92 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Makch, 
A Farm Dumping’ Cart. 
As the country grows older, fewer oxen 
will be employed on our farms, and ox-carts, 
unless turned to serve other use will be worth¬ 
less. “F. J. D.,” Westchester, Pa., writes: 
“ I wish to describe how I have utilized my 
old ox-cart. Years ago, all farmers in this 
section kept oxen, but as dairies became in¬ 
troduced they were gradually abandoned. I 
did not wish to lose my dump-cart as it is al¬ 
most invaluable, I therefore had the tongue 
of the ox-cart removed and a short one in¬ 
serted, extending 18 inches in front of the 
for the lower latch prevents the gate from 
opening sufficiently to allow it to pass. A 
cow will find it difficult to open the gate be¬ 
cause she cannot raise the gate high enough 
to unlatch it, for the reason shown in figure 
2. It will be seen that the latches e, e, work 
up and down in the slides c, c, and when the 
gate is fastened they are about half-way be¬ 
tween the top and bottom of the slides.” 
A FARM DUMPING CAST FOR HORSES. 
bed. Through this a hole was bored l 1 / a inch 
in diameter, and 6 inches from the end. This 
short tongue is placed in the front wheels of 
an old farm wagon, in the position of the 
reach or guide-pole, and the bolster-pin put 
through the hole.” With a seat put upon the 
front wheels a four-wheel dumping cart is 
made, as shown in the engraving. Horses or 
mules can be attached to such a cart and 
nothing can be more convenient for hauling 
manure, stones, wood,or for any purpose upon 
the farm for which a dump cart can be used. 
A Double-Latched Gate. 
Mr. F. B. Lindsay, Nicholas Co., Ky., sends 
a sketch and description of a double-latched 
Fig. 1.—A DOUBLE-LATCHED FARM GATE. 
gate, and writes : “ I have been using it sev¬ 
eral years, and think it better than J. B. C.’s 
(in the number for December last). Instead 
of the plank attached to the latches, 
I use two small wires, having no con¬ 
nection with each other, and made as 
shown in figure 1, the wires, F, F, 
being fastened to the hand lever a, 
and then to the latches e, e. A 
roguish animal will sometimes open 
a gate by raising the latch with its 
nose, but if one attempt it with this, 
it can only raise one latch at a 
time, always the upper one, while 
the lower one remains fastened. As soon as 
the animal lets go, the latch springs back and 
catches again. A hog cannot get through, 
m 
,0 
Fig. 2. 
Losses by Forest Fires. 
^ - 
We some time ago stated that the Superin¬ 
tendent of the Census had placed all that re¬ 
lates to Forestry, including 
lumbering, and whatever 
concerns forestry as a source 
of national wealth, in the 
hands of Prof. C. S. Sargent, 
of the Arnold Arboretum of 
Harvard University. How 
thorough his investigations 
would be, those who know 
him need not be told. In a 
general way we may say that 
his own journeys to the 
Rocky Mountains and to the 
Pacific, as far as the forests 
of Washington Territory, his 
employing of local agents, 
and the sending of experts 
to important localities, have 
been but a part of his labors. To show 
how every ramification of the subject is 
provided for, we may refer to the cir¬ 
culars sent out to collect information as to 
forest fires. We often see articles in the 
journals lamenting the destruction of our 
forests by the demand for railroad ties and 
fuel; the wanton waste in clearing for farms, 
and the rapid destruction by lumbermen. It 
is believed, by those best able to judge, that 
the destruction of our forests by fires, is 
greater than from all other causes together. 
It is also known that such fires are annually 
increasing in number. It is believed that 
these fires are mainly from avoidable causes, 
and that proper legislation is needed to pre¬ 
vent this useless waste of national wealth. 
For proper measures of prevention to be 
taken, it is an important point to know just 
the extent of the evil, and this it is proposed 
to learn by means of the Tenth Census. Prof. 
Sargent has prepared a circular to be ad¬ 
dressed to the town officers in all parts of 
the country where forest fires may occur. 
This blank form, which can be readily filled, 
asks for the number of acres, or square miles 
of forests destroyed by fire in 1880, the value 
of the property thus destroyed ; causes gen¬ 
erally producing such fires, and any sugges¬ 
tions relating to the general subject of forest 
fires and how they may be prevented or di¬ 
minished. The readers of the American 
Agriculturist can do a good service in this 
cause. Whether officially addressed or not, 
let each one who has any information bear¬ 
ing upon the points above named, write them 
out, giving State, County, Township, and 
Post-office, and send it at once to Prof. Chas. 
S. Sargent, (Census Office), Brookline, Mass. 
It will be well to add to the above, the kind 
of forest that the writer has known to be 
burned at any previous time, and what trees 
came up afterwards. The satisfaction of con- 
tributing’to the general store of knowledge 
on these points, we are sure, will be a suffi¬ 
cient inducement to our readers to aid Prof. 
Sargent in his useful work. 
How to Make an Ox-Yoke. 
The ease and effectiveness with which oxen 
work depends largely upon the shape of the 
yoke. For good-sized oxen—those weighing 
1,500 lbs.—the timber for the yoke should be 
6 feet long and 12 inches in diameter. The 
toughest elm of crooked grain is the best 
material, as it combines lightness, strength, 
and durability. One side of the log is hewn 
smooth and becomes the top of the yoke. 
Upon this draw your lines—one lengthwise 
through the center, a second crossing this at 
right angles at its middle, and one 18 inches 
1 
1 
! 
1 
i 
1 
i 
i 
1 
Fig. 1.—-CENTER AND CROSS LINES. 
from each end, as shown in figure 1. The 
outline of the yoke when finished, looking 
from above, is shown in figure 2; upon this 
the dimensions are given in detail. The 
holes for the bows should be two inches in 
diameter, bored exactly perpendicular, and 
one foot apart. In boring these holes, see 
that the log is perfectly level and secured 
from turning in any way. After the stick 
—is—--U——15-—-Xr L3— 
Fig. 2.—OUTLINE OF TOP OF YOKE. 
has been brought into the shape shown in 
figure 2, next shape the upper and under 
sides as shown in figure 3. One half of the 
yoke, giving the measurements for cutting, 
is shown in fig. 4. The dotted line, A,B^ is 
drawn 3 inches from the top. A line, marked 
1, is drawn down midway between the sides 
of the bow, the line 2 is one inch nearer the 
Fig. 3.—SIDE VIEW OF YOKE. 
end, and the line 3 one-half inch the other 
side of line 1. One foot of a pair of dividers 
is placed at 1, and the other describes the 
curve for the under side of the “hollow.” 
Move the foot to the point 2, and describe 
the curve from the top of the yoke to the 
end, on the upper side. The curve for the 
under side of the end is made with the foot 
of the dividers placed at point 3. With these 
lines described, there will be no trouble in 
Fig. 4.—MEASUREMENTS FOR THE CURVES, ETC. 
finishing the yoke in proper shape. If the 
wood is green, it is best to give it all the grease 
or oil it will absorb ; heat, and grease again. 
This will prevent it from cracking badly. 
’'Fop-dressing' with Msjnnre.— It is 
often asked : “Is there any loss in spreading 
manure on the top of the ground ?” If the 
manure is in a state of active fermentation, 
there may be some loss, but usually there is 
no danger from this. There may be a loss 
