506 TRANSACTIONS OF THI 



I am satisfied that a farmer can contract his grain to be threshed 

 with a flail at a less price than he can by machinery. 



Mr. Smitli, of Conn., thought that it was wasteful of grain to 

 thresh with flails, and for that and several reasons he advocated 

 the almost universal use of threshing machines. 



Solon Robinson — I am fully satisfied that there is a much 

 greater percentage of grain wasted in threshing with machines 

 than with flails. Wherever a farmer has barn-room, and is not 

 compelled to hurry his grain into market, and has a stock ot 

 cattle to feed, I am satisfied that it will be found very profitable 

 to employ a man by the month to thresh his grain with a flail, 

 and take care of his stock. 



Mr. Meigs — The grain is not lost, the farmer's poultry find it 

 all and fatten upon it. 



This subject was still further discussed, and then laid over to 

 be called up at the next meeting, and the subject of manure, and 

 how to preserve it from injury in winter, was taken up. 



William Lawton, of New Rochelle, said that he thought that 

 small farmers could not afford to establish all the improvements 

 of barn-cellars and other conveniencies of large farmers, how- 

 ever they may suit large farmers. My own plan is to have my 

 manure-yard well underdrained, and I do not keep the contents 

 covered. I do not find that my manure leaches into the earth, 

 and the contents of the drain go out upon the field, and the yard 

 is dry. 



Dr. Wellington strongly advocated barn-cellars, whether for 

 five or fifty cattle, and thought the increased value of the manure 

 would pay the expense of a manure-cellar. 



Mr. Smith, of Conn. — I drain my yard into a sort of pond, 

 where it mixes with a rich earth that I dig up and cast out in the 

 spring. I also have a manure-cellar, and think that one load of 

 manure from the cellar is worth as nuich as two loads from the 

 yard. The latter is only fit for top-dressing of grass land, 

 serving as a sort of mulch. I have brought up my poor farm to 

 be one of the most productive in the State. When I took it, it 

 only kept two cows and a horse. I have no use now for horse- 

 rakes, as the grass grows so heavy that we can pitch it up with- 



