Jnktsrial Jinplftncnts, 
THAT MUCH-INQUIRED-ABOUT MOLE - 
TRAP. 
When one of the editors of the Rural New- 
Yorker located iu Ins present homo— ton or 
more years ago — the ground apportioned to 
lawn, vegetable garden, flower borders, shrub¬ 
beries, etc., was so infested with moles that he 
was driven to the conclusion that either they 
must bo cheeked in their free-and-easy ways, or 
lie must moderate to a disheartening degree his 
harti&ulturul aspirations. All sorts of poisons 
and popular mole-catchers and killers were tried 
without the least, or with hut temporary effect; 
and all the traps which were then known wore 
tried and found to bo, for one reason or another, 
impracticable. 
When, finally, repressive measures were pretty 
well exhausted, and he was ready to conclude 
that a war of extermination against moles was 
labor lost, ho one day received the trap of which 
the accompanying illustration is a faithful rep¬ 
resentation. Finding that it worked like a charm, 
and never doubting that an implement which 
seemed to solve the. iuolo problem would meet 
with a ready sale, he published lus opinion of it 
in the Rural without hesitation. From that 
time until this we have received inquiries as to 
the mechanism of the trap—whore it could be 
purchased, etc., and the answers given have only 
seemed to add fuel to the flame, until we have at 
length concluded that our best course iH to placo 
before our readers a sketch of the trap and an 
account of ull we know about it. First, let us 
describe how it works: 
The spikes (A), three-quarters of au inch wide 
and tapering somewhat at the end, are pressed 
into the ground beside the mole-track as far as 
possible, so that the trigger (B), which is not yet 
attached to the lever (C), rests upon its (the 
mole-track's) surface, the prong-head (D) mean¬ 
time being held iu its present position by the 
ring at the top of the upright square bar (F). 
Now lot it slip from the hand. The force of the 
spring (E) will drive the prongs (D) into the 
ground, perhaps half way. Press them entirely 
down with the foot and raise and lower several 
times, so as to give firmness to the earth and a 
free passage to the prongs Then raise up the 
prong-head to its present position and place the 
lever (0) in one of the notches of the trigger 
(B) , according as tho other end of the trigger is 
more or less depressed. 
Now the mole cannot again pass through this 
track without so pressing upon the earth as to 
move the trigger (at B), whicli releases the lover 
(C) and permits the spring (E) to act, sending 
the prong-head into its place with groat force, 
securely pinning (generally killing) the mole. 
An objection to all other mole-traps, that we 
have examined or used, is the bother which at¬ 
tends setting them. This trap is set w ith little 
trouble, and when one becomes used to it, the 
setting requires but a minute of time. If prop¬ 
erly constructed, it is not liable to get out of 
order, and, unless wantonly knocked about, lasts 
for years—perhaps for a life-time. 
As to where our *• much-inqniiod-about ” trap 
can be purchased : We wrote a Jotter of Inquiry 
to the inventor and manufacturer, who replied 
that, having ‘-many irons in the tire,” he was 
unable to spend the time required to place it in 
the market. This w'as in January of last year. 
He may have given it the attention it well de¬ 
serves since, at the expense of some of those 
otbor “irons.” 
At any rate, it is not patented, that we are 
aw are of, and any person desiring this trap may, 
■ lacing our sketch in the hands of any good 
blacksmith, procure one at a cost of about four 
dollars. 
Dimensions: The bight of the rest (01 is 11 
inches; spikes (A), 7 inches j prongs (D), 7 
inches; width of prong-hoad, 6 inches ; length 
of spring, !) inches ; hight of bar ()>’), Including 
the ring, 15 inches. 
Tho question as to whether moles arc animal 
feeders or not, is pretty well settled in the affirm¬ 
ative. That worms and insects form their chief 
diet there can. after the experiments that have 
been made, no longer be any doubt. How much 
service they render us by ridding onr gardens 
and fields of such posts as wire, cut-worms, Ac., 
is for each proprietor to determine for himself. 
When, however, one has to choose between 
moles (accepted as tho gardener’s friend in that 
sense) and no garden or a topsy-turvy one, we 
should favor such a decimation of the mole as 
would at least allow of our repairing its damages. 
One of those mole traps will sutlico for that pur¬ 
pose in grounds of as much as one aero in extent. 
Another advantage it possossoH over other 
traps is, that it may bo set in sodded ground 
Without breaking up the sod. It may be set, 
indeed, anywhere, unless stones are met with of 
a size which the prongs cannot thrust aside. 
In very dry weather, too, when the soil, like 
sand, will not pack, the holes made by the prongs 
soon till up. It is only necessary to pour a little 
water into them and re-set the trap. 
cfatm (gc oho mu. 
PRACTICAL NOTES FROM THE FARM. 
BY WM. .r. FOWLER. 
Frequent and heavy rains during haying 
time greatly retarded the securing of this im¬ 
portant crop. But the injury was more than 
offset., at that time, by the benefit to spring 
grains. Now that tho grass is mostly housed Iu 
safety the second growth, or aftermath, is 
springing up vigorously. Especially is this 
true of clover. Much was cut early this year 
aud more than usual will bo left for seed, owing 
probably to its high price during tho past two 
winters, it is not always tho largest growth 
which brings the heaviest yield of clover seed; 
hut it is certainly favorablo to have a strung 
aftermath spring up just after the first crop la 
cut. Dry weather in August will pinch the 
plant at the time when it is most advisable to 
ensure a good seeding. 
During tbo short interval between haying ami 
harvest, we have been improving the time in 
hoeing corn and potatoes and destroying every 
potato beetle, larva, or egg which we Haw. As 
wo do not use Paris-green, wo can handle tho 
vines freely without fear or being poisoned. 
Thus far the vinos have been hand-picked six 
times at u cost of threo-fourlhs of a day per acre 
for the whole. This I think cheaper than I’aris- 
greon as it surely is much pleasanter and safer. 
I cherish no foolish prejudice against the poison; 
but so long us hand-picking answers tho purpose, 
I do not feci like using it merely for fun. In 
addition to previous work wo gave tho vinos a 
thorough search whilo hoeing. Tills perhaps 
took one quarter day more per acre making tho 
cost, to tho middle of July, one day's work per 
aero. I intend to cultivate and liorso-hoo each 
way between the rows after wheat harvest, and 
whon I do so, I shall have a green brush attached 
to the whifile-tree to knock off any larva* that 
may have boon overlooked. Ninety-nine hun¬ 
dredths of tho larva- thrown on tho soft, mellow 
earth or buried in it, die before they can roach 
the vines. Home of my neigh hors have kept 
their potatoes reasonably free from tho pest by 
constantly working among them with tho culti¬ 
vator and hoe. It will not do to rely upon this 
method, for the perfeot beetles will work their 
way out though buried never so deeply. So 
loug as we find beetles plentiful, we may be sure 
of successive crops of their slugs. 
There is another advantage iu twice hoeing 
potatoes. This plant thrives host when tho 
ground is moist ami cool. Frequent stirring 
the eartli and drawing it around tho plant, mulch 
the roots as truly as if the covering were straw 
or coarse hay. Wo are apt to forget that mellow 
soil is a mulch, admitting light and moisture 
only enough to cause the vegetablo matter in 
the soil to decay. On pure sands tho soil is 
always loose aud tho vegetable matter originally 
in tho land is soon exhausted. In hoeing pota¬ 
toes. 1 avoid a sharp conical hill. It Is far 
bettor to make it as low and broad as possible, 
with a hollow in the center around the plant. 
For thiB end, 1 find there is no advantage in 
planting nearer than three feet each way. 
Some of tho early potatoes look as if they could 
be crowded into less space, hut if we would have 
a good yield we must leave room for large, broad 
hills. 
The green, level Holds aud rolling hills of 
Western New York never looked more beautiful 
than they do to-day. Spring crops and meadows 
are a bright verdure and tho wheat fields are 
tho hue of gold. Tho reapers are abroad, and 
tho next ten days will see most of this golden 
wealth in the grain barns which are open to 
receive it. Nature has rodoemed the greenback 
promises of spring time, and now I presume 
that the farmers will hasten to turn nature’s 
gold into government greenbacks again. You 
denizens of the hot, dusty and gummy metropolis 
have an interest in this exchange. Wo have 
learned by experience that not only the grain 
we grow hut tho money that we Hell it for, finds 
its way to you again. 
Au immonse breadth of wheat will be sown 
this fall. Some are plowing their clover mea¬ 
dows as soon as the grass is cut—many turned 
their clover fallows in Juno, and thousands 
more are only waiting till the barley and oat 
crops are harvested that they may plow and sow 
on the newly-turned stubble. Let me advise all 
such to plow as soon as possible after the grain 
is removed. It is not even worth while to wait 
for the rakiugs. 'The spring grain which has 
lain on the ground during harvest, is apt to be 
stained and will injure the sale of the crop. It 
is generally worth more to plow under imme¬ 
diately than to try to save for grain. When an 
oat or barloy crop has been newly cut, the soil 
is moist and there is also much dampness in the 
stuhblo. If turned at once it will begin to decay, 
the loose grain turned under will spring up and 
further shade the soil. By seeding time the 
land will bo in nearly ns good a mechanical con¬ 
dition as if it had boon summer-fallowed. On 
VOL. XXXVI. No. 4. ) 
WHOLE No. 1435. ( 
NEW YORK CITY, JULY 28, 1877. 
(PRICE isiac CENTS. 
\ M.50 PER VEAR.t 
[Entered aqooydlng to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, bj the Rural Publishing Company, In the office of the Librarian ot Congress at Washington.) 
