1871 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
337 
his knife, and ties the shock, selecting a 
pliable stalk for this purpose, and passes on 
to make another. Instead of this, let the men 
pass along the rows, each man taking three 
rows, and, pushing the hills from him, cut off 
each hill with a single blow, laying the stalks 
down with the tops towards the next row, the 
next man laying his stalks with the tops towards 
those cut by the first one. Tims the stalks will lie 
in double rows, the tops towards each other. 
When a few T rows have been cut, one can turn in, 
and set up and bind. When the shock is set up, it 
may be readily tied by using the binder figured on 
the preceding page. It consists simply of a 
stout wooden pin, with a crank on the end of 
it; a small pin is passed through it, to which is 
fastened a cord with a loop on the end. The 
pin is thrust through the loose stalks, the cord 
is passed around it, and the loop passed over 
the small pin. The crank is turned until the 
shock is drawn sufficiently together, when it can 
be easily bound with a stalk, without danger of 
its breaking. 
With the labor divided in this manner, one 
putting and one setting up and binding, much 
Fig. 1.— PORTABLE FENCE. 
snore corn can be cut in a day, than on the old 
plan, by -which much time is lost. 
Portable Fences. 
A subscriber from Kansas sends us drawings 
of some fences, which we here illustrate. 
That shown in figure 2 is similar to one in com¬ 
mon use; the chief difference, which seems to 
be an improvement, is that a pin is inserted, in 
one stake to support the lower rails, instead of 
a separate stake, or a 
stone, or a block, as is 
generally used. The 
stakes are driven into 
the ground, as shown 
by the dotted lines. 
Figure 1 represents a 
fence which has been 
found sufficient to 
turn Texan cattle, 
which are largely 
pastured in Kansas, 
and which are sup¬ 
posed to have little 
respect for fences. 
The principal post is 
placed in a leaning- 
position, and is sup¬ 
ported by a stake, 
which is driven into 
the ground. In removing this fence, it is neces¬ 
sary to remove the rails of each alternate panel 
only; the other panels then can be moved whole. 
Fig. 2.— FENCE. 
Weighing Stock.— It would be a profitable 
investment for almost every farmer to have in 
his barn a platform-scale capable of weighing 
at least 600 lbs. As it is, most farmers are at 
the mercy of every one they trade with—millers, 
butchers, and merchants. It is a good business 
fashion for a man to know exactly how many 
* pounds of grain or pork he has in his wagon 
when he starts out to deliver it, and he will 
then know beforehand just how much cash he 
should bring back home. A farmer, as a rule, 
can not estimate as accurately as he should, the 
live weights of stock; it is the consequence 
of not using the scales sufficiently often. He 
should know the weight of his slioats monthly, 
and the weight of each hog when put up to fat¬ 
ten, and its dressed weight when made into 
pork. Then, if he w'cighs his feed as used, he 
can tell what profit he makes. In the mean 
time he will learn to judge of the value of a 
live hog, and if an occasion occur, as it often 
does, when he has a chance to buy a few head, 
he will be able to tell pretty nearly what he can 
afford to give for them. The fact is, the scales 
are one of the most valuable implements a 
farmer can possess, and he 
should not, if he can help it, 
be without them. 
Working Oxen. 
The patient endurance of 
neglect, and the heavy work 
performed by oxen, make them 
valuable on many rough or 
partially cleared or broken-up 
farms. On smooth land in fair 
condition, that has been well 
tilled or where machinery is 
in use, their gait is too slow 
to be profitable. Their drivers 
seem to become inoculated 
with the same deliberateness 
of motion, and on farms 
where vigor or promptitude of labor is re¬ 
quired, their use becomes intolerable. Where 
there is a diversity of labor to be undertaken, 
however, they have advantages over horses. 
Where a furrow, on account of stumps, rocks, 
or fast stones, can not be plowed through with¬ 
out often stopping, where logs are to be 
hauled, where ditching has to be done, or 
where work is unsteady and many intervals of 
idleness come in between working spells, there 
they will be found more 
useful than horses. There is 
no harness to be broken by 
sudden jerks; when a heavy 
pull is needed, they will throw- 
all their weight in with 
steadiness, and try and try 
again, without floundering 
around, or seesawing, as many 
horse teams will do in the 
hands of injudicious drivers. 
They will work anywhere 
with safety, and if hopelessly 
stuck in a soft place, will re¬ 
main with patience until ex¬ 
tricated ; and when labor is 
over for a time, they can be 
turned out anywhere to graze 
or browse around in the 
woods, to be brought home 
when wanted, and hitched 
again in a few minutes, 
treatment that would 
splints, or the numerous ailments that render 
horses unsound; and if by any accident they 
become disabled, if they have been kept in good 
condition, the butcher is always ready to take 
their carcass. These, to many men, are valua¬ 
ble considerations, and yet, though our advice 
1.—CANADIAN MODE OF SHOEING OXEN. 
has often been sought on the subject of using 
oxen in preference to horses in certain condi¬ 
tions, we have been very cautious about recom¬ 
mending their employment to some men, main-; 
ly for the reason that few have the tact and 
patience necessary to use them satisfactorily. 1 
Great gentleness and patience are necessary, and 
a hasty-tempered person would never get out 
of a yoke of oxen half the work they would be 
capable of performing. Oxen should in all 
cases be kept shod, more especially on the front 
feet, which often become so tender as to almost 
cause lameness, before it is suspected. There 
is no difficulty in shoeing oxen if a proper frame 
is provided. As they will not permit their feet 
to be handled like horses, it becomes necessary 
to sling them up, so that the feet can not touch 
the ground; they will then remain tractable. 
The want of such a frame is often a source of 
expense to the owner of a pair of oxen, who is 
sometimes compelled to send them many miles 
to be shod, occupying a whole day on the jour¬ 
ney. A few such trips would pay for a frame, 
whea the shoes might be nailed on at home. 
We give in fig. 1 a sketch of the necessary 
frame, which speaks for itself, so far as its gen¬ 
eral construction is concerned. The ropes are 
arranged over the rollers so that the turning- 
up for work 
They will exist under 
ruin any horse; never 
have heaves, colics, or hots, or ringbones, or 
Fig. 2.— FRAME FOR SHOEING OXEN. 
of the center one draws tip the ropes over each 
of the others, and so lift equally. The hoist¬ 
ing part needs to be made sufficiently strong to 
bear the ox. Fig. 2 shows a rough-and-ready 
