NEW YORK, JUNE 20, 1903 
PER YEAR. 
Vol. LXII. 2786. 
TALKS ABOUT FARM MACHINERY. 
THE MOWING MACHINE AND ITS USES. 
Why One Machine Outwears Another. 
DIFFERENCES IN MACHINES.—The mowing ma¬ 
chine of to-day is a comparatively complete machine 
and quite automatic in its construction, yet one 
farmer makes it wear 10 years and another half the 
time. Are all machines alike? No; from the same 
factory and the same shipment a difference in wear 
is always found. The uniformity of manufacture is 
far greater than the uniformity of care and manage¬ 
ment after the farmer buys them. There are many 
things to consider in buying a machine. What kind 
of meadows? Are they smooth and free from stone? 
If so, buy the long-cutting machines, six or seven 
feet. Do not, however, buy a seven-foot cut attached 
to a five-foot gear. The manufacturers made a mis¬ 
take in this particular; the gear was too light for the 
extra cut, which is to-day a fatal mistake in every 
machine I know. Competition has forced economy, 
and the amount of iron 
has been reduced to a 
minimum. 
POINTS IN CONSTRUC¬ 
TION.—With many farm¬ 
ers the sic^ile guard-plate 
has come to be very popu¬ 
lar, and it certainly has 
some merit. There is also 
some disadvantage; when 
the scythe is dull or the 
machine old and worn, the 
cut will be much smooth¬ 
er, the rough edge of the 
plate holding the grass 
steady. There has been a 
disposition, however, in 
my experience to take ad¬ 
vantage of this fact and 
use a scythe longer with¬ 
out sharpening. The strain 
upon the gear is none the 
less and the wear is there¬ 
fore increased, and this 
wear comes upon the 
small pinion wheel and 
the shaft connecting with 
the pitman. A machine 
cannot do good work with 
worn gear. There is a 
principle of some value 
involved when the small 
pinion wheel is situated in 
a bearing getting its pow¬ 
er direct from the wheels, 
instead of the axle, in that the alignment is more 
likely to remain perfect. Machinery wears very rap¬ 
idly when not in line. It seems to me also that the 
Babbitt metal box has an advantage over the brass 
box; 10 cents’ worth of metal will often produce a 
tight-fitting box, another point of value. 
WHERE IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED.—The 
guide plates holding the scythe to its place and the 
portion of the scythe they touch become worn, caus¬ 
ing a loose-playing cut, the scythe is therefore not 
held close to the guard-plate. If all designers would 
make these guides longer, so that each section would 
be covered in scythe movement, there would then be 
equal wear and an opportunity to close down the 
guide plates and still easily remove the scythe. When 
the scythe plays distant from the guard plates we 
have the same trouble found in shears when they 
get loose. Care should be exercised to maintain a 
proper alignment of the cutter bar. These long-cut 
machines wear rapidly where the cutter bar is at¬ 
tached to the shoe, and should be constantly watched 
and the wear taken up. With a fast-walking team 
and possible obstructions the draft spring is a saving 
to the machine. Do not cut too close. The crowns 
of forage plants are easily injured, and the extra hay 
secured does not recompense. 
SUGGESTIONS PROM EXPERIENCE.—The wood 
pitman is to be desired, and manufacturers are slowly 
coming to realize it. If one breaks there is no neces¬ 
sity of going to town—a few minutes builds a new 
one. Watch the end of the pole when the machine 
is in motion; if there is constant vibration or side 
draft something is wrong, either fundamentally with 
the construction or with the handling. Have every 
bolt and joint tight. See that the track clearer is 
adjusted to permit of an open way for the shoe or 
wheel; otherwise the cut grass lying against the 
standing grass will have to be recut, and a severe 
strain upon the machine because it lies loose, there 
being nothing to hold it, unlike the standing grass. 
Probably more poor oil is used upon farm machinery 
than elsewhere. It may be bought at a country 
store, where no effort is made to keep high-grade 
oils, and this stuff possesses very little lubricating 
power. The bearings soon gum and grind out. I do 
not mean to disregard the thick and of course darker 
colored oils. These heavy oils are of high grade, and 
when carefully examined are quite transparent and 
free from foreign matter. The lighter oils will look 
clean, but they are not to be used upon slow-running 
bearings in hot weather. They will run off almost 
immediately. 
CARE REQUIRED.—One needs a mechanical ear 
as well as eye. Have you "not said “Something is 
wrong with that mower,” when perhaps a quarter 
of a mile distant, by the rattle? The operator should 
quickly observe any change from a steady even click 
to an uneven rattle; look out for loose bolts, keep 
oiled, run only a sharp scythe against a sharp guard 
plate. Use the tilter only when necessary in lodged 
grass. Hold a steady rein upon the team. Always 
raise cutter bar at the corners; have a clear track, 
have a pail of water in the lot, and wet the scythe 
when it gums. Do not cut wet grass. Keep weight 
and vibration from the neck of the team. Take the 
harness, or at least the collars off at noon. Carry a 
wrench, bolts, cold chisel, punch and whetstone in 
the tool box, and also a couple of new sections, and 
then above all things attend strictly to mowing, and 
many of the mowing machine difficulties will van¬ 
ish. _ H. E. c. 
NUKSERYMEN AND FUMIGATED STOCK. 
Is the Practice General 7 
Has the practice of fumigating nursery stock with 
cyanide of potash to destroy the San Jos6 scale become 
general? A few years ago much was said about this, 
but now little is heard from it. Are nurserymen gener¬ 
ally fumigating their stock, or do many of them seem 
to have discontinued it? Do you conssider it a perfect 
remedy for the scale? 
As far as New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware are 
concerned I do not think there is a nursery of any 
note but what fumigates all nursery stock that re¬ 
quires it. I cannot say 
about New York and west¬ 
ern nurseries, but know 
many do it. I know of no 
Instance where it has been 
discontinued, and it is 
really the only safeguard 
against insects, not only 
San Josd scale but the 
Woolly aphis on apple and 
the Black aphis on peach 
roots, and some other in¬ 
jurious insects. I not only 
believe it effective but 
know positively that it is 
when properly done, and 
am satisfied that most 
kinds of nursery stock will 
endure heavier charges 
than our entomologists 
generally recommend. Still 
it is a very dangerous 
thing, and too much cau¬ 
tion cannot be given, both 
as to animal and vegetable 
life. We not only fumigate 
our nursery trees, but use 
it in our violet houses, but 
not for any other green¬ 
house stock, as from our 
experience the double vio¬ 
let is the only greenhouse 
plant that will stand a 
charge that is strong 
enough to destroy insect 
life. It has been said that it will kill the red spider, 
one of the worst of greenhouse pests, but from our 
experience a charge that would kill this insect would 
destroy all vegetable life. I think the time not far 
distant when those who use nursery stock will de¬ 
mand fumigation, and if the legislation that has been 
passed in nearly every State had simply made thor¬ 
ough fumigation compulsory for all nursery stock sub¬ 
ject to scale it would have been far more sensible and 
effective than all the inspection and other foolish laws 
that have been enacted. chas. black. 
New Jersey. 
The nurseries of this State are examined once a year 
for scale. If, on careful examination, no scale is dis¬ 
covered the owner of that nursery is not required to 
fumigate the trees grown upon his own land. There 
are but few nurseries who are not compelled to buy 
something from nurseries out of this State. All stock 
coming from other States must be inspected by the 
authorities before it is sold, and must be fumigated 
whether any scale has been discovered or not. The 
GRANGE HALL AT WEBSTER, N. Y. Fig. 162. 
