I860.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
293 
it requires a double set of reins. The extra set 
has simple buckles sewed in the ends, and passes 
from the hands to the liames rings, then through 
the gag-runners on the headstall, then through 
the bit-rings, and the ends buckle upon the 
tongue of the poll-strap of the headstall, which 
passes through the buckle of the cheek or 
blinker-piece. These reins are perfectly ir¬ 
resistible. No horse can stand the pain of even 
a light pull, and a passionate or heedless man 
might seriously injure his horse if he were to 
pull and jerk as usual upon sc severe a rein. 
- ■ T-ta ©p w > — - 
Milk in Hot Weather—Coolers. 
The care of milk in very hot weather is the 
source of no little perplexity to farmers, and 
things often go wrong, adding loss to care. 
Among the discoveries of recent date, that of 
the advantages attending the rapid aud complete 
cooling of milk as soon as it comes from the 
cow deserves to rank among the most valuable, 
especially as a number of contrivances have 
been patented, extensively tested, and thus 
brought to the knowledge of the people. 
For a fuller discussion of this subject, see the 
Am. Agricultural Annual for 1869. It is not 
our province to advertise these patented proc¬ 
esses in this part of the paper, as our proper ad¬ 
vertising pages are open to the fair statements 
of those whose interest it is to make them 
known; but we are happy to show our readers 
from time to time how, by the exercise of their 
wits they may get along without “patent rights.” 
The accompanying engraving of a milk-cool¬ 
er is from a sketch sent us by one of the readers 
of the Agriculturist, who claims for the appa¬ 
ratus efficiency as a milk-cooler and aerator, while 
it is perfectly easy to clean, every part which 
the milk touches being entirely exposed. The 
affair consists of a tight trough for water, made 
of wood, lined with metal, or made tight in any 
way, about 4 feet long by 2 1 1 2 in width. Length¬ 
wise across this trough, a shallow one of heavy 
tin is laid, having transverse corrugations or 
grooves, about 4 or 5 inches apart. This trough 
is about 14 inches wide, having the sides two 
or three inches high. It is depressed about two 
inches below the top of the water trough, and 
has a very slight fall from one end to the other. 
It would probably be found necessary to put 
one or two three-inch strips across the trough 
lengthwise under the tin trough, to give it sup¬ 
port. The milk trough is narrowed at the 
discharge end, so as to conduct the stream 
into a can, and at the opposite end a bracket 
shelf is placed to hold a milk receiver, out of 
which the milk should flow in a regulated stream. 
In use, the water trough is filled with cold wa¬ 
ter or ice-water. In case ice is at hand, the 
cakes might be confined under the milk-trougli. 
If the milk of a few cows only is to be cooled, 
this can be done without a constant change of 
water, and without ice, if the water of a cool 
spring can be employed; but if it were to be 
used on a dairy farm, a constant flow of water 
from the spring would be desirable. In this 
case the outer trough should be smaller and 
shallower; the water should enter in a strong 
stream, as close as possible to where the milk 
flows off, and be discharged where the milk en¬ 
ters, for thus the cooling would go on most rap¬ 
idly with a proper regard to economy of water. 
With respect to the advantages of cooling 
milk as soon as drawn, we consider it proved 
that milk so treated will keep sweet much lon¬ 
ger ; that it gives up its cream more readily ; that 
it may be kept in deep instead of shallow ves¬ 
sels. We are even prepared to hear that some 
of our good dairy folks who have the coolers 
in use are setting their cooled milk to skim in 
barrels, or similar vessels of tin or earthenware. 
The last would probably be better than any other. 
Red-root or Pigeon-grass. 
PI. N. Janes, of Clinton Co., Mich., says, with 
reference to the Red-root (Lithospermum arvense): 
“ This troublesome weed is growing on many 
farms in this County, and seems very hard to kill." 
It is one of the worst weeds the winter wheat¬ 
growing farmer has to contend with. It pro¬ 
duces a large number of small, hard-shelled 
seeds, that will lie in the ground for years. The 
difficulty is not in killing the plants. They are 
easily killed if they can be got at with the plow, 
the cultivator, or the hoe. The trouble is that 
the seeds do not germinate readily, except in 
August, September, and October. And conse¬ 
quently this weed is rarely troublesome in spring- 
grains or corn. But when we prepare land for 
winter wheat, the seeds germinate in September 
and October, and the next spring our wheat is 
full of Red-root, and we have no means of de¬ 
stroying the plants except pulling them out by 
hand, or hoeing the wheat. When a farm is 
badly infested with Red-root, the only sure 
means of cleaning it effectually is to prepare 
the land for winter wheat and then not soio it. 
If the land is well worked in August and Sep¬ 
tember, the seeds of the Red-root will germin¬ 
ate, and once plowing or cultivating in the 
spring will kill the plants. Sow barley, peas, 
oats, or spring wheat, and they will be off in 
time to sow winter wheat. And in this way 
w T e lose no crop and get rid of the Red-root. 
A Three-horse Evener 8 Inches Long. 
While many of us are plodding along with 
three-horse eveners a third longer than a com¬ 
mon double-tree, and heavy in proportion, ob¬ 
jectionable besides, on account of the great play 
they have, Mr. Stephen Mitchell, of Carrollton, 
Carroll Co., Md., has invented, made, and been 
using one of only 8 inches long. The idea of an 
evener in this form is altogether new to us; in 
fact, we know of no other upright one. There 
is a patented device, consisting of a double pul¬ 
ley upon which two chains run. The diame¬ 
ters of the pulleys are as 1 to 2, and the chains 
are wound different ways, so that when two 
horses are attached to the chain on the small 
pulley, and a single horse to the larger pulley- 
chain, in pulling against each other, the power 
is equalized. It is clear that in this “Mitch¬ 
ell Evener,” which we now publish, the lever 
is simply substituted for the wheel and axle. We 
place a high estimate upon this simple inven¬ 
tion, and shall be disappointed if it does not de¬ 
cidedly popularize the use of three horses 
abreast for heavy farm work, which makes a 
great saving of labor. Mr. Mitchell thus de¬ 
scribes his invention: 
“Since ‘Three-horse eveners’ are in such 
demand, I have concluded to send a description 
of one that I 
am using, not 
having seen it 
described in 
the Agricul¬ 
turist. I take 
a bar of iron 
(l’h x ’Isinch) 
about 8 inch¬ 
es long, and 
have a link 
MITCHELL’S THREE-HOUSE EVENER. we l c l e d i 11 One 
end, and a long hook, say 8 inches long, in the 
other, so as to make the distance between the 
centers of the holes 6 inches. Two inches from 
the link I put another. When the bar is attached 
to the plow it stands upright, and is attached to 
the plow by the link nearest the middle, short 
end down. To the other link I fasten an evener 
4’| 2 feet long, by the center, for two horses. 
Tiie single horse is hitched to the upper end of 
the bar. The advantages claimed for this plan 
are, that the horses are nearer the plow, and the 
middle horse being hitched to a ‘single-tree,’ 
six inches above the others, enables me to use a 
shorter two-horse evener than otherwise.” 
Self-milkers.—A Cure. 
A cow may be an inveterate kicker, and be 
considered excusable from a liberal point ofview. 
She may employ every opportunity to break 
down fences, jump over them, skillfully take 
down bars, and make herself a nuisance upon 
the place, and nevertheless command our re¬ 
spect for her varied abilities; but if a cow is 
guilty of the miserable habit of milking herself, 
she puts herself without the pale of even chari¬ 
ty. If it is not convenient to dry her off, fatten 
and kill her, she must be controlled. Several 
plans for accomplishing this have been already 
published in the Agriculturist, some of which 
work w T ell. The one herewith presented is 
communicated by a valued correspondent, who 
highly extols its efficiency. A thin, strong 
piece of hard wood forms the connection be¬ 
tween the forehead¬ 
band and muzzle- 
band of a leathern 
halter. This is nailed 
with clinch nails to 
the leather, and ex¬ 
tends an inch or two 
below the lower 
band. A piece of 
hickory or ash is 
screwed first to this, 
near its upper end. 
The ends being left 
thick, it is shaved CHECK F0R self-milkers. 
thin in the middle 
to act as a spring, and it is so arranged that 
the free end remains half or three-quarters 
of an inch above the face-piece. Near this end 
a sharp-pointed nail is inserted, which is well 
sharpened, and plays through a hole in the face- 
piece, as seen in the engraving. The least press¬ 
ure upon the spring causes the sharp nail to 
prick the nose. Besides this, a needle, sharp at 
