42 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
their manners, and did not try to be otherwise ; 
they dressed as well “ as they could afford,” 
they said, but the same money, with taste and 
skill, would have given them the appearance of 
dressing a hundred times better. 
There was enough spentjn furniture, but it 
was little better than wasted, because it was 
spoiled for want of care, and arranged with no 
regard to comfort or taste, j r et she who presided, 
thought she was a pattern house-keeper, and 
had every thing in the nicest order. She had 
no system, no plan, no efficiency. I was a very 
little child when I used to run in there and see 
how things were done, and have often since 
thought how applicable to her was the saying, 
“she could work all day in half a bushel;” for 
she never had any thing done. She did not like 
rising early in the morning, therefore on wash¬ 
ing-days, ironing-days, churning-days, and bak¬ 
ing-days, the wash-room, kitchen, and dairy- 
room were in a perfect turmoil; and these days 
came so often, that there was no day in the 
week in which one of them did not come. So 
it was enough to make any one, young or old, 
abhor the very name and thought of house¬ 
work, who saw it performed as it was under her 
supervision. 
But keeping house and doing house-work 
should be, and can be, pleasant to every woman; 
but there is no sphere in which she is called to 
walk, that requires her to have a mind so well 
disciplined and an education so thorough. We 
will see the transformation which is made in the 
old farm-house by one who is thus qualified for 
her office. 
CLAIMS OF AGRICULTURAL PATENTS 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 14, 1854. 
Rotary Cutivators.— G. B. Field, of St. 
Louis, Mo.: I claim the construction of the 
ratary cultivating cylinder, made of cutting 
plates or spades, and interposed pushing or 
clearing boards for removing the earth, as des¬ 
cribed. 
I claim the arrangement of the shield plates 
on the shaft, for the purposes set forth. 
I claim the arrangement of the rotary har¬ 
row, sustained above the ground and in the rear 
of the cultivating cylinder for breaking and 
pulverizing the falling earth. 
Smut Machines. —Lewis Fagin, Cincinnati, 
Ohio,: I claim my method, or its substantial 
equivalent, of arranging a blowing apparatus 
where the upper or suction fan takes the air at 
the center and discharges on the periphery, to 
precede (on the same shaft) a scouring mill, for 
the purpose of taking from grain the smut, 
chaff, &c., before the scouring process is com¬ 
menced and afterwards thoroughly scour the 
same: thus constituting the cleansing and 
scouring processes the duty of a single machine 
as described. 
I also claim the cylinder hopper and feed pipe 
as arranged, or their equivalents, and for the 
purpose described. 
I also claim the collar as arranged for the 
purpose described. 
I also claim the guide as arranged and for the 
purpose described. 
I also claim the scouring cones severally and 
collectively with their circular and horizontal 
grooves and perforated terraces, or their equiv¬ 
alent, and in combination with the conical fan 
and beater, as described. 
Form of Scythes.— J. W. Robinson, of Kirk¬ 
land, N. Y.: I claim the form which is given to 
the back and web of the scythe, as described, 
whether the web starts from the center of the 
back, or elsewhere except from the edge. 
Mold Boards of Plows. — E. M. Bard, of 
Philadelphia, Pa. : I do not claim to be the in¬ 
ventor "of the combination of cutters or rakes 
with cultivators or plows, for enabling the latter 
to perform two functions at the same time. 
I claim securing the cutters in openings 
formed in the inold-board at the points, and in 
the inclined positions outward and backward, 
represented so as to enable the lower forward 
cutters to cut and loosen the soil preparatory to 
its being overturned, and the other cutters to 
more thoroughly pulverize it as the body of 
earth is thrown over, and the cutters from their 
peculiar inclined position, to disengage them¬ 
selves from weeds and other obstacles, as they 
pass the same, the several parts being as des¬ 
cribed. 
Rotary Cultivators. —Philander Shaw, of 
Abington, Mass.: I claim the described method 
of hanging and operating the spades, &c., they 
being applied in one or more vibrating sets to a 
rotary frame, each spade being hinged to the 
frame and made to turn through the sector of a 
circle and provided with stops, and a stud to act 
against a stationary cam, as described, the whole 
being applied together and to a carriage or 
frame, and made to operate so as not only to 
dip into and raise earth, but to perform the 
office of impelling along on the ground the 
whole machine, as specified. 
Machines for making Shovel Handles.—R. 
D. Bartlett, of Bangor, Me.: 1 claim the com¬ 
bination and arrangement of the bed, the rotary 
holder, one or more vertical movable cutters, 
and one or more stationary cutters, as made to 
operate together and form the D or head part of 
the shovel handle, as specified. 
And I claim the combination of the curved 
knife and the arc knife, so applied together as 
not only to allow them to be separated for the 
purpose of being ground, but to enable them to 
cut out the opening of the shovel handle, as 
specified. 
I claim also the combination applied to the 
shaft of the rotary holder and gear wheel, for 
the purpose of operating the holder, as specified, 
the said combination consisting of the cam 
blocks, the arm, the spring bolt, its cam, and 
the two studs, the whole constructed and ope¬ 
rated together, as specified. 
Seed Planters. —Ohas. W. Billings, of South 
Deerfield, Mass.: 1 claim linking or otherwise 
equivalently attaching the pulverizing gauges 
to the draught bar, in such a manner that the 
gauges are raised or lowered to regulate the 
depth of furrow to be cut, by elevating or de¬ 
pressing the draught bar to its proper pitch or 
height l'or the draught at a given depth of fur¬ 
row, and whereby the draught bar and gauges 
are simultaneously raised or lowered, as set 
forth. 
I also claim the combinations and arrange¬ 
ment of the vibrating seed segment slides geared 
together by cogs or teeth on their peripheries 
and operating in unison, as set forth. 
I also claim the manner of pivoting or joint¬ 
ing (he vibrating segments at their centers of 
motion, by constructing the jointing pin with 
projecting ears or lips, and forming the joint 
hole of a key-hole shape, as described. 
I further claim, in combination with seed dis¬ 
tributing slides, the employment of double-act¬ 
ing spring clearing slides, arranged so as to be 
capable of lateral movement in either direction, 
and made self-adjusting to their original posi¬ 
tion, as specified. 
Seed Planters. —Welcome Sprague, of Elli- 
cottsville, N. Y.: I claim the combination of the 
hollow hub or grain reservoir with the tubes, 
piston, and rods, operated by the cam grooves, 
or its equivalent on the diaphram, the whole ar¬ 
ranged as set forth, for the purpose of insuring 
the deposit of the seed in the soil. 
Seed Planters.— J. G. Macfarlane, of Perry 
County, Pa.: I claim the combination of the ac¬ 
tion of the levers, cams, spring, and the weight 
of the scraper, to clean the wheel. 
Grain Harvesters. —Daniel S. Middlekauff, 
of Hagerstown, Md.: first, I claim the rotary 
knives or cutters, the edges of which pass by 
each other for the purpose of forming a contin- 
ous edge for the purpose of cutting the grain. 
Second: I claim the reels and the spring ketch 
and projection on the wheel in combination with 
the apron, for the purpose of supporting the 
grain in an inclined position as described. 
Miscellaneous. 
BUYERS AND SELLERS. 
Our country friends are perhaps little aware 
of the methods practised in this city, to learn 
the circumstances of traders in other cities and 
towns. We will not explain the minutiae of the 
system, but as a matter of interest give a brief 
outline. There are several large establishments 
employing a large number of clerks, whose whole 
business it is to learn the exact means and busi¬ 
ness-standing of every merchant or trader in the 
United States. There is a secret resident agent 
of these establishments in every town of any 
importance in the country, who keeps them con¬ 
tinually advised as to the financial operations of 
every trading man in their vicinity. These re¬ 
ports which are recorded in convenient books 
for reference, relate to the real estate, amount 
of debts, business character, wealth of relatives, 
Ac., of the trader. Any doubtful turn in his 
business is at once telegraphed to this city, and 
is perhaps known here before it has got to a 
third neighbor. We will give an example to 
illustrate how this system operates. 
Last week a merchant, Mr. G-, from the 
village of M-, Illinois, called into one of our 
wholesale stores, and wished to purchase $600 
of goods on a credit of six months. As soon as 
his name and location were learned, a messenger 
was privately sent to the Mercantile Agency to 
make inquiries, and in the meantime a clerk was 
busy showing the general assortment of goods. 
In twenty minutes the messenger returned to 
the counting-room with the following record: 
“Town of M-, Ill., Jan. 1st, 1854. Mr. 
G- has been doing a showy business, said 
to have made some money—will probably suc¬ 
ceed in business, though somewhat doubtful. 
Has recently married a fashionable wife, and 
they are supporting a style beyond their means. 
Were it not for this, he might be put down as 
tolerably fair.” 
The wholesale merchant after reading this, 
gives a knowing look to his clerk, and the prices 
of goods take a sudden rise. If Mr. G. buys in 
that store, he will pay at least 10 per cent, higher 
than his neighbor who has a good credit at 
home. The wholesale dealers must charge more 
to such characters to make up for risk. The 
moral of this is, that the farmers may expect to 
buy goods cheapest of those merchants who 
have a good capital, and whose families do not 
by extravagance destroy their credit, at home 
as well as abroad. In the case alluded to, it is 
useless for Mr. G. to try to buy cheaper at other 
stores in the city, for every other dealer has ac¬ 
cess to the same means of learning his character, 
and they will be pretty sure to know him thor¬ 
oughly before they trust him upon any of his 
own representations. We make these state¬ 
ments in part to introduce the following extract 
from the Tribune of 20th inst., under the head¬ 
ing of “ Buyers and Sellers.” It is as follows: 
Wc have seldom seen, so early in the season, 
so large a number of merchants from abroad as 
now fill the hotels, and go darting about from 
