1878.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
259 
11101100. The small piece is cut out, and the hole 
never closes. There is no pain or inconvenience 
exhibited by the chick, and it is a much more de¬ 
sirable mark than to clip off the toe, as is often 
done to the disfigurement of the bird. For this 
hint we are indebted to Mr. H. H. Stoddard, of 
Hartford, Conn. 
Netting for Poultry-Yards. 
The evident value and convenience of a light net¬ 
ting to confine poultry temporarily, or to protect 
gardens from the fowls, has given occasion for fre¬ 
quent inquiries as to where it could be purchased, 
and how it might be used. Heretofore it has been 
difficult to procure the nets, and we have been 
obliged, consequently, to refrain from mentioning 
A FENCE OF NETTING. 
their usefulness. Now, however, they can he ob¬ 
tained without trouble. The nets are made of 
twine, of different widths, from quite narrow up to 
10 feet, and of any desired length. For confining 
poultry, the width needed will depend upon the 
kind of fowls. The large breeds can be kept within 
hounds by a net 3 feet high, while the smaller ones 
—Leghorns, Hamburgs, etc.—will require a width 
of 8 or 10 feet. To support the nets, a thin fence- 
wire is run through the top meshes, and this is 
fastened to light stakes, as shown in the illustration. 
The bottom of the net may he tied to the stakes by 
small twine. The stakes may be planted 100 feet 
apart if desired, if the wire is fastened at the ends to 
firmly set posts. The wire may be attached to the 
stakes by small hooks, or by pieces of tarred twine. 
Stronger nets are used in a similar manner for con¬ 
fining sheep in pastures, or when foddered upon 
green crops. As the wind has very little effect upon 
these nets, it is not necessary even for high netting 
to use any but light stakes; which may be plant¬ 
ed in the same manner as is usual for tall bean¬ 
poles ; that is, by making the holes with a bar, and 
pressing the pointed stakes into the ground by hand. 
-——- «—- ► ■»- 
Root-Pruning Tillage 
The benefits of cultivation are well known, but 
the explanation of the reasons for the effects are 
not so generally understood. Stirring of the soil 
that it may absorb moisture, and weed-killing, are 
held by the majority to be the reasons for cultiva¬ 
tion. The killing of weeds, that they may not choke 
the crop, and that the right plants may have the 
benefit of all the fertility of the soil, is an essential 
feature of crop raising ; but if that and the absorp¬ 
tion of moisture were the only good results derived, 
then we had better sell our horse and hand-hoes, 
and save our labor. What good farmer has not ob¬ 
served that cultivation in wet weather, when the 
soil was thoroughly moist, was remarkable for its 
effect on the crop, sending it forward with wonder¬ 
ful rapidity? The hoeing of cabbages at such times 
is the most common, and very beneficial. But, ac¬ 
cording to the old view of the matter, if the theory 
was correct, hoeing when the soil is dry would 
have the best effect. Then there must be some¬ 
thing wrong with the old ideh. 
Dr. Sturtevant, of Massachusetts, an able experi¬ 
menter and thinker, tells us that there are two 
other reasons for the tillage of a growing crop, or 
“interculture,” as he terms it. We all know that 
a mulch of fine straw, sawdust, or even of sand, 
will keep the soil moist, and often save a strawberry 
or other crop, or keep a newly-set plant from dry¬ 
ing up. The action of the mulch is not to absorb 
moisture from the atmosphere, but rather to pre¬ 
vent evaporation from the soil; which evaporation 
means the passing off into the air of the soil mois¬ 
ture, and the consequent drying up of the earth. 
The mulch acts as a barrier to and preventative 
of evaporation, much as a woollen garment pre¬ 
vents the escape of heat from the body. As the 
woollen is a poor conductor of heat, so the mulch is 
a bad conductor of moisture. 
Now the stirring of the dry soil breaks up the 
communication between the surface and the moist 
earth beneath, making in effect a mulch of the layer 
of light, dry soil; thus benefiting the crop 
in a drouth by preventing the escape of 
moisture, and keeping what is in the 
ground, rather than absorbing water from 
the air by day, or gathering the dews at 
night. The small amount of dew con¬ 
densed and absorbed by the soil is 
easily realized by stirring what was dry 
earth the day before, on the morning 
after a heavy dew, and observing how little it is 
moistened, not deep enough to reach the roots. 
So much for shallow cultivation. Let us see 
what Dr. Sturtevant says about deeper work. In 
hoeing or cultivating we must necessarily cut 
numerous roots. Where a vigorous growing root 
is cut, several new roots immediately start forth, 
thus multiplying the feeding power of the plant. 
In wet weather hoeing of cabbages, the conditions 
are entirely favorable for the sprouting of new 
roots; which doubtless explains why hoeing at that 
time is so beneficial. It is a not uncommon prac¬ 
tice to dig around a tree which is spending most of 
its energies in producing wood and foliage; the re¬ 
sult of which digging is to cut off a large number 
of its roots, stopping its growth for a time, and al¬ 
lowing it, to mature, and changing its energies from 
wood and foliage to fruit production. Why not 
apply the same process to corn, wheat, and other 
crops? We do. And we have been root-pruning 
ever since our fathers began to handle a hoe or run 
a cultivator; but we didn’t know it. We were 
waiting for Dr. Sturtevant to tell us what we were 
doing. Cutting the roots checks the growth for a 
time, and allows the plant to mature; and as soon as 
a root is severed, several small roots start out where 
but one grew before, and so many more feeders arc 
given the plant; and since the checking -of the 
growth turns the energies of the plant to using its 
already stored up nutriment in fruit production, 
when the new feeders begin to work they con¬ 
tribute directly to the same end. 
A plant or an animal often develops to excess in 
one direction, to the detriment of other parts : as a 
cow to beef, with little milk ; or a plant to foliage, 
with little fruit. As Goethe expressed it, “ In order 
to spend on one side, nature is forced to economize 
on the other side.” Plants grown on a too fertile 
soil often develop a large expanse of leaf, with 
but few flowers and little fruit. To turn this 
rampant growth in the direction of fruit and profit, 
we must change its course. We do this by check¬ 
ing the growth by “ root-pruning ; ” thus directing 
the energies of the plant to seed and fruit produc¬ 
tion. This is the work of deep cultivation. 
In cultivating corn, Dr. Sturtevant, to root-prune, 
runs a deep-cutting, sharp-toothed, cultivator, three 
times through the rows, beginning when the 
leaves reach knee-high, and stopping when the 
blooms appear, or when the tassels show them¬ 
selves, it being too much for the plant to cut their 
roots much after that period. This deep cultiva¬ 
tion, too, or “root-pruning,” will only be found 
advantageous on a rich soil either naturally fertile, 
or made so by artificial applications, as the condi¬ 
tions we wish to change are only present thereon, 
that is, excessive leaf growth to be changed to 
seed production. Herein, too, lies another argu¬ 
ment for high manuring, as the more we fertilize, 
the more profitable will be our cultivation. 
Shallow interculture is beneficial as often as one 
can afford to do it, say once a week or less often. 
Drilling and hoeing of wheat is based on these same 
principles. Now, knowing why we cultivate, we 
should be able to practice “ intereulture ” to the 
greater advantage of the crops, aud our profit. 
A Cheap Suspension Bridge. 
In many places where short foot bridges may be 
required over small streams, they may be very 
cheaply constructed of fence wire, with narrow 
foot boards, in the manner shown in the accom¬ 
panying illustrations. The supports for the wires 
are made by fixing a timber firmly to posts set in 
the ground. Five or six fence wires, No. 9 or 10 
gauge, are stretched across the stream, and the 
ends fastened securely to the timbers. Hand wires 
are stretched from side to side, and fastened to 
Fig. 1.—WIRE SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 
posts or stakes, being carried over their tops, by 
which they are raised to the proper higlit. This is 
shown at figure 1. The gjjg 
foot boards are fasten¬ 
ed to the . wires by 
staples, figure 2. It is 
not advisable to stretch 
the wires too tightly, as 
when the tension is 
very great a sudden jar 
may snap the wire; they 
should be left at a quite 
perceptible curve. The Fi £- 3 - FL00E 0F bridge. 
lower outside may be connected with the upper 
wires, by short ones placed a few feet apart. 
Portable Fences, 
Light portable fences are often of great conveni¬ 
ence for dividing farms, in place of permanent ones, 
which are generally an obstacle to clean culture, 
very expensive, and several of which would be re¬ 
quired, where one portable fence might serve the 
same purpose. Of the great variety in use, the 
two here described will be found cheap, easily made, 
and useful. That shown at figure 1 is constructed 
in_panels II feet long and 4 feet high, and made-of 
IT nai ii 
Fig. 1.—PANEL OF PORTABLE FENCE. 
three upright bars 4 feet long and 6 inches wide. 
To construct a section, lay the uprights upon a 
smooth floor, level ground, or pieces of timber, in 
their proper positions ; then nail to them, length¬ 
wise, strips of common fencing stuff (6 inches 
wide), using wrought nails, which should be well 
clinched. The panels are supported by stakes on 
one or both sides, as may be necessary, to which 
they are fastened by wires or pieces of tarred cord. 
PORTABLE FENCE OF PICKETS. 
The bottom strip is nailed 5 inches from tlie ends 
of the uprights, so as to raise it that distance from 
the ground. The spaces between the boards are 5, 
6, and 8 inches. Another method is shown at fig¬ 
ure 2. Strips 14 feet long are provided, and pickets, 
or short pieces of waste-board, or split timber, are 
nailed to them, as in the cut. The panels are fasten¬ 
ed together by the ends of the level strips, and are 
supported by stakes driven in the ground. A very 
