180 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
May. 
animals, has been styled, crossing the system of the 
mother; and it is supposed, that the reason why so many 
inferior animals are to be met with, the progeny of parents 
of pure lineage, is almost wholly owing to the blood of the 
mother having been previously contaminated by the 
cross-bred young she has carried. 
Of the modus operandi of this contamination, there is 
no explanation given, which is generally satisfactory, but 
it seems probable to the writer of this, that, inasmuch as 
the same blood must circulate through the veins of both 
mother and offspring,—that the system of the dam be¬ 
comes thus modified and rendered in a greater or less de. 
gree similar to her mongrel young. 
It is hoped that the reader will excuse the length of 
this article, on account of the importance of the subject • 
and also, because of the novelty of the facts—this being 
the second instance so far as has come to the knowledge 
of the writer, that it has been treated of by the Agricul¬ 
tural Journals of this country—an article from the same 
pen having been published last year in the American 
Agriculturist. C. H. Cleaveland,M. D.«* Waterbury, 
Vt., Feb. 1852. # 
- ^-- 
The Different Hay Presses. 
Eds. Cultivator —In r^ply to the inquiries of your 
correspondent in regard to pressing hay, I will give you 
the experience of farmers in this neighborhood, (Durham, 
N. H.,) where the raising market hay is the chief agri¬ 
cultural business. Hay was pressed for the Portsmouth, 
N. II., market in this town twenty-five or thirty years 
ago, and the first press, and only one for several years, 
was on the farm of N. Woodman. That press was con¬ 
structed on the model of an old cotton press, then used 
at Portsmouth for packing hay. It was an upright box, 
eight or ten feet high, with one large wooden screw, 
coming down in the centre through a beam at the top. 
This was stationary. Next was used an upright box with 
two smaller screws one at each end and a beam across, 
which was brought down by the screws. This was port¬ 
able, and was carried about among the farmers, and the 
only one in town for some years. Either of these press¬ 
es with four hands and a horse, usually put up twelve 
bales of hay per day or about two tons. About 1830, a 
new patent press appeared. The box was horizontal, or 
upon the side on the ground. The power was applied 
with cast iron wheel and pinion work. About three cog¬ 
wheels and pinions w r ere used. It was precisely on the 
model of the small jack screw, used in loading cotton 
ships at the south. Next was used the same form of 
box, with the power of a large rope over pulleys, instead 
of the wheel works. In both these presses, four hands 
and a yoke of oxen put up, commonly, from twenty-five 
to thirty bales per day, or about four tons. Both were 
portable. Next appeared an upright box, in which the 
hay was pressed down from the top as in the first two 
above mentioned. The power was applied by chains 
winding on axles, turned with same power of wheel and 
pinion work. This was portable and did good service. 
Five men turned out thirty-five or forty bales a day, or 
five tons and more. Next came the presses now in use. 
One is called the Railroad press, and patented; the other 
is called the Elbow press, and is understood not to be a 
patent. Both have an upright box, and press the hay 
from the bottom upwards, and the bale is taken out 
above, on a staging, and weighed, and hoisted away with 
tackle and fall. The Railroad press has for its power, 
two beams coming near together under the box, and there 
attached with a hinge joint to a strong mass of wood, 
called a “ follower,” that moves up and down the box. 
The other ends reach out in opposite directions, and rest 
upon an iron rail on a strong timber, and are made so as 
to move easily over it, by a solid iron truck at the end. 
As they stand, they form so meting like the letter A, 
only more flat. Then by chains, and a windlass and wheel 
in the center, the lower ends are drawn up till they are 
along the rail nearly perpendicular to the ground, and 
parallel to each other. So the power rapidly increases 
as it is most required. The Elbow press is in the main 
constructed in the same way, except that the power is 
applied by two toggle joints, (the joints of iron, and the 
arms of w r ood,) standing, when the follower is down, not 
unlike two Y’s placed opposite. (<#>) They are 
then drawn together by a chain passing round a truck in 
the arms just below the joints, and wound upon a wind¬ 
lass in the centre, which is turned by a stout yoke of oxen 
drawing out a rope wound on the circumference of a 
large wheel attached to the windlass. Five hands with 
a yoke of oxen, where the hay is conveniently situated, 
will usually press from forty-five to sixty bales per day, 
or from seven to nine tons. Both these are portable. 
One yoke of large oxen is sufficient to work either, or 
to move them from place to place over an ordinary road. 
The Elbow press is called the best, and is here prefer¬ 
red to the other. Both are used extensively. Durham 
is chiefly an agricultural town. It has about 1,500 inha¬ 
bitants. In 1830, about 100 tons of pressed hay may 
have been sent to market. In 1840, as much as 500 tons 
were sold; and at the present time, 1852. no less than 
2,000 tons of pressed hay are annually sent to market. 
Lee, Newbury, Greenland, Stratham, Rollinsford, and 
other neighboring towns, are largely interested in the 
same product. 
To secure the bales, small withes of withewood, gray 
beach or alder, are used, about an inch through at the 
butt, and from six to ten feet long. Two, of sufficient 
length, are twisted, and the tops lapped and wound strong¬ 
ly together, making a band long enough to reach around 
the bale and tie. Five bands are put on a bale. The 
withes, trimmed ready for use, cost from 30 to 40 Cents 
per hundred. The price for pressing hay is $1.50 per 
ton—every thing requisite, use of press, oxen, withes, &c., 
included. 
The cost of the Elbow press is from $100 to $200, ac¬ 
cording to the excellence of the material, and the work. 
The Railroad Press may be a little more. 
If any, among your numerous subscribers, know of a 
better way of pressing hay, or of securing the bales, (for 
this now takes all the time of one good hand, besides the 
cost of the withes,) we should be glad to have him give 
us the information through your columns—as any im¬ 
provement in this matter would be hlfled with pleasure 
and satisfaction, by the farmers in this neighborhood 
C. F. W. Durham, N. H., Feb., 1852. * 
