1880.] 
AMERICAN AGRIC ULT U111ST 
34:7 
ject, says: “I am satisfied that high, dry, firm, 
open, airy situations will be found much less in¬ 
fested with this pest than low, moist situations, 
where there is thick undergrowth, and close, hot 
air.” The most common method to prevent the 
deposit of eggs is the tarring of the nose, which 
should be done at frequent intervals during the fly 
season. After the grubs or larvae are once seated 
in the nostrils, it is a difficult matter to remove 
them. The use of some irritating substance that 
will produce violent sneezing is, perhaps, the only 
method to be pursued. 
Among the Farmers—No. 56. 
BY ONE OP THEM. 
Since I wrote last, I have been at a plow trial. The 
managers of the trial were conscientiously earnest 
about having a trial of plows which would develop 
their best points for general utility. I am rather 
old-fogyish, and stick to an old-fashioned 19i plow 
(with a reversible point, however,) as the best plow 
I know of for my light team and gravelly, stony 
soil; but this did not hinder the Secretary from 
asking me to come out and try the dynamometer on 
the plows. I did that, and a good 
deal more, for I watched that whole 
trial, and criticised it well—in my 
own mind. Not being a member of 
the committee, but only an adjunct, 
I discussed nothing except the draft 
with them, and do not know which 
plow won the prize. The trial was 
in this wise: Each plow had its 
plowman, who drove his own team, 
and who was coached by his princi¬ 
pal and all his friends. The teams 
were all started at about the same 
time, making a sort of a plowing 
match of it. Each plow-man plowed 
a quarter of an acre of beautiful flat, mellow land. 
The first half was laid with flat furrows; on the 
rest, the furrows lapped. At the close, the plows 
and teams all came to a plot selected for the pur¬ 
pose, where the draft of the plows was tested. I 
was surprised at several results. We tested all 
the plows first with a 
“jointer,” or “skim” 
—that is, with a small 
plow attached like a 
coulter to the beam. 
The jointer cuts less 
thau half the width of 
the plow, running only 
about two inches deep, 
and folds half the sod 
over upon the other 
half, and then the whole 
is rolled over into the 
furrow by the plow 
After this, the plows 
I was surprised to find 
of the standard, and, it would seem, should cut the 
sod and grass-roots much easier, but it appears that 
the advantages of the deep-cut are more than offset 
by the power required to force the coulter through 
the ground to that depth. Let us suppose that 
figs. 1 and 2 represent coulters attached to plow- 
beams. Fig. 1 is supposed to cut an inch, and is set 
where the furrow-slice just begins to be lifted by 
the share, driven as a wedge under it, which is the 
proper place, and varies with the depth. Figure 
2 shows a coulter set forward, and considerably 
deeper, while Fig. 2 shows one nearly perpendicu¬ 
lar. The lightest draft occurred with a coulter set 
as shown at fig. 1. Doubtless the roots part easier 
for being slightly strained, and the very small depth 
of the cut is sufficient. Fig. 2 is a faulty position, 
both as to depth and angle. We were discussing 
the question why it was that the jointer showed 
less draft than the coulter, and came to these con¬ 
clusions : In the first place, the cut of the jointer 
is very shallow, hence consumes little power; then 
the weight of the slice when turned is laid over 
upon the outer edge of the main furrow-slice, as 
shown in figure 3, relieving the plow of its weight 
where it would have to lift it, and placing it where 
Fig. 1. — COULTER HIGH. 
were tested with coulters, 
that all the plows showed less draft with the joint¬ 
ers than with the coulters. It was shown also that, 
in this soil—and it is probably true of other soils, 
except those full of very tough roots—a mere 
scratch of the coulter 
cutting possibly an inch 
and often less, answer¬ 
ed every purpose, en¬ 
abling the plow to turn 
a true, straight-edged 
furrow, and with nota¬ 
bly less draft than if the 
coulter were set as low 
as is customary. I have 
always felt as if the 
coulter ought to be in 
the ground “deep 
enough to do some good,” never having the idea 
that an inch-cut was just as good, and better, than 
a three or four-inch one, besides making a saving 
of at least 50 lbs. in the draft, but such seems to 
be the case. 
It is clear that it takes much less power to draw 
a coulter if it cuts but one inch, than one cutting 
four inches. Now, the coulter is, or should be, 
sharper than the edge of the mould-board in front 
Fig. 2.— COULTER LOW. 
it helps by its own weight in the turning. The fig¬ 
ures indicate the lift of the furrow-slice and the 
corresponding position of the outer edge. 
In most soils it requires half as much again 
power to draw a plow seven inches deep as to draw 
it six. This we saw illustrated in the difficulty the 
committee had to make the plowmen hold to a 
seven-inch furrow, and the difference it made m the 
indications of the dynamometer whether or not that 
depth was kept. When two inches are taken off 
the top, of course, that is to a degree equivalent to 
plowing only five inches deep. The plow detaches, 
lifts, twists, turns, and in these operations crumbles 
the furrow-slice, and the thinner it is, the more 
easily will each one of these operations be done. 
As to the Testing- of Plows. 
As it was, it was interesting, but so is a horse- 
trot, no matter how much jockeying is going on. 
It was very funny to see how well the plowman and 
his principal understood each other 
“ Put her down there—put her down, beam deep 
if they want it so,” said the principal ; “ there, 
that’s seven inches—that’s eight, easy enough. 
How does that read on your “dymoneter.”—“ Only 
six and a half deep, anyway,” said the committee¬ 
man, “and there’s no use in taking down the indi¬ 
cations of the dynamometer.” 
“Let her go down, then; raise the wheel; let 
out your trace-chains: get her down some way,” 
repeats the principal, just as honestly as if he meant 
it; but the shrewd plowman only pretends to do 
what he is told, and bears down hard enough on 
the handles to more than balance the difference. So 
it went, more or less, but enough to vitiate the re¬ 
sults, and so it will always be, if the plowman is 
personally interested in securing unfair results. 1 
understand that the committee suggest that, if an¬ 
other trial be held, the work shall be done before 
the committee inspect it, under the direction of the 
superintendent, or of some suitable person, of 
course. This may be very wise, for it is very diffi¬ 
cult to separate the plowman and his manner of 
plowing, his team, and the appearance of the plow 
itself from the actual work done, which alone is the 
real criterion, when compared with the power re¬ 
quired. As to a dynamometer test—that is, to 
get accurately at the power required—each plow 
should be driven at different depths, accurately 
gauged at different widths of furrows, with differ¬ 
ent attachments—that is, with coulters, coulter- 
shares, jointers, and revolving coulters ; and all the 
plows should be held by one man, and drawn by the 
same team, and that a much more powerful one 
than is necessary, and one to which the plowman is 
accustomed. 1 think that excellent, satisfactory, 
and very useful results might be thus attained. 
Smoke-house, Ash-pit, and Boiler-house. 
Some Litchfield County farmer folks are planning 
a building to serve as a smoke-house, ash-pit, and 
boiler-house, and consulted me. I send you a 
sketch of the plan proposed. They have a grove 
of maples, the remains of an ancient sugar-bush, 
and this furnishes them all the sugar they ueed 
throughout the year, i therefore introduced a 
Cook’s Evaporator, which is for boiling far supe¬ 
rior to a kettle or cauldron ; though the kettle- v; 
necessary for heating water, and for boiling pig-feed. 
The walls of the building will be of stone, not 
less than 14 inches thick, laid in cement mortar, 
the inner walls a foot thick. The ash-pit is planned 
to occupy nearly the whole of the 6 by 6 smoke¬ 
house ; room being left at the door to enter and 
set the fire, which is placed under a stone slab laid 
in the wall, as in fig. 5, 14 to 16 inches above the 
ground, with an opening at the back in the rounded 
corner. This inner wall is three feet high, with 
good top stones, so that it may be used to stand 
upon to hang the bacon. Figure 4 shows how the 
roof should be framed, so that the smoke-house 
may be ceiled with tongued and grooved boards, 
ventilation being provided at the chimney, and in 
the door besides, if necessary. The door should 
be close-fitted and strong. The ash-pit should have 
an opening for taking out the ashes, made to fit a 
good-sized flagging-stone, by which it is to be closed 
on the outside. This hole should be made per¬ 
fectly tight by plastering around the stone door 
with clay and wet ashes. The kettle is 6et in brick, » 
the fire-place opening towards the side door. The 
plan includes a Cook’s Evaporator for sap or sor¬ 
ghum juice. When this is used, the fire is made 
under the end of the evaporator pan, set in 
brick, the flue passing under the kettle, K. This 
flue must be closed by an iron slide when not in use, 
and the door of the kettle furnace must be closed 
Fig. 5.— PLAN OP BOILER- AND SMOKE-HOUSE 
up and plastered up with clay, if necessary when 
the evaporator is used. The sap, drsl put into the 
well-cleaned kettle, would have the chill taken . If 
from it at least, and perhaps get quite hot before 
