194 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
a rapid descent down the tree. No triumph¬ 
ant plunderer ever felt prouder of his trophy 
than I, and like the kilted Highlander in Rob 
Roy, I could sing : 
“ The eagle, he was lord above, 
And Rob was lord of all below 
I took the eagle down to the fisherman’s 
hut, and after spending an hour or two, be¬ 
gan to consider what to do with the young 
ruffian I had so wantonly caught, for I had 
neither a suitable place nor provisions on 
which to keep him, and wisely concluding 
that the second, if not the better part of valor 
was discretion, I gave him to the owner of 
the hut for his own pastime. 
I saw no more of the eagle for some weeks, 
when I again visited the fisherman, and 
found the young, tawny-looking thing an 
enormous bird, lounging about the door, and 
grown stout and saucy from generous treat¬ 
ment and the fish garbage on which he had 
been profusely fed. 
The next report heard from the young 
savage, a few weeks after, was near being a 
tragic one. The wife of the fisherman hav¬ 
ing occasion one day to go to the shore, a 
few rods distant, after a bucket of water, 
while there she heard a scream from her 
child, which in her caution she had placed 
upon the bed when she left the room. Rush¬ 
ing back, she found the child prostrate on 
the floor, screaming in terror and agony, the 
eagle on its breast, with one claw transfixed 
into its face, and the other, as she approach¬ 
ed, turned up, with open beak, in defiance at 
the mother’s approach. With the quick en¬ 
ergy of a woman in extremity, she struck 
the eagle off with her foot, and caught up 
the child, its face badly cut and bleeding, and 
deposited it at once in a place of safety. 
This done, an ax lay at the door, and that 
eagle died, probably as sudden a death as 
ever malefactor did on execution of any sort 
whatever. The little sufferer, after a few 
weeks’ careful attention, recovered of its 
wound, but with a lasting scar on its temple. 
That was the first and the last of the race 
that we ever attempted to tame, and long 
will the bald eagle “ tower ” over our home¬ 
stead in his “ pride of place,” ere we shall 
seek to disturb his authority. 
The quill of the bald eagle is peculiarly 
hard and elastic, and to those who prefer a 
quill to a metal pen, like ourselves, we com¬ 
mend their use, when they can be obtained. 
We have long used them. 
Cleaning Gun Barrels. —We have some¬ 
where heard of spirits of turpentine as being 
good to use on the swab instead of water in 
cleaning out gun barrels. It strikes us that 
this is a good recommendation, as there 
would be no danger of rusting if this article 
be used. We think, however, that a mixture 
of one part of spirits of turpentine and two 
or three parts of strong alcohol (spirits of 
wine) well shaken together, would be prefer¬ 
able. Cleaned in this way, they will dry and 
be ready for use immediately. 
The mere wants of nature, even when 
nature is refined by education, are few and 
simple ; but the wants of pride and self-love 
are insatiable. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
TRIAL OF MOWERS—IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. 
The undersigned Committee, appointed at 
the last meeting of the Society of Agricul¬ 
ture and Horticulture of Westchester Coun¬ 
ty, to make arrangements for a “ Trial of 
Mowing Machines’’in said County, would 
respectfully give notice that said trial will 
take place on Friday, the 15th of June, inst., 
at precisely 1 o’clock, P. M., at or near the 
farm of Judge Jay, in the town of Bedford, 
2k miles east of Ivatonah Station on the Har¬ 
lem Railroad, and probably the next morn¬ 
ing, while the dew is upon the grass. 
[Judges will be appointed in the manner 
described below :] 
Proprietors and Manufacturers of Ma¬ 
chines are generally invited to present speci¬ 
men machines for trial and exhibition as 
above noticed, and farmers and all interest¬ 
ed, of Westchester and adjoining Counties, 
are invited to attend. 
Notices of entries of machines may be 
given by mail, to A. F. Dickinson, Ivatonah, 
Westchester'Co., N. Y., and machines may 
be shipped to the same direction, via Harlem 
Railroad. June 2, 1855. 
HENRY KEELER, , 
I). VV. SMITH, ( „ 
CALEB MARTINE, > Committee, &c. 
A. F. DICKINSON. ' 
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF AGRICUL¬ 
TURE AND HORTICULTURE OF WESTCHESTER 
COUNTY, N. Y. 
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 9 of 
the Constitution of the Society of Agricul¬ 
ture and Horticulture of Westchester Co., a 
Special Meeting of said Society is called, to 
be held on the 15th of June, inst., at 10 
o’clock, A. M., in the field with the trial of 
mowing machines, at or near the farm of 
Judge Jay, in the town of Bedford, for the 
purpose of appointing judges, voting the 
manner in which the sum of $30, appropri¬ 
ated at the last meeting of said Society, shall 
be expended, and the transaction of such 
other business as the meeting may deem 
necessary. June 2, 1855. 
A. F. DICKINSON, 
Pres’t Soc. Ag. and Ilort. of Westchester Co. 
PRIZES FOR MOWING MACHINES. 
The Trustees of the Massachusetts Socie¬ 
ty for Promoting Agriculture, believing that 
the introduction of labor-saving machines in 
field operations, especially those employed 
in mowing, promises to effect a most bene¬ 
ficial change in the agricultural economy of 
New-England, are desirous of bringing this 
subject to the earnest and immediate atten¬ 
tion of the farmers of Massachusetts. For 
the purpose of forwarding the movement 
now being made in this direction, they offer 
the following premium : 
To the possessor of the mowing machine 
which shall cut during the present season, 
with the greatest economy and to the best 
advantage, not less than fifty acres of grass 
within the State, the machine to be worked 
by horse or ox-power, 
SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS. 
All otherthings being equal, the greatest 
number of acres cut by any one machine ex¬ 
ceeding fifty, would entitle the competitor 
to the premium. 
Every competitor must give notice to the 
Trustees of his intention to compete for the 
premium, on or before the seventeenth of 
June next. He must at the end of the sea¬ 
son or before the tenth day of September 
next furnish satisfactory proof of the number 
of acres cut by the machine during the sea¬ 
son. He must also keep a record of each 
day’s work ; the number of hours actually 
at work in each day ; the number and kind 
of animals employed, stating when any of 
the same, if any, are changed, and the rea¬ 
son therefor ; the name of the maker of the 
machine ; its cost ; if new this season ; any 
accidents or breakages which have occurred 
in working it, and the nature of them and 
how repaired, together with any suggestions 
which may seem useful in preventing a re¬ 
currence of them ; which record shall be 
submitted to the Trustees at the close of the 
working season of the machine. 
Competitors are not precluded from com¬ 
peting for any similar premiums offered by 
County Societies or individuals, nor are they 
confined to mowing on their own land. It 
is also to be understood, that all persons, 
procurers of a machine, whether as owner, 
lessor or maker, resident of the State or 
otherwise, are entitled to compete for this 
premium. 
The Trustees reserve the right of dividing 
the premium among equal claimants or of 
withholding it altogether, provided they are 
of opinion that no competitor has by his 
performance with his mowing machine 
made so great a saving in labor and expense 
over the old method of scythe mowing as to 
enable them to recommend its general intro¬ 
duction and use, in which case, the premium 
will be renewed for the succeeding year’s 
competition. 
As a further incentive to the skill and in¬ 
genuity of the manufacturers of mowing ma¬ 
chines, the Trustees offer another premium 
of * 
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS 
to the maker and exhibitor of the best mow¬ 
ing machine, to be awarded in the year 1856. 
To entitle any person to the premium, 
the machine, with full particulars of its prin¬ 
ciples of construction, weight and selling 
price, must be entered for competition with 
the Trustees on or before the first day of 
June, 1856. A general trial will be had of all 
the competing machines, due notice of which 
will be given, together with all needful par¬ 
ticulars at the commencement of the season 
of 1856. 
It is to be hoped that there will be a large 
competition for the premium offered this 
year, and that manufacturers who propose to 
compete for the one in 1856 will take pains 
to introduce their machines for this season’s 
work. The Trustees in awarding the one 
thousand dollar premium will not confine 
themselves to the single trial which will be 
afforded to competitors to exhibit the powers 
of their machines, but they will also take 
into account the merits of each as displayed 
in competing for this year's premium and in 
its ordinary working both for this and the 
coming year, whenever and wherever an 
opportunity is afforded of seeing it in opera¬ 
tion. 
The County Agricultural Societies are 
earnestly invited to appoint Committees to 
aid the Trustees in awarding the prize offer¬ 
ed for this year, who shall inspect the work¬ 
ing of competing machines in their several 
districts, and in reporting the result of their 
observations to the Trustees. One or more 
of the Trustees, will endeavor to visit each 
county during the season to see some por¬ 
tion of the work be performed by each ma¬ 
chine, but from the necessity of the case, 
great reliance must be had upon the cordial 
and heaity co-operation of the County So¬ 
cieties. 
The Trustees have adopted the following 
Committee to attend to the details connected 
with the subject, viz : 
THOS. MOTLEY, Jr. 
G. W. LYMAN. 
C. G. LORING. 
RICH’D. S FAY. 
W. S. LINCOLN. 
All communications may be addressed to 
Thomas Motley, Jr., Japtaica Plains, or 
Rich’d. S. Fay, Boston, 
Boston, May 28, 1855. 
