188 
[Mat, 
AMERICAN ‘AGRICULTURIST. 
Hay Sweeps. 
We have requests for a plan of an implement to 
collect hay in a field and carry it to the stack or 
bam without loading it upon a wagon. This may 
often be done with profit if the ground is com¬ 
paratively level and the 6tack or the barn is not far 
distant. The Hay Sweep, an implement that has 
been in use for some time, is one that well serves 
this purpose. The construction of the Hay Sw'eep 
may be learned from figure 1. It consists of a 
large horse rake, of the “revolving” sort, and a 
stout frame attachment, as shown in the engrav¬ 
ing. Two horses are required to work the Sweep, 
ohe attached to each end and guided by boys upon 
their backs. When in action, the horses pass on 
each side of the windrow, the Sweep as it passes 
along gathering up the hay, as seen in figure 2. In 
this way a load of 500 pounds can be quickly gath¬ 
ered up and taken to the place of deposit. In un¬ 
loading, the horses are turned back and the sides of 
the frame swung around, so that the back side of 
the rake becomes the front; the Sweep is then drawn 
away from the hay and is ready for another load. 
The dimensions for the construction of the Sweep 
here given are by John J. Thomas, in his work en¬ 
titled: “ Farm Implements and Machinery,” from 
which useful volume we borrow the engravings. 
Main scantling below, 4 by 5 inches and 10 feet 
long; the one above it same length and 3 by 4 
inches; these are three feet apart, connected by 
seven upright bars 1 by 2 inches, and 3 feet long. 
The teeth are flat, \)4 by 4 inches, 5 feet long, or 
projecting 2% feet each way; they are made taper¬ 
ing to the ends so as to run easily under the wind¬ 
row.... Each gate (end) consists of two pieces 
of scantling 3 inches square and 3 feet long, 
united by two bars of wood 1 by 2 inches, and 
a third at the bottom 3 inches square and tapering 
upwards, like a short runner... .The whiffletrees 
are fastened a little above the middle of the gate, 
and should be so arranged that they may be raised 
or lowered so as to be readily adjusted. Mr. Thomas 
estimates that the Sweep may be made for $6 or $7. 
The rapidity and ease with which the hay in 
Fig. 2.— THE SWEEP IN USE. 
many cases is gathered with this implement renders 
it one of great service to mauy farmers, and at just 
that hurried time when every aid is a help indeed. 
Harrows and Harrowing.— Harrows, of 
which there are a. great number of styles, from the 
old “A ” “drag,” with its great wooden teeth, to 
the steel, square hinged harrow, and those of a still 
later form, provided with wheels, and a seat for the 
driver, all have a common object to accomplish— 
the thorough pulverization of the soil, and mixing 
of the various fertilizers that may have been added, 
and thus make an acceptable bed for'the seed. The 
easy access of air to the soil, which follows from a 
thorough use of the harrow, is a matter of great im¬ 
portance, as upon it depends largely the formation 
of available plant food, and therefore the growth of 
the plant, and success of the crop. The young 
growing roots—the ones that do most of the ab¬ 
sorbing of food—can much more easily extend 
themselves through mellow soil, and reach the 
food that such a soil has in keeping for them. 
A Safe and Handy Poke. 
A poke is often required to restrain breachy 
animals, and a sketch of what seems to be a very 
useful one is sent by Mr. F. Coney, Van BurenCo., 
Mich. From his experience with this poke he 
claims that it does not cramp the animal’s neck 
while eating or when lying down. Also, that it thor¬ 
oughly prevents jumping, and is perfectly safe. It 
differs from the ordinary poke in having the “ bow” 
much longer, so that the block carrying the pro¬ 
jecting pole is brought down to about the bend of 
the knees. Mr. C. says that this poke is so thorough 
in its action that it is troublesome for the animal 
to get over the “ bars,” as they are ordinarily let 
down for cattle to pass. “ This is no objection, as 
the animal most likely received its first lesson in 
jumping by being forced through half open bars.” 
A poke to be efficient should prevent jumping at 
the lowest and weakest point in a fence, and the one 
shown in the engraving appears to be such an one. 
Links for Mending Chains. 
It is often a great inconvenience to have a chain 
break, especially when many miles from home, or 
far from a blacksmith’s shop, and the whole pro¬ 
gress of the work comes to a standstill. A link 
like that in figure 1, is designed to come to the 
rescue in just such cases as this. Any blacksmith 
can make a number of them at a trifling cost, or 
one handy with the tools, can shape them himself. 
One or more of these can be carried in the pocket 
of the over-alls, or iu some place about the wagon, 
plow etc., and thus the farmer, teamster, or lum¬ 
berman, can go armed against breaks that are 
always apt to occur. 
The engravings show 
the construction, and 
the method of their ap¬ 
plication. The impor¬ 
tance of an easily ad¬ 
justed link to a broken 
chain, has led the 
Ingalls Manufacturing 
Company, to invent a 
link for the purpose, 
upon which they have 
secured a patent. This 
link is a split one, with 
the two parts so united 
by a rivet, that it can be 
opened and adjusted to 
the chain, without the aid of any tools. This link is 
shown open in figure 3, and closed in figure 4. These 
handy links are now quite generally in the trade, 
and can doubtless be had at most hardware stores. 
A small sum invested in a supply of these, or of the 
home-made links, may save a much larger sum. 
The Robin Question Again. 
Professor S. A. Forbes, of the State Normal Uni¬ 
versity of Illinois, in his elaborate report upon 
“The Food of Birds,” published in the Transactions 
of the State Horticultural Society for 187)9, gives a 
considerable space to the Robin. During the season 
41 stomachs of this bird were examined and the in¬ 
sects found therein determined and placed in a 
tabulated form. During the month of March the 
food of the two specimens examined was very 
largely of grasshoppers and insects which feed up- 
Fig. 2.—THE LINK IN PLACE. 
on decaying vegetable matter. For this month 
nothing can be said against the Robin. In April 
eleven birds were killed, and the food was found to 
be much more varied than for the previous month. 
The record stands : caterpillars, 32 per cent; bene¬ 
ficial beetles, 23 per cent; scavenger beetles, 12* 
per cent. “ These birds have apparently done very 
much more harm than good during this month, 
eating predaceous beetles, which would probably 
have destroyed many more noxious insects than 
were found in their stomachs.” For May much 
the same record is made, showing very little 
in the Robin’s favor. During June 55 per cent 
of the food comes under the head of fruits , 
and of this the largest part is cherries. Though 
the food of the Robin was largely fruits, there were 
many injurious insects found, and the difficult 
question arises of how to strike the balance. A 
quart of cherries cannot offset the same measure of 
injurious insects. “ When a bird eats fruit the in¬ 
jury done stops right there ; there are no accumulat¬ 
ing consequences, but when it destroys a noxious 
insect, it checks the in¬ 
crease of the' species, it 
destroys not only the one 
actual insect, but an inde¬ 
finably numerous host of 
potential ones.” Prof. 
Forbes believes that this 
consideration settles the 
question, and that Robins 
are largely beneficial even 
in the month of June. In „ 
July there was, taking the Fl ^ 8 --™«lu»’ ™ 
insect food alone, 7i per cent of beneficial insects, 
against 101 per cent of injurious ones. “ But a 
beneficial insect is far more beneficial than an in¬ 
jurious one is injurious.” The amount of fruits 
eaten is large ; a total of 77 per cent. “Even the 
most devoted friend of the Robin must admit that 
if these 14 w T ere fair examples, the Robin is a nui¬ 
sance in July.” In August the bird 
makes a better record, and “a small 
margin of profit may be ascribed 
to his operations in this month.” 
In conclusion Prof. Forbes writes: 
“ These 41 Robins taken together 
had certainly done, just previous to 
the time of their demise, fully as 
much harm as good, as far as we can 
judge from the contents of their 
stomachs... .Temporarily we may 
place the Robin in the list of 
moderately useful birds, using every opportunity 
to increase our knowledge, and for the time being 
leaving him practically to himself.” 
Stone-Boats.— At no time in the year, are stone- 
boats so much in request as at this season, when 
there are so many heavy things to carry to and from 
the barn and field. The harrows, plows, bags or 
barrels of grain, and fertilizers, with other things 
that are often taken across plowed ground, are best 
conveyed on a stone-boat. Every farmer should 
have one or more of these low and handy vehicles, 
which costs but a trifle for lumber and bolts, and 
can be made in the 6hop on a rainy day. All thin*» 
Fig. 1.—A CHAIN LINK. 
Fig. 4. 
