182 
THE CULTIVATOR 
June. 
Hildreth's Gang Plow. 
Every implement which enables the cultivator to 
control more completely all his operations, becomes a 
positive benefit. There are some kinds of work which 
are better executed by the gang plow, than in any oth¬ 
er way, and hence it is occasionally of great value to 
every farmer. Sod ground, which has been deeply 
plowed late in autumn, may be reduced to a very mel¬ 
low surface by the use of the gang plow, leaving the 
sod undisturbed below. A thin coating of yard ma¬ 
nure, or a thick dressing of compost, may in the same 
way be turned under and rendered available for corn 
planted on the sod. Corn stubble, plowed in fall, may 
be seeded very early in spring by covering the seed 
with this implement. There is still another use, of 
value to small farmers. A seed drill, costing nearly 
a hundred dollars, is too expensive a machine for a 
five acre wheatfield—the gang, costing only twenty- 
five dollars, forms a useful and convenient substitute. 
Hildreth’s gang plow, (made by Hildreth & Charles at 
Lockport,) which in our own use we have found exceed¬ 
ingly convenient, is furnished with a seed-box, as rep¬ 
resented in the accompanying cut, which sows any de¬ 
sirable quantity of seed from a peck to three bushels 
per acre, and the plows cover it at one operation ; and 
in this respect it possesses an important advantage 
over the wheat drill, which requires complete previous 
preparation. Hildreth’s machine is made entirely of 
iron, except the tongue ; the depth of cutting and 
the width of slice may be regulated with complete ac¬ 
curacy ; and two horses plow three furrows at a time 
with ease, the friction from the weight of the machine 
and of the earth, being obviated by the wheels which 
sustain the plows and on which they run. It is liable 
to clog in wet stubble, and always performs more per¬ 
fectly in clean ground. 
- m - 
A Good Cattle Barn. 
Editors Co. Gentleman —In your paper of March 
11, I notice an inquiry of J. Cope in regard to stabling 
cattle, and as I have followed for some years the plan 
there hinted at, I furnish you with a description of my 
main cattle barn, for the benefit of your readers. 
The building is 100 ft. long by 45 ft wide, and 24 ft. 
posts, and will stable 66 head of cattle, and will hold 
114 tons of hay, and all the manure of six months fod¬ 
dering. A feeding floor of 12 ft. in width occupies the 
center of the building. The height of the stable is 10 
ft. Over the feeding floor are two chimneys, through 
which the hay is passed down to the feeding floor. The 
chimneys are four posts with rounds in them at inter¬ 
vals like a ladder, and they serve the additional pur¬ 
pose of ventilators. The hay is unloaded into dormer 
windows in the roof 6 ft. wide by 7 ft. high—by horse 
power, a large fork, tackle and rope, with which a load 
of a ton weight is discharged easily in seven minutes. 
On each side of the feeding floor are the stanchions 
for confining the cattle, 35| inches from center to cen¬ 
ter, 5 feet high, 7 to 9 inches space, according to the 
size of the occupant, from center to center, for the 
neck of the animal. The mortice in the top is — inches 
in length. The stanchion is fastened by a cap shut¬ 
ting down, looking much like a small boot-jack, hung 
on the end with a common butt. The standing and 
sleeping floor is six inches lower than the feeding floor, 
and is five feet four inches wide, with a fall of six inches, 
and a continuation of 30 inches, which receives the 
droppings of the animals. Behind the cattle is a cart¬ 
way 8 feet wide, to receive the manure, and having a 
ground floor. No litter is required to keep the cattle 
clean. Their droppings are entirely below them, and 
they seem to rest and be as comfortable as when at 
liberty. I hardly think it would do to confine heavy 
cattle in this way, but young stock and cows thrive 
well and enjoy it apparently. There is no waste of 
hay—all is eaten up clean ; but here, as elsewhere, 
they want but little at a time, but often. The fodder 
is always clean, and it is all in-doors, and no storm in¬ 
terferes with the regularity of proceedings, or induces 
the feeder to hurry and slight his charge. 
I havo saved this season some eighteen bushels of 
grass seed from the sweepings of my feeding floor— 
timothy, red-top, and white clover—and as I never 
heard of an animal becoming fat on such grain, I con¬ 
sider it clear gain, and something towards paying in¬ 
terest on cost of the building. 
At first one has some trouble in stabling the stock, 
but four days generally overcomes the difficulty, and 
the cattle go out and come in with regularity, if you 
control your temper and have patience ; otherwise you 
have wild stock, unruly, and poor. Last winter it took 
three hands a portion of the time to stable the cattle. 
This winter one man does it in less than half the time. 
Wm. M. White. Allegany Co ., N. Y. 
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Letter from John Johnston. 
Near Geneva, 6th May, 1858. 
Messrs. Tuckers —I parted with the last of my fat 
sheep six days ago. I cannot boast of profit, yet they 
have just about paid for their feed and the interest of 
money, leaving the manure for taking care of them. 
The manure is worth a good deal to me. Indeed I 
could not get paid for cultivating my farm without 
making large quantities of manure. 
The high price of mutton in the cities last summer 
and autumn, took away all the good sheep; hence I 
could get no first class sheep to purchase for feeding, 
which was against me this winter. 
My fat cattle are paying, but I bought them in Feb¬ 
ruary, and are retailing them to butchers around here. 
I sold a steer yesterday of my own raising, at $52 50; 
he was 22 months and six days old. Such animals pay , 
Owing to the panic last fall, I fed less stock last fall by 
one-half, than I have done in 28 years. I was afraid 
it was going to be such a time as we had in 1841-42, 
when I lost money by feeding. 
I feel in the spirit for a large stock for next winter, 
and hope I can find such as will pay their way and 
leave me the manure. 
I am rather sorry to see Dr. Lee take such a vieu 
of stock feeding. In one of his recent articles he says, 
