The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-11-30
FARM I1IPLEJlENTs.

Plowa naturally ccme first on the
list. In a good eplo~ we find. FIRST,
hsh'Oess of draught; next, strength
equal throughout the structure and
third, facility of repair; and, indeed,
the last two rules apply equally in the
selection Of every implemest used in a.
riculture. We can confidently recon-.
mend steel plows as stronger, lighter,
and, in the end, cheaper. We do not
think it necessary to debate the oft dis
puted point as to the superiority of steel
over iron plows as regards the excel
.lencs Of work accomplished, and the
first two qualities, in our eyes, fully
establish their superiority. Choose a
plow that has good clevis or hake, as
it il often termed, one that will allow
the speedy alteration of the line of
dfaught higher or lower, to the right
or to the left. In all we'll made pIows
this is made Of aorought iron. Care
fully eschew cast iron at this point, as
sure to give trouble sometime. If YOU
use more than ono plow, buy them all
alike, that you may have less trouble
ordering points and other wearing parts,
IS IN cases Of breakage you m.y oe able
t. use the corresponding part Of an.
other.
Drags should be selected with steel
teeth, and are preferable when they
(the teeth) fasten in the beam with a
nut. fyou have the opportunity to
try yo2r drag before purchasing, draw
it steadily over dusty road, and see if
every tooth makes an cquidistant mark.
Heavy drags or cultivators are better
constructed With an iron frame, aad
those which will allow the teeth or
tines to be shifted, that they may be set
closer together or wider apart, as the
~xigencies of the case require, as much
to be preferred.
| On many farms we are glad to find a
roller is DOW considered essential. In
the construction of these implements
the manufacturers on the other side of
the Atlantic are yet far ahead of US,
and We believe any manufacturer who
would bring out well-constructed ioru
roller, light, yet strong enough to bear
we'll weighing when necessary, would
| fiud ready sale for it. A cast-iorn
hollow cylinder made in two or three
sections for convenience of turning,
running en- an iron axle, with a frame
Of hammered iron, ight and we'll braced,
would be weatherproof, cheap, and not
easily broken or worn out.
| A drill for sowing grain should
| be selected with extra caution. Here
| particularly avoid cast iron, these being
implements cften used in frosty spr,ng
mornings, when jolt over landfast
stone will snap a casting and spoil your
days work. See that the arrange
ments for altering the quantity Of seed
are simple and correct. The instruc-
tions for setting the drill for depositing
any given quantity Of seed are general
ly faulty and compiled inaccur4tely.
When at work, if one Of the coulters
comes in contact with stone, something
> must give way, SO observe v hat Is con-
trived to prevent breakage. The drill
box is generally made very light. Sec
that the coverk are we'll secured With
sheet iron, or something to strengthen
them, also observe whether the box is
large enough to carry sufficient seed to
90 up and down long field when de-
posting a heavy seeding, say four bush
els per acre.
1t is great advantage to puachas-
er where woodwork Is vanished in
stead Of being painted he then can
Judge better of the quality Of wood and
excellence of the workmanship, but all
such implemnts should be we'll painted
soon after being bought, as the varnish
, will last very little time when exposed
to the weather.
On small farm a ccrn cultivatol
should be selected which can be altered
to shovel plow, or adapted with wings,
etc., for various cultivating operations
and here again steel fittings insteud ol
iron will give much greater satisfaction
and repay amply the additional outlay
In the selection Of a mower, reaper
ETC., wide field is opened for choice
Most machines are good, and most have
some one point Of superiority. On al
farms growing less than fifty acres 0:
hay and one hundrnd acres Of grain We
recommend combined machine, pro
vided that machine be also a "self
raker." Bear in mind that in maehin
: cry simplicity is the parent of efici
}, ency. The fewer cog. wheels, etc., uset
to gain the desired motion, the better
The bearings should be long and care
fully fitted. A nicely finished reape
will generally warrant you in believin,
, that all shafts and motions are properl,
turned and accuratelu adiuated. - Henetl