256 
[July, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Kindness to these serviceable animals is the 
truest economy. Besides, we feel better when 
our horses are made comfortable ; the sensation 
is akin to that derived from the doing of a be¬ 
nevolent action. A sensitive man cannot see a 
horse sweating under and galled by a heavy 
harness during the intense heat of a summer’s 
day, without sympathy and pity, nor can he 
retire to rest with an easy conscience, knowing 
that his faithful servants in the stable are 
improperly cared for and suffering. “ The 
righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.” 
\ |\ 
HOUSE APRON. 
Aprons for Horses. 
Though rarely seen in the country, aprons 
are a much needed addition to the harness. 
They may be made of cloth, a piece or carpet, 
or tanned sheepskin. Suspend them from the 
lower part of the collar and allow them to reach 
the knees. A cloth fastened under the jaws 
suspended from the throat-latch to the curb 
strap by short strings, is also highly necessary 
as a protection from the pertinacious attacks of 
the Bot-fly. "With this and the apron, the weari¬ 
some and irritating attentions of this abomina¬ 
ble pest will be greatly mitigated. The plow¬ 
man will also be much relieved by the absence 
of the frantic efforts of the suffering horse to 
rid himself of his relentless enemy. 
An Implement for Cutting Tussocks. 
In reclaiming bog meadows, the first thing 
after draining and removing the water is to get 
rid of the unsightly tussocks. This is a slow and 
wearisome process, when undertaken by hand- 
labor. We have used with great satisfaction a 
hoe, suitable for a pair of horses, made some¬ 
thing like a horse-shovel or scraper, as repre¬ 
sented in the engraving. The cutting part was 
CUTTER FOR TUSSOCKS. 
made of a used-up mill-saw, ground sharp; the 
frame and attachments were all home-made. 
If good, white oak timber is used, it can be 
made light enough to be quite easily handled. 
When cut, the best way to get rid of these tus¬ 
socks is to pile them up, let them dry, set fire to 
them, and heap damp muck ,on them so that 
they may burn slowly. The ashes of slowly 
burnt materials are much richer in fertilizing 
elements than Those resulting from a hot, quick 
combustion, and the ashes of these otherwise 
almost imperishable things, thus burnt, would 
be valuable. The surface once well dried and 
leveled, reclamation becomes a simple process. 
A Deep, Loose Soil. 
A deep, loose soil can only be had by sub¬ 
soiling or trench-plowing. Trench-plowing is 
fitted only for very deep and rich soil, in which 
the subsoil is equally fertile with the surface. 
Where there is but a shallow depth of fertile 
soil, the work of subsoiling must be performed 
before it can be improved in depth. This is 
generally done by means of a subsoil plow fol¬ 
lowing in the furrow, and necessitates, the use 
of an extra team. This is an obstacle which is 
insurmountable on the great majority of farms. 
To provide a means of accomplishing the im¬ 
portant work of loosening the soil below the 
bottom of the furrow, we have hit upon the ex¬ 
pedient here described. The attachment here 
figured may be affixed to almost any plow. 
Three bolts fasten it to the landside of the plow 
on the inside; the arrangement of the bolt¬ 
holes should permit the teeth only, to project 
beneath the sole—a small block of wood will 
be necessary to be laid between it and the land- 
side, to correspond with the flange generally 
found at the bottom of plows on the inside. 
The draft is not materially increased, and the 
plow holds the ground more 
JaBr . steadily. The teeth, two in 
JgjSf number, and about four inches 
■ apart, should be of steel, and 
Jnffm • J should be kept sharp in front; 
^ ^ the rest is of wrought iron. A 
blacksmith can make the 
affair at a cost of something over one dollar. 
The constant use of this addition to the plow 
will loosen the subsoil, and allow it to be turned 
over and intermixed at the rate of two or three 
inches deeper each year. It will dry the soil by 
thus loosening it, in a degree gaining some of 
the benefits of underdraining, without any of 
its cost. But its great advantage is, tl'iat it will 
gradually break up the hard stratum of soil 
which has been formed at the bottom of the 
furrow by continued plowing and trampling, and 
permit the penetration of roots into the subsoil, 
without unnecessarily bringing it to the surface. 
Seed Wheats. 
By the time this number of the Agriculturist 
is in the hands of the farmers all over the United 
States, they will be casting about 
where to get their seed wheat. We 
w r ould suggest that it would be ad¬ 
visable to experiment a little with 
fresh seed. It has been found that 
seed procured from a distance—either 
greater or less—has been used with 
profit, and generally it has been found 
that seeds brought from a northern 
locality have been more profitable than those 
from a southern one. Doubtless the continued 
use of the same seed on the same ground leads 
surely, though gradually, to deterioration in the 
crops. Farmers have changed seed with neigh¬ 
bors only a few miles distant, with advantage. 
As to varieties there is abundant room for 
choice. The white or amber varieties furnish a 
valuable grain for the first quality of flour, and 
millers are glad to see such wheats coming to 
them; but they require good soil and good prep¬ 
aration, as well as early sowing, or drilling in, 
all of which will prevent heaving by frost in 
ordinary winters. We have found the Treadwell 
a very profitable wheat, stooling thickly, and 
proof against the midge, but very subject to 
heaving on undrained ground. It has yielded 
with us over twenty-five bushels per acre on 
what was two years previously a badly used up 
field. This wheat has the peculiarity of pro¬ 
ducing smooth and bearded heads from the 
same stool, and a field of it would look to the 
uninitiated as if it were badly mixed. The 
grain is small and therefore heavy, weighing 
60 lbs. to the struck bushel. The Diehl is also 
a favorite wheat with us; it, too, requires good 
farming to secure a good crop. In fact, we 
cannot mention a wheat that does not require 
good culture, though some varieties seem to 
stand neglect better than others. The old Lan¬ 
caster Red is a favorite in some districts, and 
GRINDSTONE FRAME. 
we have seen fair crops on what we should call 
poor farms. Aim to get a trial piece well pre¬ 
pared this fall, and sow it with some new, well 
recommended wheat. In every neighborhood 
there is usually some go-ahead farmer who has 
been experimenting, and has some seed to offer. 
Encourage him by trying his seed if of promis¬ 
ing quality, he will then make other trials. 
—■- < t Pn i » »-- 
A Grindstone Frame and Trough. 
The sides of the frame are made of stout 
plank, the bottom is of galvanized sheet-iron, 
nailed on close enough to be water-tight, and 
brought up in front sufficiently high to protect 
the person using it from being spattered with 
the dirty water. The blocks on the sides are 
screwed on, and, as the stone wears down, one 
or both may be removed. The ordinary fric¬ 
tion-roller hangings are used. A peg in the 
lowest part of the side lets out the water when 
necessary, which should be when done with. 
BARN BARROW. 
A Barn Barrow for Fodder, etc. 
The engraving which is here given is of a 
barrow, that we have found very useful. Its 
structure will be understood without any ex¬ 
tended description. The handles being long— 
four feet, the whole barrow being eight feet—a 
large load can be wheeled by one man. If used 
