1879 .] 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST. 
297 
acorns (Burr or White Oak) wherever Cotton-wood 
is planted ; the small oaks will come up, and grow 
well as the Cotton-wood trees are removed. I 
noticed on his farm long border lines of large Cot¬ 
ton-wood trees 10 to 18 inches in diameter, which 
presented a pleasing appearance at a distance. His 
groves and belts of trees show what can be readily 
done. Such groves of large and small dimensions 
are becoming a feature of the Nebraska prairies. 
Apples. 
Mr. Griffin has some good apple orchards. The 
trees are large and thrifty ; hut some of the best of 
them growing along the south side of one of the 
groves of trees, which act as a wind-break, are 
dying. He thinks they are too warm in hot 
weather, and that the wind-break groves should he 
planted on the south side ; that they will thus stop 
the force of the northern winds about as well, and 
the trees will be in a more uniform atmosphere; 
that it is not the degree of cold that injures the 
trees, but the variations of temperature. This put¬ 
ting wind-breaks on the south to break the force of 
the northern winds is a novel one, to the writer at 
least. For varieties, Mr. G. says the Northern 
Spy and Ben Davis are the best for Nebraska. 
The Syracuse Chilled Plow. 
A few weeks ago, a dialogue something like this 
occurred upon the writer’s place. “ Here is a new 
plow which is to be thoroughly tested, and I wish 
you to use it in the fall plowing.”—“Guess I don’t 
need to try that plow.”—“ Why not ? ”—“ Because 
I know all about it already. Now you’ve got a 
plow that there is no mistake about. It’s there 
every time—why where I came from, you could’nt 
give away any other plow.”—The implement in 
question, was the “ Syracuse Chilled Plow.” The 
“ where I came from,” is Dutchess Co., N. Y., and 
upon reading the numerous certificates published 
by the makers, we found that a large share of them, 
and those of the most positive character, were from 
citizens of that county. The Syracuse Chilled Plow 
is one of those implements, that tell their story at 
sight. Just as a sailor knows from the “ lines,” and 
the “ rig ” of a vessel how it must sail, so one who 
is a judge of such matters, knows at sight, that this 
plow can’t help doing good work. The “ cut of its 
jib,” is altogether in its favor. But the “form and 
manner,” are not the only essentials iu a working 
implement, and this is especially the case with a 
plow. We must have here, matter, as well as man¬ 
ner, and in this respect, the testimony in favor of 
the “Syracuse Chilled,” is as decided as to its 
character, as it is abundant as to numbers. Among 
the recent improvements in the arts, none is more 
important, than that which allows iron to be hard¬ 
ened in such a manner, that for many purposes, it 
is equal in all respects to steel. The makers of the 
Syracuse Chilled Plow, claim to have a superior 
process for producing their wares, and the various 
prizes awarded at fairs, and the testimony of those 
who have used them, go to show that their claims 
are well founded. The plow here figured, is fur¬ 
nished with a coulter ; an engraving of the plow, 
with a jointer has already appeared in our adver¬ 
tising columns. The makers are very positive in 
recommending the jointer, and regard it as a mis¬ 
take if a farmer prefers a plow without one, as 
they claim that a jointer will work wherever a coul¬ 
ter will, and be much more effective. The full 
“ rig ” for one of these plows, comprises : two Plow 
Points; two Jointer Points; one Clevis; one 
Wheel; one Wrench: one Jointer, and one Band. 
The company allow their agents to make very lib¬ 
eral terms with farmers, for a trial of their plows, 
before purchasing. The first plow of this kind, 
CHILLED PLOW. 
was made Aug. 2nd, 1876, and it was estimated, 
that there were in 1879, 40,000 of the Syracuse 
Chilled Plows at work in all parts of the country. 
A Modern Cider-House. 
The traveller through some of the older States, 
who sees the neglected orchards, and the cider- 
mills and cumbrous presses going to decay, might 
infer that cider was no longer made in this country. 
On the other hand, were the same traveller to come 
across one of the catalogues of Boomer & Boschert, 
he would conclude from the fullness and complete¬ 
ness of this, that cider-making was an important 
industry in this country. Both conclusions would 
be right. In some of the older States, orchards, 
from the attacks of insects and other causes, join¬ 
ed to the lessened demand for cider, have been 
allowed to go to decay, and 
have not been replaced by 
new plantations. In other 
localities it is found that 
properly managed orchards 
pay, if not by marketing the 
fruit, then by converting the 
fruit into cider, and ultimately, 
as paying better, into vinegar. 
Intelligent orchardists are 
ready to conform their opera¬ 
tions to the season and the 
markets. If it will pay bet¬ 
ter to do so, they barrel their 
apples and send them to mar¬ 
ket. If this does not promise 
paying returns, they are sure 
that if converted into cider or 
vinegar, their fruit will yield 
a profit, and enterprising fruit 
growers are ready for either. 
The large orchards of the 
fruit districts have their eider 
and vinegar-houses, provided 
with the needed machinery for 
working up the fruit whenever 
that is the best disposition to 
make of it. The old cider-press, with its cheeses 
laid up with wet straw, and its big wooden screw, 
the creaking of which could be heard for a long 
distance on a clear morning in autumn, has given 
way to presses which, while they take up much 
less room and make vastly less noise, dispose of 
the apples with remarkable rapidity. In July, 1877, 
we described a press which we saw at the Centen¬ 
nial Exhibition the year before. This press, which, 
by a combination of the screw and toggle joint, 
possessed remarkable power, was one of the Power 
Cider Presses made by Boomer & Boschert. While 
an efficient press is a most important part of the 
outfit of a cider-house, there are many accessories 
needed for its most efficient working. That cider¬ 
making is not one of the “lost arts,” is seen by the 
catalogue of the firm named, where they not only 
offer to supply the apple grater and press, but every 
accessory needed for their rapid working. Indeed, 
they give plans for erecting cider-houses with all 
needed adjuncts. We give here the sectional view 
across the end of one of their mills, intended to 
produce 100 barrels per day, the other engravings 
being inconveniently large for our columns. The 
apples brought to the mill, are delivered in bins 
placed at some distance from the building. These 
bins are of such size that each two inches in depth 
holds one bushel of fruit, and allow of ready 
measurement of the owner’s apples or those sent 
by a neighbor. The apples are conveyed from the 
bins, by means of an elevator upon the endless- 
chain principle, to the hopper at the upper part of 
the building, shown in the engraving at H. An 
annex to the building, seen at the left hand of the 
engraving, contains the boiler which supplies steam 
to an engine upon the maiu floor, which furnish the 
motive-power of the house. Directly below the 
hopper is the apple grater, which we do not give, 
as it has accompanied the advertisements of the 
firm, and may be seen by referring to the proper 
pages. Suffice it to say that this grater is suited to 
rapid work and is ingeniously contrived to prevent 
damage from the presence of stones or other foreign 
matters among the apples. Below the grater is an 
iron track, upon which buckets run to receive the 
pulp, carry it to the press, and return for another 
load. Some excellent contrivances are furnished 
for laying up the cheese, press-cloths being used. 
When the cheese is built up, it is run under the 
press, the end of which is seen at the right hand of 
the engraving. Here the same power is made to 
work the press, and the juice, as it runs out, passes 
into large vats in the base of the building, to be 
raised into barrels by means of a pump for the pur¬ 
pose, also worked by steam. The catalogue refer¬ 
red to gives every possible accessory, down to a 
hydrometer to test the strength of the juice, and 
many minor details which we have not space to 
enumerate. Of course the juice, when once pressed 
from the apples, may be disposed of as cider, or 
converted into vinegar. Messrs. Boomer & Boschert 
SECTIONAi VIEW OF CIDER-HOUSE. 
afford every facility for expressing the juice in the 
most effective manner; with what shall be done 
with it afterwards, they do not concern themselves. 
Lining Boxes with Babbitt Metal. 
J. C. Green, Morris Co., N. J., sends the follow¬ 
ing practical hints. He writes : “ I have noticed, 
with interest, the directions, in the June and July 
numbers, for re-filling machinery boxes with Bab¬ 
bitt Metal. These are very timely, as I find much 
ignorance among farmers on this and kindred sub¬ 
jects, and many farm machines come to oi# shop 
for repairs when they only want “eleaningup” and 
new lining in one or two boxes, which the farmer 
might just as well do himself if he only thought so. 
As this comes directly in my line of business, per¬ 
mit me to supplement your directions with some 
additional hints and suggestions. If the two half 
boxes are filled separately, as you suggest (p. 262), 
THE SYRACUSE 
