season, serious acci- 

 dents sometimes occur in consequence of the 

 highly combustible nature of the materials used 

 for roofing. Pine shingles, after being laid a few 

 years, often become covered with a fine,- short 

 moss, which, when dry, is almost as easily ignited 

 as punk, and a spark falling upon the I'oof, soon 

 envelopes the building in a blaze. 



To make a cheap wash for the roofs of build- 

 ings, take a suflacient quantity of good stone lime, 

 and slack it carefully in a close box, or mortar 

 bed, to prevent the escape of steam, and after 

 slacking, pass it through a sieve. To every six 

 quarts of this lime, add one quart of rock or 

 Tiirk's Island salt, and one gallon of water. The 

 mixture should be boiled and skimmed clean. To 

 every five gallons of this, add, by slow degrees, 

 three-fourths of a pound of potash, and four 

 quarts of fine sand. 



Coloring matter may be added. Apply it with 

 a common paint brush. A writer, in speaking of 

 this wash, observes : "It looks better than paint, 

 and is as durable as slate. It will stop small 

 leaks in the roof, prevent the moss from growing 

 over and rotting the wood, and render it incom- 

 bustible from sparks falling on it. When applied 

 to brick work, it renders the bricks utterly im- 

 pervious to rain or wet, and endures a longer 

 time than any paint I ever used. The expense is 

 a mere trifle ; in fact, scarcely deserving of men- 

 tion." 



The walls of out-buildings are frequently coat- 

 ed with this wash, as well as the roofs, and are 

 thereby rendered much more durable. It is said 

 that clapboards put on without planing, if coated 

 with this cement or wash, last much longer than 

 when planed and painted. 



