1867.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
405 
pointed directly against the current were cut 
off. The result has been that at high water the 
fence floats up more or less, and the swiftness 
of the current keeps it entirely free from every- 
thing except an occasional bush which gets en- 
tangled, but does no damage. All large things 
pass along unhindered, We propose, therefore, 
. '» V^ " —-.-.- "• ' : ■ 
A PENCE ACROSS A STREAM, 
to Mr. Campbell to try hanging small trees or 
branches of larger ones in the way we suggest. 
The engraving shows a combination of the 
hanging gates and trees, the latter being where 
the current is swiftest, the stream deepest, and 
where, almost certainly, the heavy drift will 
come down. The rod is attached on one side to. 
a tree, on the other it passes through one, and 
is continued at an angle to a stump, where it is 
fixed, making a very strong anchorage. Provi- 
sion is also indicated for tightening up the rod in 
.case it stretches or slackens, which is important. 
«-■ .«» .-«. . — 
Cultivation of Corn. 
A LESSON FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 
We passed over a fine farm in Westchester 
Co., N. Y., a few days since, in company 
with its proprietor, a liberal minded farmer, 
who showed with great satisfaction a fine field 
of corn in which no hoe had been used this 
season. It was remarkably free from weeds, 
and that, rather than the condition of the corn, 
(except on wet land), is the test of good culture 
this season. The few weeds were good vigor- 
ous specimens, however, showing that they 
were such as the plow had not covered entirely 
at the last plowing. Once passing through to 
pull these weeds would be a small job, and then 
the field would be clean. Our friend says he 
MANNER OP PLOWING CORN. 
learned during the war the practice which 
we describe from a North Carolinian refugee. 
The corn was planted in hills a little less than 
four feet apart— the proper distance depends 
upon the variety— and as soon as it was well up, 
it was cultivated with Share's horse-hoe, in one 
direction. Any good horse-hoe or cultivator 
will do. This cleans the land well, but does 
not destroy the weeds in the hills. After about 
a fortnight, or as soon as the weeds began to 
grow pretty well among the corn lulls, and the 
brace roots began to show rows of Utile points 
around the lower joints, boys were sent through 
to pull out all the weeds in or near the hills. 
This is work which would have to be done by 
hand, were the corn hoed. The simple pull- 
ing, without previous plowing, • and without 
hoeing at the same time, is not a labor requiring 
much skill, faithfulness being especially neces- 
sary. As soon as this was done, the field was 
plowed in the direc- 
tion opposite to the 
way the horse-hoe was 
used, turning the fur- 
rows towards the 
corn, going four times 
to each row, and thus 
C_= turning all the ground 
^Jj^^e SSS ^ between the rows, and 
■ leaving the land 
ridged. The plow was 
run pretty deep, and 
nearly all the weeds 
were thoroughly bur- 
ied under a heavy 
mass of mellow soil. 
This is exactly the place where weeds are 
wanted, and it is much better than to leave 
them on the surface, where some seeds may ma- 
ture, and where, if wet weather follows, many 
will surely root again. The only chance for 
weeds to live is if they are not thoroughly cov- 
ered up, and in the field we passed through, 
such were the only ones seen. 
The accompanying diagram, shows a section 
of two rows of com, plowed as described ; the 
corn plants with the brace roots (i) thrown out 
into the fresh turned soil, the main roots in the 
undisturbed portion of the soil. The line, a, 
a, indicates the general level of the ground. 
The past wet summer has been one to put to 
the severest test any method of killing weeds 
among corn. The contrast between the field 
we refer to, and another treated in the usual 
way, is most notable. Last 
year an experiment, to ascer- 
tain the actual difference be- 
tween the two systems, was 
faithfully, but rather rough- 
ly, made. Half a large piece, 
which was all manured and 
planted uniformly, was hand- 
hoed (three times we pre- 
sume) ; the other half was 
treated as above described. 
The result was that five 
bushels per acre more corn 
was harvested from the 
ridge-plowed part of the 
field than from that which 
was hand-hoed ; the larger yield with least labor. 
The good effects in dry weather are explained, 
first, by the thorough removal of the weeds 
close to the corn, then by the conversion of 
those that are left standing into a green manur- 
ing, as they rapidly decay, and finally, by the 
broad mass of mellow' soil which the ridge pre- 
sents for the brace roots, and for the ot Iters also, 
to riot and revel in. The corn so quickly cov- 
ers the ground after this that seedling weeds 
starting upon the fresh turned furrows have 
little chance of life, and none of vigorous growth. 
have been expended. Some of these work well 
enough for a while, but we never saw one that, 
from some derangement of its parts, was not, 
after a few months' use, opened by hand in 
the old fashioned way. 
A correspondent, Doct. Henry Breiuer, Alle- 
ghany Co., Pa., finding no gate to suit him, had 
one constructed after a plan of his own, of 
which he sends us a sketch. Having but one en- 
trance from the road to his grounds, it was neces- 
sary to make a gate that should answer for car- 
riage, horse, or foot passengers, and one of which 
either half could be opened independently. 
The gate presents no improvement over the 
ordinary double gate, except in its fastening, 
which is simple, easily made, and apparently 
efficient. It will be readilj understood from the 
engraving, with but a brief description. A bolt 
(a) of oak, J inch thick and two inches wide, runs 
the whole length of the style of the gate, and 
slides freely through staples. To the upper end 
of the bolt is attached a lever (6) by which it is 
raised. This lever works through a mortise in 
the style of the gate, and a tenon on the end of 
it enters a mortise in the bolt. To support the 
lever a piece of wood is mortised into the upper 
rail of the gate opposite the first pale, having 
a mortise to receive the lever, which is held in 
its place by a wooden pin. This is the only 
fastening the lever needs. The lower ends of 
the bolts are received in a mortise in a piece of 
2-inch plank (e), 20 to 24 inches long, which is 
spiked to two locust posts set in the ground at 
the proper point. The plank is bevelled in two 
directions and kept well oiled, so that when the 
gate shuts, the bolts will readily slide over it 
and drop into the mortise, which should be half 
an inch wider than the bolts. The hole in the 
plank should be over the space between the 
posts to which it is spiked, to facilitate clearing 
it from dirt. The gate is hung to swing either 
A Double Entrance Gate. 
An impracticable gate, one difficult to open 
and equally troublesome to shut, is a very com- 
mon thing, but its frequent occurrence makes it 
none the less annoying. There are several 
"self-opening" gates upon the construction of 
which a great deal of ingenuity and machinery 
DOUBLE ENTRANCE GATE. 
way, and is easily uufastened by depressing the 
handle of the lever ; it will fasten itself when it 
swings to again. Doct. B. says if there is any 
better fastening for a double gate he would like 
to have it communicated to our readers. 
How to Get the Boys to Stay on the Farm. 
The exodus is not yet arrested. We have 
been doing our best for ten years to make the 
labors of the farm attractive and profitable, so 
that the old homestead might at least retain one 
of the sons, and remain in the family. The la- 
bor has not been lost, for no business in the 
country has maile more substantial and visible 
progress during this period. AVe have our 
State and County Fairs well organized and 
doing a good work in all parts of the Northern 
States; we have model farms and farmers, 
better drainage, better implements, better till- 
age, and larger crops, in part as a consequence 
