286 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
tree-. On a ten-foot sweep the outside horse walks 60 
feet each time round, while the inside horse, two feet 
nearer the center, walks only 48 feet. In other words, 
the outside horse walks one-fourth faster than the inside 
horse. He walks 6 miles while the other walks 4 miles. 
To ask him to draw as heavy a load is cruel. On an 
ordinary 4-foot evener a new hole should be bored from 
4 to 6 inches nearer the center for the inside horse. With 
a short whiffletree, say 20 inches from the center hole to 
the outside hole, the hole should be bored for the inside 
horse 16 inches from the center. Thrashing is hard work 
for horses at best, and this matter should be attended to. 
The thrashers give the inside horse of their teams 
a shorter half of the whiffletree, but three-fourths of the 
farmers let their horses draw on the machine with ordi¬ 
nary plow whiffletrees without alterations. For the sake 
of the poor horses we ask attention to this matter. 
Crttard. Agalsist Splitting.— Ferrules 
or rings of iron are useful things, but among a score of 
old ones it will be a rare chance to find one that will fit 
where one wants it; besides, they are not applicable to 
angular sticks. “ J. H. M.” gives us a sample of a sim¬ 
ple protection against splitting, which we think may find 
a wide application in our own hands, and on the farms 
of our readers. Figure 1 represents the end of a stick 
like a whiffletree, protected by a simple iron wire, applied 
thus: A groove is cut in which the wire may lie, as it 
Fig. 1.— GUARD AGAINST SPLITTING. 
turns over the end; one end of the wire is bent at right 
angles and driven into the stick, a liolo being bored if 
necessary. The wire is then laid round in the groove, 
cut of the length needed, the end bent at an angle of 45 
degrees, sharpened, and driven in with drawing blows, 
so as to tighten tho wire as much as possible. The end 
of a stick with a hole in it, as represented, will bear quite 
a strain before it splits or breaks. Our correspondent 
Fig. 2.—WIRE APPLIED TO A LATCH. 
accompanies this suggestion with a simplo latch, fig. 2, 
for a gato or barn door, the catch of which is made of a 
knot—a guarantee against its splitting off, and a capital 
idea of frequent application. Tho dotted lines in fig. 1 
show the course of the wire where not really in sight, 
and the same may bo observed on a small scale in fig. 2. 
Gas Tar for Faint.— “C. G. F.,” Ben¬ 
nington, Yt. It is used in many places for cheap fences 
not bordering the highway. There is no doubt about its 
antiseptic qualities, and it is always cheap near the place 
of manufacture. Beauty is not its strong point. 
Harvesting 1 Field. Beans.— Take five 
rows at a time. Commence on the middle row; pull up 
as many hills as can conveniently be held in the hands, 
and then place the handful, with the roots up, on the row. 
Then pull the two rows on each side, and place the hand¬ 
fuls round the first on the middle row. Pull a few paces 
ahoad of the heap and bring the handfuls back. Then 
proceed as before. Sometimes the beaus are put in a 
continuous windrow. The work is usually done by boys, 
and if the crop is clean, a boy will pull half an acre a day. 
The heaps or windrows should be moved or turned every¬ 
day or two; and if the weather is bad, the crop must be 
carefully watched, and every opportunity seized to turn 
tho heaps and get them lightened up. A little neglect 
may spoil the crop, or at least render hand-picking nec¬ 
essary. Ordinarily there is little difficulty in curing 
beans in this way, provided they are not neglected. When 
sufficiently cured they are thrown into heaps of conven¬ 
ient size for pitching. If the beans are dry and hard, and 
the vines perfectly cured, they can be mowed away liko 
hay or grain; but if a little green, it is better to put them 
on poles laid across the beams in the barn, whero the air 
can circulate through them. Careful bean growers fre¬ 
quently stick short stakes in tho field, and place the 
beans around them, thatch the heap with straw, and 
let them remain, if need be, for several weeks. When 
this method is adopted, the beans can be pulled while the 
vines are quite green, as the half-matured beans will 
ripen from the sap 3n the pods and vines. By this meth¬ 
od, too, there is little loss of leaves, and these, with the 
pods, constitute the most valuable portion for fodder. 
into Wells. —Asa rule, never de¬ 
scend into a well without first lowering down a candle or 
lamp to be sure that it does not contain foul air. Wells 
in barn-yards that are used in winter for stock, and sel¬ 
dom used in summer, are very liable to be foul at this 
season. While the springs are low in August or Septem¬ 
ber, is a good time to clean them out, bnt let no one go 
down without using the above precaution. The “ foul 
air” is carbonic acid, and no one can live in it an in¬ 
stant. If a candle or lamp will burn freely there is no 
danger. The carbonic acid is heavier than common air, 
and accumulates at the bottom of wells. The candle will 
go out as soon as it strikes the carbonic acid, and thus 
show how much there is in the well. To get it out is 
not difficult, provided there is water in the well. All 
that is needed is to pump out the water and dash it in 
again. The water will absorb an equal volume of carbonic 
acid, and the agitation will mix sufficient air with it to 
allow combustion to proceed, and if a bundle of straw is 
ignited and lowered into the well, the heat will cause the 
foul air to ascend. We have succeeded in getting ont the 
carbonic acid from a well simply by dropping bunches of 
burning straw into it. The blaze would at first be ex¬ 
tinguished when it struck the carbonic acid, but the 
heat is more or less retained, and sets the air in motion. 
Micltigaia Board of AgrricHiltnre. 
By Sanford Howard , 1867. This is the Sixth Annual re¬ 
port of this body, and besides the usual tabular accounts, 
and reports of the County Societies, it contains carefully 
prepared essays upon the management of Agricultural 
Societies, Irrigation, Cheese Factories, Cross Breeding 
of Sheep, Principles of Hay Making, Influence of For¬ 
ests, Diseases of Cattle, and other matters of interest to 
the general reader. Strong ground is taken against the 
pei-version of agricultural fairs by the horse jockeys. It 
claims for the New York State Agricultural Society that 
it has from the beginning steadily refused to tolerate any 
of these gambling or clap-trap affairs, and yet has had a 
larger share of public patronage than the Societies that 
have relied upon trials of speed to draw tho people. 
©alry-maMs. — Mrs. S. Thompson, L. I. 
It is not difficult to find servants who are somewhat ac¬ 
quainted with the management of milk, and who, with a 
little instruction in our American methods, make good 
dairy-maids. We have had quite good sucoess with men- 
servants just arrived, and rather prefer to have their first 
training in this country. It is harder to get good maid¬ 
servants among the “greenhorns,” and if they have skill 
enough to make good butter and cheese, yon will of conrso 
have to pay more for them than for ordinary servants. 
The labor market is well supplied, and the offer of good 
wages will ordinarily procure what you want. 
Weight of Cots wold and Leices¬ 
ter Slieep.—“ J. S.,” Kinderhook. We recently saw 
a notice of a lot of yearling rams raised in Canada, that 
averaged 276 lbs.; of two year olds, that averaged 341 lbs. 
live weight. These breeds must have rich pastures in 
summer and generous feed in winter. 
A CJrKzmg- Cotintry.—A. Beekman, Put¬ 
nam County. The whole Alleghany region extending 
through Virginia into East Tennessee, and the west part 
of the Carolinas, and Georgia, is a fine grazing country. 
Red and white clover and the fine grasses of the north 
will flourish in this region, and it is generally healthy— 
probably quite as much so as any part of the northern 
States. Slaves have always been few, and public senti¬ 
ment is more friendly to northern people than In the cot¬ 
ton growing districts. Many have bought in this region, 
and lands are still cheap. One with experience in the 
grazing of cattle would do well in any part of this region, 
in fattening them for market. It is much nearer than the 
prairies of Illinois, whence a large part of the supplies 
of New York city are drawn. Southern Missouri is also 
a very fine grazing region, and is fast filling up. 
Abortion Among Cows.— J. Bonner, 
Monroe Co., Pa. The Commission appointed by the 
State of New York to examine into the cause of this dis¬ 
ease do not venture upon an opinion. They have visited 
1.577 farms, and received 4,259 reports from the districts 
afflicted, and yet, in the opinion of the best medical tal¬ 
ent the State can command, the cause of the trouble is 
undiscovered. Editors may be a little modest after this. 
Glazed Tile for the Outlet of 
Drains. —“G. F. H.,” Taunton, Mass. The crumbling 
of the common brick tile at the outlet of drains, of which 
you speak, is not uncommon. It is generally owing to 
the laying of badly burnt tile, by inexperienced work¬ 
men. Where the brick tile discharge into an open drain, 
they arc much exposed to the frost in winter, especially 
if it is a dry season, and the flow of water is not constant. 
It would be better to furnish all these outlets with three 
or four lengths of the vitrified pipe used for sink drains. 
Catching and Holding Mogs,-“ T. 
E.,” of Carroll Co., HI., sends us a drawing of a device 
for holding hogs while “taming” them. It is an oak 
board, cut so as to forma substantial ring, with two han¬ 
dles on opposite sides. This is to be put over the hog’s 
nose while the snout is operated upon. We can show 
him a “ trick” worth two of that. Take a piece of three- 
quarter inch oak board, plane it smooth, and cut ont a 
piece like the one shown in the engraving, which should 
be about five inches long. Bore holes ia the ends, four 
inches from center to center. They must be big enough 
for a stout cord to run easily in. Pass such a cord through 
as shown, and make a knot at one end that cannot draw 
through. Throw down a little corn and lay the noose 
thus formed around it; then when the hog comes up to 
eat, pull, and catch him back of the tusks. Pass the free 
end of the rope through a hole in the fence post, and pull 
the animal up to it. He will be held firmly and you may 
operate at your leisure. The chief use of the piece of 
board is to enable you to cast the animal loose instantly. 
ISelVig-erators for the Farm¬ 
house. —“D. N. G.,” White Plains.—They will pay 
for their cost every season and are a very great luxury, 
especially if you have an ice pitcher for drinking-water. 
A good refrigerator can be bought for from $10 to $20, 
but you can make ono for half the price that will last a. 
dozen years or more. All tho material wanted is a few 
pine boards, nails, a pair of butts, and some saw-dust or 
charcoal. A good refrigerator is simply a box within a 
box, the walls about 4 inches apart, and the space filled 
with some non-conductor. A few pounds of ice daily 
will keep all meats, vegetables, and fruits, in the best 
condition, and give yon cold water to drink besides. 
Women Farmers. —Mrs. T. L. Lord. It 
may be true that women have not all the facilities for a 
practical agricultural education that men have. But they 
are getting bravely over these disabilities, at least in the 
West. Tho Iowa Agricultural College, just organized, 
admits young women to all its privileges. All the other 
colleges in that State, including the University, have a 
similar provision. The Kansas Agricultural College also 
admits women. There are not a few instances of women, 
left widows, who have taken their husbands’ farms, and 
managed them with signal success. It would be fair to 
state also, that other women, in similar circumstances, 
have quite as signally failed. Some womei), as well as 
some men, have a decided tact for business, and would 
manage any thing well. If such affect farming, there is 
nothing in public sentiment, either East or West, to for¬ 
bid their success. The best cultivators of the other sex 
do not necessarily handle the hoe or gnide the plow. 
When, to Cnt Timber. —“Subscriber,” 
Uniontown, Pa. In the spring the trees are full of watery 
sap, as is well known by common observation. Maple 
sap flows freely in March and April; grape vines bleed 
if cut until the foliago comes out. Apple trees bleed if 
pruned in April or before the blossoms fall. Aftera while 
the sap of most trees becomes inspissated or thickened, 
containing less water, and the bleeding does not occur. 
If timber be cut early, it is clear that it must contain con¬ 
siderable water, and when the water dries out of it, it 
will be left porous; and if it be cut later, when the sap is 
thick, it will be less porous. Throughout the season the 
sap is continually depositing matter in the wood, as well 
as in the more obviously growing parts of the tree, and 
this matter still further fills the pores, towards the close 
of the growing season, so that the wood is much more 
solid in the autumn than in the spring. A portion of the 
materials which fill the pores of the wood in the course of 
the winter is rendered soluble, and is dissolved by the 
sap when the new flow commences in the spring. Hence 
on general principles, it is best to cnt wood in the 
autumn, for building purposes or for fencing. The differ¬ 
ences in kind of timber, location, etc., with the inaccura¬ 
cy of “ practical ” men ns observers, give rise to different 
views, but it takes out-and-Wit proof to convince us that 
the view based on the best reason is not the best view. 
