The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-20
AGRICULTURAL.
American institute Farmers Club.

been thought oil sufficient Importance
One year nature gives them water enough,
and they go on, having faith that every
other year will be the same, but it is well
known that drouth is the great drawback of
American agriculture. We have more suf-
ferng here than in the old country, and all
the calculations based on English, Irish or
Scotch farming suffer great discount, be-
cause OF the abundance of moisture in
those countries. There is reason to believe
that great step in advance is to be made,
and that the use of water for irrigation,
such as is now practiced in places on the
western half of this continent, will be COM
mon here i'll the eastern half. The time has
come when the Rocky mountains and the
Pacific slope is able to give us lesson in
watering our lands by artificial means.
Mr.. Reade said he lived near the Quin-
to see great wheels lifting up the waters of
that stream and distributing it all over the
country. He thought the subject an i'm
portant one, which should be discussed in
every farmers family before they said
their prayers.
DIR. Smith spoke of the irrigation of.
Egypt; that it had made that country,
naturally sterile--the greatest producing
country in the world.
Mr.. Fuller said that by this drouth he
had lost 81 900 within month. If he had
spent that sum last year he should have
been repaid in one season.
The motion to appoint committee was
then carried, and the chair appointed H.
l.. Reade, j. Ii. Lyman, and DIR. j. V. G.
Smith as such committee, and earnestly
besought all who knew anything on the
general subject of irrigation to communi-
cate with the committee, directing such
communications to Mr.. Lyman at the T,i-
b,tne Office. The committee ask for state
ments from farmers who have streams
through or near their places, stating the
fall of such streams, and the cost of taking
the water out and conducting ii to different
fields. The mode adopted in the West on
the other slope, is to reckon the number
of acres moistened by the irrigating canal,
and the cost per acre.
How CAN A KICKING MARE BE
CURED.-Carlton Rice has very fractions
animal, whose vicious way he describes at
some length: She kicked and killed a
former owner. bought her cheap because
of that habit, believing that by patience
and kindness could break her, but after a
trial OF over one year of every way and
device could think of she is the same she
was the day / took her. If harness can
be got on her, and she be got into the thills,
she will go and behave as well as any
horse; but if by chance anything touches
her hind legs woe to the wagon and the
one occupying it, for she will kick and
squeal until she has cleared herself from it.
Sometimes, while being harnessed, she will
commence kicking, and will continue until
she has kicked the harness entirely off.
| 10, -, |,
fore foot while putting on the harness.
think | have had dozen pairs Of thills
broken by her. The last kicking / had
from her, put her into buggy, and with
two Of my daughters drove few miles,
when she imagined something touched her
legs. She commenced to kick, and kept it
up until she drove us all out of the wagon,
and before she could be stopped she kicked
the buggy all to pieces. | have been adj
vised to whip her, to blindfold her, to sell
her, to give her away, and to kill her, and
before | do either Zone of which | shall do
pretty soon), / would like the opinion and
advice of the Club, which will follow, and
if | find it is good [ will inform of my sue
cess. | have thought | would make a
breeding mare of her. Then | am told
such habits are transmissible, and if so |
don't want colts out of her.
Mr.. Bruen-I advise him to strap her
fore and hind legs together.
The Chair he does not know when
she is going to kick, and after she begins,
woe to the man who should attempt to tic
her feet together.
Mr.. Bragdon--Tt is an excellent oppor-
tunity to try Rarcy's method.
Frank Curtis-Better sell her to go on a
canal.
The Chail-ls it morally right TO sell a
horse known to be vicious? Would you
dare to sell her?
Mr.. Curtis Yes. would if she was
employed on a canal she would soon give
up kicking, for there would be nothing to
kick against. Her kicking proceeded from
fright. of course she should not be sold
without her character being expressed.
DIR. Smith suggested that she be sold to
some of those woodyards where there is u
tread-mill, where she could have steady
work,
POTATO DIGGERs.--A. b. Allen, No.
191 Water street: In the discussion of po-
tato diggers last week it was minated that
a cheap and efficient one was great de-
sideratum. | do not know precisely what
is required here by the word efficient !"
but if it is meant an implement which will
dig potatoes clean and without injury where
large stones or rocks abound, or where the
ground is overrun with grass and weeds,
or the potato vines are long or still green, |
would say that have not yet seen the Dig
ger which will do this, whatever may be its
cost. | have given particular attention to
this implement for the past twenty years or
more, having examined nearly every new
thing that has come out during this time,
and often gone into the field and worked
with them myself. Where large stones
and rocks abound, they are continually
throwing out the digger in its progress, and
grass, weeds, and long vines so choke it as
to prevent its working.
Where the above are removed, the ordi-
nary potato digger, kept at most of the
agricultural stores, and costing from $40 to
Sl5, has been found to be reasonably eff
Gent, and great labor-saving machine, for
with it a boy and pair of small horses will
turn out the tubers as fast as Is or 20 per-
sons can pick them up; leaving very few
uncovered, and none at all cut or badly in
lilred, as is too often the case when dug
with the hoe. The best of the above potato
dlggers is that with quite high standard,
well-curved forward, as this does not easily
choke, as do those of the shorter and loss
curved kind. The adjustable wrought-iron
DrOnpS are also n erroof al ,optooea ox-o,, fhaca