WIRE FENCES. — WESTERN CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER. 
275 
present an unequal surface, and not only do the work i 
imperfectly and unevenly, but make the harrow hard¬ 
er to draw, and therefore more tiresome for the team, 
especially when the forward teeth slip up, as they are 
most likely to do, and the hind ones keep fast. 3d. 
The nut in our improvement does not “ draw the teeth 
up” as supposed by Mr. Geddes, but holds it fast in 
its proper place. Of course when it is worn off by 
use it must be repointed or sharpened ; and so must 
those on the old plan, as proposed by Mr. G.; and 
there is this further disadvantage of adhering to the 
old plan, every time a tooth is knocked out to be 
pointed or sharpened, the doing so increases the size 
of the mortice in the timber, and makes the teeth 
more and more liable to get loose, and wedging them is 
both troublesome and difficult. 4th. The teeth are 
liable to drop out when the harrow is turned over 
double to be carried in or out, or from field to field, 
and besides their top projections sometimes prevent its 
being doubled. In this position, too, the teeth are lia¬ 
ble to drop out, subjecting one to considerable loss 
of time frequently in looking for them. 
We are much obliged to Mr. Geddes for his good 
opinion of our agricultural implements, and shall con¬ 
tinue to strive to deserve them in all such as we make; 
and if we can spare the time to attend the forthcom¬ 
ing show of the New York State Agricultural Socie¬ 
ty, at Utica, we shall do so with great pleasure, and 
not only bring our improved harrow, but other of our 
implements with us. 
Ruggles, Nourse & Mason. 
Worcester , Mass. Aug, 6, 1845. 
We will simply add one word to the above. In 
the year 1838 we first saw Wilbur’s harrow, similar 
to that of Mr. Geddes, and thereupon took the hint to 
make a pair for our farm, very much like the present 
improvement of Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, especial¬ 
ly in mortising in and fastening the teeth. Those 
barrows are still in use, and are the best decidedly we 
ever handled. 
WIRE FENCES. 
Permit me to refer you as a pertinent answer to the 
inquiry of your correspondent in your last number, 
upon the subject of wire-fencing, to certain questions 
and answers, contained in the Third Report of the 
Select Committee of the British Parliament, appoint¬ 
ed to inquire into the state of agriculture, 1836. As 
you may not have the document at hand, I will tran¬ 
scribe the passage. 
The person under examination isL. Oliphant, Esq., 
a member of Parliament from Scotland, who culti¬ 
vates a farm of his own in Perthshire, containing 800 
acres. 
“ 11,124. I am cultivating land now 800 and odd 
feet above the level of the sea, which two years ago 
was entirely covered with heath. I have enclosed it 
with wire-fencing, at an expense of about 6d a yard, 
stones in that part of the country being of a nature 
that do not stand the weather; well-adapted for fur¬ 
row-drains, but not at all for building walls, and I 
have fallen upon a plan of wire-fencing, with oak 
posts, with five wires complete, which costs me 6d 
per yard. 
“ 11,125. Do you prefer that to planting hedges? 
I have attempted hedges ; it is a hard matter to con¬ 
tend against a high climate and sheep. 
“ 11,126. Are those wire fences capable of resisting 
cattle ? They will resist anything. The fox-hunt¬ 
ers will complain loudly of the impossibility of get¬ 
ting over the country. 
“ 11,127. What is the size of.the top wire ? It is 
No. 8, and the remainder are No. 6.” 
From these data, the cost of such a fence in this 
country may easily be computed. We of course 
would use locust or cedar posts, which would be pre¬ 
ferable to even British oak, in point of durability; 
and the difference between their cost here, and that of 
the oak posts there, would go far to make up for any 
excess in the cost of the wire here over its cost there. 
There are many parts of the Atlantic states, at least, 
where even the first cost of such a wire fence would 
be less than that of one of boards, or of posts and 
rails. Tyro. 
WESTERN CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER. 
Early in this month the residue of the hemp crop 
should be put in rick. The cutting and housing of 
tobacco should progress as fast as it ripens. The 
weeds, in woodland pastures, so far as it has not 
been already done, should be cut as early in this 
month as practicable. By all means do not wait for 
the “ dark of the moon,” but cut all biennials and per 
enials as fast as you can. In a few years you will 
have your woodland, if properly thinned out, cover¬ 
ed with luxuriant blue grass, instead of briars and 
noxious weeds. 
This is the month for sowing wheat, and the ut¬ 
most diligence should be used to prepare the ground 
well, and in proper season. Early sowing almost in¬ 
variably turns out best. Do not fail to finish sowing 
in September, and if possible before the 20th, or 25th 
of the month. There is usually leisure for a part of 
the hands on a farm during this month, and they 
should be diligently employed in cutting weeds, briars, 
kc . The latter, when cured, should be heaped and 
burnt, and thus afford an opportunity to sheep to nip 
the young briars when they first spring up. One cut¬ 
ting and burning, well prepared, with the aid of a 
good flock of sheep, will exterminate them. But if 
you expect your sheep to work for you, you must 
treat them well. You must neither expose them to 
have their fleeces filled with burrs, nor torn by briars. 
The first you must exterminate, the latter you must 
cut and burn. Do this, and they will not only crop 
down the young briars as fast as they spring up, 
without fee or reward, but will also furnish you an¬ 
nually with their rich and abundant fleeces. When 
they thus labor for you, and furnish you with heavy 
fleeces, to keep you warm, you will not, in return, 
rudge them their salt. These cheap laborers would 
e invaluable to the settlers on the prairies of India¬ 
na and Illinois. There grass so much abounds as to 
be an obstruction to the cultivation of the soil. These 
industrious little animals would convert a portion of 
it into fine fleece wool, to warm and clothe the new 
settlers, and feed themselves and their little ones to 
boot. 
In the more northern latitudes, sweet potatoes 
should be dug the last of this month ; further south 
this operation may be delayed till October. As sweet 
potatoes are injured by frosts sufficiently severe to nip 
the vines, they should be dug and housed in time to 
avoid this danger. 
Prospect Hill , Ky. A. Beatty. 
