88 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
lMarch, 
Another Water-Fountain for Poultry.— 
1 H. H. W.,” Hartford, Ct., sends a sketch of a contriv¬ 
ance for a water-fountain 
for fowls. It is shown in 
the engraving, and con¬ 
sists of a small keg with 
slots ent in ttie sides be¬ 
tween tlie hoops, 1% inch 
wide, and about 2 inches 
apart. With a cover to I lie 
keg, the tiling is complete. 
The fowls can not get into 
the water to soil it, nor 
drop filth into it from the 
top. The water remains 
sweet and pure all day. 
Mr. W. writes that he has 
used this in his yards for three years with better satisfac¬ 
tion than any other drinking dish, patented or otherwise. 
Joseph N. Sturtevant, died Jan. 19th, last, at 
South Framingham, Mass., aged 35. Mr. Sturtevant was 
educated at Bowdoin College, but early turned his atten¬ 
tion to agriculture, and as one of three brothers, pur¬ 
chased Waushakum Farm, some ten years ago, where they 
lived as a happy family and did good work for agricul¬ 
ture. He was a member of the Mass. State Board of 
Agriculture, 1873-75, one of the editors the “North Ameri¬ 
can Ayrshire Register,” and a valued contributor to nu¬ 
merous agricultural journals. Modest and simple, he was 
loved by all and gave promise of a useful life, but ill- 
health prevented a full exercise of his powere. In him, 
the farming community lost a man of rare judgment, of 
thorough knowledge and an enthusiastic worker. 
Farm Implements and FannJIacUinery, 
—The work by John J. Thomas with the above title is 
unlike any other, as it deals with the principles upon 
which farm machinery is constructed and operates. A 
new edition which was announced as in preparation 
some months ago, is now nearly in press. Every farmer 
should understand what is here taught, and we know of 
no better work to put into the hands of a farmer’s boy. 
Every intelligent boy will take all the more interest in a 
machine if he knows how it works, and he will know 
where to look for the trouble if it gets out of order. The 
principles upon which the machines operate are illus¬ 
trated by various examples and experiments, which can 
not fail to be attractive to an intelligent boy, and give 
him a new interest in his occupation. Much is now writ¬ 
ten about “ Keeping Boys on the Farm ”; one method 
of doing this is to'give the hoys such books as “Thomas’ 
Farm Implements ” and let them see that work is not 
ail drudgery, but affords food for thought, and brings 
them in contact with great natural laws. Published by 
the Orange Judd Company and sent post paid for £1.50. 
Forest Tree Planting.— A great help .—In 
articles upon raising forest trees from seed, we have ad¬ 
vised those intending to plant upon a small scale, to buy 
young trees rather than attempt to raise them. We have 
done this for the reason that just at the time the farmer 
is busiest, the young tree seedlings need the most care, 
and besides this, some of them, especially evergreens, 
need such treatment as only those with experience will 
be likely to give. The well known forest tree growers, 
Robt. Douglas & Sons, Waukegan, HI., have under¬ 
taken to do that which will give a great impetus to forest 
tree planting on a small scale, as they offer to send 
seedling trees by mail, cheaper than any one can afford 
to raise them. They propose to send out dollar pack¬ 
ages, by mail, containing from 50 to 100 trees, at the 
bare cost, the particulars are given in their circulars, 
which may be had upon application to them. 
Dimensions of Horse Power.-" E. B. W.,” 
Sullivan Co., N. Y. The horse-power illustrated in the 
_ American Agriculturist of January 
Bfei should have the upright shaft 8 inches 
in diameter, and square with the cor¬ 
ners chamfered, so as to make it 8- 
sided. The drive wheel should be 8 
feet in diameter, and the small gear 
wheel from 18 to 24 inches. The band 
pulley should be made to suit the 
work, and a cone pulley as shown in 
the engraving herewith, would be very 
convenient, having different sizes for different work. 
Merino Slieep Register.— The Vermont Merino 
Sheep Breeder’s Association have done a good work in 
the publication of this “ Register.” The work has been 
in preparation for several years, and wo have personal 
knowledge of the great amount of labor expended upon 
it. In addition to the pedigrees of over 209 flocks , the 
well printed volume of 395 pages contains a history of 
the introduction and breeding of these sheep in this 
country, beginingin 1793, their introduction and improve¬ 
ment in Vermont, etc. The volume is sold at $2—a 
very low price considering the quality. Its publication 
should greatly benefit the sheep breeders, and in this 
the working committee will find most of their reward. 
For the convenience of our breeders, we will obtain a few 
copies to supply from this office to those desiring them. 
Ayrshire Herd Books.— The Secretary of the 
Ayrshire Breeder's Association writes: “Editors Ameri¬ 
canAgriculturist —I find in the February number of your 
paper—p. 76—the statement that 1 There are three differ¬ 
ent Ayrshire Herd-Books.’ Allow me to state that there 
are only two Herd-Books at the present time in which 
pedigrees of Ayrshire cattle are registered, the N. A. A. 
R., and the Ayrshire Record, published by our Associa¬ 
tion. Our Herd Book is a continuation of the American 
and Canadian Ayrshire Herd Record; but a new series. 
The A. & C. A. H. R. has ceased to exist as a separate 
book receiving entries. You also state that Dr. Stnrte- 
vaut’s Book is perhaps the most carefully edited. We 
should be glad to know in what way it is more carefully 
edited than ours. Our regulations—see Constitution in 
our Herd-Book—are quite as strict as any that he has 
adopted. There are animals in his book ‘ wherein every 
animal traces to importation,’ which we will not admit 
in ours, because we do not believe that they so trace, as 
we can find no proof to that effect. At our last annual 
meeting it was voted to discontinue the ' class not 
tracing directly to importation.’ In the next volume this 
class will not appear. Hereafter our Book stands on the 
same basis as N. A. A. R., receiving only pedigrees 
tracing direct to importation. In the two Volumes al¬ 
ready published by our Association, we think the class 
tracing directly to importation will bear comparison, as 
regards accuracy, with the pedigrees published in his 
book. If you have discovered any errors in our book, 
wc shall be pleased to hear of them. We should be glad 
to submit the two Herd-Books to the inspection of im¬ 
partial judges, to decide in which book the most errors 
are to be found. Yours, J. D. W. French.” 
A Simple and Valuable Aid In Fenee- 
ESuilding. — “ R. B. K.” contributes for the benefit of 
our readers a simple device used by him in fence-build¬ 
ing on his Western farm. It is a gauge by which one end 
of the boards of a post and board-fence are held at a cer¬ 
tain distance apart, while the other is being nailed. 
Take a piece of bass-wood board or similar material, -1-J 
feet long, by 4J inches wide; put rivets through each end, 
to keep it from splitting ; cut a slot, i inch wide down 
the center; make four semi-circular blocks, 1} inch 
=='-'7! 
-g= 
J 11 
-- -V 
1 
-— 
Fig. 1.—THE GAUGE. 
thick; put a “/jj-inch bolt through each block and 
through the slot, securing it on the opposite side with 
nut and washers; then bolt a piece of lj-inch band-iron, 
bent to a square hook, to the upper end, and the gauge 
is completed, as represented in fig. 1. The manner of 
using it is shown at fig. 2. The blocks are first adjusted 
at any desired distance apart, and the gauge is hung on 
the top board, which has previously been nailed in posi¬ 
tion, and one end of the other boards, to the number of 2, 
3, or 4, placed on the blocks as indicated, while the free 
end is nailed to the preceding post; then the gauge ends 
are nailed to the last post, and so on. Mr. K. finds that 
he can build fence alone, by aid of this gauge, about as 
fast as having another man help him. He thinks, also, 
that it is a good plan to set the posts on alternate sides 
of the boarding, especially for a pasture fence. 
Tlie North-Eastern ISec-fCeepers’ Asso¬ 
ciation will hold its annual meeting at Syracuse, N. Y., 
on the 11th, 12th, and 13th inst. L. C. Root is President, 
and J. II. Nellis, Secretary. 
Paper 44 Oil Cloth.”—The substitution of paper 
as a basis for matting is, if we mistake not, an invention 
of C. T. Fay, of Camden, N. J.: At all events, he has 
made such matting for many years. In appearance it is 
hardly distinguishable from cloth; in any case the du¬ 
rability depends largely upon the character of the painted 
surface, and we have found the paper mats to wear very 
satisfactorily, while the price is greatly in their favor. 
North Carolina.— The report of the Commissioner 
of Agriculture of North Carolina, L. L. Polk, shows that 
a good amount of work has been performed by the Board 
of Agriculture, which was organized only two years ago. 
Fish propagation and protection, have received needed' 
attention, with encouraging results. The fertilizer law. 
which imposes a tax of $500 on each brand sold in the 
State, and requires a stated analysis on each parcel, is 
working well, and furnishes the funds to sustain the Board 
of Agriculture, and the Experiment Station. The latter 
institution, under the direction of Prof. A. R. Ledoux, is 
making good progress ; it controls the fertilizer trade, is 
engaged in investigating the beet sugar and other ques¬ 
tions, and is making preparations to control the quality 
of the seeds sold in the State. Jute, German Millet, Chufa, 
and Sugar Beets, are being introduced by the Board. 
Eighteen million Spelling Books ! and 
not a single million, was what we intended to say last 
month (p. 47) in speaking of the “ Hub ” office building. 
There would be quite a gathering if all the children using 
these books could be collected at one grand “ Spelling 
School.”—Problems for tlie Boys and Girls: (1) If these 
spelling books, each 4)£ by 7 inches in size, were laid 
side by side, how many acres would they cover ?—(2) If 
eacli book contained 56 leaves (112 pages), how many 
acres would the paper cover ?—(3) If each book weighed 
3X ounces, how many teams would it take to draw them, 
with a ton on eacli load ?—(4) How long would the pro¬ 
cession be if each team occupied 50 feet on the road ? 
An Improved Saw-buck.-“ J. M. B.,” Nel¬ 
son, Pa., sends a sketch of a saw-buck which he thinks 
is an improvement on the ordinary form, as not being so 
liable to break tin 
dcr heavy sticks 
of wood. Two 3x4 
ash or oak stand¬ 
ards, feet long, 
are provided, and 
two other braces 
or standards of 
the same length, 
but made round, 
1} inch through, 
at the upper ends, 
as represented in the engraving. The former are beveled 
ten inches from the upper end to a point. The round stan¬ 
dards pass through the others, piercing the sticks flat¬ 
wise, and the two sides are held together by two 1*£ 
inch rounds, as shown in the engraving. 
Horticultural Tacks. — The double-pointed 
tacks—really tiny staples with sharp points—which are 
useful in such a variety of ways, arc exceedingly handy for 
those who have to train climbers in the window or green¬ 
houses. With a very slender vine, the tack may span it 
and when driven into the wood-work, will hold it in the 
neatest possible manner. With largo vines, the tacks 
may be driven in firmly, and the stem be fastened to it 
by a piece of bass-matting or other soft tie. 
Preserving Green Fodder.— 44 Ensilage.” 
Tlie American Agriculturist first discussed the question 
of “ensilage,” or the preservation of green corn fodder 
in trenches for winter use, some five years ago. Since 
then, great advances have been made in the practice in. 
France, where the application of the method to corn-fod¬ 
der originated, and to-day it is a decided success, and of 
great importance in stock-farming. “Ensilage” consists 
in storing green fodder, especially that of Indian corn, in 
above-ground cellars, or “ Silos,” in a manner to exclude 
the air and preserve it in a fresh state. An account of 
this method and the details of the present practice 
are recorded by M. Auguste Goftart, a leading French 
agriculturist, whose work lias been translated by Mr. J. B. 
Brown, President of the New York Plow Co., and is pre¬ 
sented in a neat book, with the title, “The Ensilage of 
Maize and other Green Fodder Crops.” This book is 
timely, and should be widely read by American farmers. 
A copy can be obtained at this office for $1.00, post-paid. 
4, New and Rare Plants.” —Is the modest title 
given by the Parsons & Son’s Co., Flushing (L. 1.1, N. Y., 
to their new catalogue. Had they headed it, “ The most 
remarkable collection of New and Rare Plants, especially 
from Japan, ever offered whether in this country or in 
Europe,” it would have better described its contents. To 
a lover of plants, the perusal of this catalogue is a treat, 
and then the prices, considering the rarity of tlie plants, 
are very moderate—not half what would be charged in 
European nurseries for such plants—provided they could 
supply them. Those who arc about to plant, should 
send for and consult this catalogue. 
A Good Seed drill is indispensable in large gar¬ 
dens, and one accustomed to its use, would be at loss, to 
manage even a small garden without its help. From a 
year’s experience with Sargent’s “Monitor Seed Drill,” 
(see advertising columns), we can commend it as a most 
satisfactory and effective machine. Farmers who culti¬ 
vate root crops, will find that this drill will soon pay for 
itself in the saving of seed. 
