made unnecessarily heavy, and the result is 
that the post is soon pulled over to such an 
extent that the gate drags on the ground. The 
short post in Fig. 26',! can be readily stayed by 
a fence. The hiuges in use on the post gates 
arc often capable of improvement, and usually 
give more trouble than the posts. 
A form much used consists of a wedge with 
a hole at the end driven into the gate, and a 
wedge with a pin at the end driven into the 
post. These soon work loose, aud let the gate 
out of line. They should be of such shape that 
a nut could be put on the back side ot' the post. 
Were I to give my opinion ns to the most 
sensible gate mechanically, T should no doubt 
refer to a form which can hardly be said to bo 
new*, but which has proved its many good 
points by holding its own against all innova¬ 
tions for years. See Fig. 270. It is a form 
easily built, has all strains balanced, opens 
easily, is strong and cheap. It was used by 
your forefathers, and is better to-day than 
any patent gate I know of. 
THE BENEFIT OF MUCK WHEN AP¬ 
PLIED TO GRASS. 
Comjjosted ancl alone; differences in intrins¬ 
ic value and in results on different soils; 
retentive of fertility; for corn , oats and 
ffrass; as a preventive of drought; as an 
absorbent. 
A correspondent of a Western agricultur¬ 
al paper, in speakiug of bis experience in 
the use of muck, says that a good supply 
of coarse manure, to be mixed with the 
muck, is indispensable, in order to derive 
any practical benefit. That composting with 
manure is far the best way in which to util¬ 
ize muck I have no doubt; but there are 
other ways in which some benefit may be 
derived and as all farmers have not a suffic¬ 
ient supply of manure on baud at the prop¬ 
er time for making compost heaps, I wish 
to say to such not to neglect to try the ef¬ 
fect of muck alone. I have used muck in 
almost every manner and for a number of 
years, and by its aid I have changed a run¬ 
down farm to one of the most productive in 
this locality. When I commenced its use I 
had very little manure on hand, aud hence 
used the muck alone from necessity. There 
is, of course, a vast difference in the value 
of muck, as well as in its effects when applied 
to different kinds of soil. The same may be 
said of any commercial fertilizer, and in 
this connection let me say that I have 
found that a good dressing of muck upon 
soil of a gravelly character is of much as¬ 
sistance in getting the full benefits of super¬ 
phosphates. It is generally conceded that 
the latter are of the most value when ap¬ 
plied to heavy loam, aud that such soils re¬ 
tain the fertilizing qualities longest. The 
tendency of muck, when applied to light 
soil, is to furnish a substance which retains 
much of the soluble qualities of the super¬ 
phosphates, and prevents, to a certain ex 
tent, their leaching away. 
My first experience with muck was by an 
application direct from the swamp. I had 
but little manure, and, wishing to plant corn 
upon a field that was pretty badly run down, 
I drew out and covered about one-half of the 
lot with muck, saving what manure I had for 
use in the hiU. The effect upon the corn crop 
was not apparent, except that the portion of 
the field treated with muck was more back¬ 
ward than the other part. It appeared to 
have been chilled, aud although the soil was 
practically the same in the whole field, I 
think this part was fully a week later in 
growth, and also in ripening. There was no 
difference in the yield of corn or stalks, and 
my first impression was that my labor in 
drawing the muck hail been wasted. The 
corn was followed by oats, and my recollec¬ 
tion now* is that I failed to note any differ¬ 
ence in the crop, but the prime benefit became 
apparent as soon as the field was seeded to 
grass, and from the first season’s cut of hay 
until the lot was plowed up again—some four 
years—the muck-treated part yielded from 16 
to 20 per cent, more than that portion where 
no mack had been used, [Isn’t it possiblo 
that the better effects were due to the freer 
liberation of the fertility in the muck or the 
greater development by it of that in the com¬ 
mingling soil owing to lapse of time rather 
than to any special benefit the application 
would confer on grass over corn and oats? If 
corn and oats had been sown on the plot the 
third year, might not the effects have been as 
noticeable as in the case of grass? It would 
have been more satisfactory had the experi¬ 
ment been tried at least on a small plot in 
the field.— Eds.J Upland meadows of gravelly 
soil are frequently liable to dry up so badly 
before Timothy can acquire a full growth, 
that not more than half a crop ol' hay can be 
secured, and sometimes the quality of that is 
injured by becoming raspisb. I have found 
that where muck had been used freely on such 
meadows before seeding, the ground retained 
/ 
moisture much longer and was less liable to 
suffer from drought. 
It is well to dig out the muck as long a time 
in advance of its being used as convenient, 
giving it an opportunity to dry thoroughly. 
I draw my muck generally with a one-horse 
cart, but have frequently moved a good quan¬ 
tity, when the ground was frozen, on a sleigh, 
using' two by four scantlings for bottom 
boards and dumping through the bottom, 
thus avoiding shoveling more than once. I 
thiuk that three loads of a compost, made 
from one half each manure and good muck,are 
so nearly equal in value to three loads of pure 
manure, that no farmer can detect the infer¬ 
ence in the result when applied to a crop. I 
find, however, that it pays, when using this 
compost for potatoes, to mix in a small quan¬ 
tity of wood ashes, in the hill. Any one hav¬ 
ing a manure vault cannot do better than to 
keep a good supply of dry muck on band for 
absorbing the liquid manure, and the value of 
manure made in this manner cannot be over¬ 
estimated. HENRY STODDARD. 
Columbia Co., N. Y. 
DRYING RASPBERRIES IN A GREENHOUSE. 
Mr. J. S. Bennett proposes to use the green¬ 
house as a place for drying fruit. His arrange¬ 
ment is shown at Fig. 264. Strips of wood 
are nailed on the po^ts both front and back, as 
show r n at B. These are left about eight inches 
few are] situated convenient to barber-shops, 
aud if one is fortunate enough to be in easy 
reach of one, he usually wastes more time in 
getting shaved than would bo required to 
shave himself half a dozen times, and then, 
unless he possesses a razor and cup of his own, 
he risks a filthy job. By the aid of the ac¬ 
companying drawings any reader of this paper 
Fig. 265. 
will be able to make himself a better strop 
than can be bought, aud at little expense. 
Fig. 265 plainly shows how the handle and 
to fit the stretcher, and is made wedging, so as 
to stretch the leather firmly. If the strop 
should get slack, put a thin piece of leather, 
about the size of a wedge, against the strop 
and force the wedge in again. A very fine 
emery paste should be put on one side of the 
strop, upon which to touch the razor up when 
dull. If you can’t get the paste already pre¬ 
pared, a very fine emery rubbed on with a lit¬ 
tle oil, will answer every purpose. 
To make the strop shown at Fig. 266, will 
require more ingenuity aud skill; but it 
is the best. The central piece should be 18 
inches long, one-half inch thick and one-and- 
one-half inch wide. The end enlarges to one- 
and-one-quarter inch in thickness. The 
blocks are fastened on with small hinges. 
The wire loops for holding the strop when 
stretching it, are made of No. 13 or 14 haril 
wire. One is shown detached at Fig. 266. This 
requires only half as much leather as Fig. 265. 
The strop is glued or stitched to the end wire 
loop, aud when the rough side is wanted, 
is put over the end and tucked through another 
wire loop, when, by pressing the block down 
with the thumb, the strop is drawn tight, as 
shown in the upper part of the engraving. 
The strop, when stretched, should be 14 inches 
from loop to loop. Put the emery paste on 
the rough side of the leather, and never let 
any get on the smooth side. In fact, great 
care should be exercised never to get any dust 
or other substance on the latter. The strop 
should be provided with a case or bo wrapped 
in clean paper when not in use. The good 
wife or sweet-heart cares more for you when 
you have a nice, smooth face, excepting, of 
course, the moustache or side whiskers. 
The farmer is apt to care too little about his 
personal appearance, aud w*hat folks may 
think of him. It costs very little in time or 
money to keep reasonably tidy, aud if you 
keep so, those you associate with will have a 
better estimate of you, an important factor 
for success, both socially aud in a business way. 
Wakemau, O. D. Q. H. 
ft.A/.Y. 
DRYING RASPBERRIES IN T1IE GREENHOUSE. Fig. 2G4. 
apart. A shows the way the sieves are placed. 
The sieves, shown at C and D, are made of 
inch pine boards. They are just long enough 
to reach from the strips at the windows to the 
strips in front, aud are oue foot nine inches 
wide. A lath is fastened to the under side of 
the frame, sunk into the board so that it will 
be level with the frame. The frame is covered 
with stout muslin cut a little larger that the 
frame and turned up at the edges so that it 
can be tacked on more securely. At the left 
of the picture the sieves are a rranged as de¬ 
sired for drying. The drying is done on a 
clear, bright day with the aid of a good fire. 
It is desirable to hea t the interior of the green¬ 
house to TUP. The ventilator is raised about 
two inches, thus securing ample ventilation. 
Care should be taken to avoid putting too 
many berries in the sieves, about five quarts 
in each will be enough. They* should be 
spread out as tbiuly as possible. Mr. Bennett 
estimates that berries will be thoroughly dried 
in two days by this process, aud the great 
number that can be handled at one time will 
make it profitable for those who have green¬ 
houses and small fruit plantations to make use 
of it. There will be little cost for fixtures at 
all events. 
stretcher are fashioned out of oue piece 1 1 
inch square and 16 to 18 inches long. 
Straight-grained pine or bass-wood is light 
and the best; but. a hard wood will do. The 
leather, which should be the finest-grained and 
smoothest obtainable (thick, firm Russian 
leather is best, but costs most), should be of 
the same width as the stretcher, and long 
enough to go twice the length of the latter, 
RAZOR STROPS. 
Every farmer should be prepared and know 
how to give himself a good shave, as very 
Fig. 266. 
and be glued to both sides of the square part 
of the handle, grain, or smooth side, out. 
La Page’s liquid glue is the best, aud very 
useful for any purpose where glue is needed. 
It is always ready for use, and every farmer 
should have some. The block has a groove 
Ensilage—Proved a Success.— It would 
seem certain that the system of ensilage is to 
become an established feature in British agri¬ 
culture. These remarks of the London Live 
Stock Journal are prompted by the striking 
evidence in favor of ensilage which has been 
brought to light of late—not the evidence of 
enthusiastic advocates, it would seem, but the 
calm deliberations of judicial bodies appoint¬ 
ed to consider and determine as U> its work¬ 
ing. The reports of the Ensilage Commission 
and of the judges of the Royal Agricultural 
Society’s silo competition, have just beeu 
published, the former in a Blue Book and the 
latter in the Journal of the Royal Agricultu¬ 
ral Society. Both bodies emphatically declare 
ensilage a success, and both reports are cap¬ 
able of affording encouragement to British 
farmers. 
The Ensilage Commission classify the ad¬ 
vantages claimed for ensilage under these 
three heads: 1. In rendering the farmer in¬ 
dependent of weather in. saving his crops. 2. 
In increasing the productive capabilities of 
farms: (a) in greater weight of forage saved, 
(b) in greater available variety aud rotation 
of crops, (c) in increased facility for storage. 
;j. In connection with feeding: (a) dairy stock, 
(b) breeding stock, (c) store stock, (d) fatting 
stock, (e) farm horses. Taking each point in 
order, they remark upon the extent to which 
they consider the system capable of fulfilling 
the advantage claimed for it. In regard to 
independence of weather, it has been proved 
to them that ensilage is of great economic 
value, as it will enable farmers to avoid or 
minimize the losses sustained in attempting to 
save hay, especially second growths, in wet 
seasons. Then, as to increased productiveness 
of farms, it is considered that by means of 
ensilage a greater amount of food may be ob¬ 
tained from a given area of land than if the 
crop was made into hay. The feeding value 
of ensilage, weight for weight, is only one- 
third that of hay, but a ton of green food pre¬ 
served by ensiling will weigh in silage five 
times as much as if it had been made into lmy 
thus giving a decided advantage to silage. In 
this calculation it is assumed that the silage 
aud the hay are both perfectly made aud pre¬ 
served. It is pointed out that by recourse to 
ensilage more varied and more rapid cropping 
may be practiced. Various grain and green 
crops may' be sown in the Autumn, aud cut 
for ensiling lu June, which will ‘’leave the 
land free for a second sowing, and thus in¬ 
crease its capabilities of annual production, 
while maintaining the fertility of the soil.” 
As to the feeding value of silage, the com- 
