182 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
endeavoring to disseminate the good fruits of the earth, and thereby to 
multiply the comforts of the human family, is deserving of high com¬ 
mendation, and of general imitation.] 
Lake C. H. Ia. Sept. 22, 1837. 
J. Buel, Esq.—This box contains a specimen of cultivated soil, of 
Robinson’s Prairie, Lake county, la. and a specimen of the subsoil, two 
feet below the surface, and a specimen of the understratum, fen feet be¬ 
low the surface, below which is a bed of beach sand, in which water is 
found at various depths. 
Also, a few Nutmeg and Mackinaw blue potatoes—both very early, the 
Nutmeg particularly so. 
Also, a specimen of “Lake Superior Indian Corn,” grown between 
the 20th of May and 20th of August, 1837, in a'cold piece of ground, 
without manure, in Lake county, Ia. (latitude 4l£.) This corn is princi¬ 
pally useful for early garden culture, growing small and low, as may be 
seen by one of the stalks which is herewith sent, and which shows a fair 
sample of size. 
Also, a specimen of black corn—known here as “ Squaw Corn”—re¬ 
quires a very short season and produces well. 
Also, the product of a single seed of. timothy, Sent to forcibly illustrate 
the remarkable 1 increase of agricultural products. I hope thrs seed may 
be sown by some one who will notice the increase for two or three suc¬ 
ceeding years. 
Also, a few nuts and small branches and leaves of the northern or up¬ 
land bur oak. The rich taste will best demonstrate their nature as nutri¬ 
ment for hogs. 
And finally, a few native crab apples—just to show that although in a 
new country, we are not entirely destitute of apples. This kind are abun¬ 
dant. Also, a very delicious plum—purple and white. ’ A few stones of 
the latter are herewith sent. They grow wild, about an inch in diame¬ 
ter. 
I beg another year’s grace,on “ Prairie flower seed.” Accept the use¬ 
ful first. 
I am, as a friend of agriculture, most respectfully your.friend, 
SOLON ROBINSON. 
REMARKS. 
In the Nutmeg we recognize our early kidney, and in the Mackinaw 
blue our Sault St. Maria potatoes. The first is our best early variety, 
and we will hereafter call it the Nutmeg. In our November number, 
we have classed the Sault St. Maria among our most esteemed varieties. 
Both varieties are new among us. 
The stalk of the Lake Superior corn is about three and a half feet long, 
and the ears six inches. Its early maturity may render it valuable in the 
higher and colder districts of our state. The ear of the squaw corn is 
about ten inches long, and may also be valuable for its precocity. 
The seed of the head of timothy half filled a wine glass. It is a beau¬ 
tiful specimen. We have sown it. 
The DUts and leaves of the oak strikingly resemble those figured and 
described by Michaux, as the over-cup oak, (Quercus lyrata,) known in 
the southern slates, where it most abounds, uhder the different names of 
swamp post oak, over-cup oak, and water white oak. The tree grows 
there to the size of the largest forest timber. There is no other acorn 
which bears a resemblance to this. The nuts sent us are almost as sweet 
as a chestnut, with a slight astringency, and the edge of the case is beau¬ 
tifully fringed. The bur oak of Michaux is synonymous with over-cup 
white oak, (Quercus macrocarpa;) the nuts are shorter than those sent us, 
and are almost wholly enveloped by the shell, which latter is wholly free 
from fringe or moss. We have planted most of the acorns sent us, toge¬ 
ther with the plum stones. This is either the over-cup oak of Michaux, 
or a species allied to it, which escaped the research of that naturalist. 
OCf- The seeds not planted, as well as the remains of the barrel of ear¬ 
ly May wheat from Gen. Cock, will be distributed at the anniversary 
meeting of the State Agricultural Society, in February. 
MACHINE FOR UNLOADING HAY. 
Lee, November 27th, 1837. 
Dear Sir, —Knowing that your valuable publication is a repository 
for the various improvements in agriculture and husbandry, we take the 
liberty to send you the following communication, which we trust will be 
important to the farmers of our country. 
Having used “ the machine for unloading hay,” lately invented by 
Mr. Luther Miller, a farmer of this town, permit us to give a brief de¬ 
scription of its structure, and the mode of its operation. 
This machine is worked by horse power, and consists of a rake, the 
head of which is from three to five feet in length; the length of the head, 
and the number of the teeth, suited to the convenience of the user. The 
teeth are of iron or steel, about eighteen inches in length, with a curve 
of about three inches, and set one foot apart. A handle three feet in 
length, is framed into the head of the rake; and to this handle a rope is 
attached, which, after passing a pulley fixed directly over the place for 
depositing the hay, passes downward under another pulley, usually called 
a snatch block, fastened about two feet from the surface upon which the 
horse stands for working the machine. This rope, after passing under the 
pulley, is fixed to the horse. Another small rope is fastened to the cen¬ 
tre of the head of the rake, by which the machine is guided. 
The rake is loaded by thrusting the teeth into the hay, a3 it lies on the 
wagon. The horse is then started forward, and the rake with its load as¬ 
cends; and when it reaches due elevation, the horse is stayed, and the 
rake disengaged from its load, by drawing upon the rope fixed to the cen¬ 
tre of the head of the rake. The horse is then backed to the place of 
starting, the rake loaded, the horse driven forward, the rake elevated and 
disengaged from.its load as before. One man, with a tractable horse, can 
manage .the whole machine.. The hay can be thrown into any part of the 
mow at pleasure, by fixing the upper pulley directly over, the place for un- 
loading. 
This machine is of .the greatest aid where the hay has been collected 
with the horse rake. Tn such a case it is very difficult to unload the hay 
by pitching in the ordinary way, but by this machine it is done with the 
greatest ease. This machine can be more extensively useful than the 
horse rake for collecting hay. The usefulness of the latter'is confined to 
level ground, while the former may be used in every region. 
In the course of the past summer, we have unloaded with this machine 
half a ton in eighty seconds, or at the rate of a ton in a little less than 
three minutes. This was done with a rake Of the smallest size, viz. three 
feet in length, and with but three teeth. With a larger rake itmight'have 
been done in a shorter time. This machine, .simple in its structure, and 
costing not over five dollars, will be found to be a most valuable 'labor- 
saving apparatus; arid we trust highly arid extensively useful to the far¬ 
mer. And we rejoice, that while the manufacturer, and persons in al¬ 
most every department of human enterprise, are assisted infinitely by ma¬ 
chinery, some portion of human invention and skill is turned to aiding the 
hasbandman, in his ancient, honorable, and most important employment. 
Yours most respectfully, LORIN BUSHNELL. 
ASA BUSHNELL. 
ROOT STEAMER. 
Durham , Nov. 27, 1837. 
J. Buel, Esq.—The plan of the steaming apparatus described in the 
September number of the Cultivator, appeared to me so well adapted to 
.the purpose intended, that I resolved’to erect one for the purpose of 
steaming vegetables for the pigs which I fatten for my own consumption, 
but as I did not find a suitable kettle for the purpose, I hit upon another 
plan, partly suggested by the plan in the Cultivator, which works so ad¬ 
mirably that I send you a description of it. I first made me a box 4 feet 
in length, 20 inches wide a'nd 17 deep,without top or bottom; I then took 
a piece of sheet iron,. 4 feet 4 inches long, and 2 feet wide, which I 
placed upon the bottom of the box and nailed it fast with common shingle 
nails, driven through the sheet iron into the edge of the boards, about l£ 
inches apart. This left the iron projecting over the box about 2 inches 
all round. This was then turned up and nailed again, on the sides and 
ends of the box, so that the sheet iron forms a kind of pan around 
the box, two inches deep, which will make a bottom sufficiently tight 
Jo hold water. I then made a false bottom, full of holes, nearly as 
described in the Cultivator, which I let down so as to leave a space 
of about one and a half inches between it and the sheet iron. A cover 
like a chest lid completed the box. I then set the box upon two lines of 
bricks.laid in mortar, with.a chimney carried up sixfeet at the further end, 
the front end being left open to put in the wood, very much as you would 
set a kettle—the bottom of the box rested upon the arch about half the 
width of a brick, and was plastered round with mortar, so as to confine 
the heat to the sheet iron bottom- A few bars of iron were laid across 
the arch for grates to hold up the wood and bring the fire in close contact 
with the box. I then put sufficient water in to fill, the small space be¬ 
tween the sheet iron and false bottoms—fill it up with apples, potatoes, 
or other vegetables, and it is ready, for steaming. A box of the above di¬ 
mensions holds full four bushels-, and one hour and a half is all the time 
that is necessary to steam apples and potatoes effectually. With dry hem¬ 
lock limbs, I have in one hour, steamed them.so that'those on the top 
cracked open. There is no danger of the supply of water failing, as I 
have steamed several kettles full without any additional water. Farmers 
would probably need a box of larger dimensions:—for this purpose they 
have only to add to the length and depth of it, to get the size wanted. I 
consider the width named the best adapted for economy in fuel. If any 
one wished, the box could be made with a sliding end, as described in 
the Cultivator—but I find-no difficulty with mine by the filling up of the 
holes in shovelling out the potatoes, &c. having bored them with a taper 
bit from the under side. 
The advantages of this, over other steaming apparatus which I have 
seen, appear to me to be— 
1st. Its cheapness and simplicity. The principal outlay is for the sheet 
iron, which can be procured at almost any tinner’s shop in the country, 
for ten or twelve shillings, and a few nails and boards—stone may answer 
the same purpose as brick to set it it upon, and any person can make and 
set it. 
2d. A saving in fuel—the fire being brought so near the water, which 
