33; 
AME1UCAN AGEICULTUKIST. 
[November, 
Method of Fastening Cattle in Stalls. 
The above illustration represents a plan for 
confining cattle in stalls, practised by B. Hatha- 
way, Cass Co., Mich., who writes concerning it 
to the Agriculturist : " Some 3 T ears since, in con- 
structing quarters for my cattle, after consider- 
ing the different plans in vogue for stalling, or 
fastening, I adopted that of tieing ; but I have 
never been wholhy satisfied with the arrange- 
ment, any more than have my stock. Last Win- 
ter I gave my stables an overhauling, and have 
constructed stalls after a new plan, differing from 
anything I have ever seen, and, as I think, 
possessing some marked advantages overstanch- 
ion or rope, in simplicity, security, and comfort. 
A stable best suited to this plan should be at 
least fifteen feet wide. The manger would oc- 
cupy three feet, leaving twelve for the stalls ; 
and another foot would not be thrown away. 
The stalls are formed of a permanent partition 
seven feet long, and a small gate hung at the 
side of the barn, on a line with the partition, 
which when shut, will complete the stall. These 
gates, made light, can be opened and shut in a 
moment. They should be hung so that when 
unfastened, they will swing back out of the way. 
There is left a clear passage for stock, or the 
removal of the manure, of some five feet. 
With safe fastenings for the gates, that the 
cattle can not open, there is the utmost security 
from their injuring each other, and with three 
and a half to four feet of width of stall, they will 
feel abundantly the sense of liberty and comfort. 
American Sheep in Europe. 
At the Wool Growers' Convention held at 
Rutland, during the progress of the Vermont 
State Fair, Col. Daniel Needham, the delegate 
from Vermont to the International Exhibition 
of Hamburg, gave an interesting account of the 
successful competition of Mr. George Campbell's 
12 Merinos with the best flocks of Europe, men- 
tion of which was made in the September Agri- 
culturist. (We glean from a report in the New- 
England Farmer.) He said it required a con- 
siderable stock of presumption and confidence 
to sally out from a Green Mountain home, with 
sheep from the pastures of Vermont, to com- 
pete against those of the imperial flocks in 
France and the German States ; and their fore- 
bodings were not rendered less unpleasant, 
when, on the outward passage they were in- 
formed by intelligent German connoisseurs, that 
for the Americans to enter into such a competi- 
tion, would be simply for them to roll in the 
mud, as a premium for their 12 little sheep 
would be entirely out of the question. Howev- 
er, having made the venture, it was not in 
Yankee nature to "back down." The Commit- 
tee of awards consisted of 18 gentlemen, most 
of them noblemen, and all thoroughly compe- 
tent judges. Despite the attempt of the Ger- 
man Press to forestall public sentiment against 
the American sheep, the sub- 
committee of this body agreed 
upon bestowing two first 
premiums and one second 
premium upon them, and 
this award was subsequent- 
ly ratified by the unanimous 
action of the general Com- 
mittee. Mr. N. related that 
the time appointed for the 
examination of the sheep by 
the Committee, was 6 A. M„ 
and that on going to the ren- 
dezvous at two minutes past that hour, he found 
that every man belonging to that body had al- 
ready reported himself and entered upon his 
respective duties — an example of punctuality 
worthy of universal imitation. The 12 Ameri- 
can sheep competed against 1,761 foreign sheep, 
60 of which were contributed by the Emperor 
of the French, and were shown in a separate 
and costty enclosure. At the close of the ex- 
hibition, Count Slier Thoss purchased Mr. 
Campbell's little flock of 12 merinoes, for .$5000. 
Salt Needed by Sheep. 
An English writer, Dr. Phipson, in a Prize 
Essay on common salt, relates that not many 
years ago a German Agriculturist, Uberacker, 
made the following experiments to determine 
the influence of salt upon his sheep, which were 
kept on low damp pasture land: Ten animals 
were selected, and their usual allowance of salt 
withheld. In the first year five of this number 
died of rot and worms, while among the remain- 
der of the flock, numbering over four hundred, 
only four sheep were lost. The second year a 
new lot of ten sheep deprived of salt, lost seven, 
and a short time after the close of the year, the 
other three of the unsalted number died; the 
remainder of the flock lost only five. The third 
year was very rainy ; sixteen sheep were de- 
prived of salt, and the whole of them died of 
rot and vermicular pneumonia. 
Improved Hay Knife. 
m — 
Mr. Wm. S. Wilson, Mifflin Co., Pa., sends to 
the American Agriculturist a description of the 
hay knife illustrated in the accompanying en- 
graving, which he thinks superior to those in 
general use. The cutting part is in fish-tail 
form, made of cast steel, 
3-16ths inch thick, 2 inches 
broad at the top, tapering 
toward the points, and 
ground to au edge on the 
inner sides. The prongs are 
about 7 inches long, and 
spread about 6 inches at the 
points. The handle is a rod 
of J inch round iron, of con- 
venient length, say 30 inches, 
neatly welded to the knife. 
It is bent outward at the top, 
to keep the hands from the 
edges of the hay, when cut- 
ting down a stack or mow, 
and furnished with a cross- 
piece, for convenience in 
handling it ; or the iron 
rod itself may be turned to make a loop at 
the upper end. The horizontal bar, a short 
distance (about 18 inches) above the blade, is a 
foot-piece, by which the knife is driven into 
the hay with more force than could be done by 
the hand alone. This implement is not patented. 
HAT KNIFE. 
Hand Corn Sheller. 
Various implements for shelling corn are for 
sale at the agricultural warehouses, any of 
which are great improvements over thrashing 
out the grain with a flail or with horses. Where 
large quantities are to be got out for market, 
one of these to be run by horse power is al- 
most indispensable. For those who do not re- 
quire so expensive an apparatus, the implement 
here illustrated may be desirable. A descrip- 
tion of it was furnished to the Agriculturist by 
Mathias Muth, Onondaga Co., N. Y. lis use 
will doubtless be much easier than shelling by 
hand over a shovel edge or the cross-bar of the 
half bushel measure. It is made of a strip of 
board, about two 
inches wide and 
nine inches long, 
sawed lengthwise 
through the mid- 
dle, and the two 
pieces shaped to 
the form shown in 
the engraving. In 
each of the curved 
openings are driv- 
en nails, such as 
shomakers use for 
heels. The ends, 
A, A, are fastened 
together with a 
hinge of leather. 
At B, a wooden 
pin is inserted, 
passing through 
the two pieces. 
This pin is fast- 
ened at one end, 
and is fitted rather 
corn sheller. loosely into the 
hole on the opposite side-piece, so that the 
jaws of the implement can be opened to suit 
the size of the ears. A better arrangement 
for this purpose is, to have a metallic spring 
connecting the two pieces as shown at C, in 
which case the pin, 7?, is unnecessary. To use 
it, take the sheller in the left hand, and with the 
right, pass first one half of the ear through the 
opening, then the other half, at the same time 
giving it a twist; thus with two quick motions 
it will be speedily shelled. This is an unpatent- 
ed arrangement, and can be readily made by 
almost any one having a few common tools. 
» i —•— ■ » 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Fancy Poultry.— Some Experience. 
Mr. Editor: — Being one of those farmers 
who believe in progress, I went into fancy poul- 
try, a few years ago. The huge Shanghai 
took my fancy particularly, for who couldn't 
see the profit, of having hens nearly as large as 
sheep, and eggs in proportion ? My old fash- 
ioned fowls I put into the pot, or sold to my 
neighbors at a sacrifice. Now, said I, we shall 
get on. If I don't realize the truth of the old 
ballad, about that speckled hen that 
11 Used to lay two eggs a day, 
And Sundays she laid three," 
I shall at least get one egg a day from each 
biddy, large enough to make two of the old sort. 
Then the origin of these birds struck my fancy. 
Did they not come from the great empire of 
China? Did not they or their progenitors flap 
their wings and crow on top of the famous 
Chinese wall, or, less aspiring, sun themselves 
beside it ? They were " traveled " hens surely. 
