172 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
3 
It loses less by fermentation in the soil than it does in 
the yard, and it is better commingled with the soil by 
the culture of the corn, than it would be by the mere 
preparation for the wheat crop. 
^^CORRESPONDENCE. 
Plan of a Bam. 
Near Brownsville , Pa. Nov. 1, 1838. 
Hon. J. Btjel —As the important subject of barn 
building has awakened the attention of the farming 
community, I would place at your disposal the plan 
of a barn I have just erected. It is the plan most 
usually adopted by the Germans of western Penn. 
The cost is about eleven hundred dollars; and for ex¬ 
tent of accommodations, for grain and stock, for du¬ 
rability, for convenience and not being liable to get 
out of repair, it has few superiors. Bank barns have 
many advantages over those erected on level ground, 
and surrounded with sheds,—the manure is collected 
in front, in one place, and all other sides are kept 
clean; the stock is more easily fed, on account of 
the fodder being nearer to the place where it is want¬ 
ed and much less roofing is required for the same 
purpose. This barn is ninety-five feet long, forty- 
four in width, including an overjet of eight feet: 
height of main frame sixteen feet, and of the overjet 
twelve ; that is, above the wall. 
[Fig. No. 61.] 
Fig. 61, represents the end view. Several lattice 
windows are preferred, so as to let off the rarified, 
moist and heated air in small bodies; for a current of 
this air is known to be one of the best conductors of 
electricity; of course then, means should be taken to 
prevent its passing off in one dense volume; free venti¬ 
lation would seem to answer this purpose. Is not the 
neglect of this precaution the cause of so many barns 
being burned by lightning! the whole current pass- 
ingout of one opening ? 
[Fig. No. 62.] 
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Fig. 62, represents the second story; (xa and a) 
represent hay or grain mows ; (b) a mow with large 
doors (g), and strong floor, into which a wagon can 
drive so as to fill the mow (a); after which the mow 
(b) may be filled from the threshing floor (c); so that 
no space in the whole extent may be left unoccupied, 
except the threshing floor; and after the mow (b) is 
freed from its gram, it also serves for a threshing 
floor for the mow (a). The mow (a), however, is in¬ 
tended for hay, which even then leaves space enough 
for all the grain of farms of the usual size; (e) is a 
granary, from which grain may be let down into a 
wagon, from a door in the end of the barn; (d) is a 
building for a stationary horse power of a threshing 
machine, which I intend erecting; (g g) are barn 
doors; (h) stair and gangways to throw hay and 
straw into the stable below. A straw house on the 
lower side with racks underneath, will be found very 
convenient, especially where much straw is threshed 
atone time. Joists are placed above the threshing 
floor on which to store away grain. 
Fig. 63, is a ground plan of the basement story; 
(m) are passages the whole length of the building, 
and between the stables, from which the stock is fed; 
(n) passage and stable doors; (o) windows, which 
together with lath doors, and the space up to the 
sills above the doors being left open, serve to venti¬ 
late the stables sufficiently; (p) doors from passages 
into stables; (1) which will accommodate eomfbrta- 
[Fig. No. 63.] 
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bly twelve horses, twenty-four cows or cattle, and 
twelve calves. The basement is mason work. I am 
thus minute, for in minutiee consists convenience. 
A Machine for Hoisting Bogs. 
I will also attempt to describe a machine for rais¬ 
ing logs upon a wagon, with which a man and boy to 
move the pins, can load a log in five minutes, which 
[Fig. No. 64.] 
it would require five men at least half an hour ; (a) 
is the log, (b) a lever, the handle being wood, the 
part (g) on which the strength lies, of iron; on which 
iron part, is fixed a link and hook ; (c) is two pieces of 
plank about seven feet long, eight inches broad, and one 
and a half thick, pinned side by side,—but wide enough 
apart to admit the lever and hook working easily be¬ 
tween them,—bored with holes at regular distances on 
each side, so that as the lever is raised and lowered, 
the pins which go through the holes, and on which 
the lever rests, may be moved to the holes immedi¬ 
ately above; the hook on which the weight lies, 
works between the two pins; (e) is a stick, one end 
on the ground, the other on the log; on which latter 
end is fastened a log chain extending under the log, 
and fastened on the hook of the lever; (d) is a prop 
to keep the machine from falling in the direction of 
the log. It works on much the same principle as 
the beam cider press. If you understand the princi¬ 
ple, please explain it in a more intelligible manner, 
if it is deemed worthy of a corner of your valuable 
journal. G. E. H. 
Improved Wind-Mill. 
Mr. J. Btjel —Sir—I wish through the columns of 
the Cultivator, to bring to the notice of the public an 
important improvement in the wind-mill, made by 
Mr. Israel Keyes of Putney, Vermont, and patented 
by the United States. It is believed that by the aid 
of this improvement, wind power may be successfully 
used in all those places where water power is want¬ 
ing. 
The wheel used by Mr. Keyes, is a perpendicular 
wheel moving horizontally. There is a perpendicular 
shaft, with two setts of horizontal arms, to which are 
attached boards perpendicularly, which make the 
floats on which the wind operates. This wheel is en¬ 
closed in a circle of slats standing perpendicularly, 
and turn on a pivot at the bottom. Each slat laps 
on the edge of the one next to it, so that the circle is 
easily moved ; and opens and shuts in the manner of 
moveable window blinds. In whatever direction the 
wind may blow, it operates upon one-half of the 
wheel, while it is turned from the other half: and 
when the wind is too violent, the slats are par¬ 
tially or wholly closed, as the case may require, by 
the operation of the machinery; so that the operation 
of the wind on the wheel, can be regulated as water 
is by the opening and shutting of the gate. 
It is believed that this wind-mill may be successfully 
used for grist-mills, saw-mills, for mechanic shops, for 
grinding bark in tanneries, for the various purposes 
of farm use, as grinding provender, sawing wood, cut¬ 
ting straw, turning, or a churn, and for pumping wa¬ 
ter. 
Mr. Keyes has erected for me a wind-mill, with a 
four feet wheel, to carry a pump of one and an eighth 
inches caliber ; and the experiment has been entirely 
successful. It has much more power than is needed 
for so small a pump, in a well of common depth. 
It heaves three quarts of water in a minute, and 
with a larger pump would probably heave two gallons 
in a minute. 
This pump can be fitted up at a moderate expense, 
and cannot fail to be a valuable acquisition to those 
farms that are destitute of streams and living foun¬ 
tains. 
This improved wind-mill has many advantages over 
those of the old construction, as will be obvious by 
inspection. It is cheaper built, in a more convenient 
form, has much less friction, more power, and is per¬ 
fectly managable in a high wind. 
E. D. ANDREWS. 
Pittsford, Monroe co. Nov. 12, 1835. 
A model of this wind-mill has been submitted to our in¬ 
spection ; and we are inclined to think favorably of it; 
though we cannot venture to give a definitive opinion of its 
merits till we have seen it thoroughly tried.— Cond. Cult. 
Cultivation and Profits of Cucumbers. 
Narrows, L. I. October 26,1838. 
Mr. Btjel —Agreeable to promise, I will now en¬ 
deavor to describe the manner in which cucumbers 
are cultivated on Long-Island, for the supply of the 
New-York markets, and will also give the produce 
and amount of sales from my crop of the preceding 
four years. Before proceeding with the matter, I 
would state, that the description is intended for field 
culture, and that our great object is, to have good 
fruit, and as early as it is possible to produce it, for 
two or three days makes a great difference in its va¬ 
lue in the markets. 
Cucumbers will grow on any good soil, but to have 
them early, we require a rich sandy one, of a dark 
colour, yellow and light coloured ones being later.— 
The field, if possible, requires to be protected from the 
south and northwest winds, and be situated near the 
bay or river, where there L always less danger from late 
frosts. The south winds with us, in May and June, 
retard vegetation more than any other, in consequence 
of their being chilly and cool, which qualities they 
receive from the ocean. 
Ground intended for cucumbers, we prefer plough¬ 
ing in August or the beginning of September of the 
preceding year, and sowing with rye; the pasture 
which this produces pays for the labor, and among its 
advantages are, the prevention of weeds going to 
seed and troubling us in the spring; the soil not blow¬ 
ing about in winter, especially on the knolls ; neither 
is it so liable to blow when ploughed in the spring, in 
consequence of the roots of the plants, and the sus¬ 
tenance afforded to the crop by the decay of the rye. 
Previous to ploughing for the crop, there should be 
spread about seven two-horse loads of street or horse 
manure to the acre ; but if the soil is poor, more will 
be necessary, and the ploughing should take place 
immediately after the spreading. The ground is then 
harrowed over two or three times, until it is mellow, 
furrowed shallow, with a plough, into hills four and a 
half feet asunder, manured with half a shovel full in 
a hill, which is flattened down with a hoe and cover¬ 
ed about an inch thick with fine soil. Short hog ma¬ 
nure, carted out of the pen the preceding fall, and cut 
over early in the spring once or twice, and made fine, 
is preferred for the hills ; but this not being generally 
sufficiently abundant, we procure the manure of cows 
which have been fed on distillers’ slops, mixed with 
that of horses, so as to make it sufficiently firm to 
handle with a fork, from New-York in the fall, which 
we mix with the hog manure. The manure should 
be cool, for fermentation in the hills is injurious to the 
plants. 
The sooner the seed is planted after ploughing, the 
better: the time of planting depends upon the for¬ 
wardness of the season, and it is generally commenc¬ 
ed when single apricot blossoms are open, but some 
seasons earlier. About a week is occupied in putting 
in the first seed, and nearly the same period in plant¬ 
ing over the first and second times. The casualties 
to which the seed and plants are subject, induces us 
to continue putting in seed almost every day for this 
space of time, so as to make certain work. It some¬ 
times happens, when the weather has been unfavora¬ 
ble, that every hill in some fields is planted over the 
third, and even single hills the fourth time. I prefer 
spreading the first seed in the south half of the hills, 
the first planting over in the northwest, and the se¬ 
cond in the northeast quarters : if it becomes neces¬ 
sary to plant over the third time, I put the seed in 
the south half, where the first seed by that time is 
rotten. If this plan is properly followed, the differ¬ 
ent plan'ings will not interfere with each other. We 
generally put in from thirty to forty seeds each time, 
and cover them with fine soil from three-quarters to 
an inch deep. Sprouting the seed previous to plant¬ 
ing does not succeed well early in the season, but does 
sometimes when the weather is favorable in the latter 
part. Cucumber seed is the tenderest of the vine 
kind, for if, after planting at the usual depth, wet 
weather should follow, it is almost certain to rot; if 
dry, it dries out; if, when favorable to their vegetat¬ 
ing, and the plants have advanced so as to be break¬ 
ing ground, a storm should occur, they generally pe¬ 
rish ; a northeaster of three or four days’ continuance 
destroys the plants when young, and in some instan- 
