1880.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
307 
taken to prepare the ground for the best growth of 
the wheat plant before the grain is sown. The 
fields that are imperfectly plowed and indifferently 
harrowed are far too common with us, and until 
the soil is made deep and mellow by thorough 
tillage, all the manure and artificial fertilizers we 
may apply will not bring the yield of our fall sown 
crops to the most profitable point. A little extra 
work in preparation will many times bring a large 
margin of profit when it comes to gather the harvest. 
Tenant Farming. 
In the Eastern and Middle -States there are thou¬ 
sands of farmers of small means who either can 
not, or do not wish to, “go West.” These must 
occupy rented farms, and, in many eases, be con¬ 
tent to do so for a long term of years. Under the 
present revival of interest in agriculture, and as 
methods of cultivation grow more elaborate and 
expensive, the tendency will probably be towards 
an increase of this class ; and, therefore, much of 
the farming of the future, in the section named, 
will depend for its success on a satisfactory work¬ 
ing of the landlord and tenant system in some 
form. Why should not the co-operation involved 
in working a farm “ on shares,” for instance, be as 
Satisfactory and profitable to both parties, on an 
average, as other partnership ? I assume that it is 
not generally a success, that being the prevailing 
impression, and it "becomes important to know 
whether the reasons for failure may not be remova¬ 
ble. Why should not tenant farming with us do, 
not only as well for both owner and farmer as is 
usual in England, bat letter, because of our superior 
advantages in climate, markets, etc. ? 
There are large amounts of capital in the East 
looking in vain for investment at from four to six 
per cent. There are also thousands of farms within 
easy reach of our seaboard 'cities, that Instead of 
being worked are “ muxed,” as a Jersey friend of 
mine puts it, the condition probably standing at its 
worst, as a rale, where the occupant is a tenant. 
Now, is this situation without remedy ? Why 
would it ncft pay for men who have capital aud 
some knowledge of, and taste for, farming (al¬ 
though in other business), to buy these farms,— 
they are always for sale-rent to a first-lass farmer 
“ on shares,” spend some money in improving the 
land, and “push things'” generally ? I say on shares, 
Dynamometers, or Force Measurers. 
The working of all machinery requires power or 
force, and it is of great importance to be able to 
Fig. 2_— DYNAMOMETER, OK FORCE-MEASURER 
because, under the present condition of fanning, 
probably, with a fixed money rent, the temptation 
would be for the owner to negleet and for the 
farmer to “skin” the land. It seems reasonable 
that such a double team should be able to do much 
more with a farm than any one party of moderate 
1 means. I should be glad to see some comments 
and criticisms on these points. If it can be shown 
that much of the capital now made a foot-bail of in 
Fig. 2,— ELLIPTIC DYNAMOMETER. 
our large cities, can be profitably put against the 
skill and labor of farmers who have means to 
properly stock and work a farm, but not sufficient to 
buy it, I think a long step forward will have been 
made in the agriculture of the Eastern and Middle 
States. Philadelphia. 
Fig. 3.— DYNAMOMETER, in COMPACT FORM : S, S, spring ; F, cross-lever. 
measure this force. To this end Dynamometers 
have been constructed. The simplest form of the 
power or force-measurers—for that is the meaning 
of their name—is shown in figure 1, and consists of 
a coiled spring encased in b, bearing an index, a, 
which moves along a graduated scale as the coil is 
extended. One end of the Dynamometer is fas¬ 
tened to the object upon which the force acts, as a 
plow or mowing machine, and the other is attached 
to the source of the power or force; the horse, ox, 
or steam engine. It is evident that this instrument 
in its simplest form is only a very strong and heavy 
spriDg balance, and is used for “ weighing ” the 
force exerted by a horse, for example, instead of 
the pull of gravity as the balance does in simple 
weighing. The amount of force to draw a plow, 
for example, is shown by the place the index takes 
upon the scale. A second form of Dynamometer 
is shown in figure 2. The ends of the oval spring, 
Q, Q, are attached to the draught and object drawn. 
The greater the force exerted the nearer the sides 
of the spring will be brought together, and the 
amount of power is shown by the pointer, 
which is moved along the scale by the rod, 
E, pressing on the base of the pointer. A 
third form of Dynamometer is shown in 
figure 3, bringing the spring, S, S, aud the 
graduated scale near together, thus mak¬ 
ing the instrument more compact. In the first and 
second forms there is a great inconvenience - 
and lack of accuracy arising from the rapid .-- 
vibrations of the index caused by the un- _ 
equal resistance of the object at different 
moments, and the unsteady motion of the 
horses. The trouble is removed in the third 
kind, by attaching to one end of the index, 
E, a piston which works in a cylinder, C, filled 
with oil. The piston has a small hole 
through which the oil passes from one side 
to the other as the draught varies aud causes 
the piston to move, and does away with any 
sadden or jerking motion. A more ac¬ 
curate instrument is the Self-recording 
Dynamometer, which marks all the vibra 
tions upon a strip of blank paper by means 
of a pencil fixed on the index. The paper 
is moved along slowly by being placed on 
two rollers, one of which unwinds the paper 
the merits of a plow, mowing machine, etc., is 
greater than it might seem at first sight. Two 
plows may do the same work, and do it equally 
well; but the Dynamometer may show that one re¬ 
quires a fourth more force than 
the other. There would be a great 
saving in such a case in buying 
the plow with the lighter draught. 
Figure 6 is the Dynamometer now 
much in use ; it is strikingly sim¬ 
ple in its construction, as the illus¬ 
tration shows, and made by Fair¬ 
banks & Co., of “ Standard Scale ” 
renown. These instruments range 
in capacity from 600 to 2,000 lbs. 
We do not claim that the measure¬ 
ment of the force by the Dyna¬ 
mometer is perfectly accurate, but 
it is acknowledged as an instru¬ 
ment of great value in testing the 
draught of machines, and to its 
use in the various trials of mow¬ 
ers, reapers, plows, etc., at fairs 
and elsewhere, we are doubtless 
indebted to the great improve¬ 
ments in lessening the draught of 
farm implements. When the test 
is made with great care, and the 
trials are of sufficient length and variety, there is 
no other method equal to that of the Dynamometer. 
Autumn Seeding to tlrass.-It is the gen¬ 
eral custom to seed to grass after some grain crop, 
as wheat, oats, or barley ; but when it is desired to 
get a field into grass in the quickest possible tints, 
this practice need not be followed. Grass aud 
clover seed may 
be sown this 
month with the 
probability of 
success. This is 
not without its 
risks; a dry spell 
may prevent the Fig. 4.— self-recording dyna- 
seedfrom gerrai- mometer. 
nating until the season of growth is pretty well 
passed, when only a poor “ catch ” will be obtained. 
A shelter to the young grass and clover plants that 
will protect them from the hot sun, and at the 
same time prevent the soil from becoming too dry, 
is very desirable: For this purpose no crop is bet¬ 
ter adapted than white turnips, which grow quick¬ 
ly, and with their broad leaves make a protection 
to the grass seed and young plants, and shade for 
the soil. For the good of the grass it is not best to 
have the turnips grow very large, otherwise there _ 
may be danger from smotheriug ; but a fair yield' 
—Motion of/taper 
300 
B ll 11 
ill ii .litl 260 
i!M; 
Mil 
240 
L « 
mi 
'Mil 
220 
,!r'l l! 
:l ' 
unri 
200 
Plliiiii iiifi iii 
180 
160 
ii' 11 ' 
140 
• 
120 
I 
100 
1 
All 
60 
40 
2*L 
upon the other. The rollers which carry the pa¬ 
per are turned by a wheel running on the ground, 
and giving its motion to the rollers through an 
endless chain, and working the cogwheel of an end¬ 
less screw. A Self-recording Dynamometer is shown 
in figure 4, and a portion of the paper showing the 
record is given in figure 5; the short lines, a, b, 
show the quick changes of the index. With this 
attachment a permanent register is made of the 
force required for the working of different imple¬ 
ments, and with an accuracy beyond dispute. 
The importance of a force test in deciding upon 
Fig. 5.— MARKINGS OF THE SELF-RECORDING DYNAMOMETER. 
of turnips may be secured with no danger to the 
grass. The turnips sho'uld be pulled early, at 
which time the clover will be well started, and will 
soon thicken up aud cover the ground before win- 
Fig. 6. 
ter sets in. With a good dressing of manure, an 
early start may be secured in the spring, and a 
good crop of hay or a fine pasture results. When 
the soil is continuously moist, deep and mellow, 
