1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
337 
soon decay, and stone ones are moved by frost." 
— The arrangement described by our corre- 
spondent we have bad engraved, and it strikes 
us that one very important point is not touched 
iu bis description, which is this: If the posts 
are properly cased, the stones on which the 
posts rest being small enough, the casing will 
extend a very little below the top of the stones 
and so effectually prevent any water from rains, 
ever getting to the bottom of the post. One 
thing must be guarded against ; namely, using 
round posts, or those not well squared, at least 
at the bottom ; for in the corners, there would 
be room for mice to run up between the posts 
and the casing, and thus gain access to the crib. 
•-« 111 —~ 
The Swivel Clevis for Whiffletrees. 
SWIVEL CLEVIS. 
C. H. Polhemus, of Middlebush, 1ST. J., some 
time ago sent the following note with the draw- 
ing of the simple implement engraved. — Anoth- 
er correspondent sent a similar drawing, but 
the hook bad no spring. 
We made the trial to 
ascertain if the hook 
without a spring would 
do equally well. Itdoes 
not, because more liable 
to unhook, especially when the hook is fastened 
to another clevis and lies flat. Mr. P. writes : 
"It is these small and simple things that go 
a great way towards making farm work slip 
along smoothly. This drawing represents a 
clevis which has a swivel hook; the bolt passes 
through the whiffletrue, oreveuer, and in chang- 
ing from one plow to another, or to the barrow, 
simply place your thumb on the spring in the 
hook aud snap it into the ring of the plow or har- 
row, as the case may be. Any one who knows 
the annoyance of backing up a team while you 
are under their heels so as to pull out and re- 
place the bolt as in the old way, will, I am quite 
sure, appreciate this much simpler way of 
doing the work, particularly in fly time. Any 
blacksmith can make one from the drawing." 
■ -»-i — * t^~ *-» 
A Broad-wheeled Wheelbarrow. 
We are often forced to take half-loads or less 
upon wheelbarrows because the narrowness of 
the single wheel will not admit of heavier ones 
being wheeled over soft ground. It is not only 
upon plowed ground or that in which crops are 
growing that the wheelbarrow is nearly useless, 
and the cumbrous wagon, stone-drag or tool- 
boat, of necessity, are substituted, but sward 
presents an almost equally soft fooling in wet 
weather. A neighbor was in perplexity; — 
purslane was rampant iu the mangel patch ; it 
A BUOAD-WHEELED BARROW. 
was worth a good deal for the hogs; to take a 
wagon in would sacrifice too many of the roots; 
the wheel of the wheelbarrow sunk nearly to 
the hub in the dry, light soil, with half a load, 
and it was a great waste of time to bring the 
weeds out by armfuls or forkfuls. We suggest- 
ed the use of a very broad wheel, and for fear 
such a one could not be found or easily made, 
the idea of using a small lagerbier keg occurred 
to us. The suggestion was followed with entire 
success. An old keg was bought at half-price, 
the hoops were tightened and fastened in place 
by punching a few teeth, so to speak, in their 
outer edges. A hole three-quarters of an inch 
square was cut in each head, a square irou rod 
inserted, having its ends filed round and cut the 
right length. This rod was wedged iu place, 
and a barrow was soon improvised which 
would carry a heavy load over soft ground. 
The axle must be secured against working 
either to one side or to the other, as the wheel 
has no hub, which generally performs this office. 
Should any one object to this spoiling of a 
good keg, which would be worth perhaps a 
dollar and a quarter, he may get his blacksmith 
to weld across-head upon each axle end. These 
should have two screw holes in eacli arm of the 
cross, and it would probably be well besides, to 
put upon each head over the iron cross-head, a 
piece of inch board sawed round to fit snugly, 
and screwed on. When bunging up the keg it 
would be well to put in a little water, to keep 
the interior moist, so that it will not shrink. 
Stallions for Common Labor. 
There are very few geldings in France. The 
reason is, the stallions are not unmanageable, 
vicious,and dangerous as work-horses,but docile, 
obedient, easily managed, and intelligent. There 
is nothing in the nature of things to prevent our 
having the advantage of the greater toughness, 
strength, spirit, fearlessness, safety,(in beingless 
liable to take fright), freedom from disease, and 
longer serviceableness of the stallion over the 
gelding, were it not that we and our ancestors 
have so abused the temper of the horse, that his 
progeny exhibit, among the unaltered males, 
vicious and treacherous tempers, such as make 
them unsafe and unreliable as work-horses, even 
under the kindest and most uniform treatment. 
The English thorough-breds, unexcelled for 
spirit, endurance, fleetuess, and wind, are the 
most vicious of all horses. They came from the 
gentle, docile, affectionate Aral), and it is only 
the training and abuse of the English stable- 
boys and grooms, we verily believe, which have 
thus, in the course of generations, ruined the 
temper of the most noble of the breeds of 
horses. Its blood is infused through all our 
common stock, and to it we owe most of the 
characteristics for which we value our horses. 
Where thorough-breds have been bred for gener- 
ations under different treatment, as under the 
handling of the negro grooms and riders of the 
Southern States, their tempers improve, and ex- 
traordinary exhibitions of vice are rare, even 
among stallions. The habit of using stallions is 
followed a good deal by French Canadians, who 
send to this country so many of the so-called 
"Kanuck" horses. These horses are small, 
close-knit, and powerful, aud when entire, tough 
beyond comparison. Wherever we meet with 
them, they are praised for easy keeping quali- 
ties, great endurance, and freedom from ordi- 
nary ills, and are seldom complained of as 
vicious. r>o we not, in our ordinary treatment, 
sacrifice a great part of the usefulness and ser- 
viceableness of the horse, in rendering him more 
tractable, more liable to disease, and less intelli- 
gent and spirited? Is it not worth while to 
make the experiment oftener of rearing stallions 
for labor, though it require more patience, gentle- 
ness, and kindness, on the part of those who 
handle them, and repeated floggings, administer- 
ed with a will, for any stable boys who dare 
to pinch or tickle, or to ruffle their tempers ? 
Fig.l. 
Cure for Hard-milking- Cows. 
We are often called upon for some cure for 
hard-milking cows, and we have known many 
a valuable cow to be sent to the butcher sim- 
ply because she milked so hard. It seems not to 
be a very difficult matter to operate upon 
the teats of a cow so that they will not 
hold the milk with such force. Farmers 
frequently take a sharp penknife and in- 
sert it so as not to enlarge the aperture 
too much, if at all, thus cutting a slit on 
one side of the little tube iu the end of the 
teat. This causes a little blood to flow, 
a soreness which is soon over, and relieves 
the difficulty. There is danger of cutting 
too much, however, and so doing real damage. 
We figure a little implement (fig. 1) suggested 
to us years ago by a correspondent, which may 
be used with entire safety. A piece of No. 16 
steel wire about four inches long, is taken and 
hammered at one end to a fiat, diamond shape, 
in its cross section, leaving about three-eighths 
of an inch round and smooth, the length of the 
flattened portion being about 
the same. The edges of this 
portion are then filed, honed 
sharp, and tempered. The 
little knife is inserted in the 
teat, gradually 'worked past 
the tip without cutting, then, 
the thumb and finger press- 
ing close to the end of the 
teat the knife is shoved 
quickly upward aud cuts a 
little gash on each side (see 
fig. 2). which will not be ex- Fi = 
posed to the air. More than 
two gashes may be cut if desired, but two well 
cut, will probably be enough. The operation 
should be performed at the close of the milking, 
but milk should be repeatedly stripped from 
the teats during the next twenlv-lbur hours. 
— SECTION* OF 
TEAT. 
Management of Pigs in Ohio. 
Mr. John S. Bowles, of Hamilton Co., Ohio, 
writes: " I have read with much satisfaction Mr. 
Harris' new book on the Pig, and consider his 
ideas respecting feeding exactly right ; i. e., that 
it takes a very large proportion of what a pig 
eats to carry on the vital functions, and that it 
is the excess of what is necessary for this pur- 
pose that goes to make bone, flesh and muscle 
in the growing pig, or, more particularly, fa! in 
the grown one. But I think Mr. H. hardly does 
justice to the Chester Whites. I claim the fol- 
lowing advantages for this breed of swine (such 
as mine are.) They are quiet; they are large 
eaters; they are fast growers; they will fallen 
at any age; they are a good grazing hog; i.e., if 
kept till six months old or older; and put on 
good clover pasture at the rate of not more than 
six per acre, they will keep half fat all the sum- 
mer, and grow very fast. Most of the farmers 
about here, however, do not fatten hogs until 
they are from 18 to 20 months old. I stand 
nearly alone in fattening pigs instead of Jiogs.— 
The ad vantages claimed for keeping pigs through 
one winter before fattening are, that the greater 
portion of the framework of the animal can he 
made out of food that costs nearly nothing ; viz., 
clover and mast, (hickory nuts and acorns ;) and 
corn is only necessary to make the fat ; whereas, 
iu the pig fattened at nine months old, the 
whole carcass must be made of corn or other 
grain. I will illustrate: the pig designed for 
early fattening must be pushed from his birth, 
