374: 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
cept a space 25 feet by 22 feet, iu the south-east 
corner, which is shut off by a cemented stone 
wall, and is used as a root cellar. The main 
cellar has a capacity sufficient to store about 100 
cords of manure, without obstructing the drive¬ 
way, which runs between stone piers as far as 
the wall of the root cellar. The stone founda¬ 
tion wall is carried up on the north side to the 
liiglit of the ceiling of the cattle floor, as a 
better protection against cold north winds. 
The description of the interior, with plans illus¬ 
trating its arrangement, will be found on p. 368. 
Handling 1 a Bull. 
A valuable bull is often spoiled, that is, his 
usefulness is lost, because he cannot be safely 
handled. Many a bull may be led about like 
an old cow; some are easily managed with a 
leading clasp attached to a short staff by a 
few links of chain. Others, however, require 
strong apparatus and constant vigilance. In 
fact, any bull is an unsafe plaything, and should 
have a ring in his nose before he is twelve 
months old, and always be handled so that by 
no sudden freak can he get the advantage of his 
keeper. Leading staffs which are attached by 
means of a snap-hook and a few links are not 
safe in close quarters. The bull , 
may crowd his keeper, who, in 
order to be safe, braces the staff g 
against the side of the stall or a 
building. The beast starts back, 
gets the slack of the chain, then s 
lunges forward, and when the 
strain comes suddenly, the staff 
being braced unyieldingly, the 
ring tears out, and the keeper is 
then at the mercy of the animal as soon as he 
finds out that he is free. The best leading 
staffs that w’e have seen in use are those which 
attach directly to the ring. Of such we know 
of two forms, one of which consists of a strong 
hook and a screw bolt which is unscrewed 
when the hook is inserted in the ring and then 
screwed up. This is awkward, because one 
must stand close to the bull when the staff is 
attached, and this is not al¬ 
ways safe. The other we 
figure, giving two sketches 
from different points of 
view. It consists of a simple 
screw hook. The hook is 
of the best soft iron, half 
an inch in diameter at the 
end of the socket, and ta¬ 
pering to quarter of an inch 
in diameter at the tip. It 
makes two complete turns 
at an angle to the shaft, 
which is of the best and 
toughest ash, having a per¬ 
fectly straight grain, and 
capable of bearing the 
weight of a heavy man 
springing upon it with all 
his might. Such a staff may 
leading staff. p, e inserted in the ring of a 
loose bull if he can be cornered or driven into a 
stall, even induced to come up to a cow. When 
once inserted, so long as it is kept in the hand, 
the bull is under some control; and the staff 
will not come out. It would be very difficult 
for a bull to tear his ring out when held by such 
a staff, unless it was in the hands of a man, 
who was not strong enough to prevent the ani¬ 
mal from backing him at a run against a wall. 
A bull ought not to be tied by his ring. While 
in the stall he should be fastened by a rope 
which he cannot break. Good manilla inch 
rope is strong enough ; and this should be se¬ 
cured to a timber that will not give. If for the 
sake of extra security one wishes to fasten him 
by the ring also, a strap with a snap should be 
used. The strap should always be slacker than 
the rope. The more a bull is kindly-handled, 
led about, groomed, and petted, the gentler will 
he be. The rougher he is treated, the more 
will he show harsh characteristics. Bulls should 
be early broken to the harness. We have fre¬ 
quently advocated the advantages of making 
them useful as draft animals upon the farm. Not 
only are the animals kept in better subjection 
when worked, but they will be much healthier. 
- - --a« p>-- -- 
New and Excellent Fence. 
BY JOHN W. SOHN, BUTLER CO., OHIO. 
Having seen in the July Agriculturist the de¬ 
scription of a portable fence, I call your atten¬ 
tion to one that I invented and have in use, 
which I think is the cheapest and most durable 
fence ever made. It may be made in a barn 
during rainy weather, and it is less liable to de¬ 
cay than any other wooden fence I know. My 
property has been subject to frequent inunda¬ 
tions, with loss of fences and of other matters. 
I needed a fence that could be removed on the 
approaching rise of the river, and replaced 
when the water subsided, and the one shown 
in the accompanying sketch is the result of my 
thoughts. I have had this fence in use for four 
years, and find it answers for both a stationary 
and portable fence. It consists of panels 
made of inch boards, each of which may be used 
as a gate when desired. I use pine, but any other 
wood may be used, as the fence is not set on the 
ground, and hence not liable to rot, but hangs 
on the stakes, which are easily renewed. The 
panels may be made of any convenient length 
or bight, according to the lengths of the boards. 
I have them from 12 feet to 16 feet long, and 
4 to 5 feet in bight. I will describe a common 
size, 14 feet long, and 4 feet high. I cut out 
five battens or strips of board, 4 feet long 
and 4 inches wide; then I measure off on the 
floor of a barn a place, 4 feet by 14 feet, and 
lay down three battens, one at each end, and 
one in the middle ; then I lay down five 14-foot 
boards on the top of the battens and across the 
same; the upper and lower boards are 6 inches 
wide, the other three are 4 inches wide. The 
lowest board is laid 2 inches from the end of the 
battens, the next board is laid down leaving a 
space of 2 ’Ij inches, the next leaving 3'| a inches, 
the next 5 inches, and the last even with the 
top of the battens, leaving 11 inches space. At 
the ends I lay down two battens directly over 
the lower battens, and commence nailing down 
with wrought or clinch nails. At the ends I 
use 3'| j-inch nails; at the middle, there being 
but one batten, 2 1 | J -inch nails. In the end 
battens, through the upper and lower boards, I 
use ’| ,-inch bolts, S’^-inches long, having four 
bolts to a panel, which makes it very firm. 
Wooden pins may be used by persons wishing 
to save the expense of buying nails. When the 
nails are clinched, the panel is done. In set¬ 
ting up the fence the ends of the panels are 
put together on a straight line, and an inch 
board, 8 inches long, is put in the upper space 
between the battens, and also one in the lower 
space; this is sufficient to fasten the gates to¬ 
gether. Then I take stakes 5 1 | a or 6 feet long, and 
l'| a or 2 inches square; pin or bolt two stakes 
together 8 inches from the top, and point the 
lower ends so that they will go easity into the 
ground. Then take two pairs of the stakes for 
each of the panels, and place one inside of the 
top space between the first two boards at the 
top, so that the top board rests on the stakes, 
which incline outward in opposite directions. 
Raise the stakes so that the gate will be 3 inch¬ 
es above the ground. The stakes will brace 
the fence in four directions, and no wind can 
upset it. The fence may be set up in different 
ways. Four panels will make an enclosure. 
Land Drainage—Details of the Work. 
BY COL. GEO. E. WARING, JR., OF OGDEN FARM. 
It is never pleasant to confess errors; but I 
am convinced, by what I have recently seen, 
that in previous writing about drainage, I have 
been mistaken on one point. That is, in insist¬ 
ing, as a universal rule, that the whole line 
should be opened from the upper end of the 
lateral to the lower eud of the main, and that 
the main should be kept open until the tile-lay¬ 
ing and covering should be finished in all its 
laterals. This is frequently, but not always, 
true,—perhaps it is not even generally so. 
I have probably directed the laying of over a 
hundred miles of tile drains, and I have always 
tried to approach as nearly as possible to the 
English practice, as I had seen it described. I 
have bought sets of English draining tools, and 
have read in English agricultural books and pa¬ 
pers about the way in which the work is done. 
I have seen pictures and diagrams showing 
every step of the operation, and have had let¬ 
ters from England (in reply to my questions) 
telling me precisely what they do there. I have 
tried for fifteen years—with scores of Irish ditch¬ 
ers—to imitate them, and have finally concluded 
that the statements made were not true, and 
that the pictures drawn were drawn from the 
imagination. I could in no way get my ditch¬ 
es dug without having the men tramping on the 
bottom, and making more or less mud accord- 
