326 



THE Ii:.LI]N^OIS F-^I^IVIEII. 



TriRl of Mole Plows. 

 There has been a trial of Mole Plows in 

 Madison county, Ohio. We did not know 

 there was another Mole-Plow in use but that 

 common here, until we came across the re- 

 port which follows. There were four mole 

 plows on trial; so that persons who desire to 

 use an instrument of this kind can use their 

 own judgement in the selection, and perhaps 

 not pay an enormous amount of money for 

 the privilege of use it. 



REPORT ON MOLE PLOWS. 



There being great uniformity in the ope- 

 ration and draft of the plows, the committee 

 found it impossible to take the working qual- 

 ities as a basis of the award, and therefore 

 took into account cost, adjustability and the 

 shape of the mole. The adjustability of the 

 Witherow plow being very convenient in 

 operation, and so graduated that the operator 

 can fix at all times the precise depth, by 

 means of a graduated scale, together with 

 the cost of the plow, determined the com- 

 mittee to award it the first premium. The 

 mole of this plow is an angular void, six and 

 a half inches high, five in horizontal diame- 

 ter, running down to a flat base of about two 

 inches. The mole might be considerably 

 improved in form. 



The Defeubaugh machine is adjusted with 

 regard to depth by a windlass, attached in 

 the rear of the cutter or coulter, by which a 

 change of eighteen inches may be made in 

 the depth of the ditch, but the operator has 

 no means of knowing precisely at what depth 

 he is cutting. The form of the mole is that 

 of an ellipse, with a flat base, from the center 

 of which proceeds a sharp fin, downwards 

 an inch or more. Upon the whole, the mole 

 is rather better than that of the Witherow 

 plow. 



The Bales plow is not without merit. The 

 adjustability is more difiicult than in either 

 of the preceding ones, whilst the mole is 

 certainly the most objectionable. The mole 

 is seven inches in perpendicular diameter, 

 and five in horizontal. It is well known 

 that a small quantity of flowing water requires 

 a very limited channel. The mole of this 

 plow presents the same sized channel to a 

 small, that it does to a large, quantity of 

 water. When water has a wider channel 

 than absolutely necessary, it forms a zigzag 

 course, and deposits whatever foreign matter 

 such as sand, roots of vegetables, etc., it may 

 bring with it, at the curves it has made in 

 its course, and in a short time comparatively 

 fills up from this cause. But if the channel 

 is so constructed that a small quantity of 

 water has a very narrow channel, and % larger 

 quantity of water a wider channel, the prob- 

 ability is that the channel will be kept clear 

 a much longer period than where a uniformly 

 wide channel is prepared for all stages of 

 water. 



Although the Cole & Wall plow is defect- 

 ive in qeing readily adjusted to difi'erent 

 depths, yet, in the opinion of the chairman 

 of the committee, the mole was certainly the 

 best shaped of any presented for competition. 

 Its form is void, and has a fin four inches in 

 depth, extending from the base downwards; 

 this fin is about half an inch thick, and makes 



a deep incision in the earth, in the bottom 

 of the drain, thus making a very narrow 

 channel for the water, when at a low stage. 

 When operating two moles are attached; the 

 first one measure four by five inches, whilst 

 the second is five by eight inches. It is 

 claimed that the second mole, being a short 

 distance behind the first one; and being 

 three more inches in perpendicular diameter, 

 completely closes the incision made by the 

 coulter, and thus prevents the drain from 

 filling by substances falling in from above 

 more eflectually than the others. On account 

 of the superiority of the mole, the committee 

 awarded to this plow the second premium. 



The Marquis, or Illinois Mole-Plow, is 

 one among the earliest patent in this country. 

 It is efiective to inadjustability to different 

 depths, and the shape of the mole was, by 

 the committee, considered to be not superior 

 in form to the Bales plow, although evident- 

 ly more simple in structure, yet objectiona- 

 ble because it makes a drain with a flat bot- 

 tom of five inches in width. 



Each plow was furnished with one hundred 

 feet of two inch cable, and each drained or 

 ditched at about the depth of three feet, or 

 forty inches. The length of drain which 

 each is capable of making per day, is about 

 the same. The character of the land on 

 which the trial was made, may be said to 

 consist of a stiff" clay subsoil, and a rather 

 stiff, loamy clay soil. With a good team, any 

 one of these teams can ditch from seventy 

 five to one hundred rods per day, in the kind 

 of soil in which the trial was made. 



The committee desire to be distinctly un- 

 derstood, that they do not consider these 

 mole plows to be of any considerable utility, 

 in any other than level, or very slightly un- 

 dulating clay lands. For sandy loams, or 

 very undulating lands, they cannot commend 

 them. In such lands, the only method of 

 securing the advantages of uuderdraining is 

 to employ drain pipe tiles. 



BALEY HORSE— BALKY MASTER. 

 A farmer of an irascible temper came into 

 possession of a very fine animal, of most do- 

 cile disposition. When the farmer purchas- 

 ed him he was highly pleased with his bar- 

 gain. For some weeks the animal worked 

 admirably, but as the owner became accus- 

 tomed to the brute, his irritable temper 

 would display itself, and occasionally in his 

 anger he would punish him severely for the 

 most trifling fault. In a few months the 

 the animal became irritable also, balky, and 

 at times quite unruly. The farmer, who 

 could not see how much injury he wa.s doing 

 himself, continued his brutality. The result 

 was as might have been expected — a really 

 valuable brute was spoiled. He became ner- 

 vous and dangerous. The farmer was in 

 despair, he would have been glad could he 

 have found a purchaser for him at a third or 

 fourth what he gave for him. A neighbor 

 of the farmer, who saw how he had maltreat- 

 ed the beast, offered to accept him at the 

 owner's terms, which were not hard. Now 

 mark the end. The new proprietor was a 

 man of kind but firm disposition. He at 

 once commenced treating the animal as if 

 he could be reached by reason. The horse 

 experiencinga difl'ereuce between his present 

 and former treatments, soon recovered his 



temper,. lie ceased to fear and tremble at 

 every one who approached him, and in less 

 time than it took to spoil him, he was brought 

 back to his original docile disposition. Ills 

 former owner learned for the first time that 

 more lalor can be gotten out of any animal 

 by kindness than by brutality. But wheth- 

 er it mended his irritable disposition or not 

 we are unable to say. — American Stojk 

 Journal. 



-—- 



Domestication of Wild Animals, 



One of the most interesting sights in the 

 city of Philadelphia, is the grey squirrels in 

 their public squares or parks. One can see 

 these beautiful animals there, at almost any 

 time of the day, but in the early morning 

 they are out in largest numbers. They are 

 so tame, that they do not run even from 

 strangers, but will come and eat nuts and 

 other food from the hand. Thus the good 

 people of that city have a much better op- 

 portunity to study the character and habits 

 of this animal, than those who live in the 

 country, and only see them in the woods, 

 where they are to wild to wait for observa- 

 tion. They run all about among the grass, 

 dig at the roots, of which they eat, and of the 

 tender stalks. Young kittens are not more 

 playful and frisky, than these well fed squir- 

 rels, chasing one another over the lawn, or 

 from tree to tree. They are the delight of 

 the children, who love to fill their pockets 

 with peanuts, to make the acquaintance of 

 the squirrels. 



The only means adopted to keep the squir- 

 rels contented in this artificial life, is to fur- 

 nish them with houses and food, as nearly as 

 possible like what they would choose for them- 

 selves in their natural state, to guard them 

 frotn enemies. In the woods we find them 

 placing their young in the hollows of trees, 

 to which there is access by one hole only, 

 that it may easily be defended. The Phila- 

 delphiaus have put up rough boxes, of wood 

 in the forks of the trees, and they are regu- 

 larly supplied with food, when they cannot 

 cater for themselves. Here they multiply 

 much more rapidly than in the forest, as they 

 have plenty of good houses, and abundant 

 food, and no enemies to disturb them. 



We think this a beautiful hint for our ru- 

 ral improvers, who wish to beautify their 

 grounds with animal as well as with vegeta- 

 ble life. It is entirely practicable to people 

 a grove near a dwelling with these squirrels 

 or with other animals whose wants are as 

 easily met. The grey squirrel is the most 

 beautiful species of this tribe of animals, is 

 companionable, and sprightly and if well fed 

 would not be troublesome, to the orchards or 

 corn fields. They are useful even after 

 death, their skins making a valuable fur, 

 and their flesh a savory stew, or hot pie, that 

 an epicure need not despise. They could be 

 made as profitable for this end alone, as the 

 pigeon or the rabbit. They are more capa- 

 ble of taking care of themselves, and with 

 suitable provision for their wants, they could 

 be as easily kept within proper limits. 



Such a grove, peopled with squirrels and 

 birds where no dog was to bark, and no gun 

 to be fired, would be an attraction to the 

 children of the household, never to be for- 

 irotten. It would instruct them in natural 

 history, cultivate their esthetic tastes, an 



