18G6.] 
AMEHICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
310 
upper edge slightly rounding ; measure and saw 
them ill proper lengths, and nail securely to the 
ends of the brackets, letting them project two 
inches above the brackets as shown in fig. 3. The 
joint whicli occurs at every alternate bracket, 
•WrNBLASS, BUCKET-CASRIAGE, ETC. 
should be neatly and firmly constructed, -with a 
miter cut at the top,so as to form a lap,to receive a 
nail to prevent lateral movement, as seen at a, a. 
The first section of the track, commencing at 
the -windlass, should be made from a board of 
greater width than the others, to admit of cut- 
ting a few feet level, to form a rest for the buck- 
et when drawn up ; this will be better under- 
stood from fig. 3. In this, o, represents a portion 
of the first section of track, cut to a level ; b, b, 
pullies for the cord to pass over ; c, windlass, 
with wooden crank, which can be constructed 
either out of boards, or solid wood. It is 18 inches 
long, by 1.5 inches in diameter. The windlass 
should be hung in a substantial /(■««<; under the 
cover of an open porch, or portico, located 
within a convenient distance from the kitchen. 
The other terminus of the track should ex- 
tend directly over and close down to the spring, 
fastening in the extreme wall, or to a stake 
firmly driven for that purpose. The dimensions 
of the basin should be about 11x3 feet, and of 
suiHcient depth for filling an ordinary bucket. 
The construction of the pulley carriage to 
which the bucket is attached, will be understood 
by examining fig. 4. The frame (a,) is made 
from one piece of wood, with the leader (b,) at- 
tached, which will freely apply itself to any de- 
gree of descent; c,i3 a pulley ii inches in diame- 
ter,turned with a groove 
half an inch deep, and 
wide enough to run free- 
ly on the track. The 
opposite portion of the 
frame ((/,) extends 1| 
inches below the edge 
of the track, forming a 
guard against tlie car- 
riage flying ofi'. The 
cord, d, is fostened to 
the leader (5) ; e, is the 
attachment of bucket to 
pulley frame. An ordi- 
nary well bucket will 
do. Place the puUy up- 
^'?- *• on the track, with buck- 
BUCKET CAKRIAGE. ^^ attached ; connect the 
ct>rd which should be half-inch manilla, to the 
windkvss. This " Water Carrier " can be con- 
structed by any one who possesses a little of 
meclianical ingenuity; and the entire cash ex- 
penditures connected with its construction 
should not exceed a very few dollars." 
How to Dress Beef on the Prairies. 
Every one who has had, like the writer, any 
experience in doing his family marketing with 
rifle bullets, knows that a dead beef is a very 
awkward thing to manage flat on the ground. 
How far the practice oilong range marketing is 
prevalent at the West we do not know, but 
from a communication received from Daniel 
Laniman, Macoupin Co., 111., it seems that 
IlUnoians are more or less in the habit of shoot- 
ing their beeves on the prairie, and distant from 
buildings where they can be hung up. Mr. Lani- 
man takes with him a sort of tripod, which he 
calls a ' beef-hanger,' constructed as follows : 
" Take three round poles, strong enough to hold 
a beef, (or 2x3 scantling will do), about fourteen 
feet long. Chamfer oflT the ends of two at the 
top, so as to allow them to spread at the bot- 
tom; place the third piece as a brace between 
them, and put a strong bolt through the three. 
There are two strong hooks inserted in the side 
pieces, as represented 1:^ the diagram, and 
several holes are made so that these may be set 
higher or lower, according to the size of the 
beef. This 'hanger' is easily made, simple, 
cheap, and easily carried to wherever you may 
chance to shoot your bee£" Its working is 
plain, though not described. The steer is 
shot ; his throat cut ; the hind legs are cut off 
below the hocks and sljinned down a little way; 
then the frame is placed over the carcass, only 
a little elevated, and the hocks are hung on the 
hooks. Then, as the skinning and dressing pro- 
gresses, by lifting up on the brace piece the 
frame is gradually brought nearly into an up- 
right position, and the beef will finally swing 
clear of the ground. The head, legs and offal 
are left for the buzzards and crows, while the hide 
and quarters, nicely dressed, are drawn home. 
»-< — ♦■ I » 
Convenient Farm Gate, 
The following description Of a handy farm 
gate, or substitute for bars, is sent us by Ed- 
ward Hicks, of North Ilempsted, L. I. lie 
writes: — " The accompanying sketch represents 
a cheap, durable and handy farm gate. It can be 
as easily opened as one bar can be removed 
and thrown out of the way. As it cannot sag 
it needs only ordinary bar posts for support. It 
is opened by sliding it one-half way back, where 
it is nearly balanced, then turning it one-half 
way round. Snow banks interfere less with 
this gate than with almost any other. To make 
a dozen gates cheaply', to be used instead of 
bars, procure a lot of 10-inch pine boards, sawed 
into two equal (5-incli) strips for the bars, and 
one-fourth as many sawed into four equal (2J- 
inch) strips for braces, uprights, etc. Let the 
lumber be wet, so that it will not split in driv- 
ing a wrought nail. Lay tlie bars on the barn 
floor, the right distance apart ; nail on the up- 
ir0^J^''--:-'=^^i^ 
FARM GATE. 
rights. Strips and braces, putting upright strips 
on each side of the gate, and a narrow strip on 
the top liar, flat-wise, to give the gate stiffness. 
It takes about half an liour to make a gate 
as above described. The gate is slioved back a 
little in the drawmg to show the construction." 
M I iiM J ^^i I ^ ' — ■ . 
Pernviau Maize— Introduction of, etc. 
BE HON. E. GEO. SQUIER, NEW YORK CITY. 
I have] made some efforts, necessarily in a 
small way, to introduce into the United States 
some varieties of what I regard as the finest 
maize or Indian corn in the world, and which 
I found growing, in great luxuriance, in the 
Valley of the Rio Vilcamayo, Urubamba, In 
Peru, about sixteen miles to the wcstw.ard of 
the city of Cuzco, tlie Capital of the Inca Em- 
pire. 'The river Vilcamayo, which, lower down, 
takes the name of Ucayali, is the true source of 
the Amazon. Its valley is narrow throughout, 
often no more than a mere canon, shut in on 
both sides by high and snowy mountains. 
Nevertheless there arc sections where it widens 
out to the width of from a quarter of a mile to 
a mile, affording room for cultivation, which is 
often much extended by an elaborate system of 
terracing up the hills and mountains to great 
hights. The particular intervale to which I re- 
fer, was the countiy seat or resort of the lucas, 
outside of their Capital, where they had a pal- 
ace and extensive " hanging gardens," which 
are nearly as perfect to-day as when first built. 
Fig. 1. 
Fis. 3. 
The place then as now was called Yucay, and 
was celebrated in the yarams or songs, as the 
" Seat of Delights." 
The mountains shutting in the charming vale 
of Yuray, are of a disintegrating limestone, and 
the soil is remarkably fertile and well irrigated 
through asequias, dating from the time of the 
Incas. The principal article of production in 
the valley is maize, of which there are three va- 
rieties — tlie white, yellow, and black or purple. 
The white is the largest in grain and most val- 
ued ; the yellow is smallest, more compact, and 
probably hardier ; while the black is sweetest, 
and most in demand for fermentation in making 
Mehii. I give herewith accurate drawings of 
avqrago kernels of three kinds. 
The miise blanca, or white variety, is that- 
