JUNE 1 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3 
The Pearl Millet. —I received a package 
of this last Bpring, and as there seemed to be 
some doubt about its ripening its seeds in this 
latitude, I planted some in a hot-bed in April 
and transplanted in May or June: I sowed 
some in a corn field, too, at the time of plant¬ 
ing corn. For the latter I waited till the weeds 
were well up before I could find any millet 
plants and they were not only few and far be¬ 
tween, but very small aud sickly; so weeds and 
plants were rooted up together. The hot-bed 
plants were specially cured for. but I only got 
about ft foot growth and this spring when the 
snow went off. the tops were green and looked 
as though they wished to try it on another 
year which I shall magnanimously allow them 
to do. g. u_ p_ 
Muskegon, Mich. 
-- 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Report of the Fruit Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion of the Province of Ontario for the year 
1878; to which is appended the Annual Report 
of the Entomological Society of the Province 
of Ontario for the same year. The horticul¬ 
tural part of this pamphlet embraces 57 pages 
of useful and practical information on horti¬ 
culture. The entomological part, including 
til pages, is also replete with interesting in¬ 
formation on that subject. 
Transactions of tile Massachusetts Hor¬ 
ticultural Society for the year 1878. Part 
II. This pamphlet, 162 pages, is taken up 
almost entirely by the uames of prize-winners 
at the different shows, a list of members, etc., 
all, doubtless, of interest to those whose names 
arc here glorified in print, but not of much 
benefit to the public. Robert Manning, Sec. 
Report on Condition of the Crops and Live 
Stock. April, 1879. Issued by the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture. 
Premium List of Broome Co., N. Y., Agri¬ 
cultural Society. 
CREAM RAISING AND BALLOON RAISING. 
I HAVE read the rejoinder of Dr. Hoskins, 
and there are in it one or two things to which 
I desire briefly to allude. He says: “Air. 
Bliss says there Is no such tiling as cream 
rising. He might with equal truth say there 
was no such thing as balloon rising; the laws 
involved are the same in both cases. Accord¬ 
ing to Mr. Bliss’s idea, a balloon could not rise 
in still air. It would be necessary to create 
currents in the air in order to get up the bal¬ 
loon.*’ 
The cases are not precisely analogous, but 
they are so nearly so that it is not worth while 
to take any exceptions to the comparison. In 
the free air the currents are not so marked as 
in a close vessel, bat they exist nevertheless, 
and the balloon cannot be raised without them. 
A balloon does not rise, never did rise and 
never will rise—Dr. Hoskins to the contrary 
notwithstanding—till it is raised by an exter¬ 
nal force. The law of iuertia never was and 
never will be suspended for his accommoda¬ 
tion. As for the still air, in which he assumes 
that a balloon rises, there never was such a 
thing in nature. But I will not take time and 
space to discuss any side issues. A balloon is 
raised by atmospheric pressure, Just as a glob¬ 
ule of cream is raised by the pressure of the 
fluid by which it is surrounded. The atmos¬ 
phere presses in every direction with equal 
force at the same level; but this pressure de¬ 
creases as wc rise above or increases as we 
descend below the assumed level. The bottom 
of the balloon is in one level and the top of it 
in a higher level, hence the upward pressure 
upon the balloon is greater than the down¬ 
ward: and this difference in pressure—which 
is known as the buoyant eftort—is exactly 
equal to the weight of the air displaced by the 
balloon. If the balloon has less specific grav¬ 
ity than the air it displaces—which is usually 
the case when set free—it is forced upward, 
displacing a portion of the atmosphere ubove, 
while the pressure from below is maintained 
by a constant influx of the surrounding air. 
If Dr. Hoskins’s eminent preceptor has taught 
him how this can be accomplished without 
establishing currents, even in 
still air, he deserves further jt 
promotion, Jw 
VVbat possible analogy there fl y 
is between drawiug a string of Wu 
beads up through a vessel of W 
sand and the subject under dis- n 
mission, I am uuable to see. m 
Ihai illustration may have its 
special use somewhere, but our 
learned friend has certainly mis- 
taken its application. 
O. 8. Bliss. 
expansion and contraction of bodies under the 
influence of heat and cold, though constant so 
far as each individual body is concerned, arc not 
the same in any two—the element of time and 
the principle of convection both have an im¬ 
portant bearing upon Die subject. Now. it is 
a fact as well established aB any other, though 
evidently not so generally understood, that 
milk absorbs and radiates heat with greater 
power and greater rapidity than cream, and 
the poorer the milk or the richer the cream, 
the greater the difference. On the oilier hand, 
cream expands and contracts more than milk 
under the same changes of temperature. Now 
is apparent the value of time and celerity of 
action, especially when the heat is radiated 
from the surface of the mass. Tyndall says, 
no objection need be made to the use of the 
phrase “ conduction of cold,” if it be used with 
a clear knowledge of the physical process in¬ 
volved. The same may be said of the " ab¬ 
sorption of cold" and “the convection of 
cold,” and these terms though not strictly 
correct, may bo better understood in this con¬ 
nection. A colder body placed in proximity to 
the surface of a vessel of milk, at oure begins 
to absorb Us heat and the milk in turn absorbs 
cold from the other. Bui the inilk having 
greutur power of absorption than the cream, 
and greater specific gravity, at once seizes 
upon the cold and with the increased energy 
thus acquired, before the cream is affected at 
all, under the operation of the law of convec¬ 
tion, carries the cold with it to the bottom of 
the vessel to force up in turn the more passive 
cream. This interchange of temperature, pro¬ 
ceeds till an equilibrium is established, greatly 
facUitating and aidiug the separation of the 
cream. This view of the subject, unlike those 
alluded to above, is in perfect harmony with 
the law of specific heat, the law of specific 
gravity, the law of absorption and radiation of 
heat, the law of expansion and contraction 
under variations of temperature and the obser¬ 
vation and experience of practical men. It is 
moreover, the first exposition of the laws 
which govern cream-raising, which does not 
leave something to he accounted for—some¬ 
thing which, on the face of it. requires a sus¬ 
pension or evasion of well-established princi¬ 
ples in physics. 
fnhisirial fmiplfinrnts. 
WOOD’S NEW INCLOSED GEAR MOWER. 
Of late years the drift of improvement in 
mowing and reaping machinery has led to an 
effort to reduce weight and to simplify mechan¬ 
ism. A recent inspection of the now inclosed 
gear mower, made by the Walter A. Wood 
Mowing and Reaping Machine Co., of Hooslck 
Falls. N. Y., developed 6ome important and 
novel modifications, which are partially shown 
in the accompanying engraving of the two- 
liorse machine. 
The striking advantages of this mower over 
the popular iron frame heretofore made by the 
same firm, include greater lightuess and better 
distribution of weight; removal of gearing 
from the driving wheels to the main axle, 
equally well protected. The draft is direct 
from the frame of the mower, instead of from 
the pole, and the greater part of the weight of 
the machine is on the left hand drive wheel. 
Last season a few thousands were introduced 
in the Eastern .States, and so popular and suc¬ 
cessful were those trial mowers that it has 
been decided to supply this mower exclusively 
the present season. The most frequent objec¬ 
tion to a very light mower is made on the 
score of its inability to stand severe work, but 
in llie Wood machine the decrease iu weight 
has been effected by substituting tougher sub¬ 
stances, such as steel, cold rolled and mallea¬ 
ble iron, for inferior and more weighty grades 
of metal. The workmanship is very thorough. 
Their Senior and Junior Sweep Rake 
Reapers have been improved this season 
by the application of an automatic gear—a 
train of gears, that absolutely control the suc¬ 
cessive action of the rakes by means of a lever. 
The driver, in his seat, can set the machinery 
so that every alternate rake, or every third, 
fourth or fifth rake, will act as a rake, while 
the others will act as beaters. 
THE ROBBINS CULTIVATOR. 
Not many years ago the belief was universal, 
and is still quite general amongst Eastern farm¬ 
ers that, compared with the sub-soiling, cross 
plowing, summer fallowing and almost constant, 
cultivation of Ibu growing crop which they 
found necessary to secure fair returns from 
their planting, the lot of the Western tiller iff 
the soil was a mere play-day. “Tickle the 
ground with a harrow and it will laugh with a 
crop,” was believed to be a fair statement of 
the kind aud amount of labor required of him. 
Against such a competition in crop farming, the 
Eastern farmer found a paying refuge in stock 
and the dairy. But a change has been taking 
place which makes it necessary for Eastern 
fanners lo seek some other means of getting a 
profit out of their acres. Eastern grass lands, 
grown cold aud sour and less productive 
through loug lack of cultivation, can no longer 
compete with the boundless ranges of Nebras¬ 
ka, Kansas ami Colorado, having easy access, 
as they now do, to the markets of the world. 
What direction our farmers propose to give to 
the new departure rendered necessary by the 
changed condition of affairs is shown by the 
greatly increased breadth of land being put 
under the plow and thoroughly worked by other 
farm implements. One of these tools—the Rob¬ 
bins cultivator, made by the Robbins Cultivator 
Co., of Jackson. Mich.—which is now being ex¬ 
tensively Introduced through the East, especial¬ 
ly New York Stuto—is worthy of a careful ex¬ 
amination by farmers. The Robbins is a two- 
horse riding cultivator, but is so arruuged that 
the operator may ride or walk at pleasure. 
The wheels ure four feet four inches iu diam¬ 
eter, and the axle-wood, being set some dis¬ 
tance above the center of the wheel by means 
of an angular axle-arm, is enabled to passover 
corn at the last working without breaking it 
down. The cultivator has seven shovels, three 
of which, with the frame to which they are at¬ 
tached, are removed when cultivating corn ami 
similar crops, leaving two shovels on each side 
of the row. For breaking up, faff "plowing. 
Nearly 10,000 of these cultivators and a very 
large number of seeding attachments are now 
iu use in Michigan. 
-- ♦♦ ♦- 
THE ROCKAWAY GRAIN FAN. 
The advantages of a good fan are not only 
manifested in the improvement of the grain as 
a marketable commodity, but its intelligent 
use will save a farmer not only annoyance 
from weeds, but spare him the necessity of 
extra cash outlays to fight, them. Few con¬ 
sider to what extent they sow, with their in¬ 
sufficiently cleaned grain, the seeds of the 
weeds they are so prone to anathematize later. 
The fan we illustrate first attracted the 
writer's notice a year ago. and a careful exam¬ 
ination of its principles and construction im¬ 
pressed him very favorubly. It has been iu 
very general use for years iu some parts of the 
country, and has not therefore toiuakea name, 
it has been put to severe competitive tests and 
lias separated successfully from Ihe grain all 
weed seeds. The motion is easy, yet rapid, 
and the screens are susceptible of various com¬ 
binations and adjustments adapting them to 
any kind of work. Messrs. Dorsey, Moore 
Co., of Baltimore Md.. are now the exclusive 
makers, and to tin m all applications for cir¬ 
culars aud information should be made. 
“KING OF THE LAWN.” 
At no time do we remember having seen so 
many new lawn mowers offered for sale as this 
season. In addition to the brand-new ones, 
some of the established manufacturers have 
produced modifications of the styles already 
in vogue. These together with the new ma¬ 
chines seem to aim primarily at simplicity aud 
lightness of draft. The “ King of the Lawn" 
mower made by Gregg A Co., of Trumans- 
burg, N. Y. is one of the machines we have 
been testing at the Rural Horticultural 
Grounds. We are greatly pleased with the 
simplicity of its mechanism, and the extreme 
ease with which it may be pushed about over 
the lawn. A little girl can manage it. The 
14-iueh cut weighs but forty pounds. Wc 
should think from the excellence of the ma¬ 
terial employed in its construction that it 
would be a most durable mower. It cuts sat¬ 
isfactorily, and, in short, is a very nice aud 
cheap machine. 
-♦ » »- 
The Noyes System, of Haying Tools made 
by the U. S. Wiud Engine and Pump Co., of 
Batavia.il]., are very clearly illustrated and 
explained by a sheet of engravings that are 
being sent to all applicants without charge. A 
vast amount of information is conveyed in 
regard to tracking and arranging barns, with 
details for making a field stacking frame. Of 
their hay carriers both rod and anti friction 
there are many thousands in u.-w, the anti¬ 
friction being tbe greatest favorite. The Noyes 
Grapple fork is two, four, and six-lined for 
farm use while a monster for use in paper 
mills lias been constructed, capable of taking 
up a half ton of rye straw at a forkful. 
The Company, which is in every respect 
trustworthy, scuds to every inquirer a postal 
card con tain iug a series of questions which, 
on being answered, enable it to furnish an 
estimate of the exact cost of what the farmer 
may deem necessary in his particular ease. 
A recent visit to Concord, N. IL. led to an 
inspection of the churn factory of Messrs. P. 
Blanchard’s Sons. The most striking things 
were the celerity with which churns were 
made, and the labor-saving devices employed 
to secure uniformity, and cheapness combined 
with excellence. The novelties were a cylin¬ 
drical factory churn and a power butter- 
worker—the only implement of the kind made. 
It is new. being a recent invention of Mr 
Blanchard, and it does its work splendidly. 
Iu the future we shall give au exteuded de 
scription of it and Its eccentric manner of thor¬ 
oughly and rapidly working butter. 
(Hie following paragraph 
should have closed Mr. Bliss’s article “ Specific 
Heat aud Cream Raising," iu our last issue, but 
was omitted by a printer’s slip.—Eos.] 
But there arc other principles involved and 
they are infinitely more potent than that of 
specific heat. Every body has a power of ab 
sorption and radiation peculiar to itself aud 
wholly independent of its specific boat. The 
wood’s new inclosed oi 
where it is compact, and inclosed by perfectly- 
fitting shields that exclude ail injurious mat¬ 
ter. The width of tread is increased, the 
driving wheels are larger in diameter and the 
draft in consequence made easier. The cut¬ 
ting apparatus has been modified and improved 
by a new device that more perfectly connects 
it with the main frame, while the pitman is 
: mower. 
working fallows and covering grain, all the 
shovels are used, giving a cultivator of four 
feet width of cut. The cultivator is furnished, 
when desired, with a seeding attachment which 
will sow ail kinds of grain broad-cast in front 
of the shovels—so that it may be sown aud 
covered at the same time—iu any desired quan¬ 
tity to the acre. 
The Empire Agricultural Works of Coble- 
skill, N. Y., seem to understand aud appreci¬ 
ate the advantage of printing what they have 
to say in the most attractive form. The 
“Fearless” thrashers and horse-powers, made 
under Mr. Harder’s supervision, are highty 
esteemed by those who have tried them, aud 
they have secured medals aud diplomas at the 
Centennial aud elsewhere. 
