190 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
and I take this opportunity to add, that I am very happy 
to be the organ of expressing the sentiments of the Soci¬ 
ety towards your great nation. 
Alexander Djunkovsky, 
Perpetual Secretary of ihe Society. Actual Councilor 
of State of the Emperor of Russia. Knight, &c. 
Persons to whom Medals of the Society have been 
awarded, can obtain them on application to Luther 
Tucker, Rec. Sec'y, Albany. 
The Diplomas of the Society will not be ready for de¬ 
livery, before September next. 
All cash premiums remaining unpaid, will be paid on 
application either to T. Hillhouse, Treasurer, or to the 
Recording Secretary, Albany. 
The Transactions of the Society for 1844, are now 
ready for delivery. Each County in the State, is entitled 
to 20 copies, on paying for the binding, which costs $5, 
for the 20 copies. Orders for them, to be addressed to 
Luther Tucker, Rec. Sec’y, Albany. 
DESTRUCTION OF WEEDS. 
The present month is one of the most rapidly growing 
seasons of the year. The farmer's crops not only make 
great progress, but weeds too are ever in thrust¬ 
ing up their heads and asserting their ciaims to the ascen¬ 
dancy. If they once get the upper hand for a week, the 
crop may feel the injurious influence for the whole sea¬ 
son. Let them be attacked then at the very outset. 
Weeds among root crops and corn, are destroyed with 
one-half, and often with one-fifth the labor otherwise re¬ 
quired, if taken when about one inch in height. In a 
week or ten days they will be five or six inches high, 
will cost three or four times as much to destroy them, 
and will have exerted a seriously injurious effect on the 
crop. Hence it would be cheaper to hire a man at a dol¬ 
lar a day, at first, than at half a dollar afterwards. 
By adopting this course the last year with ruta bagas, 
hoeing them well before the rough leaves were an inch 
long, the work was done with great ease and expedition: 
and although the land was hard, dry, and not rich, and so 
stony as to render broadcast sowing necessary, the whole 
cost per bushel was only about three cents and a half. 
A large portion of the failures in raising ruta bagas, 
beets, and other root crops, have resulted from the heavy 
growth of weeds during the early part of the season, 
which are not unfrequently suffered to attain a foot in 
height before they are destroyed. The stunting elfect on 
the crop, and the labor of weeding are obvious. 
Repeated plowing and harrowing of the ground for 
some weeks before sowing roots, to clear it effectually 
of weeds, is a very economical operation, and saves much 
labor in weeding. 
An excellent practice for keeping potatoes clean, where 
they are planted in drills, is to pass a fine-toothed harrow 
over the whole surface, just before they come up, to mel¬ 
low the surface and destroy the weeds. When they are 
up, plow from, the plants; then a light furrow towards 
them, thus leaving the hills or ridges broad. The hoe is 
only used for smoothing the surface and destroying what 
weeds escape. 
It is well known that leaves are the breathing organs 
of plants; and that if a plant is kept constantly stripped 
of its leaves, or excluded from the air, during the grow¬ 
ing season, the root soon dies. Hence all kinds of pe¬ 
rennial rooted weeds, such as Canada thistles and milk¬ 
weeds, are soon killed if kept smothered beneath by re¬ 
peated deep plowing. As soon as the first appear at the 
surface, invert the soil upon them, and the roots soon pe¬ 
rish. We have known many instances, and in every case 
completely successful where thoroughly performed, 
where the Canada thistle was destroyed totally by deep 
plowing once a mouth through the season, and which 
prepared the ground finely for wheat before mid-autumn. 
Beet Root Sugar. —The total amount of beet root su¬ 
gar manufactured in Great Britain and Ireland in 1844, 
was 5,597^ C wt., an increase of 1,753$ cwt. compared 
with 1843. Of this, 3,420 cwt. were manufactured at 
Start ford, in Essex. 
HAY-SPREADING MACHINE_(Fig. 64.) 
We believe American ingenuity has never yet been ex¬ 
ercised in the manufacture of hay-spreading machines. 
While many farm implements have occupied a large share 
of attention, hundreds of patents having been granted for 
modifications only of single machines, the few hay-spread¬ 
ers ever yet used here have been imported from Europe. 
These having been in many respects defective and not 
adapted to our country, have not been very strongly ap¬ 
proved; but if those of American manufacture could be 
obtained, as much superior to the English, as our hay- 
rakes are to theirs, they would prove a most valuable ac¬ 
quisition. It is partly for the purpose of directing our 
mechanics to this subject, that we give the above view 
of the English hay-spreader. 
It consists, chiefly of a frame and w r heels, resembling a 
low, one-horse cart; between the wheels a set of hori¬ 
zontal rakes are made to revolve rapidly, their motion 
being in a direction opposite to that of the wheels. This 
motion is given from the wheels, through cog-wheels, to 
the axle on which these rakes (urn. It is obvious that 
the wheels must be attached to the frame, without any 
axle passing between them, as (hat would interfere with 
the motion of the rakes, the axle of which is nearly a 
foot higher than the hubs of the wheels. The teeth of 
these rakes, by their rapid motion, strike the hay in the 
swath, lift it upwards and scatter it behind the machine. 
The rakes consist of light pieces of timber, five and a 
half feet long, (so as to spread two swaths at once,) to 
which are attached the iron teeth, which are spikes se¬ 
ven inches long, fastened loosely so as to swing freely, 
and to fall back when tliey-strike stones or other obstruc¬ 
tions. Centrifugal force keeps them straight at other 
times. In long hay, a very thin, broad cylinder, inca¬ 
sing the frame-work which supports the rakes, is neces¬ 
sary to prevent clogging. As the hay frequently winds 
upon the hubs of the wheels, a covering upon them like 
the mud-protector of a carriage, would be of value. 
Many years ago, a machine of this kind was introduced 
from Europe, by Gen. Wadsworth. W. W. Wadsworth 
of Geneseo, informs us, that afier using it himself seve¬ 
ral years, he abandoned it, having become satisfied that 
hand-labor was more economical. The long heavy grass 
of the meadows on which it was used, rendered its suc¬ 
cessful operation more difficult than in light short grass. 
A machine was also brought from England by Hum¬ 
phrey Howland of Cayuga county, and has been used for 
several years on his meadows.- Though much heavier 
than necessary, with one hand and two horses it will per¬ 
form the labor of about ten men. One horse goes before 
(he other, and to clear the grass effectually and do the 
work well, they need to be driven on a trot, at the rate 
of about five miles per hour. 
Machines of this kind are in much use in some parts 
of England, more particularly in the vicinity of London. 
Though somewhat varied in construction, they all appear 
to operate on a similar principle. The cost in London 
is about twelve guineas, amounting with freight and 
costs, when brought to this country, to nearly a hundred 
dollars. They could probably be made in this country 
for fifty dollars, perhaps for much less; and if of a light¬ 
er construction, and with a greater multiplying power in 
the cog-wheels, and such other improvements as yankee 
experience could introduce, would doubtless prove on 
large farms a decidedly labor-saving machine. This would 
be quite a desirable object at the busy season of haying. 
