AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
177 
1865.] 
Horse-Fork Hay-Stacker. 
H. M. Deming, Kansas, sends to the Agricul¬ 
turist a sketch and description of a Hay-Stacker, 
which, he writes, he has used with much satis¬ 
faction. He describes it thus: “ Set a stiff pole, 
(H,) 25 or 80 feet long, firmly in the ground, 
and about 8 feet from the top, bolt on a block, 
which has a socket made with a two-inch auger. 
Fit to the socket one end of another light pole, 
{B,) about 11 feet long, and shave the upper end 
so that it will go into a link of a chain extend¬ 
ing from the top of the main pole to the small 
one. Pins may be inserted in the main pole, on 
which a man can ascend to the top to adjust the 
length of the chain. The tops of the poles 
should be about 5 to 8 feet apart. The upper 
end of the small pole should receive the end 
link of the chain, and a pulley can be hung on 
the hook. The main pole should bear a very 
little towards the staek, so that the forkful of 
hay will swing clear over the stack as it rises. 
Guy ropes extend from the top of the pole to 
stakes driven firmly in the ground to keep it 
upright. These should be attached so as not to 
interfere with the swinging of the crane.” It 
will be perceived that the draw-rope, to which 
the horse is attached, passes from the upper 
pulley beneath the lower one, thence over the 
upper one, then through a block fastened at the 
base of the large pole. By this arrangement, 
the horse is required to travel about twice as 
fast as the fork rises. The more common way 
of using a fork is to dispense with the pulley at 
the fork, and hitch one end of the rope to the 
bail, and the horse to the other end, by simply 
passing the rope over a single pulley at the top 
of the small pole. In this case, the fork rises 
as fast as the horse moves. When only one 
pulley is used, the work is done much faster 
than with two, and it will not require so much 
force to haul the fork back to the load. But, if 
a horse will not draw steadily, or is disposed to 
start suddenly, it is better to have a pulley at the 
bail of the fork. The manner of pitching hay, 
with such an apparatus, is to hold on to the 
forkftil until it rises clear from the load, when a 
side thrust swings it over the stack. Then the 
stacker pushes it where he wants it, as nearly 
as practicable, and gives the pitcher a signal to 
drop it. But this cannot be done with long- 
handled forks, which must be balanced by a 
cord at the end of the handle. Sometimes a 
man, or boy, on the stack, hauls the forkful 
£i-om the load over the stack, by a cord. 
To Hitch a Horse to 
the End of a Hope. 
The usual way of hitch¬ 
ing a horse to the end of 
a rope when pitching hay 
with a horse hay-fork is, 
to use a whiflEletree. But 
as the horse is required 
to back up at every fork¬ 
ful, he is liable to step on 
the whiffletree, or outside^ 
of the traces, unless much 
care is exercised in draw¬ 
ing the whiffletree back 
as fast as the horse moves. 
The accompanying illu¬ 
stration represents the 
manner of hitching a 
horse to a rope, so that he 
can not get his feet out 
of the traces, even if he 
is backed rapidly, or 
turned around carelessly. 
The end of the rope is fastened in a ring -^hich 
holds a hook for securing the cockeyes of the 
traces. A wooden stretcher two feet long, and 
an inch-and-a-half in diameter, shaved or turned 
round, having a small iron gudgeon driven into 
each end, and extending half an inch beyond 
the wood, is put between the traces, so that it 
rests against the hams of the horse, when he is 
not drawing. A hole about one fourth of an 
inch in diameter is punched or bored through 
each trace, for receiving the gudgeons of the 
stretcher, which is suspended by two straps fast¬ 
ened near its ends, and rein snaps are sewed to 
the other end of the straps, which are hooked 
into a ring in the back strap of the harness, as 
shown by the illustration. If chain traces be 
used, the gudgeons may enter the links. If the 
traces are to be released, they drop from the 
stretcher, when the straps may be unhooked. 
Another great advantage of hitching a horse 
in this manner is, a boy may be put on him 
when pitching; and instead of backing the horse 
at every forkful, he can turn him directly around, 
and let him walk or trot back to the starting 
place, much sooner than he could be backed. 
This arrangement renders it easier for the man 
who pitches, as he is not required to draw back 
so much rope and the fork besides. If the horse, 
in turning, gees around over the rope, he will 
soon untwist and spoil it. When he comes 
around in the opposite direction, he twists it 
once at every round, making it harder and 
hag:der. It is better to twist than to untwist it, 
aa the twist can be easily taken out. 
Fig. 1.— ELKVATION. 
Small, CoEvenient, Cheap Houses. 
BY KAKBAGANSETT. 
The cottage plan presented herewith, is de¬ 
signed for a family of two or three persons, who 
desire to live in a very snug, but at the same 
time, respectable way. The main part covers 
18 ft.x25 ft., with an addition of one story in the 
30 /fr 
Fig. 2— ¥I.AN OF FIKST STORY. 
rear, of 5 ft.xl6 ft. Many conveniences will be 
found compressed within this space.—Tlie prin¬ 
cipal rooms upon the ground floor (fig. 2,) are 
a parlor (P,) and kitchen, (A,) connecting with 
each other and witli tlie front entry. The 
kitchen has, adjoining it, a sink room, (.S',) pan¬ 
try, (p,) and back entry (E). From the front 
entry is a way to the cellar. At the turn in the 
cellar stairway there should be a broad landing, 
making it much more easy of descent. A china 
closet (c, c,) opens into tlie parlor and connects 
with the kitchen by a slide. The parlor is pro¬ 
vided with a bay window l!hich gives it char¬ 
acter and adds much to the pleasantness of the 
apartment. From the side of the parlor a little 
room, or closet, opens, which, by persons of 
some literary taste, will be highly appreciated. 
We dignify it with the name of library. Fur¬ 
nished with shelves and a little desk, with books 
and writing materials, it will be found a great 
convenience—a most desirable appendage to 
the parlor. The window in the library, and the 
corresponding one in the hall, should be nar- 
Fig. 3— FRAN OF SECOND STORY. 
row, not more than two feet wide.—The upper 
floor (fig. 3), comprises two bedrooms with a 
closet from each, and a large store closet for 
clothing, etc., opening from the chamber entry. 
