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THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



June 



Our Dependence. 



It is a curious fact, and one not generally real- 

 ized, that the world's papulation is dependent for 

 its existence upon the preceding year's produce. 

 Did the earth refuse to yield her fruit for one sea- 

 son, it would depopulate it. How much then are 

 we dependent upon a single year's growth. It 

 must be confessed the earth has been faithful. 

 We need but plant to reap. It is gratifying to see 

 man trust to nature — rather to the Parents of both 

 man and nature. How accurately is carried out 

 the promise that seed time and harvest shall never 

 fail — else man, for whom all is made, would perish. 

 Does not this seem like an overruling providence ? 



Estimating the Capacity of Barns. 



Very few farmers are aware of the precise amount 

 ■of shelter needed for their crops, but lay their 

 plans of outbuildings from vague conjecture or 

 guessing. As a consequence, much of their pro- 

 duce has to be stacked outside, after their build- 

 ings have been completed; and if additions are 

 made they must be put up at the expense of con- 

 venient arrangement. A brief example will show 

 how the capacity of the barn may be adapted to 

 the size of the farm. 



Suppose for example, that the farm contains 100 

 acres, of which 90 are good arable land, and that 

 •ne-third each are devoted to meadow, pasture and 

 grain. Ten acres of the latter may be corn, stored 

 in a separate building. The meadow should afford 

 two tons per acre, and yield 60 tons ; the sown 

 grain 20 acres, may yield a corresponding bulk of 

 straw, or 40 tons. The barn, should, therefore, 

 besides other matters, have a capacity for 100 tons, 

 or over one ton per acre as an average. Allowing 

 500 cubic feet for each ton (perhaps 600 would be 

 nearer) it would require a bay or mow 40 feet long 

 and 19 feet wide for a ton and a half to each fo»t of 

 depth. If twenty feet high it would hold about 30 

 tons. If the barn were 40 feet wide with 18 feet 

 posts, and 8 feet of basement, about 45 tons 

 could be stowed away in a bay reaching from base- 

 ment to peak. Two such bays, or equivalent space 

 would be required for the products of 90 well cul- 

 tivated acres. Such a building is much larger than 

 is usually allowed ; and yet, without it there must 

 be j^Uarge waste, as every farmer is aware who 

 stacks his hay out ; or a large expenditure in pitch- 

 ing and re-pitching sheaves of grain in threshing. 



In addition to this, as we have already seen, 

 there should be ample room for the shelter of do- 

 mestic animals. In estimating the space required, 

 including feeding alleys, &c., a horse should have 

 V5 square feet ; a cow 45 feet ; and sheep 10 square 

 feet each. The basement of a barn, therefore, 40 

 by TS feet in the clear, will stable 80 cattle and 

 150 sheep, and a row of stalls across one end will 

 afford room for 8 horses. The 30 acres each of 

 pasture and meadow, and the 10 acres of corn fod- 

 der already spoken of, with a portion of grain and 



foot^ would probably keep about this num- 

 ber of animals, and consequently, a barn with a 

 basemejit of less size than 40 by 15 feet would be 

 insuflScient for the complete accommodation of 

 such a farm in the highest state of cultivation. 



J. J. Thomas. 



A Wew Flax Dressing Machine. 



If there is any man who believes that the days of 

 invention are past, he could have this belies shaken 

 in no better and more effective way than by thor- 

 oughly examining the new flax dressing machine 

 which has been patented by Messrs. Mallory & San- 

 ford, and which may be seen at their office, corner 

 of White and Centre streets. This flax breaking 

 and dressing machine is, as an improvement, of 

 inestimable value to flax growing farmers. 



It consists of two fluted rollers through which 

 the straw passes, being completely broken in its 

 passage, and entirely divested of all refuse. This 

 is done in such manner that the use of the scratch- 

 ing mill to free the lint of woody particles is ren- 

 dered almost unnecessary. 



This machine, which may be classed among the 

 scientific curiosities of the day, occupies scarcely 

 as much room as the bellows in a blacksmith shop. 

 It is made of four different sizes, the first weighing 

 twenty-five pounds and capable of dressing three 

 hundred pounds of straw in ten hours; the second 

 measures two feet by two feet, capable of dressing 

 six hundred pounds per day ; the third is three feet 

 by three feet, and can dress one thousand five hun- 

 dred pounds per day, requiring less than one horse 

 power; and the fourth is four feet by four feet, 

 which will dress two thousand five hundred pounds 

 per day requiring less then two horsepower. 



This machine makes one ton of fibre out of eve- 

 ry four tons of straw, and so separates and mauls 

 the flax that it is not required to run the straw 

 through the rollers more than once. 



Unrotted flax passed through this machine is ex- 

 cellent stock for the manufacture of paper. At 

 Dayton, Ohio, four dressers are at work making 

 stock for the paper manufacturer, at a mere cost of 

 $10 per ton of lint. 



It is estimated that this machine can prepare the 

 flax for the paper manufacturer at a cost of two and 

 a half cents per pound ; a price less than that paid 

 for rags before the rebellion began. 



The portability and the great expedition of this 

 new dresser in preparing flax for the manufacturer 

 are entitled to the highest consideration by all 

 who are interested in the cultivation of flax. — N. 

 Y. Advertiser. 



*•>- 



New England as a Bread Country. 



Let us take a retrospective glance into the latter 

 part of the last century, and see how the people of 

 New England earned their daily bread. At that 

 time there were no grand Erie canals or railroads, 

 means of conveyance from the great West, to sup- 

 ply us witk the staff of life, as at present, nor were 

 there inhabitants beyond the Ohio river to culti- 

 vate the exhaustless soil of those now populous 

 States, then inhabited by savage beasts and more 

 savage men. The people of New England were 

 under the necessity of producing most ef their 



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