1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



101 



Hay-Tedder for spreading and turning hay, a ma- 

 chine deemed by some farmers as superior even 

 to the mowing-machine, in case they could have 

 but one. 



Dr. LoEiNG, of Salem, spoke of the fragile char- 

 acter of farm implements, endorsing what the first 

 speaker said of hay implements. He spoke of 

 the improvement of ploughs and manure-forks, 

 highly commending the inventive genius of Amer- 

 ican mechanics. 



Mr. Hubbard, of Sunderland, recommended a 

 root-slicer for those who grow and feed roots. 

 He spoke of a hand cultivator, recommending it. 



Mr. MosEi.EY, of Springfield, spoke of the cost 

 of machinery to a young farmer. He recommend- 

 ed the use of mowing-machines, which can be op- 

 erated by an invalid ; whereas it requires a stur- 

 dy man to swing a scythe. He recommended 

 root-slicers ; also a planting-machine for corn. 



Mr. Stowell, of Deerfield, spoke of mowing- 

 machines, giving his preference to the Buckeye, 

 which he uses. 



Mr. Powers, of Phillipston, spoke of Sanborn's 

 Plough, alluded to by the first speaker, and liked 

 it because it obviated the objection hitherto made. 

 He recommended the mowing-machine. He 

 thought farmers were slow to avail themselves of 

 improved machinery and implements. 



Mr. Smith, of Granby, spoke of the mowing- 

 machine, endorsing Hubbard's as a good one. 



Mr. Warren, of Auburn, said no improvement 

 had been made in the plough for thirty years. 

 The first plough he ever used was Wright's pa- 

 tent. He would meet any one at a plough-facto- 

 ry and confront him on this subject. He had 

 tried mow'ing-machines, but found none that he 

 could use with advantage ; and besides his help 

 could mow as much by hand as they could take 

 care of. Scythes are no better, nor quite as good 

 as they were twenty years ago. He recommend- 

 ed long-handled shovels. He did not wish to be 

 called an old fogy. He spoke of a rich Worces- 

 ter county farmer, who, on the inventory of his 

 property at his death, had not a hundred dollars' 

 worth of farm implements ; yet he was a good 

 and successful farmer. 



Mr. Hubbard, of Brimfield, spoke of the ad- 

 vantages that even Mr. Warren, the last speak- 

 er, had derived from the introduction of the mow- 

 ing-machine, as he acknowledged he cleaned ofl" 

 his land for the mower, though he had not bought 

 a machine. He maintained that the plough had 

 been greatly improved. 



Mr. Bird, of Cambridge, spoke of improved 

 hay-forks and manure-forks, introduced by Mr. 

 Partridge, a well-known manufacturer. 



Mr. Flower, of Agawam, closed the discus- 

 sion with some remarks on the improvements of 

 the plough, entirely dissenting from Mr. Warren's 



remarks. Americans, said he, should be proud 

 of their implements and farm machines. He com- 

 mended the Chicopee ploughs as among the best. 



For the Netc England Farmer, 

 MAPLE SUGAR. 



Mr. Editor:— In your paper of Januarj- 17, I 

 find an article with the above heading, in which 

 you make some excellent remarks, closing with an 

 article from the pen of Geo. W. Hammond, of 

 New Hampshire. Very likely the above gentle- 

 man is good authority on sugar-making, yet I 

 must confess I was not a little disappointed that 

 after taking us all through the preliminarj- opera- 

 tions, and speaking so highly of the quality of his 

 sugar, he should coolly set away his syrup, and 

 tell us he was not ready to sugar it oft". 



We usually make about tlie same quantity of 

 sugar that >Ir. Hammond does, and as we have 

 not used milk or eggs to raise the scum for ten 

 years, our process may be of interest. We have 

 a pan and arch expressly for the purpose of su- 

 garing ofF. We take off the syrup, strain it through 

 flannel, and boil it down as soon as possible, then 

 turn into tin or wooden vessels to cool ; the nitre 

 will settle to the bottom. 



I do not wish sugar-makers to adopt a new 

 method on any one's recommendation, but try the 

 experiment and judge for themselves. 



My reasons for jirefering the above course are 

 these ; we square up every night, and save much 

 labor. There is no danger of burning ; our milk 

 and eggs are put to better uses, and last, but not 

 least, the quality is superior, as heating and cool- 

 ing, as well as long standing, affect the taste and 

 color of sugar. 



A pan for sugaring off, will never need scrap- 

 ing, if washed immediately after using, which 

 should never be omitted. 



There are many other matters connected with 

 sugaring that are of importance. We used to tap 

 with too large an auger, thereby injuring the trees 

 unnecessarily. I believe it has been proved that 

 a one-half inch bit is large enough, as the flow of 

 sap depends more on the depth than size of the 

 hole. 



Sap and storage tubs should be painted outside 

 and in, not only to preserve them, but to prevent 

 the sap from souring. 



The best kind of arch I have used is made by 

 putting in cast iron grates to lay the wood on, in 

 such a manner that the coals will fall down 

 through. 



I would urge sugar-makers to adopt the excel- 

 lent hints of Mr. Hammond with one exception. 



Calais, Feb., 8, 18G3. A. M. F. 



A New Canal Project.— The Dutch have set 

 on foot a gigantic work of canal imj)rovenient. It 

 is proposed to construct a ship canal from Am- 

 sterdam through North Holland toward the sea ; 

 to be thirteen miles long, two hundred feet wide 

 and twenty-four feet deep. This canal will short- 

 en the distance from Amsterdam to London, and 

 all ports south of the Texel, by about eighty miles, 

 so that vessels will now be enabled to reach the 

 sea in a few hours, whereas the present journey 

 over the Simlugen and the North Holland canal 

 now occupies several days, and sometimes even 

 weeks. 



