QOS 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Fig. 1. 
“Farm Mills.” 
Notwithstanding all that lias been said by 
writers and advertisers, during a few years past, 
respecting the advantages of having a mill upon 
every farm, we have been inclined to doubt 
whether they are generally economical, that 
is for persons living in the vicinity of an ordi¬ 
narily good Grist Mill, run by a miller who will 
not take more than the legal or stipulated “ toll.” 
To attempt to manufacture flour and meal at 
home on every farm, is too much like sticking 
to the old spinning wheel and family loom, 
when cloth can be made so much better and 
cheaper at a well organized factory. As a rule, 
the greater the “ division of labor,” the better 
and cheaper can all mechanical operations be 
performed. Still, where horse or steam power 
machinery is employed on a farm for other pur¬ 
poses, and especially where a grist mill is only 
accessible by several miles of cartage, and that 
over a poor road, it will not unfrequently be 
found economical to do the coarser grinding and 
crushing on some one of the small “ farm mills ” 
that are now to be obtained quite cheaply. "\Ve 
fully believe in the economy of grinding, or 
crushing all hard skinned grains, like oats, corn, 
millet, etc., before feeding them to stock, and 
access to some kind of mill is therefore needed. 
There are also many localities, especially in 
new, or sparsely settled countries, where, owing 
to the lack of flouring mills, it will be found ex¬ 
pedient, and even necessary to grind the wheat 
and corn used for home consumption, with some 
kind of a cheap, simple flouring mill.-For 
some time past we have kept watch of the vari¬ 
ous cheap iron mills brought before the public, 
and latterly we have been inclined to give the 
preference to what is called the “ People’s Mill,” 
where the only use, for which it is required, is to 
grind or crush coarse grain for farm stock. Re¬ 
cently we have examined and witnessed in op¬ 
eration a cheap mill made by Rennet Brothers, 
(under Sanford’s Patent,) in which the grinding 
surfaces are of the genuine French Burr Stone. 
Taking into account its durability, simplicity, 
and especially the fact that the same mill will 
grind coarse meal, or fine flour if necessary, it 
would seem to be adapted to general use, par¬ 
ticularly in the localities referred to above, 
wdiere grinding flour 
and fine meal at home 
may be required. Fig. 2, 
shows one of these mills 
with one side removed 
to exhibit the mternal 
construction. The re¬ 
volving cylinder, and 
bed, B , B, are both made 
of French Burr Stone, 
the same material that 
is used for large stones 
in the best flouring mills. 
By loosening the screws 
on the rod G, the stones 
are separated and easily 
cleaned or sharpened. 
The grain is fed through 
the hopper, A, whence 
it is conveyed in to the 
grinding surfaces in reg¬ 
ular quantities by means 
of an ingenious adjust¬ 
ing screw, with a large 
thread. The ground 
meal falls out through 
the spout, below. By 
turning the screw, F, 
the grinding surfaces are brought nearer together 
for fine grinding, or separated for coarse stuff. 
By means of the band wheel, B, the mill is con¬ 
nected with horse or other power. The mill it¬ 
self can be enclosed in a box H by 3 feet. 
In the larger cut, fig. 1, the mill is set upon a 
box supplied with a wire-clotli cylindrical bolt, 
K. The ground stuff falls into the cylinder at 
the right hand, and passing along it as it re¬ 
volves, the finer flour or meal is deposited in the 
right hand division, S, of the box below; the 
coarser portions fall into, 1 1 and the hulls or 
bran fall out of the end into the measure, B. 
The other parts of the apparatus are sufficiently 
indicated in the engraving. These mills are of 
different sizes, with a guaranteed capacity 
of grinding from 5 to 40 or more bushels of 
feed per hour, according to the size, and the 
amount of power used. The cost varies from 
$100 to $170 each; the smallest size for horse¬ 
power being $100 without flour bolt, and $150 
with the bolt. 
■-----a«*>—•—- «■-■ 
How to Clean a Miller’s Bolt. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist. 
In reply to the query of C. C. Fuller in the 
August Agriculturist , page 228, I would say that 
prevention is better than cure. The bolt should 
have a good supply of pure, dry air. The grind¬ 
ing should be done with as little friction of the 
stones as possible; when that is properly done, 
there will be but little difficulty with the bolts, 
so that by throwing in a quart of unground rye, 
when the bolts are in motion, they can be 
thoroughly cleaned in five minutes. 
If by neglect the bolt becomes clogged, I have 
used a small whip to good advantage; it should 
be carefully used, and the knots trimmed 
smooth, so as not to fracture the cloth. Some¬ 
times a bolt can be cleaned by carefully shaving 
the outside with a knife or a razor; then 
attach a stiff brush to a handle, the length of the 
bolt, to clean the inside: care should be taken 
not to raise the fuzz. Washing should be the 
last resort, and if not very carefully done, it is 
worse than useless. If you attempt to wash the 
cloth without taking it from the reel, you will 
probably shut as many meshes, as you will 
open, besides the cloth will likely break by 
shrinking. You can, with care and clean, cold 
water, wash the cloth, so that it will do very 
well, if you take it from the reel, but then you 
will have to supply a piece of new cloth, to fill 
up the shrinkage. G. B. Slack. 
Wayne Co., Pa. 
Insurance on Farm Animals. 
Buildings, vessels, and the lives of men are 
insured with profit to the community generally, 
and to the companies who engage in the busi¬ 
ness ; why not insure the lives of animals ? As¬ 
sociations for this purpose exist in Europe, and 
in one or two instances in this country we be¬ 
lieve, but there is no general system of insurance 
for stock, sijcli as is established to cover losses 
by fire. The risks and losses to which owners 
of horses, cattle, and other farm animals are 
subject, is sufficient to call for such an organiza¬ 
tion. The death of a single horse sometimes 
entails a loss equal to the burning of a building; 
a flock of sheep may be damaged hundreds of 
dollars in a single night by a worthless dog; 
and the loss of a poor man’s cow is a severe 
family affliction. A weil regulated live stock 
insurance company is needed to meet such cases. 
We can imagine no objection against such an 
organization which will not apply equally against 
all insurance. It may be said, that insurance of 
animals’ lives will make their owners more care¬ 
less of their safety and thrift. But such excep¬ 
tional cases can easily be guarded against by 
taking risks only up to a certain amount, say 75 
per cent of the value of an animal; and further¬ 
more, it could be expressly stipulated that prop¬ 
er attention should be given to the health and 
judicious use of the animal, under penalty of loss 
of the policy. 
There might be a direct inducement to better 
care of stock, by refusing to issue policies for an¬ 
imals unsheltered in Winter, and otherwise neg¬ 
lected ; or by granting them only upon payment 
of high rates of premium. We commend the sub¬ 
ject to the attention of Agricultural Societies and 
Farmers’ Clubs. 
Effect of Hungarian Grass on Horses. 
A few complaints of the effect of Hungarian 
Grass, or millet, on horses, and many inquiries 
on the subject have been from time to time re¬ 
ceived at the office of the American Agriculturist, 
Some have attributed the disorder called the 
“Stiffs” to the use of this fodder. We 'ave 
not seen an animal so affected, but judge, from 
the description given, that it is a form of inflam 
mation, such as might arise from over-feeding, 
or injudicious working of a horse after long 
confinement and high keeping. Millet seed is 
very strong feed, and when the grass is allowed 
to ripen, and is fed untlireshed in large quanti 
ties, its effects might be the same as feeding 
with corn or other highly concentrated food 
