Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-08-07
AGRICULTURAL.
FROM THE AMERICAN sARMER.
HAY MAKING.

The great vatue IF HoRsE RAKE,
zvith directions for making and nSinS
ii.
SIR--As ! have received much intor-
nation by the perusal of the American
Farmer, ought freely to give any that
l know would be useful to farmers. l
will therefore describe the hay rake that
has been in use near the South Branch
of the Potomac Tor twenty years. We
think ii truly labor saving machine
the head of it is made of strong white
oak scantling, three and half inches by
four and half, and ten feet long--ior it
must have weight and strength. The
teeth are Of strong wood, and pu, through
the head with an inch and half augur.
dis,an. about nine inches from centre
to centre, about eighteen inches long ae
low the head, and go so far through as
TO admit pin above the head, following,
half inch augur, to keep them up to d
half inch shoulder, which is on the back
part of the teeth, where they enter the
head, and which is intended TO give the
teeth strength, at the spot where 1t IS
most needed, as they seldom break az
any other place. The teeth are then
shaved off thin before and behind, leaving
sufficient substance in the middle-lhey
are made true to line on the front edge,
and Of an equal length. We then put
two shafts in the other square of the
head, something like cart shafts, but
straight poles will do as we'll; hey are
Put through the head in a mortice one
inch by Jour, and go through the head so
far as to admit an inch pin behind the
head for the convenience of taking the
shafts out, when we-wish TO put the rake
in cart to move from one meadow to
another, or when we want 10 stow it away
after our moving is done. The shafts
are of sufficient length to let the rake
drag about three feet behind the horse,
which gives room enough for the hay to
collect. They are made fast to the
names by pin which is put through
near to the end 70 put rope or chain
round.
We have two sets of handles, one
about eighteen inches long, put in with
FIVE quarter augur, and something like
plough handles, for the raker to press
the teeth to the sod, as the rake inc line S
ITO rise when full of hay the others two
short pins, put in between the long han
dies, and low in the head; when the ra-
ker comes to his winrow, he lets go the
long handles, and takes hold ofthe short
pins, to lift up his rake, and drop the
load at its place; the long handles stand
too high for this purpose. The shafts
being made fast to the horses, gives
great ease in lifting the rake. We use
but one horse in it. We rake across the
swarths and make the wnrows wide or
close as the crop of hay is light or heavy.
If your horse walks lively, one rake will
winrow as fast as four or FIVE men can
put in cock. do not know how much
ground it would go over in day, but l
believe it would rake twenty acres with
ease.-We frequently have man with
mandrake to follow in case of stumps,
or in fence corners, to rake the locks
which are missed to the nearest winrow.
In putting in the shafts we make the
mortices through the head in direction
that will give the points of the teeth lit
tie inclination forward but not so much,
as the hay would not then drop readily
enough at the winrow, for the horse
must not stop when the rake is lifted
We have an expeditions way OF drawing
: the hay into the cock with horse and
rome, or poles; which saves much
trouble in securing it and which l will
describe in my next letter to you.
Very respectfully,
ABEL SEYMOUR.
J. S. Skinner, ESQ.