Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1874 — Farm Wagons. [ARTICLE]

Farm Wagons.

Convenience often demands that a farmer shall keep more vehicles upon his premises than his circumstances will allow, and consequently economy must be exercised, and the question arises what can and cannot be dispensed with, and what the more profitably kept. To decide between a heavy and light lumber wagon, the first thing to determine is, whether the farm is sufficiently large to pay for keeping two horses. If but a few days in a year a span of horses is absolutely required, it will be more profitable to keep but one horse and a single wagon, and hire an extra horse for the few days of heavy team work, than to keep the span. Generally speaking, an ordinary farm of fifty or less acres will require but one horse; the second, unless raised for the market, will not pay his keeping. Every farmer will, of course, determine this matter for himself; but beyond this there is another important matter to decide, and that is the style of wagon in point of construction. Years of experience in the making and repairing of wheeled vehicles taught us that wagons for heavy work should have w T ood axletreeij, thimble skeins and cut felloes. An iron axletree, where heavily loaded, is liable to get sprung and run Hard, and bent felloes to cramp a wheel. A one-horse wagon should have two and three-quarter skeins and a pole that may be attached when it is so desired. Where a wagqn is made to order, have the wheels' of first quality, well-seasoned white oak, and the axletrees of tough hickory. If but one light'wagon is kept, that should be furnished with two boxes, one large and well-rodded for hauling dirt, wood and manure; the second light, say seven or eight-inch sides, .with half-_ spring underneath and full spring under seat or seats, and all well painted to correspond with the running gears. We have always found it a paying investment to have both boxes protected on top edges with iron, screwed on firmly. Never use flat iron, but oval, same width that the sideboards are in thickness. Use inch-and-a-lialf screws, put in eight incites apart, with heads countersunk. Top irons of this kind will last a lifetime, and may be transferred from an old box to a new. They will pay for themselves many times over on a single box in protecting it from being marred by horses gnawing, or bruised when loading and unloading heavy articles, and the wear of the seat-hooks. Where ,a two-horse Wagon is to be made to order it will be found profitable to use ten-inch hubs and three and onefourth thimble skeins. Have the felloes two and one-fourth inches deep, as the strength apd durability of a wheel depend a good deal upon a firm rim. A good height for heavy wheels is four feet eight inches behind and three feet eight, inches for lront. A heavy wagon, as well as alight one, should have two boxes, for where but one is used for all work the vehicle is never in a fit condition to appear in the streets: and besides this, there is economy in having two. On a heavy wagon where an eight-inch foot-reach is used — which is the proper and very common length—make the rough box ten feet sLx‘ inches long, fourteen inches deep, and allow it to extend fifteen inches in front of the fqrward stakes. Basswood is the best material, all things considered, as it is light and at the, same time more durable than pine, whitewood or elm, for the reason that it is'not so easily, bruised or chipped off as the former, and does not warp under the influence of rain and heat as the latter. The study should always be to have a vehicle as light as possible, and at tlie\ same time sufficiently strong to endure whatever is consistent to put upon a farm wagon. Use the lubricator upon the wheels

sparingly hiit frequently. A large amount does no more good upon the spindle of an axletree than a little, for there is space for only a certain amount, and the overplus works put. . It is a great saving of horseflesh to keep the boxes in the hubs from ever getting dry. — Cor. Ohio Fanner.