50 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
ially designed for drawing green fodder for 
soiling. The rack consists of two bent cross¬ 
pieces which rest upon the ends of the cart 
box. Three narrow boards run from the rear 
of the raised ends of the cross-pieces and 
keep the fodder from the wheels. When it 
is desired to draw grain, or similar loads, the 
rack can be easily removed from the cart, 
Loading Ice with a Derrick. 
Mr. W. V. Schweitzer, Northampton Co., 
Pa., sends a sketch and description of his 
method of loading ice, which he has em¬ 
A DERRICK FOR LOADING ICE. 
ployed satisfactorily for the last twelve years. 
A tree of medium size stands upon the side 
of the pond, and a derrick is fastened to it, 
as shown in the accompanying engraving. 
The ice is sawed into blocks in the usual man¬ 
ner, and floated to the side of the pond near 
the derrick. Ice tongs are then fastened 
upon the blocks, and they are raised into the 
air and swung upon the sled. The hardest 
part of filling an ice house is usually the load¬ 
ing up of the ice ; but with an arrangement 
like this it is done quickly and with ease. 
Animal Food for Fowls in Winter. 
If we would have eggs in winter, animal 
food for laying hens is a matter of prime 
importance. A variety of grains, with green 
food, in the shape of cabbages or roots, will, 
if the other conditions are favorable, give 
some eggs. But a regular and large number 
of eggs can only be had with constant sup¬ 
plies of animal food. One reason why eggs 
are so abundant in the early spring and sum¬ 
mer is the full supply of insect food that 
fowls find in the open air and the grass, after 
long abstinence in their winter quarters. It 
is a somewhat difficult matter for the average 
farmer to supply animal food to his fowls, 
especially if he lives remote from the shore. 
The wastes of the table, scraps of meat, and 
skimmed milk too often go to the pigs, the 
dog, and the cat. The most economical 
source of supply is these table wastes, and 
if we could in quite too many cases kill off 
the dog and add his carcase to the rations for 
the hens, it would be a double gain, for 
there would be a gain in the neighborhood 
©f the supply of mutton, wool, and lambs. 
The most expensive and useless creature 
kept upon the farm is the common ciir dog. 
Put an end to him, and give the rations that 
usually fall to him to the hens. It would 
almost pay to keep a new milch cow through 
the winter for the sake of having skimmed 
milk to give to fowls. A cheap source of 
supply of animal food is “ chandler’s greaves,” 
or butcher’s scraps. These can generally be 
had in the nearest market town or village 
that supports a butcher at about a cent a 
pound. They generally come in solid cakes 
from 20 to 50 pounds in weight. As the farm 
wagon often comes home empty it will cost 
nothing for freight to get one of these cakes 
to place in the hen-house where the fowls 
can peck it and help 
themselves. The same 
thing is sometimes 
ground and sold at 
high prices as a spe¬ 
cial feed. But there 
is no advantage in 
this. Fowls have giz¬ 
zards that do their 
own grinding more 
perfectly than the best 
mill. A dead animal 
is frequently drawn 
off to the woods and 
buried or left for the 
dogs. The hens, if it 
is put within reach, 
will bury it more ef¬ 
fectually and pay 
handsomely for the 
job. If the bones are 
gathered up after the 
hens have polished 
them, and crushed 
with a stone hammer pretty fine, another 
valuable ration will be added to the stock 
of poultry food, and offer something to 
make egg shells of. If one is near a village 
where there is a fish market, the offal from 
this is valuable food for hens, and it can 
generally be had for the carting. The wastes 
of the slaughter-house, the heads of beeves 
and calves, are a coveted feast for the hens. 
If within easy reach of tide-water there is an 
unfailing supply of animal food. The sea 
weeds, especially rock-weed, kelp, and other 
algae, abound with small animals. The hens 
devour these eagerly, and portions of the 
marine plant, also. Mummychogs [a New 
England, Indian, name for a small fish as 
abundant in salt water as minnows are in 
fresh.—E d.] throng the ditches that thread 
salt marshes, and may be gathered by the 
pailful, with a scoop net. Nothing is Wore 
welcome in the hen yard than these little fish, 
and nothing will start the eggs quicker. A 
feed twice a week will make a dainty variety 
in their food. The time to make eggs is in 
February and March, when we get two 
prices for them. See that the hens have an 
abundant supply of animal food. 
Connecticut. 
The gmithfield Ou1> Exliibition. 
—The last show of the Smithfield Club, Eng¬ 
land, gave unmistakable signs of agricul¬ 
tural depression. According to the “ Mark 
Lane Express,” the classes of cattle and 
sheep to which tenant farmers contribute 
most largely were the most defective ; such 
as the long-wool and cross-bred sheep, Here¬ 
ford cattle,etc. It was in the Highland, Devon 
and Southdown classes—those to which land 
proprietors and persons of wealth contribute 
largely, that the show was unusually good. 
Grape Sugar—Glucose, What iB it ? 
When we receive a large number of in¬ 
quiries on an unusual subject, as of late con¬ 
cerning Grape Sugar, we feel sure that some 
article of “newspaper science” is going the 
rounds. We have not seen the article, but 
as one inquirer asks, “ What articles of food 
are adulterated with it? Is it wholesome or 
otherwise ?” it is no doubt something alarm¬ 
ing. The term Dextrose is now preferred by 
scientific men to Glucose, but we will use the 
old name—Grape Sugar. It is a form of 
sugar that exists in various fruits, being often 
found upon old raisins, and is made artificial¬ 
ly. It may be made from sawdust, cotton, 
or other form of vegetable fibre, but starch 
is the material generally used in its manufac¬ 
ture. When starch is boiled for several 
hours in weak Sulphuric Acid (Oil of Vitriol)^ 
it is converted into Grape Sugar, while the 
acid remains unchanged, and is removed 
by adding some form of carbonate of lime 
to neutralize it. The grape sugar is obtained 
on evaporating the liquid. It is sometimes 
in crystals, but usually as a thick syrup. Any 
form of starch may be used ; in this country 
it is the starch of Indian corn, while in Eu¬ 
rope it is usually potato starch. It differs 
from cane sugar (produced also by the Beet, 
some of the Sorghums, and Sugar Maple), iir 
having less than half the sweetening power. 
It is said to be used in Europe to adulterate 
the common sugars, but in this country, 
where such sugars are little used, it is more- 
likely to be mixed with syrup. It is easily 
detected by the chemist, but for others, its 
lack of sweetness is the readily applied test. 
Fig. 1. —THE TRUCK. 
A Truck for Moving Heavy Furniture.. 
J. Waugh, Washington Co., Pa., writes: 
“ A very convenient truck for moving heavy- 
objects can be easily made by spiking four 
stout pieces together for a horizontal frame, 
with four very strong casters as the running 
gear. To move a piano, as through a narrow 
door, place a box, about three feet long, on 
the truck. The box 
should be strong and 
just high enough 
when placed on the 
truck, to come a half 
inch or so higher than 
the under side of the piano. Bring the truck 
close along the rear of the piano, and then 
place the lower edge of the same on the box. 
Having done this, two persons can go to the > 
front of the piano, take hold of the front feet 
and turn the instrument up on the box, or- 
truck. Next, remove the legs and pedal and 
trundle it to its place. 
I have often, with one 
other person, moved 
and set up a piano, by 
means of this simple 
contrivance, in less 
than ten minutes. 
For moving a stove or 
other heavy object,the 
box can be taken off 
the truck. The box is only used to make the 
truck high enough to rest the lower edge of 
the piano on. It will be seen that at no time 
is it necessary to lift more than half the- 
piano.” The low truck is shown in figure 1, 
and with the heavy box in place in figure 2.. 
Where heavy household furniture is to be 
frequently moved this truck is very handy... 
Fig. 2.— TRUCK WITH 
BOX. 
