310 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEE. 



Oct. 



A Grain Binder. 



The editor of the Iroquois (Ills.) Republican, 

 says that Mr. D. W. Ayres of tliat place has been 

 for some ypars working on a model for a grain 

 binder, and at one time completed and filed a 

 caveat for a machine that would bind with the 

 straw of grain, but after consideration concluded 

 that it was too complicated for general use, and 

 80 abaudoned it. Having heard of the wire and 

 string binders, he set himself about learning 

 their qual fications. The string binder he found 

 would not prove valuable for the reason that no 

 machinery could be made to tie a knot, and the 

 sheaves had to be made all one size to suit the 

 length of the strings, which are made one uni- 

 form length with a knot at e:ich end, else the 

 sheaves would be imperfectly bound or not bound 

 at all. The wire bender, Mr. A. feared would be 

 too expensive, but on asceitaining that wire 

 could be furnished at a cost not exceeding eight- 

 een or twenty cents to the acre, he went to work 

 to perfect a wire binding machine, capable of be- 

 ing attached to anyordiaary reaper, and of bind- 

 ing to its full cutting capacity — that would fill all 

 the requirements of a successful self-binder. 



In this machine the simple movement of get- 

 ting the wire around the bundle, doe< all the rest. 

 The wire is carried around the bundle by a re- 

 Tolving arm attached to a crank, which presses 

 the bundle together and operate.s the cutting and 

 twisting device — one turn of the revolving arm 

 completely binding a bundle. 



Its capacity when attached to a renper, will be 

 fully equal to the cutting capacity of the reaper, 

 and will bind a large or > mall bundle equally well 

 As the grain is raked from the board ou which ii 

 falls directly into the binder, it of course does not 

 touch the ground until it is bound into a sheaf, 

 and the ground over which the maiihinepnssed at 

 the trial was almost as clear of straw as if none 

 had ever growu there. — Field Xotes. 



We have little faith in the practical>ility of 

 these binders. Even the self- rakers have not be- 

 come fully established. If grain could be grown 

 of a uniform siie of straw, so that in passing 

 over a given space the bundles would be of the 

 same size we might have more hope of success, 

 but as it is the prospect is not vtry promi.=ing. 



Ed. 



-«•♦- 



Cheat Western R. R. — The Toledo Blade 

 says : We are informed that so great is the 

 quantity of produce on the line of the Great 

 Western Railroad of Illinois, that the mad has 

 no means within its reach, of relieving the pres- 

 sure. The Wabash Railway, its eastern con- 

 nection, is taxed to the utmost with its own 

 business, and is unable to furnish cars to aid in 

 moving the vast amount of freight seeking this 

 point by way of the Great Western road. i/*s 

 CTidenre of the extent of this pressure, it is 

 stated that the loss to the latter read has bean 

 at least $20,000 during the past two months. 



Poisonous Propekties of Bein .— It may not 

 be known to all that brine, in which meat or fish 

 have been salted, is poisonous to domestic ani- 

 mals If left in their way they will partake as 

 ireeiy of it as they will of pure salt, when it very 

 often proves fatal. The X' Union Medicale, a 

 French publication, gives an account of the re- 

 searches of M. Reynal in regard to the poisonous 

 properties of brine. From a series of expe'i" 

 ments detailed, he draws the following conclu- 

 sions : 



First, That three or four months after its pre- 

 paration it acquires poisonous properties. 



Second, That the mean poisonous dose for a 

 horse is about four pints ; for the hog, one pint ; 

 and for a dog, four to five gallons. 



Third, That in less doses it produces vomiting 

 in the dog and hog. 



Fourth, that the employment o^ this substance 

 mixe 1 with the food, continued for a certain time, 

 even in small quantities, may be fatal. 



We know from experience, says the Valley 

 Farmer, that brine, if swallowed by hogs and 

 other ■■ n mals, will prove fatal yet we doubt if 

 the subject is susceptible cf the definite results 

 ns stated by M. Reynal for the degree of the poi- 

 sonous proptrties of the brine depends on vari- 

 ous circumstances. We have known a much less 

 quant ty to prove fatal than that stated above. 



The Golden vs. the Osier Basket Willow. — 

 D. L. Haleey, of Victory, Cayuga county, N. Y., 

 under date of 8th August, writes to the Country 

 Gent ou this subject as follows: "I have 



noticed ppveral newspaper articles, recommend- 

 ing the Yellow Willow for hedges. My object 

 in this communication ie to prevent the farmers 

 of this country from injury, by explaining the 

 terras used in said articles. Tbe variety of wil- 

 low called invHriably by foreigners Yellow Wil- 

 low, is the ' Osier Ba ket Willow ' and the W'llow 

 whicii is cnlled Yellow WiUow in this country, is 

 there cal'ed the 'Golden Willow.' The Golden 

 Willow of Europe, called Yellow Willow here, is 

 a'terly unfit for fencing, for the reason that cat- 

 tle will eat the tender sprouts as readi'y as they 

 wi i clover — so of the Napoleon or Weeping Wil- 

 low, and their twigs are useless. The Osier or 

 Basket Wil ow is of a light green color during 

 the s^ummer, but upon the ripening of the wood 

 the hart becomes yelow; it is not eaten by cat- 

 iL' or ^heep, and the twigs cut from the hedges if 

 not wanted for home use for baskets, sell readily 

 in the New York marl-et at five to seven cents 

 per pound. I have now in various stages of 

 growth over one hundred rods of Osier Wi'low 

 Hedge ; that part three yearsold is proof against 

 castle, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, high winds, 

 floods, deep snows, and the only fence on my firm 

 that produces a cash income yearly greater than 

 its first cost." 



—A good many men are in the best health 

 when they are out of spirits, 



