328 
AMEFvICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[September, 
quantity in from HX to 1954 minutes. A 6-liorse steam- 
thrasher took liX minutes to tlirasli 2,000 lbs. of grain in 
the straw, yielding 598 lbs. of grain, or nearly 10 bushels; 
equal to 40 bushels per hour. A 10-liorse steamer thrash' 
ed 2,000 lbs. of grain m the straw in 13 minutes, and 
another occupied 15X minutes, each yielding 10X bush¬ 
els of grain in the times mentioned. A one-horse tread- 
power is thus seen to bo capable of doing the work of OX 
men with the flail, allowing 10 bushels of grain as one 
day’s work for a man. The two-horse powers, on the 
average, exactly doubled this work. The G and 10-liorse 
power steamers each did the work of 40 incn. The de¬ 
duction clearly is that where the harvest is a small one, a 
oue or two-liorse tread-power is the most economical 
machine ; more especially, as the horses, ii not at work 
on the machine, would be idle. 
Basket Items con* 
tinned on page 
How to Cure Fodder Corn. 
BY L. D. SNOOK, YATES CO., N. Y. 
Fodder corn is very difficult to cure in tlie field, 
so that it will not suffer damage when housed or 
stacked. The simplest method is to cut with a mow¬ 
ing machine, letting it remain spread upon the 
ground for two or three days, or longer. If the 
weather be cloudy, it is raked into windrows with 
the horse-rake, made into large bunches, and 
topped off with a bundle tied firmly near the buts, 
and adjusted over the top, as in figure 1. 
Another plan is to cut by hand with a cradle, or 
with a self-raking reaper, in either case letting it 
lie at least half a day, and if the weather be dry, 
three or four days will be all the better, as much 
moisture will be evaporated ; besides it cau be then 
bound with stalks better than when not wilted. 
Should the cut stalks be from four to five feet iu 
length, from eight to twelve bundles maybe placed 
in a shock, and tied firmly at the top, as in figure 2. 
Should the stalks be but two to three feet in length, 
I stand about twenty-five bundles upright for a 
foundation, and upon this place a sufficient number 
more, to top the whole out nicely ; then tie the tops 
Fig. 1.— cock. Fig. 2.— shock. 
of the last tier, and the stack will stand a heavy 
rain, and present a neat appearance, as in figure 3. 
The stalks may be cured previous to binding, by 
the plan shown in figure 4 Two crotched sticks 
are driven in the ground, upon which is placed a 
rail or pole two or three feet from the ground, 
upon either side of which a row of unbound stalks 
Fig. 3.—STACK OF LONG FODDER. 
is placed in a slanting position, and fifteen inches 
in thickness ; the ends should remain open for free 
circulation of the air. The thinner the course upon 
either side, the quicker the stalks will be ready to 
be bound and housed. Figure 5 illustrates a plan 
in which the stalks do not lie in contact with the 
Fig. 4— METHOD OF CORING FODDER. 
ground. Rails or poles, six feet in length, are 
placed upon the ground ten feet apart; upon these 
are laid other poles or rails, upon which are piled 
two tiers of bundles from four to five feet in hight. 
Fig. 5.— METHOD OF STACKING FODDER. 
These are covered with rows of bundles placed in a 
slanting position upon the top. By this plan the 
buts are placed upon the outside ; and should they 
be damp or green, an air space may be left between 
the tiers. 
The Centennial Exposition—Go and 
See It, if Possible. 
We visited the Exposition early in July for a 
week, to take a general survey, reserving a more 
careful, thorough examination of details until the 
cooler days of September and October. Having 
visited three “World’s Fairs ” abroad, two in Lon¬ 
don and one in Paris, we are able to speak some¬ 
what comparatively. Referring to the largest of 
these, the Paris Exposition of 1S67, we consider the 
Philadelphia Exhibition of greatly superior value 
for our people generally. The former greatly ex¬ 
ceeded us in costly works of art—the accumulation 
of hundreds of years—but in the things that have 
to do with the everyday life and work of the Amer¬ 
ican people, our exhibition is far ahead.-In Paris 
the whole exhibition was crowded into a limited 
area; in Philadelphia there is abundant room for 
showing up the multitudinous articles to the best 
advantage for study and investigation.-In Paris, 
the personal comfort of visitors was little cared for. 
To obtain a drink of water, a seat for resting, or a 
retiring room, one had to hunt for it, and pay for 
it. In Philadelphia, these personal conveniences, 
so important to one spending a weary day, or days, 
are provided quite abundantly and freely. The 
single admission fee pays for everything—except 
refreshments ordered, 10 cents for a ride up and 
down the elevator for those who do not choose to 
ascend the commodious stairs, and the 5 cents for 
31 miles ride all around the grounds on a steam 
railway. 
It would be useless to undertake a detailed de¬ 
scription of the Exhibition—several large volumes 
would be required for this. There is the Main 
Building, 1,880 feet long and 464 feet broad— 
a larger space than a 20 acre field, or 350 lots of 
25 by 100 feet each—and all this space packed full 
of articles, few of which are not worth examining. 
An “ Annex ” of this building, covering 2 acres, is 
filled with carriages, etc.-Next in size is the 
Machinery Hall, 1,402 feet long and 360 feet 
wide—nearly 12 acres—mainly filled with useful 
machinery, of which a good deal is iu active use.- 
The Agricultural Building is 826 feet long and 
540 feet wide (over 1© acres), filled not merely 
with agricultural machinery and implements, but 
an infinite variety of productions of the soil in our 
own and other countries. And near this building 
are several other spacious structures for farm 
wagons, for orchard products, grains, honey, etc. 
-The Horticultural Hall , 383 feet by 193 feet 
(nearly 2 acres), with 40 acres more, on which are 
growing almost every variety of ornamental plants 
to be found in all the horticultural establishments 
in our whole country, and many from abroad.- 
The Art Gallery , or Memorial Hall, 365 feet by 
216 feet (nearly 2 acres), constructed of granite, 
iron, and glass, at a cost of $1,500,000, with a sup¬ 
plementary building still larger, and the whole 
filled with paintings, statuary, etc.-The Govern¬ 
ment Building covers nearly 2 acres, and to ex¬ 
amine the contents of this alone would be worth a 
journey of a thousand miles and several days’ time. 
—To go through the aisles and cross-walks of these 
seven buildings alone is a journey of some 25 miles ! 
and every step of the way one sees on either hand 
some objects of interest. 
But the above are only a part of what is to be 
seen. There are a hundred or so of other buildings, 
some of them large, which are worth a visit, such 
as the Dairy Building, Leather Building, Glass 
Works in operation, Women’s Pavillion, Twenty or 
more State Buildings, all different, and each with 
peculiar attractions; and nearly as many more 
erected by foreign Governments. Some of these, 
as the Kansas and Colorado Building, the Japanese 
structure, etc., contain as much to interest one, as 
is usually found in a whole “State Fair.” The 
buildings devoted to special objects, individual 
manufactures, etc., scattered here and there, over 
the 258© acres devoted to the Exhibition, are too 
numerous to be detailed here.—It is literally a 
“ World’s Fair,” for almost everv part of the whole 
world has sent here more or less of the products of 
its labor, of its mechanical skill, or of its soil. The 
like of this exhibition has never before been seen 
in our country, or its equal in any other, and we can 
not expect another during the present generation. 
Every man, woman, and child of 12 years old and 
upward, who can possibly do so, should visit Phila¬ 
delphia sometime during September or October, 
and spend a week or more—better two or three 
weeks, or more. We would say go, if but two 
days can be taken to simply walk through the prin¬ 
cipal portions, but a week will be found a very 
short time, even to the strong, vigorous man. 
Who can go ? Comparatively few will feel that 
they can afford the expense in these “ hard times.” 
Let us look at this question. If there were an en¬ 
terprise promising a sure return of 20 per cent per 
annum, a great number of people would iu some 
way manage to get together at least $100. We think 
the information gained, and the satisfaction contin¬ 
ually derived from a visit to this exhibition, would 
be worth $20 a year for all the rest of one’s life. 
The cost of a new dress, of a new carpet, of some 
intended improvement, any one of which can be 
delayed for a year, would pay the expense of a 
week’s visit to Philadelphia of one or more persons, 
according to the distance. 
What is the cost ? First, the cost of traveling, 
which will depend entirely upon one’s locality. 
Second, the cost while iu Philadelphia, a, Fifty 
cts. for entrance ; 6, 25 to 75 ets. for a lunch on the 
grounds. A very good lunch can be obtained for 40 
or50cts. at the “ CafeLeland,” in the south middle 
of the Main Building, or at the German Restaurant, 
near Horticultural Hall, and at some other places. 
(Usually two persons can lunch on each “portion” 
served at the restaurants, w'hich is quite a saving 
where there is a family together.) c. Rooms with 
bed are to be had iu large numbers adjacent to the 
