1864.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
169 
The Ground Squirrel or Chipmonk. 
(Tamias striatus.) 
In the March Agriculturist we gave an engrav¬ 
ing of the true gopher, and now present one 
of an animal in some parts of the West in¬ 
correctly called gopher, but more general¬ 
ly known as the Chipmonk, Chipmuck, and 
Chipping squirrel, shortened to Chippy. These 
names are evidently derived from the peculiar 
note of the animal, which sounds like “chip." It 
is found in most parts of the United States, 
though far South and West it is replaced by 
similar, though different species. The one under 
consideration has a body about six inches longj 
aiid a tail from three to four • inches in length. 
It has capacious cheek pouches which open into 
its mouth and extend back for some distance; 
Five black stripes and two yellowish ones run¬ 
ning lengthwise of the back, are among its char¬ 
acteristic markings. The hinder parts of the 
animal are brownish orange, and the undersur¬ 
face white. The sprightliness of the animal and 
the activity with which it eludes pursuit are 
well known to all who have observed it. It 
makes a burrow two or three feet below the sur¬ 
face, usually having long galleries leading to it. 
Here it accumulates supplies and passes the 
winter in families of several individuals. Some 
naturalists describe the Chipmonk as not being- 
injurious to the farmer, but repeated observa¬ 
tions show that this is a mistake. Lieut. J. R. 
Williams, of Venango Co., Pa. from whose ex¬ 
cellent sketch the above cut was mainly en¬ 
graved, writes that the specimen from which 
he made the drawing had three hundred and 
seventy eight grains of buckwheat in its cheek 
pouches. Lieut. W. says: “ I have shot at dif¬ 
ferent times three other specimens with their 
pouches full or partly so. One had two hundred 
and thirty three, and another three hundred 
grains of buckwheat. I opened a burrow which 
contained nearly half a bushel of buckwheat 
and corn, and one hundred and two walnuts. 
Some shocks of corn standing near had eighty 
ears completely stripped of their kernels.” 
These figures show that when these animals are 
numerous they are capable of doing serious 
damage to the agriculturist and that they should 
be kept in subjection. They are readily trap¬ 
ped and may be caught in a common rat-trap, 
or destroyed by grain poisoned with strychnine. 
the grave, to have some one in his manhood 
stand over me and say: “ There lies one who was 
areal friend tome, and privately -warned me of 
the dangers of the young ; no one knew it, but 
he aided me in the time of need, and I owe what 
I am to himor else to have some widow, with 
choking utterance, telling her children, “• There 
is your friend and mine.”—A noble wish this. 
A Handy “Pair of Bars.’’ 
Some weeks since a gentleman called and 
asked permission to lay upon the show table of 
the American Agriculturist the model of a new 
style of farm gate or pair of bars. No name 
was left with the article, but it appears to be so 
simple and convenient that we have had it en¬ 
graved. The construction must be perfectly ev¬ 
ident from the engraving. Three or four light 
not swing at all, but the latch-post rests on the 
ground, and might indeed be conveniently placed 
upon a roller, if the gate be very heavy. When 
closed, a pin is inserted above one of the bars 
so as to prevent cows lifting and opening the 
gate. The advantages this style of bars pos¬ 
sess . are, that they can be opened and shut as 
quickly and nearly as easily as most farm gates; 
there is no sagging of the gate post, for no 
weight comes upon it, and the affair is easily 
and cheaply made wherever tough poles can be 
had. It is applicable wherever bars are placed 
which have to be frequently taken down, oi 
where agate is desirable, but is deemed too ex¬ 
pensive because it would be so seldom used. 
A Good Man’s Wish.—I freely confess to 
you that I would wish, when I am laid down in 
GATE BAKS. 
bars of some tough wood, say ash, are inserted 
into holes in light strong posts, and secured by 
pins passing through both posts and rails. 
Through one, which we call the “ hinge-post,” 
the ends of the rails barely pass-through the 
| other, the “ latch-post,” they protrude a foot or 
more. The hinge-post is secured in position- 
close to one of the gate- or bar-posts, the lower 
end resting upon a stone having a socket drilled 
in it, (or through it, in case water is likely to 
stand in it,) to receive the end of the post, and 
the upper end being reduced in size and insert¬ 
ed irn a hole in the projecting cap which is nail¬ 
ed upon the stationary post. It must be obvi¬ 
ous that the latch end of the gate may be raised 
or lowered through an arc of several feet. Every 
bar shuts like a latch into the enlarged and open¬ 
ed bar-hole. When the gate is opened, of course 
it is carried round as far as it goes, for; it does 
Labors in the Hay Field. 
Every year changes the character of our la¬ 
bors in the hay field. Still the majority of farm¬ 
ers follow very nearly the old customs, and 
mow before the dew is off, or after it begins to 
fall, for several reasons. The severe labor of 
mowing is less fatiguing if done in the cool 
part of the day; during the heat of the day the 
hands are needed in curing, or hauling the liay; 
the labor is more easily performed when the 
grass is softened by the dew. These reasons 
are sufficient to settle the question of the time 
of day when mowing shall be done, with most 
farmers, and it is immaterial whether the grass. 
be cut mornings or evenings. In fact during 
rainy or moist weather as much grass may be 
“ got down ” as can be taken care of when it 
clears, and it may lie in the swath some days 
without damage, if the weather continues wet. 
Various kinds of grass mature sufficiently 
to cut at successive periods on land of the 
same quality. The crop may be diminished by 
too early cutting, and its quality hurt by cutting- 
late. Grass ought to be cut when the greater 
part of it lias attained its full size, and is well in 
blossom. Where many 
kinds grow together it 
requires no little ex¬ 
perience to judge well, 
_ exactly when to put in 
the scythe. Grass cut 
ripe, is not only, more 
tough and woody, and 
_ in danger of drying so 
as to be brittle, and 
waste when handled, 
but the hay is not so 
sweet or nutritious.— 
When cut with the 
scythe, the grass is left 
in swaths, which hold 
most of the dew so 
that a very little sun dries the ground. Guid¬ 
ed by the dryness of the ground, the swaths 
are generally spread very soon after cutting, 
when this is done after 7 or 8 o’clock in the 
morning. It is much better, in our experience, 
to wait until the ground is not only dry but 
warm, before spreading. It is as important to 
know when to stop “curing” hay, or rather when 
to stop sunning it, as to know when to begin to 
cut. Hay cures better in the cock than it does 
in the sun. The juices of the grass if dried 
slowly become inspissated, that is, thick or 
gummy, without undergoing any perceptible 
change except a loss of water. If after the dry¬ 
ing has commenced the grass becomes wet, a 
change takes place very soon, and this is seen 
in its bleaching if exposed, or heating if cov- 
ei-ed. This condition of inspissation, or gummi¬ 
ness of the juices, is attained much more easily 
