1150 
GASOLINE POWER FOR MOWERS. 
The picture shown at Fig. 468 was sent by Mr. J. 
S Morrow, of Davidson County, Tenn. The mower 
is a six-foot blade. He says: 
“The motor is a two-cylinder eight horse-power 
marine motor, sprockets, chains, etc., from old binders. 
With motor running at moderate speed mower cuts a 
little faster than with team. In very hot weather it 
will cut much more than a team, as it does not get too 
hot. Whole outfit cost about same as one good mule. 
My 13-year-old boy runs this machine.” 
We asked Mr. Morrow to give a detailed description 
of this outfit. It follows: > 
“I took off the lid of tool box and fitted a block of 
wood in the tool box so as to bring top of block 
level with bottom of mower tongue; drilled a hole 
through this block and the bottom of tool box and 
bolted on another tongue. I bolted a piece of timber 
under front ends of these tongues for a bolster to 
work on front axle. Front wheels are old mower 
wheels, smaller than rear wheels. I then bolted a 
flat box on each of the tongues, about over the pit¬ 
man, to hold a shaft. On this shaft, between the 
tongues and close to bearing on right tongue, is a 
bevel gear which is turned by a small pinion. This 
pinion is on one end of a shaft which runs forward 
between tongues to motor. A cross timber, bolted to 
the tongues, holds a flat box in which the pinion 
shaft runs. On the end of the shaft, which has the 
large bevel gear, is a sprocket. This sprocket is just 
outside the left tongue and drives a larger sprocket 
on the end of another shaft just in front and a 
little above the first mentioned shaft. On the other 
end of this shaft is another small sprocket which 
drives a larger sprocket bolted to the right mower 
wheel. The sprocket bolted to mower wheel is an old 
wheat binder bull-wheel sprocket, and the large 
sprocket on upper shaft is a corn binder bull-wheel 
sprocket. As this sprocket has no hub or spoke it was 
necessary to bolt a piece of timber on shaft and then 
bolt sprocket to this timber. The two small sprockets 
on ends of two shafts are just like the small sprockets 
on wheat binders, except that they are made with 
two more teeth, so as to work on larger shaft. The 
chains are wheat binder chains. The steering gear is 
like traction engines have, a chain on each end of 
front axle. These chains run back to a cross shaft 
under tongues. This shaft has a small bevel gear on 
it just inside left tongue, and is turned by another 
bevel gear on the end of a short shaft which runs 
back and is connected to steering rod by a universal 
joint. The bevel gears, universal joints, etc., were 
from old wheat binders. The motor is a two-cylinder 
eight horse-power and is reversible; weighs about 135 
pounds. On the end of motor crank shaft is a pulley, 
six inches in diameter and three-inch face. This 
pulley is placed on shaft so that hub of pulley ex¬ 
tends out beyond end of crank shaft one inch. The 
end of the shaft, which has on the other end the 
small bevel pinion which runs the large bevel gear, 
works in this end of the pulley hub, but is not fas¬ 
tened to the hub; the hub simply makes a bearing for 
the shaft. A piece of timber is clamped on this shaft 
almost touching the pulley on end of crank shaft, and 
a little larger than pulley. A piece of three-inch belt¬ 
ing is fastened in the middle to a bolt in one end 
of this timber. This bolt extends out over the face 
of the pulley so that the belt is held just right to 
clamp pulley when the two ends of belt are drawn 
together. The ends of belt are fastened to an arm 
which works in a slot in the other end of timber. The 
end of this arm is moved by a loose collar on shaft 
and is arranged so that the driver can throw clutch out 
with either hand or foot. When in gear the clutch is 
held by a spring. The right mower wheel has about 
two inches of outside end of hub sawed off so that 
another mower wheel could be placed on axle with 
rims of wheels touching. These rims were then bolted 
together, making a wheel double the ordinary width 
of tire, giving it more weight and a better grip on 
the ground. Using the right wheel only for the driv¬ 
ing wheel makes the gearing much simpler than if 
both wheels were used to drive the machine and puts 
the driving power just about the middle of the outfit 
when it is cutting, and makes it easy to steer. The 
driving wheel is pinned to axle and all lugs and 
springs in hubs of wheels are removed as they are 
not needed. Taking out these lugs and springs does 
away with one of the worst sources of trouble con¬ 
nected with horse mowers. 
“With motor running at a moderate rate of speed 
this machine cuts a little faster than with a team. In 
hot weather it will cut much more than a team, as 
it does not have to stop to cool off. I only have to 
feed it when it is working. My 13-year-old boy runs 
this outfit, and although he never drove a mower be¬ 
fore this one, he does much cleaner, better cutting 
than I generally get done with man and team. Some¬ 
time he lets his seven-vear-old brother run it. Two 
light rods run from motor to driver’s seat; one works 
timer, the other the throttle.” j. L. morrow. 
the; rural nhW-yorker 
December 2, 
THE GREAT POULTRY CONTEST. 
The first week of the great “egg laying contest” at 
Storrs College, Conn., is closed, and it reveals the 
fact that of the 100 pens only 22 produced any eggs. 
The largest number from any pen was 10, laid by a 
pen of White Leghorns from Toms River, N. J. Geo. 
H. Schmitz, of Illinois, came second with nine eggs; 
these were from Buff Leghorns. There are 31 pens 
of White Leghorns entered; more than twice as many 
as any other breed. A pen of this breed from Cats- 
worth, England, laid seven eggs. There are 13 pens 
of Barred P. Rocks. None of these laid, except one 
pen which laid four eggs. Eight pens of White 
Wyandottes contributed 14 eggs. Four pens of Rose 
Comb R. I. Reds laid 11 eggs, while eight pens of 
Single Comb Reds did not lay an egg. There are 23 
breeds entered, of which only nine breeds laid any 
the Greeley district and this past season it nearly 
ruined the crop. In studying out the cause for this 
the Colorado people do not seem to have considered 
that it may be the result of too much nitrogen in the 
soil. In the Eastern States it has often been noticed 
that a large excess of available nitrogen in proportion 
to other plant food will drive the potato plant into a 
quick, tender growth, in which condition it falls an 
easy prey to blight when the conditions are favorable. 
Now this Colorado soil is full of the roots and stubble 
of Alfalfa—both rich in nitrogen. During the heat 
of Summer warm water from the irrigation ditch is 
run into this soil—giving just the condition favorable 
for a rapid decay of the Alfalfa. This means the for¬ 
mation of large quantities of available nitrogen, just 
the condition which would force crops on our East¬ 
ern soil into a quick, tender growth. It is also just 
at the time when blight would be most likely to 
spread. A partial remedy with us would be the use 
of potash and phosphoric acid as chemical fertilizers. 
This gives a “balance” and usually produces a 
stronger and more resistant plant. Colorado farmers 
may smile at the suggestion that their soil needs 
chemicals—only 46 years from the raw prairie—yet if 
they continue to use Alfalfa for potatoes we believe 
they will be obliged to add the minerals. It is but 
fair to say that the Colorado scientists do not believe 
that this theory is sound. They say that the disease 
also appears on raw soils which are deficient in nitro¬ 
gen. In the East, where fertilizers are freely used, 
and where the subject has long been studied, we 
should expect just the conditions mentioned above. 
ORE OF THE “CONTEST” HOUSES. Fig. 406. 
eggs this first week. One pullet laid six eggs in the 
seven days, three pullets laid five eggs each. 
This contest is going to be decidedly interesting. It 
is attracting a great deal of attention, especially in 
the Eastern States. The list of prizes is steadily 
growing. It would take nearly a page of The R. 
N.-Y. to enumerate the premiums already offered. The 
Philadelphia North American, which is financing the 
contest, offers a $100 silver cup for the pen laying 
the largest number of eggs, also another $100 silver 
cup for the individual hen laying the greatest number. 
The American Poultry Journal offers a $100 silver cup 
for the best laying pen, and $50 worth of advertising 
space for second best. Cash prizes to amount of sev¬ 
eral hundred dollars are also offered. Col. Chas. M. 
PECULIARITIES OF THE McINTOSH APPLE. 
The pictures on our first page show a fair sample 
of McIntosh or McIntosh Red apple, as grown at 
Hope Farm, and also the picture of a nine-year-old 
tree of the variety. With us this apple promises to 
be one of the most profitable we can raise, yet we 
should hesitate to advise general planting of the 
tree. It seems to be a variety quite peculiar in its 
needs as regards soil and situation. Less than a mile 
away on the same ridge upon which our farm is lo¬ 
cated, this variety is not satisfactory, and is ranked 
as inferior to several other well-known varieties. 
Our reports seem to indicate much this same thing 
with regard to McIntosh. Some growers praise it 
highly as a market apple, while others, often in the 
Jar vis, president of the Connecticut Agricultural So¬ 
ciety, offers a silver cup for the Connecticut pen 
showing most profit above feed cost. Prof. Stoneburn 
offers a silver cup for the best Connecticut pen. Judge 
Card offers a silver cup for the best pen of Connecti¬ 
cut R. I. Reds. Silver and bronze medals will be given 
each month to the pens laying first, second and third 
largest number for the month. Many other silver 
cups, gold pieces, incubators, wire fencing, foods, etc., 
are offered. 
The value of the poultry industry has increased in 
this State over 53 per cent in the last 10 years, and 
without doubt this contest will stimulate a'greatly in- 
ci eased interest. For the first time there is an oppor¬ 
tunity to compare not only the number of eggs pro¬ 
same latitude, are disappointed with its behavior. 
This, however, is true of most varieties, except a 
few standards, like Baldwin, Ben Davis, York Im¬ 
perial, or Northern Spy. 
With us the McIntosh ripens about the middle of 
September, and should be ranked as an early Fall or 
late Summer apple. It would hardly pay in our lo¬ 
cality as a fruit to sell directly from the tree, as it 
would come into competition with a host of other 
kinds. Its great value will result by putting it into 
storage at just the right time, and holding it for the 
Christmas market. 
We regard it as one of the best eating apples we 
have ever tried. In sod culture with us it develops 
a dark red color, with good size, high flavor, and a 
fragrance which is like a bouquet of flowers. As we 
grow it it is larger, and we think finer flavored, than 
its parent, Fameuse. It is an early bearer. The nine- 
GENERAL VIEW OF THE POULTRY CONTEST PLANT. Fig. 467. 
duced by different breeds under precisely similar con¬ 
ditions of housing, food, etc., but also the value of the 
eggs, the different production of certain strains of the 
same breed, cost of food, as compared to value of 
output, and many other things which will add to our 
present knowledge of the poultry industry. 
GEO. A. COSGROVE. 
R. N.-Y.—The two pictures illustrate this contest. 
Fig. 467 shows a general view of the field and the 
way the houses are grouped, while Fig. 466 shows a 
single two-part house in which the hens are kept. 
ALFALFA AND POTATOES. 
Greeley, Colorado, is famous for its potato crop. 
Over 35,000 acres are planted annually, and the qual¬ 
ity is very superior. As irrigation is practiced there 
can be no trouble from drought, and as the potatoes 
follow Alfalfa the soil is open and mellow. It was 
long claimed that Colorado need not fear either blight 
or bugs, yet for some years blight has appeared in 
year-old tree shown in Fig. 464 gave nearly half a 
barrel of fruit this year, and began bearing six years 
from planting. We find the tree healthy and a strong 
growei*. As will be seen, the top is broad and thick, 
and we should not recommend McIntosh as a “filler” 
on account of this vigorous growth. Such a tree as 
Wealthy, which makes a smaller and less spreading 
head, would be far better to use as a filler. We are 
planning to plant quite heavily of McL . h, after 
watching our young trees come into bearing, as we 
are convinced that, if one is able to pick the fruit at 
just the right time and hold it in storage, McIntosh 
will prove a profitable variety. As stated above, how¬ 
ever, we would not advise the general planting of 
McIntosh in any locality, without first watching the 
development of a few trees. When it finds a con¬ 
genial place, the apple is excellent; out of place, it 
would not be satisfactory at all. As stated, our judg¬ 
ment is that McIntosh is one of the varieties of 
apples peculiarly adapted to the sod method of cul¬ 
ture. The fruit is certainly darker colored, and we 
think finer flavored, when grown in sod and mulched. 
This can be said of several varieties of fruit, while 
without question, certain other varieties do better 
under high culture. 
