48 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
DEPTH OF SOWING GRASS SEED. 
No. 1, covered | inch deep. 
KIND OF PLANT EXPERIMENTED ON. 
Lolium perenne, (perennial rye-grass,).. 
“ Italicum, (Italian rye-grass,)......... 
Dactylus glomerate , (Coek’s-foot or Orchard,) .. 
Festuca elatior , (Larger fescue,). 
“ pratensis, (Meadow do.,).. 
“ heterophyllas, (Various leaved do.,)... 
“ diriuscula, (Hard do.,).. 
Alopecurus pratensis, (Meadow fox-tail,). 
Phleum pratense, (Timothy,)... 
Poa nemoralis, (Wood meadow grass,). 
Plantago lanceolate (rib grass or plantain do.,) 
Trifolium pratense, (Red Clover,).. 
« repens, (White Clover,). 
Medicago lupulina, (Yellow Clover,).. 
No. 2 
, covered 0 to 3 
inches t 
ieep. 
-d 
‘-'2 
Total o 
each kin 
O 
a 
rG 
O 
£ 
A 
o 
A 
o 
A 
CJ 
inch. 
If inch. 
GT 
C* 
O 
a 
cT 
A 
O 
A 
CO 
os 
15 "•* 
O o 
H s 
Q> 
348 
29 
30 
27 
19 
16 
19 
14 
12 
11 
9 
8 
4 
198 
276 
24 
21 
20 
13 
13 
10 
11 
8 
9 
6 
5 
5 
145 
300 
30 
22 
15 
15 
10 
9 
7 
5 
2 
115 
312 
29 
24 
20 
16 
13 
13 
11 
9 
4 
2 
1 
142 
324 
28 
28 
16 
12 
10 
6 
9 
4 
2 
2 
117 
348 
31 
23 
20 
18 
12 
9 
6 
4 
1 
124 
360 
30 
23 
10 
15 
10 
8 
5 
3 
1 
114 
192 
17 
17 
16 
15 
12 
7 
6 
3 
1 
94 
528 
52 
39 
37 
19 
16 
15 
7 
5 
190 
228 
24 
14 
4 
1 
43 
252 
22 
25 
19 
17 
14 
11 
10 
8 
6 
2 
134 
192 
17 
16 
14 
11 
11 
8 
4 
4 
85 
144 
13 
11 
6 
4 
3 
1 
38 
96 
12 
10 
8 
6 
4 
2 
42 
3,900 
358 
303 
241 
181 
144 
118 
90 
65 
37 
21 
14 
9 
1581 
The above table, showing the results of an experiment 
given in the Journal of Agriculture, for the purpose of 
proving the best depth for burying the different kinds of 
grass seed, cannot fail to be interesting and valuable to 
our farmers. It was performed as follows:—Two box- 
^s, each one foot wide, and five feet ten inches long, 
were filled with soil; No. 1, to within a quarter of an 
inch of the top; No. 2, to the top on one side, regularly 
eloping to within three inches of the top on the other 
side. Both boxes were then divided across by slips of 
wood a foot long and two inches broad, so as to leave 
fourteen spaces 1 foot long in each box. Fig. 16 will show 
A these divisions, box No. 2 be¬ 
ing filled to the top on the side 
A, and three inches from the 
top on the side B. The same 
weight of seed was sown in 
each box, the slips of wood 
were removed, and the boxes 
The seed in box No. 1, would 
B 
Fig. 16. 
filled to the top with soil, 
thus be all buried a quarter of an inch deep; and in No. 
2 from no depth to three inches. They were placed in 
a green-house, for the first ten days, to prevent the risk 
of heavy rains, which would have crusted the surface. 
This may have caused the seeds to spring from a greater 
depth than under other circumstances. 
The quantities of each sown, (except Timothy, which 
was about double the rest,) were such as would have pro¬ 
duced about the same number of plants to an equal sur¬ 
face, but the experiment being performed in summer, 
(Aug. ],) the different kinds had variously diminished in 
vegetative powers. This diminution with clover is such, 
that the experimenter, S. D. Stirling, remarks, that clo¬ 
ver seed “ kept over one summei, would be dear at half 
price.” 1 , 
The whole furnishes a striking exhibition of the loss 
sustained in all cases by harrowing grass seed deeply in¬ 
to the ground. This is especially the case with very 
small seeds, as Timothy and Wood'grass, none of the lat¬ 
ter vegetating an inch beneath the surface, though this 
remark would more strongly apply to a heavy than to 
a light soil. 
The writer also makes the excellent recommendation 
to “ all who would avoid disappointment, to prove all 
their grass, clover, and turnep seeds before sowing, by 
sowing a small weight in a pot, and placing it in a warm 
situation, and counting the plants which come up,” by 
which they will often find that 30 pounds in some cases 
will be cheaper than 20 pounds in others. 
The scientific names of the plants are given to prevent 
mistake where different common names are known in 
different districts, and which have enabled us to add or 
substitute some common names in place of those which 
are nearly unknown to our farmers. 
WELSH WHEEL-DRAG—(Fig. 17.) 
This drag is described in the Journal of Agriculture; 
and from its convenience, simplicity, and ingenuity, is 
worthy of the attention of our farmers and mechanics. It 
consists of a sole or shoe, a. with two pairs of ears, or 
projections, b. b. to hold the wheel to its place while rest- 
ting upon the shoe. The neck c. is forked at its extre¬ 
mity for receiving the small roller or wheel d. which is 
about nine inches in diameter. The curvature of the 
neck and shoe is such as to fit the outside of the wagon 
wheel, represented by the dotted line. 
.The peculiar convenience of this drag is, that it re¬ 
quires no chain to attach it to the forward part of the wa¬ 
gon, forming a distinct and independent carriage of it¬ 
self. For the neck c. rising a foot above ground, pre¬ 
vents the wheel of the wagon running over it, the mo¬ 
ment the wagon wheel begins to mount, its weight is 
thrown on the small wheel which then immediately rolls 
forward. The wagon wheel is thus partly supported by‘ 
the small wheel and partly upon the shoe a.; and the drag 
cannot escape from it, being held by the ears b. b. When 
not in use, it may be thrown into the wagon. 
The wheels cast at our furnaces for plow-wheels would 
doubtless answer for the wheel of the drag. 
FEEDING BOXES FOR COWS—(Fig. 18.) 
The annexed figure represents a cheap and good feed¬ 
ing box for cows, which has been found very convenient 
in foddering them with hay, 
or other winter food. It is 
six or seven feet square; the 
height is about two feet and 
nine inches, for cows of 
common size—it must not 
be too high for them to 
reach easily over the side, 
and not so low that they can 
jump into it. The depth 
of the box is about fifteen 
Fig. 18. inches. There are 2 cross 
pieces only, morticed into the posts, to stiffen the whole 
and to support the bottom boards. Four cows will eat 
from it at once; anil it will be impossible for them to 
tread the hay under feet and waste it. A common work 
man will make one in two or three hours. 
