Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1904 — FARM- FIELD AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM- FIELD AND GARDEN

A THREE HORSE EVENER.

Method* of OTereomlni the Side Draft In Three Horae Teamlni. Teamsters in my section who desire to use three horses generally adopt the heavy thills* shown in Fig. 1, says A. F. Shull of Ohio in American Agriculturist. The weight of the thills is borne entirely by the middle horse, as they are hung in hooks attached to a broad strap over the back. The middle singletree swings from the same pin as the doubletree for the outer horses. Where it is necessary to use a tongue divide the doubletree into thirds and place the pin one-third the length from the end next the two horses. Then give the near horse a longer portion of the tongue chains or, as in western wagons,

of the neck yoke. Even then it it necessary to build a short arm at the side of the tongue (Fig. 2], but it is so short that side draft is nearly eliminated. Such a plan will be quite effective in two wheeled Implements where the load is behind the axle, tending to keep the tongue straight. It may be added that side draft is further lessened by hitching as far as possible from the load and using a long tongue. For tongueless vehicles and implements Fig. 3 shows a very good evener. Its construction is made plain by the drawing. In attaching the middle singletree be careful that the irons at the Inner ends of the small doubletrees are pivoted so as to move sidewise freely, as the distance between the ends is variable.

Suggestion* In Road Building.

It is desirable for many reasons to preserve tlie natural dirt road alongside and parallel to the surfaced road where possible. A common but erroneous impression prevails that when a road is once macadamized, graveled or surfaced with any hard material it is then finished and must endure forever. An improved road needs constant attention, and unless this is given in a systematic manner like the railroads the road will rut, ravel, disintegrate and go to ruin. It seems wise to recommend, particularly for level country where material is scarce, the building of macadam and gravel roads from eight to ten feet wide. Some will say: “These roads are not wide enough. llow will two loads of hay pass on an eight foot road?” The answer is: “Two loads of hay seldom meet. Usually both are going to the same market at about the same time. So it is useless to construct a road to meet a condition which seldom arises.” Of course these widths are only for strictly country roads, upon level lands, where it is easy to turn out. On main highways, where travel is extensive, a width of at least sixteen feet should be maintained.— K. W. Richardson.

Preparing Land For Wheat.

Where the ground is to be plowed for wheat it is essential that it be done early in the season even if the ground is dry and the plowing a little hard. I have seen men wait because the ground was dry ahd hard for a rain until late In the fall, and about nine times out of ten they fail to get a crop. There is no crop that the average farmer grows that requires more skill than does wheat. The nature of the wheat plant must be studied and then everything possible be done to make its abiding place congenial. The seed bed for wheat must be fine, firm and covered with a blanket of fine earth in which to deposit the seed. These instructions have been given so often that.it seems almost useless to repeat them. The amount of work to be done upon a field after it has been plowed will to a certain extent be governed by the weather, but seldom is a field worked too much. It is a good plan after the field looks ns if it is in perfect condition to give it an extra working. It is usually this extra work that makes the top bugbels the next harvest.—Cor. National Stockman.

The Path of the Ginseng Grower.

The Chinese are said to believe that ginseng will prolong life and make disease well nigh impossible, The ginseng at least caunot cure itself. The wild plants Are quite free from disease, but under cultivation wilts, rots and bligbts attack it. A recent Cornell bulletin describes some of these diseases and also claims that insects trouble the plants. So the path of the ginseng growpr is not all lined with gold. There seefns to be little help yet for diseased plants.—Rural New Yorker.

A THREE HORSE EVENER. [Fig. 1, heavy thills; Fig. 2, short arm; Fig. 3, tongueless evener.]