70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
lies on ihe ground lor culling grass. Now put the 
machine to work on uneven ground, and it will be 
constantly throwing up the end of the cutter bar 
at C, to as high an angle as it can possibly work at 
D, which is about 13 degrees. As the end of the 
cutter bar atC, rises towards D , the knives begin to 
hind in the fingers—the grass is skipped and most¬ 
ly left uncut—the cutter bar moves back and forth 
so hard that it adds greatly to the draft of the ma¬ 
chine—often entirely stopping it—the knives 
choke—breakages of various parts of the machine 
follow—and there is amend of its cutting till the 
machine can be repaired. I am told by a friend 
familiar with the facts, that almost every connect¬ 
ing rodorcuttei bar, or some other parts, broke in 
16 machines which were used in or near Warren, 
Trumbull Co., Ohio, in the season of 1856; and 
he was informed that these breakages were nearly 
as numerous in other places where they were used. 
The manufacturers professed to have obviated all 
these defects in the season of 1857 ; but I under¬ 
stand the complaints of breakages and bad work¬ 
ing of the cutter bar, &c., were almost as numer¬ 
ous this season as ever. In my humble opinion, 
the “double joint ” and accommodating finger 
board, which found so great favor with the Com¬ 
mittee reporting on them, will be given up as 
worthless after a year or two more of abortive 
trials. 
Cunning enough were the owners of this ma¬ 
chine in declining to operate it on the first and 
most important day's Trial at Syracuse, where 
there were a few small stones and the surface of 
the field a little rough Its more than half broth¬ 
er, No. 19. Miller Aultman’s—Ball, Aultman 
& Co., very soon broke down, and was no more 
heard of that day. Was it surprising that the 
public then present drew their conclusions that 
the same fate would have attended No. 18, E. 
Ball’s invention—Ball, Aultman & Co. I Yet to 
the wonder and indignation of every one know¬ 
ing the facts of the case, it seems that a majority 
of the Judges did not coincide with the public in 
its “ conclusions but with an impudence which 
knows few parallels, they took it for granted that 
this machine would have worked perfectly well on 
that eventful day, and gave it the First Prize ; 
thereby endeavoring so far as they could, to add 
hundreds of thousands of dollars to the value of the 
Patent I 
Was not one of the most influential Judges in 
this decision an agent for this machine at Colum¬ 
bus, Ohio! I pause fora rpply. H. L. 
Svr.icuse, N. Y., Feb. 9th, 1858. 
[From another Correspondent.] 
To the Editor o) the American Agriculturist : 
I have read with interest “ H. L.’s ” Review 
of the Report of the Committee on Trial of Ag¬ 
ricultural Implements at Syracuse. 
The errors, inaccuracies, mis-statements, and 
wrong calculations therein, are unworthy of the 
U. S. Agricultural Society, and the Report ought 
to be suppressed. My attention has been called to 
a letter of the chairman of the committee, in 
which he admits some of the errors, and particu¬ 
larly in reference to the Ketchum Machine. I own, 
frankly, I am a “ Ketchum man,” and witnessed 
the trial, and know great injustice has been done 
that machine. The Hon. Chairman admits, that 
the weight is staled at about 100 pounds too 
much, and that the draft is 102 pounds too much, 
with this correction, it being the lightest draft of 
any machine in the field. I regard these as errors 
vyholly inexcusable. He also admits that “ he 
cannot say certainly whether ” thp cpt of Wood’s 
Machine is stated at 54 or 64 inches. Everybody 
knows it was not 64, and the chairman ought to 
have known its precise length. The Report also 
states, that - Ketchum’s Machine advances six 
inches to one vibration of the knife. Well, this 
machine must do wonders, if it can cut six inches 
with one stroke. There are many such covert 
hits at the Ketchum Machine, mistakes and 
errors being always against it and some other 
machines, that stood in the way of the favorite, 
Query—Will the society withhold the premiums! 
Are the Prices of “Blooded” Stock 
Going to Fall. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
I am a breeder of blooded cattle, and have thus 
far succeeded satisfactorily, both in rearing stock, 
and sales. The stock trade, generally, has been 
active for several years past, and prices remuner¬ 
ating to the farmer and breeder, at large. What 
is to be the effect of the present reaction in com¬ 
mercial affairs, and the scarcity of money, upon 
the prices of meats in the United States, and upon 
our better classes of stock—particularly blooded, 
or fancy cattle, sheep, &c 1 
Yours,- 
REMARKS. 
We embrace this opportunity to give an opinion 
on so direct and important a question as the 
above. In the first place : because we know it to 
be mentally the query of many a choice slock 
breeder throughout the country, who fears, al¬ 
most, to ask the question openly; and, in the 
second place, to state a fact, or two, concerning 
such stock, itself. 
We, Americans, are a nervous, spasmodic, and 
excitable people, in our feelings and actions, and 
in nothing more so than in matters of trade, and 
occupation. Twenty years ago we were importing 
Short-Horn, Hereford, and Devon cattle—Short- 
Horn, chiefly; Longwooled and South Down 
sheep, and swine—chiefly Berkshire. Prices were 
high, and sales frequent. In four years from that 
time, meats of all kind had fallen to ruinously 
low prices, hardly worth the raising; and im¬ 
proved stock fell down to zero, in prices, yet not 
in intrinsic value. But sales were few, and prices 
nominal. With better times, and the increase of 
our exports of meats, prices of all farm stock 
rose rapidly, until they became too high , in reality, 
and so they held until within a few months past, 
during which they have rapidly receded, although 
not to what may be termed a really low figure. 
Experience, however, had taught us, during the 
years of low prices, the comparative value of our 
domestic, or native breeds of stock, by the side 
of those crossed with, or having an infusion of 
the “ improved ” blood in their veins. The latter 
could be bred, reared, and marketed at a profit, 
while on the other, there was either no profit at 
all, or a positive loss. Consequently, when 
meats rose in price, the material to make those 
meats the most profitable to the farmer rose in 
value, also ; and for the last five or six years, nu¬ 
merous catalogues of foreign cattle, sheep, and 
swine, have been imported from England, to 
cross upon our old importations, and to breed a- 
new—at prices, too, higher than ever were known 
before in this country, and also of quality in the 
animals themselves, far superior. Their sales 
have been rapid, and they have been widely dis¬ 
seminated throughout the stock-breeding States. 
The consequence of all this is : the material of 
our meats has been greatly improved ; our stock¬ 
breeders are enabled, in cattle, to get their beeves 
to market, one to two, and even three years 
younger, with greater weights than before—and 
Comparatively so, with our mutton and pork; 
and all at jess cost for the same time in keeping, 
than with out old, unimproved stork. With this 
experience, therefore, we cannot afford to fall 
back, nor to stand still. The stock-breeder, the 
grazier, and the feeder for market must go on, 
and still further improve, if he means to make his 
buisness profitable. Prices, although they have 
fallen considerably, have not fallen ruinously, nor 
wilt they. We have had an alamiing money 
panic throughout the land. It has been dread¬ 
fully violent; but from that very violence it will 
be all the more temporary. The country is full 
of enterprize, industry, and hopefulness. We 
cannot afford to lie still, and must, of necessity, 
go on. The world still revolves, anil California 
ami Australia still yield gold, and so, good, blooded 
stock will retain its value. Sales may be slower 
for a time, and prices may be somewhat lower 
than they have been for two or three years past, 
but their permanent value will not be lessened. 
Our farmers now know the worth of that kind of 
stock ; they must have it continually to build, and 
level up their old stock with, or suffer in the 
sales of their beelj pork, mutton, and wool. Now, 
indeed, are the times to buy, for all who want to 
infuse new blood into their herds and flocks. No 
man who has the ability to hold his valuable 
breeding animals, of any kind, should be alarmed 
at the talk among panic-stricken men—of “ ruin,” 
and “ low prices.” We have just as much confi¬ 
dence in the prospects of the breeders of fine 
stock as ever, and that confidence has neithei 
been slight nor wavering. 
- - < i m ia -^-C L ii" I 1 ^-- 
Antidote to the Rot in Potatoes. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
There are certain substances—some of which 
are also fertilizers—that are almost certain to pre 
vent the rot in potatoes. Peat is an antiseptic— 
that is, counteracts putrefaction or rot. Tan bark 
and charcoal also possess the same anti-rot quali¬ 
ties, in nearly as great a degree. But neither ol 
these substances are fertilizers till decomposed; to 
do which requires a great length of time, or the 
mixture of some other substances with them, such 
as fish or other animal matter, with the peat, for 
example. 
Lime as well as wood ashes is a fertilizer, more 
especially the latter when unleached. In fact, 
unleached ashes will have a greater effect upon 
the grass crop than any other substance which can 
be applied to it, excepting, perhaps, Peruvian 
guano or bone-dust, where the soil has been 
greatly exhausted. The application of lime or 
ashes would not act as a partial preventive to rot 
in the potato, but they would be excellent fertili¬ 
zers to apply to the crop—above all, the ashes 
To ensure a large crop of potatoes and of a su¬ 
perior quality , there is no preparation equal to 
turning a rich pasture sod flat over, a day or two 
only in advance of planting. As you furrow out 
for planting, don’t disturb the sod ; it then decom¬ 
poses about as rapidly as food is required for the 
growing crop. Another great advantage of a sod 
turned flat over, is, few or no weeds spring up 
during the Summer. Rich barn-yard or other 
putrescent manures applied plentifully to the pota¬ 
to crop, is almost certain to bring the rot ; and the 
quality of the potatoes is not so good, as when 
grown on a sod without manure. L. S. 
Wisconsin, February, 1858. 
Smoking Chimneys. 
Jas. H. Stout, of Wheeling, Va., writes that “a 
simple plan to prevent smoke passing down a 
chimney is to makeopenings through each side two 
inches square, and about eighteen inches from the 
