200 
THE  BUCKEYE  FOKCE  FEED  DRILL. 
Readees  of  the  Rorae  New-Yorker  have  had 
well  “  drilled  into  them"  the  advantages  of  drill¬ 
ing  gi'ain  rather  than  sowing  broadcast  accord¬ 
ing  to  old  fashioned  practices.  Very  many  of 
our  Western  readers  are  acquainted  with  the 
Buckeye  Force  Feed  _ 
Drill,  made  by  P.  P. 
Mast  &  Co. ,  Spriiigfield,  Vv  7 
O.,  a  representation  of  -T  "  - 
which  is  found  on  this  fy': 
page.  It  has,  we  bo-  k'  -  :  ■  / 
lieve,  given  general  sat-  .  ' 
isfaction.  and  by  succes  /  . 
sive  improvements  has  ^ 
been  brought  as  near  -  i 
perfection  as  this  kind 
of  implement  seems  cn- 
pableof.  Amongitsad- 
vantages  arc  the  oasy 
rogulaUou  of  feed,  liis- 
tributing  more  or  loss  lit  ,  -|. 
the  will  of  the  fanner 
and  without  change  of  M'' 
gear.  Farmoi’S  have  long  v 
wanted  a  lirill  in  which  Mj} 
the  amount  of  seed  can 
bo  regulated  without 
putting  on  or  taking  olf  b| 
of  oog  wheels  of  various  II  \  1 
sizes,  as  often  in  the  ^  /  vJs^' 
same  field  dilferent  por- 
tions  will  require  more  > 
or  less  seed  according  as  /  /  W  ■ 
the  soil  is  rich  or  poor.  il 
The  Buckeye  Drill,  being  '•'*> 
a  force  feed,  will  distrib-  t 
ute  all  kinds  of  grain  ' 
with  equal  facility  and 
exactness  in  any  desired 
l,  -.^J  rrzi^-  i  ■  P» 
quantity.  By  the  Itn- 
proved  hoe  shifter  tho 
hoes  are  changed  from  '  -  ^  . 
straight  to  zigzag  ivith- 
out  stopping  the  team. 
relieving  the  hoes  of  clods  or  other  impedi¬ 
ments  when  woikiiyj  on  rougli  ground.  This  is 
.1  very  valuable  feature.  The  anangement  of 
the  grain  tubes  is  suclj  that  they  are  attached 
directly  to  the  feeder  cups,  sbowing  the  grain  as 
it  falls  from  the  hopper.  Thus  the  faiTuer 
can  at  all  times  know  that  every  tube  is  operatiug  | 
and  distributing  its  SAKjd  perfectly. 
An  incieasing  propoiiion  ol  fanners  are  using 
and  will  continue  to  use  concentrated  nmnures- 
mainly  commercial  fertilizers  with  their  crojiB. 
I'he  best  result  with  these  is  always  by  drilling 
them  in  with  the  seed.  The  Buckeye  1  Irill  bus  a 
fertilizer  attachment  operated  on  the  same  prin¬ 
ciple  with  the  grain  drill,  and  distributing  evenly 
any  kind  of  ciincontrutcd  manui'c.  'Fho  advan¬ 
tage  of  using  the  fertilizer  will  alone  jiay  the 
cost  of  a  drill  in  many  casos.  As  the  I'ertilizer  at¬ 
tachment  is  a  force  feed  it  will  disti  ibnte  manure 
in  any  reasonable  condition,  breaking  np  lumpy 
portions  and  putting  them  through  tho  tubes. 
It  is  also  superior  for  working  w  ith  damp  fertili¬ 
zers  which  could  not  otherwise  bo  evenly  dis¬ 
tributed. 
These  same  parties  manufacture  the  eelobraled 
Buckeye  Broadcast  Seeder,  Buckeye  Riding  or 
Walking  Cultivator,  Buckeye  Plow  SuUiy,  and 
Buckeve  Cider  Mill  and  Press. 
onuf  ting  to  give  special  attention  to  under-drain¬ 
ing.  But  our  would-he-iulvanec.d  vlneyardistR, 
tell  us  tliat  no  such  expensive  preparations  are 
required  for  the  native  grajn;  when  grown  in  the 
oiKui  air,  although  the  half  starved,  sickly  look¬ 
ing  vines  to  lie  seen  in  almost  eve« y  neighbor¬ 
hood  throughout  the  eonntry,  show  very  con¬ 
clusively  that  tliere  is  something  radically  wrong 
in  then'  culture,  or  no  enltnre  at  all  which 
amounlH  to  the  same  thing  in  the  end. 
That  such  exhibitions  of  the  snceesH  of  ama¬ 
teurs  is  not  so  common  now  us  fomieiiy  we  ad¬ 
mit,  hut  do  not  think  it  should  be  attributwl  to 
the  failure  of  varieties  in  consequence  of  high 
cnltme,  or  to  systematic  close  pruning.  There 
are  other  causes  which  have  brought  about  the 
change  and  tlie  principal  one  is  the  overstocking 
ol  our  markets  with  grapes  fiom  more  favorable 
and  distant  loealiUes.  When  the  ainati  iir  liad  to 
])ay  twenty-live  to  fifty  cents  jjcr  pound  for  only 
evaded.  A  dealer  may  purchase  a  tolerably  reli¬ 
able  article  for  a  fair  jirioe,  and  by  mixing  with 
it  a  cheaper  variety  give  better  satisfation,  while 
apparently  selling  “coal  oil  ”  for  leas  than  it  cost 
him,  than  if  he  had  sold  the  same  article  he  piu- 
ehased.  The  user  knows  nothing  of  the  dangers 
incident  to  the  use  of  the  cheap  but  brightly- 
burning  article  until  an  explosion  occurs,  and  is 
likely  to  know  less  thereafter.  Aside  from  the 
IKmsibility  of  acquiring  skill  uj  detecting  adulter¬ 
ation  there  would  seem 
to  be  no  protective  meas- 
‘  -  .  ure  except  to  purchase  a 
high-priced  article  of  a 
reputable  dealer.  There 
'  -  is,  we  believe,  a  lamp— 
jiutonted  perhaps,  we  do 
not;knowhy  whom— pro- 
'■  extinguish- 
attachment  that  puts 
out  tho  light  in unediate- 
wiwA'  when  tho  lamp  is  tilted 
to  ono  side,  which  occurs 
of  course  wlien  it  falls, 
■I  ^  when  the  crash 
'  ,  ‘  comes,  there  is  no  explo- 
|-i  ,  '/  «jon.  Such  an  appliance, 
effective,  promises  to 
_  be  useful,  and  will  doubt- 
less  encourage  otlierim- 
.  provements  in  the  same 
A- ' '  direction . 
J3UCfICI0V10  icoitcio  b'j-cicn 
HIGH  CULTURE  OF  GRAPE  VINES. 
Or  late  it  has  become  quite  the  fashion  among 
a  certain  class  of  writers  on  horticuliural  matters, 
to  either  donoimce  or  sneer  at  the  mode  of  cul¬ 
ture  practiced  by  our  grape  growers  of  a  dozen 
years  ago. 
We  are  told  that  liigh  manuring,  deep  trench¬ 
ing  and  close  pruning  are,  to  use  a  slang  plu  ase. 
“  played  out,"  But  we  thiuk  the  advocates  of 
high  culture  would  como  as  near  the  truth  as 
tlieir  ojiponents  by  sajiug,  “  and  so  has  grape 
culrure."  Not  th.it  grapes  have  failed  to  he  a 
success  in  nmuy  localities,  or  that  our  markets 
are  fairly  inippihed  with  this  fruit,  such  as  it  is, 
but  grapes  of  good  quality  and  well  ripened  aro 
still  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Perhaps 
the  price  xvhich  this  fruit  commands  in  market, 
will  not  wjuTant  any  considerable  outlay  in  the 
way  of  cultivating  the  rtneyards,  or  care  in 
Perhaps  it  is  in  the  jirunmg.  for  tliose  who  de¬ 
nounce  deep  culture  and  ingu  inanunug  for 
giapevines,  usually  reckon  the  various  systems 
of  close  pruning  in  the  same  category  of  inju¬ 
rious  and  useless  processes,  that  might  belter  be 
dispensed  with  than  practiced. 
But  again  we  must  refer  them  to  tlie  manipu¬ 
lation  of  vines  grown  in  gi'apci’ioa  where  our  livo 
to  twenty-five  pound  bunches  are  produced,  and 
of  tlie  very  same  soi  ts  whicli  would  not  grow  to 
one-llflh  of  this  weight  if  planhid  in  the  most 
congenial  soil  and  climate,  aiul  the  vines  left  to 
take  care  of  themsolvos.  or  the  heai-ing  canes  or 
spurs  pruned  a  fool  or  two  in  length  as  frequent¬ 
ly  vecommended  fur  vines  in  a  vineyard. 
Of  course  wo  shall  be  met  with  the  ever-ready 
assertion  that  “  ciicumstances  alter  cases,”  and 
that  foreign  varieties  cultivated  where  they  are 
subjected  to  artificial  heat,  require  different 
treatment  than  the  native  sorts  cultivated  in  the 
vineyard.  This  is  true  to  ti  certain  degree,  but 
iu  otu'  own  experience  and  observation  we  have 
failed  to  discover  any  good  reason  for  such  a  nice 
difference  iu  tho  culture,  pruuiug  aud  U’aiuiug  of 
tlio  foreign  and  native  vanelics.  We  have  found  , 
no  native  soi't  which  did  not  thrive  better  under 
the  vei’v  highest  culture  and  short,  close  piruii- 
iiig,  than  the  opposite.  But  whether  the  product 
will  ]iay  for  all  this  extra  care  and  expense  is 
quite  another  thing,  and  does  not  at  all  affect  the 
question  of  the  results  of  scieutilic  or  high  cul¬ 
ture.  It  has  been  urged  that  to  tell  the  novice  In 
grape  culture  that  he  must  trench  his  soil  18 
inches  to  two  feet  deep,  mix  in  plenty  of  old, 
well  rotted  manure,  bone  dust  or  other  eiuiching 
materials  before  planting  the  vines,  is  discoiuag- 
ing,  and  will  prevent  many  from  purchaaing 
vines  or  altenipting  the  culture  of  this  fruit,  all 
of  which  we  admit  is  true.  But  it  is  not  better 
that  he  should  know  this  in  advance,  than  to  find 
it  out  after  spending  his  money  for  vtneB,  and 
wasting  years  of  time  in  tiying  to  get  good 
grapes,  in  consequence  of  not  knowing  what  was 
needed  to  produce  the  desired  results.  We  re¬ 
member  the  time,  and  it  was  nut  nnuiy  years  ago 
when  almost  everybody  who  had  a  foot  of  spare 
ground  iilanted  a  grape  vine,  and  in  a  soil  pre¬ 
pared  in  accordance  with  the  plans  laid  down  by 
the  advocates  of  high  culture,  aud  as  a  result 
hundi’eds  of  om-  amateurs  succeeded  admirably 
witli  vaneties  wliich  are  now  considered  "played 
out." 
It  was  not  unusual  then  to  meet  one  of  our 
a  jiassahly  good  grape  he  thought  it  worth  while 
to  cultivate  a  few  vines  himself,  but  a  chop  to 
lliree  or  live  cents  obliterates  ono  of  the  most 
lunverfiil  incentives  for  spending  time  aud  labor 
over  his  vines,  hence  hundreds  have  ceased 
taking  any  special  coi’e  of  their  vines. 
- »-*-♦ - 
GRAPE  ROT. 
Tue  Alton,  Til.,  TTovt.  Society  have  been  dis- 
cuHsing  thissuhject.  Chas.  V.  Riley,  )St ate  Ento- 
uiolog^t  of  Missouri,  thinks  the  rot  in  the  beny 
may  be  attributed  to  some  constitutional  defect 
in  tho  vino.  Mr.  Starr,  of  Alton,  does  not  be¬ 
lieve  it  due  to  any  conslitutioual  defect  in  tlie 
vine,  nor  to  the  mode  of  preparing  the  soil,  as 
some  believe.  J.  M.  Jordan  of  Ht.  Louis,  a  suc¬ 
cessful  cultivator,  said : 
“  I  have  lost  all  confidence  in  the  statements 
of  our  Hcientific  men.  I  have  seijii  grapes  grow 
where  oiir  sciemific  men  say  they  ean't  be  grown, 
i  do  not  disa])pro\e  of  scientific  investigation, 
but  I  do  disapprove  of  stating  as  facts  what  are 
merely  suppositious.  I  have  grapes  growing 
this  year  where  you  could  not  pick  a  handful  of 
rotten  grapes.  1  believe  I  cau  take  any  vine  aud 
make  it  produce  rotten  grapes,  or  I  can  make  it 
produce  sound  fmit,  free  from  rot.  Close  pinch¬ 
ing  is  tho  inaiu  thing.  Keep  the  foliage  in  chock. 
The  soil  should  be  well  under-drained,  us  I  don’t 
think  one  can  gi’ow  fruit  or  vegetables  with  the 
feet  of  the  plants  ui  water,  nie  rot  this  year  is 
extensive,  but  on  imdcr-tlralned  soil,  where  a 
careful  system  of  close  piucliiiig  has  been  follow¬ 
ed,  wo  find  tlie  grape  nearly  exempt,  as  com¬ 
pared  with  those  vineyards  where  a  different 
system  has  been  followed. 
Insuranff 
pruning,  training  and  thinning  out  the  berries  j  merchants,  mechanics,  in  fact,  men  engaged  in 
and  bunches,  hut  thi.s  does  not  prove  that  high 
culture  in  all  its  ramifications  is  something  un¬ 
worthy  of  consideraiion. 
We  find  that  the  cultivators  of  exotic  gi-apes 
under  glass,  still  pay  great  attention  to  the  pre- 
]}aration  of  the  hoi-ders,  both  as  regards  the 
proper  manipulation  and  component  parts  of  the 
soil  into  which  the  roots  are  to  he  placed,  not 
various  occupations,  who  would  recount  their 
triumphs  in  raising  magnificent  bunches  of 
Delaware.  Rebecca,  AUeu’s  Hybrid,  aud  similar 
Qas  now  considered)  uncertain  varieties.  A  fair 
or  gi-ape  show  at  the  Farmer's  or  Fruit  Growers' 
Club  in  this  city,  was  sure  to  bring  scores  of 
these  aniateui's  together,  exliibiting,  or  boasting 
of  tho  product  of  his  few  or  many  grape  vines. 
INSURANCE  NOTES  AND  NEWS. 
The  Use  of  A'ei'osene.— Though  the  ingenuity 
of  iuventoi's  aud  chemists  has  been  severely 
taxed  to  devise  means  to  render  the  use  of  coal 
oil  and  its  preparations  comparatively  innocuous, 
it  is  practically  a  tiifle  more  dangerous  to  life 
and  property  than  gunpowder.  The  laws  enact¬ 
ed  to  regulate  maiiufactm-o  aud  sale  arc  nearly  a 
dead  letter  because  of  the  facility  of  adulteration 
of  the  safer  varieties  of  the  article.  When  the 
cnide  oil  is  distilled  there  comes  first  the  Ugliter, 
more  volatile  and  iiifiammahle,  as  well  as  danger¬ 
ous  and  cheap  benzine ;  next  the  safer  aud  dear¬ 
er  keroseno  of  common  use,  and  lastly  the 
heavier  oils  oixUuaiuly  used  for  lubricating  jiur- 
poses.  Vai'ious  rules  have  been  proposed,  and 
some  adopted,  for  testing  this  inflammability  and 
explosiveness  of  the  middle  grades  used  for  do¬ 
mestic  purposes,  but  these  x'ules  are  easily 
Insurance  I^yisluHOii. 
r  -Tliere  appears  to  be  a 
-  -  strong  tendency  to  enact 
laws  for  the  protection 
•  -•  V.  of  policy  holders.  There 
may  be  some  jiistiUca- 
necessity  for 
this  in  the  severe  rules 
»'  and  practice  of  certain 
companies.  Tliere  is  daii- 
ger,  also,  in  unskillful 
injudicious  ined- 
dliug.  ThoHfateof  Kan- 
gjj^g  jiroposes  to  enact 
that:--" All  the  condi¬ 
tions  of  every  policy 
shall  be  iu  as  large  type  as  tho  body  of  that  in¬ 
strument  ;  that  no  condition,  limitation  ur  resli  ic- 
tion . shall  he  of  any  force  or  effect 
unless  the  occurrence  shall  incrcaso  the  risk  ur 
hazard;  and  that  when  policies  are  made  pay¬ 
able  to  others  than  the  Insured  no  act  of  the  in¬ 
sured,  alter  the  delivery  of  the  policy  and  its 
assignment  to  another,  sliall  invalidate  the  claim 
of  such  third  paity  or  assignee,”  Those  enact¬ 
ments,  if  jjroperly  guarded,  may  be  .salutary,  but 
another  that  follows,  promises  to  open  the  way 
hi  limitless  fraud.  It  is  "  Lhat  no  policy  shall  be 
void  on  account  of  lalse  reiirosentations  after  it 
has  heeii  iu  force  six  mouths,  and  that  iu  case 
fraud  is  discovered  the  company  shall  return  all 
the  premiums."  Such  a  law  as  this  would  give  a 
fearful  advantage  to  designing  men. 
JJo  A’ol  Foryet  7'his.  Tliere  are  in  life  insur¬ 
ance,  as  iu  morals,  certain  cardinal  truths  that 
cannot  grow  stale  tlirough  frequent  repetition, 
and  should  bo  remembered  only  to  ho  acted  upon 
at  once.  These  are-  That  life  insurance  cannot 
bring  pecuniary  gaiii  to  the  jiarty  insured.  For 
him  there  is  only  the  consululion  of  knowing 
that  his  family  is  jirovided  for  in  any  event. 
This  alone  is  wortli  ten  times  the  premiiim.  The 
prospect  of  dividouds  should  imt  be  an  incentive 
to  invest  money  in  insurance  jiolieics.  There  is 
no  profit  lor  the  policy  holder  except  the  insuied 
dies  prematurely.  Protection  for  the  family  is 
tho  only  thing  worth  htijing.  and  security  fora 
fail-  price  the  first,  last  and  only  condition  worth 
seeltiug.  Aud  this  secmilv  is  to  be  found  only 
in  the  tried  and  substantial  corporations  that 
have  weathered  aU  the  liiiuncial  storms  and  re¬ 
mained  unaffected  by  liaid  limes  and  business 
prostration.  The  companies  iicrmitted  to  adver¬ 
tise  in  this  p.aper.  and  conimeiided  editorially,  are 
such  as  may  be  tiustod  to  fulfill  any  obligation 
implied  by  their  policies.  One  tiling  above  all 
others  is  worth  rouicnihering  and  tliat  is.  lhat  do¬ 
ing  business  with  a  Compuny  or  soviet;/  that  has 
neither  corporate  existence,  canital  to  be  sued 
and  levied  upon,  nor  financial  responsibility, 
a  conscientious  uihu  tninpers  with  ono  of  the 
most  sacred  of  all  possible  responsibilities. 
The  Privilege  "  Plan.  It  has  long  been  the 
custom  of  tire  insurance  cami.iaiiies  taking  long 
risks  upon  property,  to  collect  the  pjenuuui  for 
tlie  whole  temi  in  advance.  Tliis  practice  has 
been  found  to  be  incouveuieut  to  all  iiartics.  The 
eoiiipaiiy  is  required  to  pay  a  large  commission 
in  advHiiee.  as  well  as  to  hold  a  larger  reserve 
fund  in  order  to  meet  the  icquireuiLiitB  of  the 
law,  and  the  insured  have  to  pay  a  larger  sum 
than  the  company  needs  for  current  losses  and 
expenses,  as  well  us  to  risk,  sometimes,  a  great 
deal  upon  the  chances  that  the  company  vail 
be  .solvent  dui’uig  the  entire,  term  paid  tor.  The 
new  plan  adopted  by  certain  companies, “tliat  • 
should  advertise  this  great  lulvantage,  obligates 
the  company  to  carry  the  risk  during  several 
years,  but  penijits  the  insured  to  pay  annually, 
as  iu  life  lusijruuce,  and  to  cancel  the  pohey  in 
case  of  dissatisfaction  or  transfer  of  the  proper¬ 
ty.  We  lioartily  indorse  the  superior  equity  of 
this  improved  plan,  and  hope  that  it  will  he  gen¬ 
erally  adopted. 
