THE CULTIVATOR 
117 
the tube. Legume oblong compressed smooth. Seeds 
Bubglobose, black. 
This plant, which is often met with in the northern 
states, flowers in May or June. The stem is very slen¬ 
der, the flowers small and of a bluish white color. 
Ervum hirsutum. Linn. 
Botanical Description. —Leafets linear, obtuse, 
mucronate. Stipules semivagittate, narrow. Peduncles 
3-6 flowered, shorter than the leaves. Segments of the 
calyx linear-lanceolate, equal, longer than the tube. 
Legume oblong, compressed, hairy, finely reticulate. 
Seeds globose, variegated. 
Widely diffused through the United States, and like the 
last, flowering in May or June. The stem is two or 
three feet long, much branched and diffuse. Leaves 
cirrose. Flowers very small and bluish white. 
Our author states that it is said that on dry soils, in 
wet seasons, these plants have destroyed whole crops. He 
has seen several samples of wheat and barley very much 
infested with the seeds of tares, but he always took them 
to be the seeds of the cultivated tares, especially of the 
winter sort; yet the spring tares may grow amongst bar¬ 
ley; and both in this way become injurious weeds. The 
seeds of these are much larger than those of the wild 
tares. 
The miller’s objection to these seeds is, that they have 
a strong taste when ground in the flour. Hence it seems 
to become an important consideration, whether field 
tares should be suffered to go to seed, or rather to be fed 
off, and plowed down soon enough to prevent it. Also 
for soiling, small patches may be set apart, and seeds, at 
last, may be raised therefrom. For it seems to be a 
doubtful advantage in agriculture, that the introduction 
of tares should overrun our fields with new enemies. 
5. Wild Oats. —Sometimes also called Bearded Wild 
Oats or Haver. 
Avena fattja. Linn. 
Botanical Description— Panicle erect, compound. 
Spikelets pendulous. Florets about three, shorter than 
the calyx. Seeds bristly at the base, with an oblique 
sear, all awned. 
This weed, according to our author, used to abound 
on stiff clays, in open fields. It prevailed to such an 
extent in some wheat fields, that at harvest the whole 
crop would appear to be wild oats. The seed is some¬ 
times larger than common oats, of a dark brown color, 
and has a very rough awn or beard. Of course millers 
may well object to them; for when many prevail in a 
sample of wheat, they occupy a considerable portion of 
the measure. 
It does not appeal that in the spring these weeds can be 
sufficiently distinguished from the wheat plants to be se¬ 
lected and weeded out, which is also the case with dar¬ 
nel, and is the more to be lamented, because the best 
system can hardly be expected to eradicate those weeds, 
in regard to which the hoe and hand cannot be brought 
in aid of the fallow and row culture. But this ought to 
be strictly attended to, as being the strongest argument 
possible, why these seeds should not be sowm with seed 
wheat. So far, the farmers who pay attention, are mas¬ 
ters of these weeds; and it must be a wilful neglect not 
to act accordingly. 
LETTER FROM SOLON ROBINSON. 
We give the following extract of a letter from our 
friend Robinson:—“ I have received several letters, en¬ 
quiring why I have discontinued my correspondence to 
the Cultivator. I assure you that it is not in conse¬ 
quence of any disinclination on my pai-t. I am as anx¬ 
ious to gratify those of my friends, who are pleased to 
read my communications, as they can be to read them; 
but a great pressure of business has wholly prevented 
me during this spring. I have been so hard at work 
that I have been obliged to forego the pleasure that I 
always feel when engaged in contributing my share of 
instruction or amusement to my fellow laborers. 
But I assure you, and you may assure your readers if 
you see proper, that the time is not far distant when, I 
hope, many of your readers will be pleased to see again 
the familiar name of their old friend 
Solon Robinson. 
Lake C. II., Ia., June 8, 1842. 
NO NEST EGGS. 
MESSR3. Editors —In one of the late numbers of the 
Cultivator, I observed an article on having hens lay per¬ 
petually, by allowing them neither cocks or nest eggs. 
Until the present season I have always been careful to 
leave a nest egg for my hens, and during the time there 
was danger of their freezing, chalk eggs were substitut¬ 
ed for the others. This year I have about 40 hens, mostly 
pullets, and three cocks. They commenced laying in 
the latter part of January, and up to the last of April, 
about 90 days, have given me about 120 dozen of eggs. 
For a short time I used chalk eggs for nest eggs, but 
they were soon picked to pieces and eaten by the hens, 
and since then no nest eggs have been allowed. No 
dissatisfaction has been manifested by the hens in con¬ 
sequence of this treatment, and I have not known a sin¬ 
gle nest deserted because the eggs were all removed. I 
have kept corn in the ear, where the hens had constant 
access to it, and I kept a box of sand, lime, gravel, ashes, 
&c., in which they could pick and dust themselves. I 
prefer allowing the hens to help themselves to corn, to 
shelling and feeding it to them; as in the first place they 
will eat no more than they want, and a few will not keep 
fat at the expense of the many; and, secondly, there are 
few animals on the farm that pay better for good keep¬ 
ing than fowls. They would pick a few kernels of corn 
and then be off to the straw yards, or to their nests. 
Young hens, I have found, are much better layers than 
old ones; but they should be early chickens, or they will 
rarely begin to lay early in the next season. 
A Young Farmer. 
BAILEY AND RICH’S SMUT MACHINE—(Fig. 68.) 
The undersigned an¬ 
nounce to the public, that 
they can, in their opinion, 
supply millers with a bet¬ 
ter smut machine than has 
ever before been used, and 
at a moderate price. 
With only a velocity of 
about 450 revolutions per 
minute, it will clear off the 
fuz from the ends of each 
kernel, and expell all the 
smut and dirt even from 
damp grain. The small 
machine will clean 15 to 
25 bushels per hour, and 
the large one 75 to 100 
bushels. 
It is so constructed that 
there is a strong current 
of air passing horizontal¬ 
ly through the machine, 
operating upon every ker¬ 
nel of grain while in mo¬ 
tion and forcing from the 
grain every particle of dust 
as soon as created. 
The machine is wholly composed of iron and steel. 
The heads and staves of cast iron, shaft of wrought iron 
and boxes and pivots of cast steel, (there are only two 
boxes and two pivots to a machine.) The machine is 
put together with screw bolts, and can easily be taken to 
pieces and put together again. 
The small machine is three and a half feet high, and 
twenty one inches in diameter, and weighs about 350 
lbs., and will be sold at 100 dollars each, upon a trial of 
three months, warranted to suit. 
The inventors, T. R. Bailey and Ezra Rich, mill wrights, 
have been 14 years experimenting upon smut machines, 
and have at length succeeded in producing that simple, 
efficient and durable machine so long desired by millers. 
The machine was patented last year. All letters on 
the subject, to be addressed to Bailey & Rich. 
Shoreham, Vt., June, 1842. 
WORCESTER PLOWS—AGAIN.-—(Fig. 69.) 
Messrs. Editors —In the April No. of the Cultivator, 
I took the liberty of calling the attention and recommend¬ 
ing the farmers to look at some plows manufactured by 
Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, of Worcester, Mass., 
on sale at the store of Messrs. Pruyn, Wilson & Vos- 
burgh, in State st., Albany, which I am gratified to say 
was promptly responded to, and the sales have exceeded 
their most sanguine expectations. And to show I “ prac¬ 
tice what I preach,” I obtained one of their Eagle plows 
and put it immediately in operation, first where I grew 
rutabagas last year, and since on a strong sward which it 
turned over twelve inches wide and seven inches deep, 
with two common sized horses, and with as much ease 
as three horses before one of our common plows.* Why, 
there is as much difference in its gliding through the 
soil, as there is between the sailing of a Baltimore clip¬ 
per and an old fashioned Albany sloop. I think the Ea¬ 
gle plow, for such a soil as I have to improve, far supe¬ 
rior to any other I have ever had in use. I do not say 
this with a view to flatter, or from a wish to injure any 
one engaged in manufacturing plows, but on conviction, 
from actual experience, of its truth. Several of my neigh¬ 
bors have seen its performance, and assured me they had 
never seen such plowing before. 
Of all the implements of husbandry in use among us, 
there has been none susceptible of greater improvements 
than the plow; and from the great and laudable compe¬ 
tition at present existing among manufacturers, (and 
which I think should be fairly encouraged,) I hope yet, 
if possible, to see this invaluable implement brought to 
still greater perfection. 
It is now above sixty years since James Small made 
the great improvement, which consisted in giving the 
mold-board a curved figure, and made of cast iron. Pre¬ 
vious to this invention, the mold-board was made of 
wood, straight, and covered with thin plated iron. It is 
only about seven years, since the writer of this was sur¬ 
prised to find some of this description of plows, still in 
use in Connecticut, between New-Haven and Guilford. 
* Since writing the above, I find in the last No. of the Cultiva¬ 
tor, I am supported in the opinion expressed of its execution and 
ease of draft, by one of the editors, who has one in use. 
In respect to Small’s improved plows, Lord Kaimes,who 
was a good farmer, said “ That no plow would cut the 
furrow so clean, or turn it so nicely over for receiving 
benefit from the atmosphere, and none so easily drawn.” 
Could he have lived to have witnessed the operation of 
the Eagle plow, I think he would have altered his opinion. 
As much of our success in crops, depends in a great 
measure, on the proper breaking up and subsequent plow¬ 
ing of our land; and as a good plow is therefore highly 
necessary, I confidently recommend the Eagle plow, as 
admirably calculated, for strength, durability, and cheap¬ 
ness of repair, and it may be considered a most valuable 
acquisition to our catalogue of implements. It enters 
and raises the soil like a wedge, while a surface of pol¬ 
ished metal of those parts which come in contact with 
the soil, lessens the friction. And here I would remark, 
that in the whole length and breadth of the mold-board, 
not a particle of earth was lodged, showing most con¬ 
clusively, that it is formed on correct and scientific prin¬ 
ciples, and that they will perform their work with more 
ease to the team. 
Farmers, if you have any feeling for your team, or re¬ 
gard for your corn crib, I again advise you to lose no 
time in furnishing yourselves with one of these plows. 
But to be honest, there is one objection to them, espe¬ 
cially where there is more than one plowman, on the 
farm, as each must be furnished with one, or there will 
be ‘‘ trouble in the camp,” and in the present depressed 
state of the times it is no easy matter to raise the where¬ 
with to purchase many. 
If any one doubts what I have said, all I ask is to satis¬ 
fy themselves by actual experiments; or if they will take 
the trouble to call at my farm, I shall take great plea¬ 
sure in showing the superior work performed with the 
plow. C. N. Bement. 
Three Hills Farm, May, 1842. 
FLAX AND HEMP PULLING MACHINE. 
Messrs. Editors— As your publication is by all ac¬ 
knowledged to be the best medium of communication 
extant with the agriculturists of this country; and be¬ 
lieving it would be both profitable and interesting to a 
great portion of your readers, I have obtained leave of 
the patentees of the flax and hemp pulling machine, 
Messrs. Brittain and Silvers, to use this medium of mak¬ 
ing their invention more public. 
It is well known to the flax grower, that one of the 
greatest difficulties connected with the flax crop, is to 
get it pulled in season; if allowed to stand but two or 
three days too long, it is not easy to reckon the loss and 
the difficulty of pulling; the loss occasioned by its stand¬ 
ing may be obviated by the use of this machine, which 
in itself is very simple, to accomplish so complex an 
operation. The machine consists of a platform borne 
up by three small wheels; the power is obtained from a 
revolving axle by cog geering, which, by the use of a 
band, gives motion to a vertical drum placed on one 
edge of the platform, and as the machine passes along 
one side of the flax or hemp, it is gathered by a finger, 
and embraced between said drum and band, when it is 
pulled from the ground and deposited on the platform. 
The machine is easily drawn by two horses, and manag¬ 
ed by two hands, and will pull from three to five acres 
per day. Mr. Lewis, a neighbor of mine, has a ma¬ 
chine with which he pulled sixty acres last summer, and 
he says that it was admitted, by a number of persons he 
pulled for, that it pulled the flax cleaner, and saved more 
of the seed than in the ordinary mode of pulling. I 
have been engaged in the manufacture of flax for a 
number of years; a considerable portion of the flax I 
have dressed and manufactured for two years past, was 
pulled by this machine, and so neatly does it accomplish 
its work, that it would baffle the skill of a practical flax 
breaker to define whether it had been pulled by the ma¬ 
chine or by hand. There was a considerable number of 
machines in use in this county last summer, and I have 
no doubt that the number will be at least double the pre¬ 
sent season. Machines are manufactured and sold by 
the patentees at Mount Airy, Hunterdon county, N. J. 
They will also have one in operation for pulling hemp 
the present season. The price of machines at the manu¬ 
factory, is 90 dollars. Yours truly, 
John Walker. 
Sidney, Hunterdon co., N. J., June 16, 1842. 
“ FREE MARTINS.” 
When a cow has twins, one of which is a bull and the 
other a heifer, the last is known by the name of free 
martin, and the general impression is that such are al¬ 
ways barren. In a late note to us, J. Cope, of Chester 
co. Pa., says—“Having spoken last year to some of my 
friends, of two instances in which it was probable that 
heifers were likely to breed, both of which were twins 
to males, I can now state that they have both produced 
calves this spring. As it is supposed by most people that 
this circumstance can only happen when the heifer was 
the larger of the twins, I have made some inquiries on 
this point. In the first case, the female was decidedly 
the larger of the two; in the latter case, from what I 
could learn, I think there could be little doubt there was 
the same condition existing in the two, although the dif¬ 
ference in size may not have been as marked as in the 
first instance.” 
The Wellington (U. C.) Agricultural Society will hold 
their next Fair at Guelph, on Tuesday, the 11th of Octo¬ 
ber next. 
