1853 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
abled the neighboring farmers to spend a few eve¬ 
nings in an agreeable and instructive manner. 
Following the suggestions of a former number of 
the Cultivator, they passed resolutions at the 
close of each discussion, and it sometimes hap¬ 
pened that the best part of the discussion was on 
the question of adopting such resolutions. One 
of the best features of this club is, that at its 
close, which will probably be when the working 
season commences, there is to be a regular set of 
rules laid down, under which each member is to 
make experiments upon the various grains, grass¬ 
es, and roots, and report the result to an adjourn¬ 
ed meeting of the club after the working season 
shall have closed, thus enabling us to compare the 
results of the same kind of manure upon the same 
kinds of crops, on dilferent soils. Geo. W. Cof¬ 
fin. Amenia , Dutchess Co ., March 7, 1853. 
Practical Farming. 
Mr. Tucker —Having read so much of late on 
agricultural chemistry, scientific farming, artificial 
manures, &cc., and believing that practical agri¬ 
culture will be of more benefit to farmers in gen¬ 
eral, than thousands of theoretical speeches or 
volumes on scientific farming, I venture to give, 
or at least try to give, you a chapter or two on 
thorough experience, and will confine myself to 
farming, as I believe it ought to be carried out, 
on lands that have been forty years and upwards 
under a severe system of cropping; and will en¬ 
deavor to point out the most economical mode of 
renovating these worn lands; and also the way to 
keep them profitable after they are improved. 
In the first place all wet lands ought to be 
drained, and that now can be done at a reasona¬ 
ble rate in the counties adjoining this, say for 30 
cents per rod, or perhaps a little less, where tile 
can be obtained conveniently. Without draining, 
manure has no effect, and by a long course of till¬ 
age, the subsoil has become so compact, that 
almost the whole country around here has be¬ 
come too wet for profitable cultivation, and must 
either be thoroughly under-drained, or otherwise 
Western New-York will be no longer the wheat- 
growing country that it has been. Yet by drain¬ 
ing, and other good management, it is altogether 
probable that the lands here may be made as pro¬ 
fitable as ever, or even more so, since we have 
so many more facilities for carrying stock and 
other products to market, and improved imple¬ 
ments of husbandry, &c. 
After thorough draining, all worn out lands, 
(but land much wet cannot be worn out, as it 
won’t produce crops enough to wear it out,) 
should be seeded to grass and clover as soon as 
practicable, and sown with plaster, (gypsum) at 
the rate of one bushel per acre, which costs here 
12^ cents. I cut for hay the season after the seed 
is sown; it ought not to be pastured in the fall, 
but have another bushel of plaster to the acre, 
and left over winter wfith a good covering of grass. 
In this way the lsend will be-greatly enriched, and 
it will give good pasture in spring, some eight or 
ten days earlier than land otherwise treated; but 
care should be taken not to overstock the land. 
Let it have always a good covering of grass. Much 
better to keep six cattle to gain 1,800 lbs. in six 
months, than eighteen cattle to gain 1,800 lbs. in 
same time.. The former will be prime beef, and 
bring the highest price ; the latter, poor beef, and 
perhaps not bringing so much as the former by 
,$1.50 to $2 per 100 lbs. The land will be greatly 
(enriched by the light stock, and but little where 
all the grass is eat off close to the ground. Keep 
the land in grass, pasturing light, and the stock 
will pay well, and in two years the land will be 
ready to bring two crops of grain, and probably 
as good as ever it did. John Johnston. Near 
Geneva , 14 th March, 1853. 
HOFF'MA.NkSl 
Emery’s Portable Hay Press. 
The above cut represents the external view of 
H. L .Emery’s Portable Hay and Cotton Press. 
As seen in the cut, it is closed up, and about mid¬ 
way in process of pressing a bundle of hay. 
When fully pressed, the ends of the levers which 
are seen at each end extending above the box, are 
brought down by the chains and shelves until the 
levers themselves are in a horizontal position. 
The press is provided with two followers, both 
working from the ends towards the center, and. 
each other. The chains or ropes from the levers 
are connected by passing one of them under the 
press, and joining in a larger chain or rope; this 
larger one connected with a capstan, or blocks and 
ropes, as is preferred, or most convenient. 
When the press is driven home, the hay becomes 
pressed into a bundle, standing on end; the side 
doors are thrown open, while the bands are press¬ 
ed round the bundle and secured ; when the follow¬ 
ers and top doors are loosened, and the bundle 
thrown out. For operation, the levers are raised 
and followers drawn back, and the top opened by 
means of two doors, which are buttoned down in 
the center by a crossbar, as seen in the cut. The 
opening on the top for receiving the hay, being 
two feet wide and eight feet long. The press 
stands on the ground or floor when in use, which 
makes it both convenient and capacious for filling 
and treading in the hay. 
The whole press is fourteen feet lohg, two feet 
ten inches wide, and four feet ten inches high , out¬ 
side measurement; weighs about twelve to sixteen 
hundred pounds, and is capable of compressing 
two hundred and fifty pounds of timothy hay into 
sixteen cubic feet, at the rate of five bundles per 
hour, with two men and one horse; and heavier 
bales in proportion, as to size and time. Price 
complete with chains and capstan, is $135, and 
warranted to give satisfaction. 
