The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-08-02

the land is eighteen inches. In dis
tricts having stiff imperm cable
clay subsoil, and, in this country,
where rains are frequent and sbun-
dant, such plans of surface drainage
may be indispensable, but in a gray
ely or sandy subsoil, which Is as
common here as in America, these
frequent bitches are not only I'M
necessary but inconvenient; and
yet you will find these narrow lands
and deep bitches everywhere, even
upon the steep, gravelly hillsides'
The French fields thus corrugated
haYe been the theatre of many sore
trials for the reaping and moving
machin es which during the past few
years have been introduced from
America. If the track is Cross
ways, or diagonalIy across the field,
you can imagine the strain to which
the machine would be subjected.
If lengthwise, 1t becomes nearly i'm
possible for the cutter bar to con-
form to the depressions, so as to
make the clean shave required by
the economical French husband
man for You must know that the
stubble left in an American field
would be looked upon as insane
wastefulness here. When the harv-
est has been taken of there Rename
the bare earth, aud q critical inspec-
ton will be required to tell whether
the crop was rye, wheat, or clover.
This necessity for close cutting has
rendered necessary some modifica-
tons in the shape of the guards and
cutter boxes of American machines.
Bat in spite of all these difficulties,
and of the heavy duty exacted by
the French government, the sale of
American mowers and respers is on
the decided increase, and is fast out
stripping that of the heavy, clumsy
machines made in England and
France. The preference of the
French for our machines is evident
ly due to their greater lighLness and
the superiority of their construc-
ton. Reapers and mowers are more
fully represented in the exposition
than any other Departmental Amer
lean industry. Half the space of
the United States agricultural an
mex is devoted to them, and to show
that American manufacturers appre-
ciate this occasion, will mention
the contents of one platform, for ex-
ample, the Buckeye machines which
perhaps attract most attention. They
are sent by the house of @. Aultman
& Co., from Canton, Ohio. The
platform is about thirty feet square
and the most conspicuous machine
on it is portable farm engine, of
the shape of our city fire engines,
and it is frequently taken for one.
lOf the hundreds of engines here,
this one has come the longest dis
lance. 1t is in constant use to give
motion to q self-binding harvester.
The latter always draws a crowd.
The process of binding sheaves of
straw with wire is here seen for the
first time by thousands of people
daily. Four or five other specimens
of the Buckeye, too we'll known
with you to need description here,
occupy the balance of the space and
are operated by steam so that their
powers and adaptations can be fully
understood. The agent informs me
THAT he has many orders to fill, not
tonly in France, but also from Rus
Isia, Germany, Belgium, and other
European countries. Similar spaces
are occupied by other American
machines such as the Woods Me-
Cormick's, Johnston's and Champs
on. Great taste has been shown in
the way of ratings, carpets, signs
ETC., and the tout ensemble of this
department is quite satisfactory.
While in the French department
of agriculture, i Yves much interest
ed in An exhibits for fattening' poul-
try by machinery. The hens and
cocks were arranged in little stalls
about ten inches square, with theiI
heads toward the open front and
their feet battered to the floor, in {
: way to prevent their turning round
The attendant passed in front of tht
stalls, seized the unhappy bird By
the nape Of the neck, inserted tube
to which was attached a long hose
into its mouth, pressed upon a ped
al with her foot, and . graduated
| quantity of food was fOreed into the
stomach of the bird. They tool
their nourishment very much as I
boy would take medicine. The food
is composed of ground mixture o
corn, rye, barley, milk and water
, and while il may not accord will
the American idea Of chicken right
to make q rooster eat whether b.
: wants to or not, it cannot be denieC
: that this regimen makes him mucl
, more desirable to be eaten. hav,
, nowhere else tasted such sweet
Juicy chicken as they have here
About the morality of this system
there may also be some question
and / doubt If It could obtain in
country blessed with Bergh. 1t Ger
!, tainly divests chicken life Of mucI
! of its romance. They must deYot
: their lives exclusively to the ignOble
unheroic business Of getting fat. N,
croWing3 and cackling, and nest-hid
ing in out of the way places II
barns, or Matching, or scratching 70
!. the early worm In gardens, or OIL
I ancestral dung-hills for them! In
3 deed, these people, who it is sal;
3 have no word for home, have don
much to diVest the liVesIof chicken
of hallowed and home-ike associa
u tions. They are Matched in steam
lincubators and the Velvety littI
birds never know the shelteFint
q arms of the old hen, but are protect
. ed in flannel lined drawers. How
: ever, the French society for the pro
s lection of animals, has gprenounee.
, in favor OF the above describei
: method Of fattening, while the com
{ lpany that has It on exhibition haV
1 also paintings TO represents tAez baE
9 barous practices commonly i
! vogue. One represents = boy Wit
: his foot on the toes Of = ckfdke II
/: stretching its neck with his LEI
0 hand, while he administers foo,
. Through funnel held in his rich
4 hand. In the other = boy has fiiieI
s his own mouth with the feod An
Il applying It to the distended mont
t of the chicken, is feeding it in th
o WaY that niReona feed their vnnnar