134 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[April, 
Safety Horse Shoes. 
Some of the German agricr.Uui'al papers describe 
a method of applying calks to horses’ shoes to pre- 
O vent them from slipping. 
The shoe is pierced as 
6howr. at lig. 1, and the 
holes are threaded to lit the 
screw.?, lig. 2. The latter 
consist ot sharp chisel 
pointed pieces of hard steel 
and buttons. The sharp 
points iue screwed into the 
shoes when the horses are 
„ at work, and when they 
**' ' are brought into the stable, 
the points are taken out, and the buttons are 
put into their places. The screws are square¬ 
headed so that they may be moved by a wrench. 
Fig. 2. 
Fig. 3. 
At fig. 3 is shown the shoe as if !r, fitted to the foot. 
Any ordinary shoe may be thus fitted; there is no 
necessity for its removal to change the calks, and 
in the stable there is no danger of injury from the 
points, because they are replaced by the buttons. 
Temporary Feuce -Posts. 
Portable fences are becoming common. A con¬ 
venient post for a temporary fence is shown at fig. 
4. It is made of flat bar-iron, pointed at the bot¬ 
tom. The bends are intended to receive wood fence- 
strips, which are fastened in place by short pieces 
of bar-iron bolted to the post. The bottom piece 
is lengthened into a brace, which, being driven into 
Fig. 4. Fig. 5. 
the ground, holds the fence firmly. A similar post, 
fig. 5, will serve for a wire fer.ee, the wires being 
carried by the staples and hold firmly when these 
are screwed up close by the nuts behind the post. 
Use of Bark for Buildings. 
The bark that is so often wasted is valuable for 
many uses. It may take the place of lumber for 
6iding and covering pens and sheds, and the effect 
is picturesque and pleasing, it is durable, and will 
not split so much as some b n.rds. Bark is peeled 
from the timber in the spring : oak bark is loose 
about May : bemlook and otk«-r evergreens, and 
tamarack can be peeled until June or July. When 
the tree is down the bark is peeled by first cutting 
it through around the logs in lengths of 4 to 6 feet, 
Fig. 6. Fig. 7. 
as shown at fig. 6. When it is desired to deaden and 
season the timber before it is cut down, as is done 
In the South, the bark may be ringed and split as 
shown at fig. 7. To loosen the bark, an iron, or 
iron-shod wooden spud or chisel is used, with a 
thin broad edge like that in fig. 8. This is inserted 
under the edge of the bark, which is forced 
Fig. 9. 
from the timber in a sheet. These sheets 
(fig. 9), while green are flattened out and piled to 
dry, with sticks between them in the manner shown 
at fig. 10. Stones or heavy pieces of wood are laid 
Fig. 10. 
on the top to prevent the bark from curling up as 
it dries. The inner surface of the bark is laid 
downwards, for otherwise the rain would mildew 
and stain it, and rot it in warm summer weather. 
Read—Read Carefully, 
Thoroughly, and thoughtfully, the Talk on Fer¬ 
tilizers on page 127, and the one on Farm Experi¬ 
ments following. The subject of Fertilizers is one 
of the most important now before American culti¬ 
vators, yet it is comparatively little understood. We 
have tried to set forth the principles in the plainest 
language, divested of all scientific terms, except 
three or four names of things which have no other 
names. It will be interesting to every reader, 
whether a farmer or not, to understand these prin¬ 
ciples. For example, all have bones, the solid part 
of which is mainly made up of lime and that highly 
inflammable substance, phosphorous. This bone 
material must come from our food ; the food must 
get it from the soil; soils generally contain little phos¬ 
phorus, aud here cornea in the fertilising process. 
We are anxious to have cultivators read and un¬ 
derstand the subject; to get into the way of farm¬ 
ing more profitably by using the right fertilizers, 
and save some of the millions of dollars wasted in 
the purchase and use of these articles at hap¬ 
hazard. We are confident that if we can persuade 
farmers generally to take hold of Farm Experiment 
No. 2 (page 129), or better still, No. 3, it will be of 
very great advantage to themselves, and others, in 
the future. A simple experiment (No. 1) is pro¬ 
vided for those who can not, or dare not, or will 
not undertake the more important and more com¬ 
plete No. 3, or No. 2. It is certainly far better to try 
No. 1 than to make no advance in this direction. 
A Handy Clothes-Rack. 
Some contrivance, upon which small articles of 
clothing, etc., may be hung to dry or to air, is often 
a great convenience. Such affairs are sold at the 
furnishing stores, and many have exercised their 
ingenuity in producing home-made racks, several of 
which have been given in former volumes. A rack 
11 
Fig. 16. 
Fig. 14. 
Fig. 11. 
of this kind should be so made that its arms may be 
readily extended, and when not in use, take up but 
little room. “ G. D. J.,” Sterling,Ill., sends sketches 
of a rack he has contrived; he gives no measure- 
Fig. 12. 
Fig. 13. 
ment of parts save the rods, which are three feet 
long. Figure 11 is the back-piece, which is to he 
fastened to the wall, and to which the other parts 
are attached ; fig. 12 is a semi-circular block, with 
five holes bored in the edge; this is firmly secured 
to fig.ll; fig. 13 is a curved rod of iron, fastened at c 
to the back,in front of the block 12; the drying-rods, 
fig. 14, three feet long, have each a staple of brass 
wire, through which the iron rod, fig. 13, passes. 
The rack, when completed, is shown in fig. 15; the 
drying-rods, when not in use, hang by their staples 
to the iron rod ; to extend them, they have only to 
Fig. 15. 
be brought to a horizontal position, and the end of 
each thrust into a hole in the block. The brace, fig, 
16, is used to strengthen the affak &a seen ia fig, 15* 
