Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-01-22
AGRICULTURAL.
The Marker Is 2 Farm Tool.

As the marker is one of the very
few tools that the farmer makes
for himself, it is disgrace to him
to furnish himself with so poor an
implement as he generally does.-
1t is necessary to have good
tool to mark out corn or potato
field with, straight and true enough
to insure close and nice work in Sc
curing the crop. The best set of
markers l have seen, was set of
shafts and handles, made and ironed
together, so that any size marker
head could be bolted on for use as
it was wanted, and after using
could as easily be taken apart and
both put under shelter. The three
gauges | prefer for field use are 4
feet II inches, three ft. 3-5 inches,
and 2 ft. 8 inches, the first giving
Just four rows to the rod, the sec
ond five rows, and the third six
rows in width, so that by marking
with either of these l can easily
count up the number of acres in a
piece and the yield per acre. Now,
it is fact that one half the farmers
do not know the exact size of the
fields they are working year after
year, but by using a marker Of
either of these gauges when plant
ing his corn or beans, or potatoes, il
his lot is of an equal width and OF
an equal length, he has only to count
up the number of rows each way
when he will readily reduce the
whole two acres. But if the lot be
wedge shape, or of whatever shape
if the sides are straight, then, by
counting up the middle rows eact
way, he can by multiplying these
together, arrive at the same result
and have the exact number of acres
planted. 1 call attention to this
way of measuring a field because it il
so easily done. To do a good mark
ing of field it is not safe to de
pend on straight side of a field tc
make the first mark by, but SCI
some stakes few feet in from the
side of the field to go by the frs
time marking across, then with ;
good four tooth marker, each timt
crossing the field running the frs
tooth in the last mark, he will space
off the field in that way with on,
gauge; but it is often best in prac
tice to mark field with a narrow
gauge one way than it is the othe
because nicer and more thorough
work with the. cultivator can b.
done in the narrow gauge than il
the broad one. For instance, plant
ing corn in the three feet SIS incl
gauge gives twenty-five hills to tn
square rod, which is about the righ
amount on the ground: but l prefe
to use instead of north and soutl
rows the ft. II inch space, whicl
will let in the sun, and also Civ
room to cultivate once or twice afte
the corn is too large to go through
if planted nearer together.-~ The
crossing these with 2 feet 9 inc
marker, giving twety-four hills t
the rod. can do the best work wit
the cultivator TO prepare for hoein
in this narrow guage, But, in mari
ing so for potatoes, it is quite nt
cessary to go the way of the broa
gauge, the last time blowing ther
out, which will leave them broad
seed-bed as hill for the potatoes t
grow in. AS it is now coming tn
time of year for the thrifty farmer
overhaul his farm tools-seeing tha
they are put in repair for the n TX
seasons work. would call the a
tention to the marker, and if he ha
not got one of the best, ask him t
make himself one, for 1 claim ths
the man that uses a tool is the or
above all others to make one for hi
i own use.