18G7.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
405 
pointed directly nguinst the current were cut 
ofF. The result has been that at high water the 
fence floats up more or less, and the swiftness 
of the current keeps it entirely free from every¬ 
thing except an occasional bush which gets en¬ 
tangled, but does no damage. All large things 
pass along unhindered. We propose, therefore, 
A FRNCE ACROSS A STREAM. 
to ^Ir. Campbell to try hanging small trees or 
t)ranches of larger ones in the way we suggest. 
The engraving shows a combination of the 
banging gates and trees, the latter being where 
the current is swiftest, the stream deepest, and 
where, almost certainly, the heavy drift will 
come down. The rod is attached on one side to 
a tree, on the other it passes through one, and 
is continued at an angle to a stump, where it is 
fixed, making a very strong anchorage. Provi¬ 
sion is also indicated for tightening up the rod in 
case it stretches or slackens, which is important. 
-- I --- 
Cultivation of Corn. 
A LESSOR rnOM NORTH CABOEINA. 
to pull out all the weeds in or near the hills. 
This is work which would have to be done by 
hand, were the corn hoed. The simple pull¬ 
ing, without previous plowing, and without 
hoeing at the same time, is not a labor requiring 
much skill, faithfulness being especially neces¬ 
sary. As soon as this W'as done, the field m as 
plowed in the direc¬ 
tion opposite to the 
way the horse-hoe was 
used, turning the fur¬ 
rows towards the 
com, going four times 
to each row, and thus 
turning all the ground 
between the rows, and 
leaving the land 
ridged. The plow was 
run pretty deep, and 
nearly all the weeds 
were thoroughly bur¬ 
ied under a heavy 
mass of mellow soil. 
We passed over a fine farm in Westchester 
Co., N. Y., a few days since, in company | 
with its proprietor, a liberal minded farmer, , 
who showed with great satisfaction a fine field 
of corn in which no hoe had been used this ^ 
season. It was remarkably free from weeds, , 
and that, rather than tlie condition of the corn, , 
(except on w'et land), is the test of good culture 
this season. The few weeds were good vigor- ; 
ous specimens, however, showing that they 
were such as the plow had not covered entirely ; 
at the last plowing. Once passing through to ' 
pull these weeds would be a small job, and then 
the field would be clean. Our friend says he 
This is exactly the place where w’eeds are 
wanted, and it is much better than to leave 
them on the surface, where some seeds may ma¬ 
ture, and where, if wet weather follows, many 
will surely root again. The only chance for 
weeds to live is if they are not thoroughly cov¬ 
ered up, and in the field we passed through, 
such were the only ones seen. 
The accompanying diagram shows a section 
of two rows of corn, plowed as described; the 
corn plants Avith the brace roots (b) thrown out 
into the fresh turned soil, the main roots in the 
undisturbed portion of the soil. The line, ft, 
a, indicates the general level of the ground. 
The past wet summer has been one to put to 
the severest test any method of killing weeds 
among corn. The contrast betAveen the field 
we refer to, and another treated in the usual 
way, is most notable. Last 
year an experiment, to ascer¬ 
tain the actual difference be- 
tAveen the tAvo systems, was 
faithfully, but rather rough- 
; ly, made. Half a large piece, 
which Avas all manured and 
planted uniformly,was hand- 
hoed (three times Ave pre¬ 
sume) ; the other half was 
treated as above described. 
The result Avas that five 
bushels per acre more corn 
Avas harvested from the 
ridge-ploAA’ed part of the 
field than from that which 
Avas hand-hoed; the larger yield Avith least labor. 
The good effects in dry Aveather are explained, 
first, by the thorough removal of the Aveeds 
close to the corn, then by the conversion of 
those that are left standing into a green manui- 
ing, as they rapidly decay, and finally, by the 
broad mass of mellow soil which the lidge pre- 
have been expended. Some of these Avork Avell 
enough for a Avhile, but we never saAV one that, 
from some derangement of its parts, Avas not, 
after a fcAv months’ use, opened by hand in 
the old fashioned Avay. 
A correspondent, Doct. Henry Breiner, Alle¬ 
ghany Co., Pa., finding no gate to suit him, had 
one constructed after a plan of his own, of 
which he sends us a sketch. Having but one en¬ 
trance from the road to his grounds, it Avas neces¬ 
sary to make a gate that should answer foi cai- 
riage, horse, or foot passengers, and one of Avhich 
either half could be opened independently. 
The gate presents no improvement over the 
ordinary double gate, except in its fastening, 
Avhich is simple, easily made, and apparently 
efficient. It Avill be readily understood from the 
engraving, Avith but a brief description. A bolt 
(a) of oak, i inch thick and two inches Avide, runs 
the whole length of the style of the gate, and 
slides freely through staples. To the upper end 
of the bolt is attached a lever (5)by Avhich it is 
raised. This lever Avorks through a mortise in 
the style of the gate, and a tenon on the end of 
it enters a mortise in the bolt. To support the 
lever a piece of Avoodis mortised into the upper 
rail of the gate opposite the first pale, having 
a mortise to receive the lever, which is held in 
its place by a Avooden pin. This is the only 
fastening the lever needs. The lower ends of 
the bolts are received in a mortise in a piece of 
2-inch plank (c), 20 to 24 inches long, Avhich is 
spiked to two locust posts set in the ground at 
the proper point. The plank is bevelled in two 
directions and kaptAvell oiled, so that when the 
gate shuts, the bolts will readily slide over it 
and drop into the mortise, Avhich should be half 
an inch wider than the bolts. The hole in the 
plank should be over the space between the 
posts to Avhich it is spiked, to facilitate clearing 
it from dirt. The gate is hung to swing either 
OTT/'l fo V t ll P. Ot-llGrS 0.1SO« 
double entrance gate. 
way and is easily unfiistened by depressing the 
handle of the lever; itwill fasten itself when it 
swings to again. Doct. B. says if there is any 
better fastening for a double gate he avouUI like 
to have it communicated to our readers. 
How to Get the Boys to Stay on the Farm. 
MANNER OF PLOWING CORN. 
learned during the war the practice which 
we describe from a North Carolinian refugee. 
The corif Avas planted in hills a little less than 
four feet apart—the proper distance depends 
upon the variety—and as soon as it Avas well up, 
it Avas cultivated with Share’s horse-hoe, in one 
direction. Any good horse-hoe or cultivator 
will do. This cleans the land well, but does 
not destroy the weeds in the hills. After about 
ft fortnight, or as soon as the weeds began to 
grow pretty well among the corn hills, and the 
brace roots began to show rows of little points 
around the lower joints, boys were sent through 
to riot and revel in. The corn so quickly cov¬ 
ers the ground after this that seedling weeds 
starting upon the fresh turned furrows have 
little chance of life, and none of vigorous growth. 
A Double Entrance Gate. 
An impracticable gate, one difficult to open 
and equally troublesome to shut, is a very com¬ 
mon thing, but its frequent occurrence makes it 
none the less annoying. There are several 
"self-opening” gates upon the constiuction of 
which a great deal of ingenuity and machinery 
The exodus is noryet arrested. "We have 
been doing our best for ten years to malic the 
labors of the farm attractive and profitable, so 
that the old homestead might at least rctmn one 
of the sons, and remain in the family. The la¬ 
bor has not been lost, for no business m the 
country has made more substantial and visible 
pro"-res3 during this period. We have our 
Statue and County Fairs well organized and 
fig a good work in all parts of the Northern 
States; we have model farms and farmers, 
better ’drainage, better implements, better till¬ 
age, and larger crops, in part as a consequence 
