1882.] 
AMERICAN AGR1C ULTURIST. 
203 
A Home-made Clod Crusher. 
Mr. Geo. R. Perkins, Madison Co., N. Y., 
writes us :—“ Inclosed you will find a draw¬ 
ing of a very valuable farm implement which 
will interest the readers of the American Agri¬ 
culturist. It will pay for itself in one day, 
if a farmer has no roller. I like it for 
smoothing after sowing ground to grass seed, 
wheat, oats, and other grains.” It is made 
as follows :—Provide three 2-inch hard-wood 
planks, one foot wide and ten feet long. Lap 
the edges two inches, and securely fasten 
them. Two hard-wood scantling are cut to 
A PLANK CLOD CRUSHER. 
fit the upper surface of the united planks, 
and fastened by bolts as shown in the engrav¬ 
ing; they project 4 inches behind for handles. 
The whiffletrees are fastened by a short chain 
to the front ends of the cross-bars. A 2-incli 
strip of hard-wood is nailed on the rear edge 
of the crusher, to hold any stones, etc., that 
may be put on the rear plank, for increasing 
its weight, as may sometimes be necessary in 
addition to add more than the driver’s 
weight. On hard or lumpy land the crusher 
may be run bottom side up, when the rough 
edges will cut and break the clods. Mr. P. 
names the cost of this valuable farm imple¬ 
ment at a low figure ($1.35). 
Some Experiments with Durra. 
BY I. H. MAYER, M. D., LANCASTER CO. PA. 
On May 21st, 1881, one fourth of aij acre 
(1) was planted with white and brown 
Durra. The soil was sandy, rather poor, 
with an under stratum of sandy clay, 
from two to six feet deep. The soil in this 
field produced 40 bushels com per acre, by 
the side of the Durra. (2) Several days later 
some was planted in extremely poor sandy 
soil. At the same time a quantity (8) was 
planted in sandy loam, with a sandy subsoil, 
and on May 26th, a few hills were planted (4) 
in a rich clayey loam. The results in the 
four lots were nearly similar to a like experi¬ 
ment with Indian Corn. In lot No. 2 the 
growth was very short, scarcely three feet 
high, with an abundance of leaves and very 
small seed heads. In this lot the yield of 
grain was about the same as Indian corn, 
and the fodder yield was a trifle greater. In 
1, 3, and 4, the yield of grain and fodder 
was not equal to the corn yield. In No. 4, 
the yield of grain was less than half that of 
corn. In lots 1 and 4, a number of the best 
heads were selected before fully ripe, and 
found to yield one quart of clean seed from 
three heads. Planted 3 by 4 feet, four plants 
to the hill, or the seed dropped in the row at 
the same rate, would show over 14,000 plants 
per acre. Basing the calculation upon three 
heads to the quart, or about 100 heads to the 
bushel, would give 140 bushels per acre, 
though the actual yield in either of the lots 
certainly did not reach forty bushels per 
acre. These experiments would indicate 
that even in the poorest soil in Lancaster 
County, at least, the crop is not preferable 
to com. It will be remembered, too, that 
1881 was very dry and unfavorable for corn. 
In growth, Durra closely resembles Sor¬ 
ghum, or Broom Corn. The seed should be 
covered lightly—half an inch, or an inch—or 
it will be a very long time coming up, per¬ 
haps rotting in the soil. When it first makes 
its appearance above ground, it grows like 
Broom Corn, feeble, marked with red spots, 
and easily choked by weeks. After it pro¬ 
duces six or eight leaves, the growth is very 
rapid, and the leaves then produced are of a 
dark green color, the stem and leaf being 
more or less covered with a white bloom. 
The upper part of the stem of a well-grown 
stalk makes a short curve, allowing the head 
to hang down, giving the plant a peculiar 
appearance, even before it is in bloom. [This 
shows that our correspondent experimented 
with the drooping varieties of Durra.— Eds.] 
The heads are shaped somewhat like Sor¬ 
ghum heads, though shorter and thicker. 
In consequence of the compact form of the 
heads, some of the seed in the largest spoiled 
from the effects of a few showers during the 
dry season. From this it appears that in a 
wet season the crop would prove a partial 
failure. The fodder, both green and dry, 
leaves, and entire stem, are eaten by cows 
and horses, the former preferring it dry to 
good corn fodder or hay. Green corn stalks 
from sweet corn appeared to be relished 
equally well. There were no marked effects 
produced by its use, either green or dry. 
Barn-yard fowls are fond of the grain, and 
appear to thrive upon it. One month’s trial, 
however, proved it to be quite inferior to 
wheat or buckwheat, and not much better 
than corn for the purpose of keeping fowls 
in the highest possible healthy condition. 
The various wild birds appear to be fond of 
it also. More than half the crop was har¬ 
vested by the English sparrows. It seemed 
as if the large flock in the vicinity had in¬ 
vited all their relatives to the feast. 
The seed, cooked before fully ripe, like 
green corn, is said to have the flavor of chest¬ 
nuts. The six who tried it failed to find even 
a trace of chestnut flavor. There appeared 
to be some resemblance to boiled wheat, 
though I would much rather have the wheat. 
The seed is rather difficult to cure. Being 
very much exposed on the heads, the greater 
part is readily secured by the birds ; besides, 
the weather would usually bleach and other¬ 
wise injure the external seeds, while the 
center of the heads in a wet season would 
readily rot, or mould, as it did even this dry 
season. The small heads produced upon ex¬ 
tremely poor soil, would not suffer from the 
last-named drawback. When dry, the grain 
drops very readily from the head, and this 
applies alike to large or small heads. The 
heavy heads, with their short, curved stems, 
make it quite troublesome to shock, and lia¬ 
ble to be blown over when shocked, thus 
dropping much seed. The white is a beauti¬ 
ful grain, almost as large as white popcorn. 
The brown is scarcely superior to Dwarf or 
other good Broom Corn seed, which it closely 
resembles, and is fully as difficult to cure pro¬ 
perly. The brown is the taller variety, while 
the fodder appeared to be the same in quality. 
As food for man or beast, these experi¬ 
ments failed to produce any results, as the 
birds, already noted, secured fully half the 
seed, and the fowls were allowed nearly 
all that remained, mostly from the heads, 
before it was dry enough to grind. 
A New Mole Trap. 
Mr. J. C. Coons, Montgomery Co., Ky., hasr 
caught fifteen moles during one month with a 
trap of which he writes us as follows :—“ The 
piece (1), is an inch board four feet long and 
eight inches wide; (2) is a twelve-pound 
weight. The ‘ ‘ figure four ” has the ‘ ‘ trigger ” 
(3) one foot long, and the other parts in good 
A EFFECTIVE MOLE TRAP. 
proportions. The four barbs (8, 8,) are sharp¬ 
ened iron spikes eight inches long, fastened 
in a small block ; the two pairs are about six 
inches apart. The trap is placed so that the 
falling spikes will strike into the mole “ road.” 
Press the raised earth down at one place, and 
bring the long end of the treadle of the ‘ ‘figure 
four ” directly upon this point. The mole, in 
passing along his “ road,” will raise the earth 
and spring the trap, lotting the spikes descend. 
It is well to press the “ road ” down at some 
point, a, b, on each side of the trap that has 
been sprung, as the spikes may not have 
killed the mole, and it might otherwise run 
off when the “dead-fall” is raised. 
Another Corn Marker. 
Mr. J. B. Pratt, Swain Co., Ohio, sends us 
the following description of a corn marker :— 
“ Make the four runners of 2 by 6-inch plank, 
and 3 feet long; pin a board across the top 
at each end, and afterwards saw it in two in 
the middle and put on hinges. Fasten a 2 by 
6-inch piece across the boards half way be- 
A HINGED CORN MARKER. 
tween the runners, and place a board across 
the top with a slot in each end to set over a 
pin in the cross pieces. This makes a good 
place upon which to stand, and keeps every 
runner on the ground, over ridges as well as 
on level ground. I use a common buggy pole, 
and drive to a stake instead of by the last 
mark.”—[The length of the two main cross¬ 
boards is not given. This will, of course, 
