1868.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
219 
best filed away. The engraving represents the 
lower jaw of a yearling colt, showing a rather 
large wolf-tooth in front of the first molar. 
---ft-Oi- 
Quaker Practice on Canada Thistles. 
Mr. Truman Mabbett, of Vineland, N. J., has 
too much pluck to run before even Canada 
Thistles, and in accordance with his Quaker prin¬ 
ciples he is averse to a fight. [We don’t know 
who does not object to a hand-to-hand conflict 
with this weed]. Nevertheless he sends the 
Agriculturist a sketch of an instrument of death 
MABBETT’9 THISTLE PULLER. 
to Canada Thistles, which, faithfully used, will, 
we doubt not, exterminate the pest. He writes: 
“ I send you a drawing of a pair of long-handled 
wooden pincers, that any one handy with tools 
can make. This is to be used to pull up the 
sprouts which come up after mowing off the this¬ 
tles just before they are in flower. This should 
be done either just before a shower or during a 
rain, in order to let rain run into the hollow 
stems and rot the root. In my-case this instru¬ 
ment proved most satisfactory. I was living in 
Saratoga Co., N. Y., and bought a piece of good 
meadow land cheaply, because it was completely 
covered with Canada thistles. I mowed and 
pulled, as above described, for two years; and 
the third year, this land, being then quite free 
from thistles, made one of my finest meadows. 
I have now found the pincers to answer another 
good purpose on my Jersey five acres—that is, 
in pulling blackberry sprouts, when it is desir¬ 
able to preserve the rows in regular lines. The 
handles being long, one can use the implement 
when standing erect. The total length of the 
pincers is thirty inches; the width of the jaws 
three inches; length of the same, eight inches. 
The pulling is more easily done after a rain, 
when the soil is moist, than at any other time.” 
--—— --- «- 
Gang Plows and Sulky Cultivators. 
Gang Plows are properly two or more plows 
united, or combined in one implement, to be 
drawn by one team or engine. The advantages 
offered by such combinations of plows are sev¬ 
eral, the principal of which probably is that a 
good driver is all the plowman and driver need¬ 
ed for two or three plows. Practically as things 
shape themselves in actual use, two plows, 
where deep plowing or sod breaking is to be 
done, are all that can be economically used, and 
I when more than two are used they must be 
so light as to approximate to cultivator teeth, 
and the work performed would ordinarily be 
better done were a larger number of cultivator 
teeth substituted. Gang plows and sulky culti¬ 
vators are therefore natural modifications of the 
same implement, and there are several in 
market, both at the East and at the West, re¬ 
cently brought out, yet having had several 
seasons’ trial, which commend themselves to 
agriculturists. Their desirable qualities are so 
obvious, if they are good for anything, that it 
has not been necessary to “ push ” and “ puff” 
them in order to secure their introduction. But, 
as the number increases, there will be, of course, 
great efforts made to establish claims to superi¬ 
ority. These we do not attempt to decide, but 
most heartily commend the principle upon 
which they are constructed, as eminently useful 
in saving labor, both in simple plowing and in 
hoeing corn and other crops. In the lightest 
work done by them, as in hoeing corn, two 
horses are necessary, for the implements are 
driven astride the rows. In the 
culture of corn, potatoes, sorg¬ 
hum, sugar cane, cotton, and all 
crops planted in hills and rows, 
far enough apart for two horses 
to be used, and which require 
hand or horse tillage, a vast 
amount of labor may be saved 
by the Sulky Cultivator. In 
buying, select one which has 
little machinery, which is strong, 
but not heavy, which may be 
easily repaired if broken, and 
in which the plows or teeth 
may be easily changed. The 
driver’s seat must be easy and secure, and the 
feet should do a good part of the work of ele¬ 
vating the plows over obstacles, depressing, etc. 
- .... —s -o-— — » <* ' 
Whiflletree “ Boot ” for Plowing Orchards. 
The benefit an orchard may receive from the 
tillage is often offset by the damage done by the 
careless plowing of a heedless plowman, so the 
labor may as well be 
spared. But it is not 
necessary to injure the 
trees. The old plan of 
slipping old boots over 
the outer ends of the 
whiffletrees answered a 
tolerable purpose; but 
a better plan is com¬ 
municated to the readers 
of the Agriculturist , by 
Mr. Henry Korner, of 
Bellmont Co., O. It 
consists of a strong 
piece of harness leather, 
wide enough to fold over 
the end of the whiffle- 
tree, (which should be 
square on the end)' and 
extend along the chain 
trace, gradually taper¬ 
ing until it terminates 
in a strap, by which 
it is attached to the 
trace. The broad end is fastened to the whiffie- 
tree by a short strap buttoning over a screw 
head. We know no better name to give this 
tree protector than wliifiletrec boot. Mr. K. 
thinks rubber (such as worn-out pieces of belt¬ 
ing, we presume) might be better than leather. 
- O 4 --aaS^Can-- >-<»■ - 
Average Production of Crops in New 
York and in Great Britain. —The average 
production of wheat in 1865 in N. Y. State was 
13.36 bushels to the acre, in Great Britain, the 
estimated average for 1867 was 24.4; of oats, 
17.16 bushels to the acre, in Great Britain, 41.2; 
barley, 16.27 bushels to the acre, in Great Brit¬ 
ain, 33.7; showing very nearly twice the prod¬ 
uct in Great Britain of all these cereals. The 
comparison of the root crops is quite as favora¬ 
ble to England. Yet the soil and climate ol 
New York are as well suited for all these 
crops, witli the exception, perhaps, of turnips. 
The difference is mainly one of cultivation. 
With as much skill and capital invested in our 
farming we can show quite as good results. The 
English fanner, as a rule, does not own his land, 
but has a much larger capital invested in 
stock, tools, fertilizers, and labor. He manures 
liberally, and cultivates thoroughly, and gets 
his reward. If one who hires the land can 
afford to go to this expense, we who own our 
farms can much better afford it. The English 
average yield has been increasing for years; 
ours is decreasing. Is it not about time to 
farm more thoroughly, and turn the tables? 
Hens’ Nests. —Among the numerous handy 
contrivances which Mr. J. II. Mabbett, of Jersey 
City, has in his very complete hen-house, are 
Figs. 1 and 2.— hens’ nests. 
his box nests, of which we made a sketch and 
present an engraving. These boxes are made 
of three-quarter inch boards, planed, and meas¬ 
ure 12+12+15 inches, the measure from front 
to rear being greatest. They may be made with 
both bottoms and tops, if desirable, but it is bet¬ 
ter to use one box as the cover for another, or 
to cover one course of boxes with a wide board, 
which will form an alighting shelf for nest 
boxes set upon it. The square end presented to 
the front has a pear-shaped hole sawed in it, 
widest at the bottom. This remains open, but 
the piece which comes out of it is fastened by a 
screw in its small end, so as to form a lid to a 
hand-hole in the back end, as shown in fig. 2. 
These boxes may be arranged in three or four 
courses, and by alighting shelves and ladder 
made entirely accessible to fowls, while the eggs 
may be removed from the rear without disturb¬ 
ing the hens. Sitting hens may have eggs put 
under them, and by turning the nest box around 
they will be safe from the annoyance of others. 
■--- q t 0» . 
Harvesting' Barley. 
There is more than one good way to do a 
great many things, and circumstances alter cases 
in times and ways without number. It is im¬ 
possible to advise positively in regard to what 
is absolutely the best way to conduct even sim¬ 
ple farming operations everywhere. Hence no 
agricultural paper is an infallible guide for every 
body, in matters of practice, however excellent 
and practical its teachings. A correspondent 
who believes in doing things both well and 
cheaply, writes out clearly his way of harvest¬ 
ing barley. Referring to the article on barley 
culture in the April number of the Agriculturist 
he says: “ I most heartily agree with the writer 
until he arrives at harvesting. He says: ‘ In 
harvesting, the crop is cut with a reaper, and it 
is better to bind it into sheaves.’ It may be bet¬ 
ter to bind and even shock as we do wheat, but 
it costs too much. My plan for harvesting bar¬ 
ley, is this: I set my machine as for harvesting 
wheat, taking off the table' or platform upon 
which the grain falls, thus letting it fall upon 
the ground. I proceed to cut down my piece 
the same as grass, except the machine being set 
in the manner described, the stubble is left per- 
