486 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY 26 
sharp. A machine with a Rood knife will run 50 per cent, 
more easily than one with an old, worn-out, dull knife. 
Get new knife blades every year if you cut much grass. It 
is an easy matter to punch out the rivets and put the new 
blades on. Spend a few dollars in this way, and keep the 
machine under cover, and it will last almost twice as long 
as it will if treated as machines usually are. The present 
profits of farming will uot warrant the buying of new ma¬ 
chines and other farming implements every few years ; we 
should, however, buy the best and take good care of them. 
J. J. M. 
Sherwood Steel Harness.—The R. N. Y. uses this 
harness on its wagon. It is said that a team cannot 
“back” with it. With the usual “holdback” straps 
added, we find no trouble about this. For those who use 
a hay fork or hay slings the Sherwood harness is very use¬ 
ful. In an instant the chain can be detached from the 
wagon and hitched to the pulley rope. A child can drive 
the horses with this harness on, because there are no 
whiffletrees to be lifted about. 
Instantaneous Butter Maker.— This machine was 
exhibited at the late English Royal Show at Plymouth, 
England. We take it to be an entirely different machine 
from the butter extractor—the device for churning the 
whole milk just as it comes from the cow. The new ma¬ 
chine is invented by Dr. de Laval, who invented the sep¬ 
arator, and seems to have been designed to work with the 
separator—it is really a separator attachment. The 
following description of it is found in the English papers. 
The cream, after leaving the separator in the usual 
way, passes over a refrigerator of au ingenious design, and 
in this way the temperature is reduced to a proper poiut. 
It then enters at one end of the cylinder in which the 
dasher is revolving at the rate of 3,000 revolutions per 
minute. The passage through this cylinder suffices to 
churn all the butter fat into butter granules, from which 
the buttermilk can be thoroughly washed out. Only a 
few turns of the butter worker are then required to pro¬ 
duce butter of a texture equal to any that can be produced 
by the most skillful manipulator. In fact, if the milk be 
of good quality, it is quite impossible that the maker who 
uses this machine can fail to produce butter of the very 
highest quality. The cylinder is inclosed in a water-cas¬ 
ing, so that the temperature of the butter granules is kept 
low, and they are firm and crisp when they emerge from 
the cylinder.” 
It will thus be seen that the cream alone is churned. 
The machine therefore differs from the extractor in this 
respect, as well as in the fact that the churning is done by 
means of a dasher—we should say it is somewhat after the 
plan of the Blanchard churn. The extractor has no dasher, 
the butter fats are simply whirled out of the milk. The 
new attachment is about 18 inches long by four in diame¬ 
ter. It is a very simple device, but how about the feelings 
of those who have been protesting against the use of any 
dashers in the churn ? These feelings are apt to be very 
rudely shaken up, with this attachment pounding the but¬ 
ter out of cream at the rate of 3,000 revolutions per 
minute! Milk run through the separator and then 
through this attachment made butter in 90 seconds. 
Another point of difference between the butter extractor 
and this separator attachment lies in the fact that the 
former separates and churns the cream at one tempera¬ 
ture, while the latter separates at one temperature and 
churns at another. It is difficult to say what effect the in¬ 
troduction of this new attachment will have on American 
dairying. Many separators are in use here. If the butter 
extractors were substituted the separators would have to 
be given away. It looks to us as though the new machine 
would be largely used, and that many of our dairymen 
will feel called upon to take back what they have said 
about using churns “ without any inside fixtures.” 
Potato Machinery on Eastern Farms.— A man who 
has had much to do with the introduction and sale of 
potato growing machinery writes to The R. N.-Y. as fol¬ 
lows: “Unless Eastern farmers get the improved potato¬ 
raising machinery, their more enterprising brothers in 
Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, with the aid of Illinois and 
Iowa, will drive them out of the business and at the same 
time make a profit on their own labor and investment. 
The Rural will agree with me that this is more than 
likely to occur. Such an issue would exemplify one of the 
inevitable laws of cause and effect.” There is a good deal 
of sense in this talk. The West docs beat us in the 
cost of growing potatoes, and a great proportion of this 
cost is due to the expense of planting, hoeing, digging and 
sorting by hand. It is true that farmers near the large 
cities are obliged to use expensive fertilizers, but the 
writer has proved to his satisfaction that these fertilizers 
can be made very profitable if they are used in sufficient 
quantities and properly applied to the soil. While the West 
can easily beat the East in the cost of production, the 
Eastern farmer can, in turn, beat his Western brother in 
quality and nearness to market, and when the Eastern 
farmer will use the same tools that the Western farmer 
uses the difference in cost will be greatly reduced. For 
example, It cost the writer &15 to dig two acres of potatoes 
by hand last year. Men were hired by the day and the 
almost constant rains prevented any full day’s work. It 
just happened so—there was no escape from it—and dozens 
of neighboring farmers were in the same trouble. The 
writer knows perfectly well that there are potato-diggers 
now on tne market that would have dug the whole two 
acres in half a day. Dug them clean ? Yes, cleaner than 
the men we had at work, and these men were above the aver¬ 
age in intelligence too ; but you should have seen the volun¬ 
teer crop that came up from the tubers left in the ground. 
The money spent in digging those last year would have 
paid for a good potato plow and a sorter, or would have 
paid nearly half the cost of a good digger. Right in the 
little farm neighborhood where the writer lives an enter- 
priBiag man.could in one season pay the entire cost Qf a 
digger and a handsome profit besides in digging for his 
neighbors. Come, friends, this matter of using improved 
machinery has to be faced and studied out. 
“Smoker” or “Sulphur Gun.”— On page 437 The 
R. N.-Y. told about an implement used in Oregon, and 
described by the Experiment Station of that State. Some 
of our readers want to know what this “gun” looks like, 
so we have re engraved a picture found in a bulletin issued 
by the above-named station ; see Figure 183. “This gun,” 
says Mr. Washburn, in the bulletin, “ is made of two 
pieces of stove-pipe, the cne fitting inside of the other, and 
working up and down over the other piece, the latter being 
held firmly with its pointed end in the hole, by one hand 
grasping the long nandle, while with the other hand, one 
pumps, as it were, the fumes down the burrow. B, in the 
“ Sulphur Gun ” for Killing Gophers. Fig. 183. 
figure, represents a perforated disk fitting into a smaller 
pipe, and held in place near the lower or conical end, A. 
It is on this plate that one places pieces of old woolen rags, 
which are set on fire. Upon this burning mass is poured 
powdered sulphur. When the gun is extended the air 
rushes through the hole in the top. When the gun is 
shut, this hole is closed by a leather valve within, and the 
air is forced through the burning sulphur into the burrow. 
This treatment is most effective when the ground is 
damp.” 
New Digging Plows.— American inventors have tried 
to do the work of the plow by means of digging harrows, 
scratching over a wide surface in place of a single deep 
furrow. In Australia other means have been tried. The 
implement shown at Fig. 184 is a type of the tools called 
for by many Australian farmers. As will be seen, it is 
really a cultivator with several small plows, which may 
be run deep or shallow as desired. Instead of chopping up 
the soil, as is done by the Cutaway, this tool plows a wide 
surface to a depth of three inches, less or more as desired. 
PVomans IVork. 
MAKE THE BEST OF IT. 
MRS. S. H. ROWELL. 
a TV /T R- BROWNLOW has failed 1” was the announce- 
1V1 rnent that startled the good people of Layport. 
If there had been an earthquake, or a cyclone, it would 
not have been a greater surprise to the inhabitants than to 
have the store and office of Brownlow & Co. closed ; for 
the firm had been considered as firm and solid as the 
granite hills of New Hampshire, and for three successive 
generations the business had descended from father to son; 
therefore its failure was the universal theme of conversa¬ 
tion in every part of the town. Surmises as to the cause, 
censures and regrets were freely expressed. Of course, 
there were some who rejoiced over the calamity; others 
accused Mr. Brownlow’s wife and daughters of extrava¬ 
gance, and of being the cause of the failure. Wise 
ones shook their heads in silence. Neither Mrs. 
Brownlow nor the young ladies were surprised, for Mr. 
Brownlow had advised them some weeks before that 
unless there was a change in the financial aspects of the 
country he could not meet his bills when they fell due, and 
that failure would be the result. 
“I cannot distress my debtors; they would pay were it 
possible; but it is all they can do to live, anyway.” said 
he. “ The farmers have had a hard time for the past two 
years. The market fyr cloths is dead, and the mill hands 
have nothing to do. All business is at a standstill. If the 
An English Digging Plow. Fig. 184. 
worst comes, I shall not be as badly off .as these poor fel¬ 
lows are, for fortunately our home is secured to my heirs 
after I am through with it, and my creditors cannot touch 
it. So we shall not be homeless, and we can work at some¬ 
thing to earn our bread, and if we have to dispense with 
the butter we shall be no worse off than others. I am glad 
you girls have completed your school days. I wish the boys 
were through college ; but they can quit, I suppose.” 
“Now, father, don’t say that; we will all help; I am 
glad you have told us, so we shall not be shocked if failure 
comes,” said Isabel, the eldest sister, a sweet girl of 18. 
“ What can you girls do,” said Mrs. Brownlow, “towards 
earning a living ? You know nothing about hard work or 
earning money.” 
“We are not too old to ’learn to do both : and, mother 
mine, where there is a will there is always a way, and I 
know our will is all right. I shall, If the worst comes to 
the worst, write to the principal of the seminary to get; me 
a position as taaoUer somewhere,” 
“Well, if you go as teacher, Bell, I shall stay at home, 
dismiss our help, and be maid-of-all-work under our 
mother,” said Clara; “I always liked housework, you 
know.” 
So when the crash did come they were prepared to meet 
it. Isabel obtained a good position in a school, at a salary 
of $800. Clara installed herself as chief in the domestic 
department, and agreed to give her sister Bess music les¬ 
sons in exchange for her assistance as chamber maid and 
errand girl out of school hours. Mr. Brownlow effected an 
honorable and satisfactory settlement with his creditors, 
and obtained a position at $1,000 yearly as superintendent 
of the factory, which had been purchased by a syndicate 
from the city. It was a hard, heart-trying process for him 
to make settlement with his creditors, and become a poor 
man ; but he surrendered everything that was in his power, 
so as to satisfy all demands. The homestead and a tract of 
several hundred acres of timber land were settled so that 
they could not pass from the family. He was not as 
straitened as many are by such a reverse of fortune. It 
was near midnight when he returned to his home. He was 
greeted with smiles and kisses from his wife and Isabel. 
Clara brought in his hot supper as soon as possible. 
“ Well, my dears, I am through at last! I am a free 
man ! I have settled with every creditor, and I must say 
that they have done the fair thing by me. Just think, the 
factory is going into operation, and all these poor people 
will be able to go to work ; I shall get it started as soon as 
possible.” 
“ Is not that splendid! How did your cloth go ?”said nis 
wife. 
“They paid me a fair price for it. If business revives 
before long, we shall get along very well. I expect to com¬ 
mence work next Monday for a year. I want, Bell, that 
you should take this money early to-morrow morning, and 
carry it over to poor widow Joselyn, and take up my note. 
She has not put in any claim, but I did not forget her ; I 
know it is all she has in the world. It is her husband’s 
pension money, that she has placed in my hands for safe 
keeping. I would go hungry for weeks rather then defraud 
her of a dime.” 
“ I am glad you can pay her, for she needs it, or may, at 
least.” 
“ I will carry it over, while Clara is getting breakfast; 
and, father, I am to start for my school the first of May ; 
I think we can keep the boys in college. I shall not need 
any clothes for a year, and the girls will save over $600 by 
taking the places of Tilda and Nancy, and ”- 
“ Well, if you are not a schemer, Isabel. We will get 
Charley through, anyway, as it is his last year; and then 
we can see what is best to do for Dick. To tell the truth, 
wife, I do not feel one bit like a bankrupt! I have not felt 
so light hearted for months as I have since I came home 
this night.” 
“ I am so thankful for you 1 But now, let us retire, for 
you must be tired, and Bell has to work lively to get ready 
to start the first of May. It will be like taking the sun¬ 
shine out of the house when she goes away, but I expect 
it is for the best.” 
“ Of course, it is. I am not going to be a drone in this bee¬ 
hive, by any means. Clara and Bess will brighten the 
house, and a year will go so quickly ; I want you to keep 
Dick in school any way.” 
“ When a man has such dear children it is not such an 
awful thing to fail in business,” said Mr. Brownlow, as he 
kissed them good night, and with a cheerful face went to 
his room. 
The next morning Isabel went to pay Mrs. .Toselyn. 
When she returned the widow came with her. Turning to 
Mrs. Brownlow she said : 
“ After breakfast I want to see you and your husband to¬ 
gether. I have something to propose to you. I hope you 
will like it.” “ All right, said Mr. Brownlow, “ Bell paid 
you, I suppose ?” “ No, I would not let her; I do not want 
the money, and you need it. It is safe where it is, and 
Bell is uot going away empty-handed, if I know myself, so 
please keep still till you hear my plan.” 
When the cheerful meal was over they went into the sit¬ 
ting room. 
•‘You know, my friends, that I am all alone in the 
world, and I get very lonesome. I want to come and live 
with you. Let me have the room your help occupied, and 
I will work for you, and have a home that is not desolate. 
I can rent my house for enough to clothe me, or, if you 
think best, 1 will sell it. May I come ? Please take me 
in. My pension money will help the boys; I do want a 
home.” 
And so it was arranged at last, and a very ageeeable 
thing it proved for both parties. Mrs. Joselyn had a pleas¬ 
ant home, and friends, and Bell went away happy in the 
knowledge that her dear mother was carefully cared for 
and assisted in the house. Clara had a large music class, 
and thus Bess’s education was not neglected. Everything 
went on prosperously. They accepted the inevitable 
cheerfully, and made the best of it, and their happiness 
was as complete as ever. 
|Ui$rcllancou5S §Mvrrti.$in0. 
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When Baby was sick, we gave her Caatorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla. 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorlh, 
When she had Children, she guvethem Castorla. 
