Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-23

sod was evenly buried to the depth of
eight inches, and the six inches of surface
soil was finely pulverizcd, l can see no
use in replowing for seeding to grass, es-
pecially if the manure is near the surface,
and we would retain it there where it will
be Of immediate use to the young grass
when il first starts. The Randall harrow
will pulverize the surface of any ordinary
corn, oat, barley, or millet field to the
depth of two or three inches, completely
tearing and cutting the little sod which
these crops may form into such small
fragments that the more deeply working
cullivator may follow it without clogging,
which would he impossible without this
previous tearing in pieces Of the upper
one or two inches BY this method, field
may be easily made fine and will contain
fewer hard Jumps than by the ordinary
custom Of blowing, Cross-plowing, and
narrowing, while the amount of labor,
from beginning to end, is greatly reduced.
The SMOOTHING DRAGs.-There is an
other cheap implement ought not to for
get, which any farmer can make ut home
at II triAing cost. This is - smoothing
drag for leveling the ground on fields
which are but imperlectly plowed, also
for smoothing the surface of newly seeded
lands which are tolerably free from stones
1t is also useful for pulverizing and dis.
tributing coarse manure spread upon
moving or plowcd fields. II is simple
wooden drag, made by spiking three or
four boards or plank, six or eight feet long
upon the under side oftwo joints cut to u
bevel in front that it may more easily pass
over hard clods or irregularities of the
soil. With pair of horses hitched to this
and II man or boy to ride and drive, u field
may in Il short time, be made as level and
smooth rs by II roller costing fifty times rs
much. On free mellow land it is fully
equal to the roller, but it is not its equal
among small cobble stones which it in
clines to drag along rather than to crush
beneath the surface. BY the use of these
four implements, the swivel pillow for
, turning the soil, the pulverizing harrow
for linng and melowing the soil. the
three-toothed cultivator for the several
purposes l have named and the cheap
homemade drag for smoothing the sur
face, the labor of tillage may be so re-
duced that that the work can be underta-
f ken with pleasure rather than with dread.
CARE OF IMPLEMENTS On the care OF
implements for tilage | have little to offer
f except few hints which every prudent
/, farmer will gladly heed. Never thump q
cast iron tool against a rock to knock of
, the dirt which adheres because of the rust
which you have allowed 10 gather. Keep
| the polished surface of plows and other
tools bright and well oiled when not in
use. Wipe the dirt from your pillow the
f moment you cease using it, rubbing with
5 Il dry sod, if nothing better is at hand. A
half hours securing and a days fretting
may be saved by one minutes work at the
right time. Never use pillow or cult
vator for digging stones or stumps which,
from their size, call for more appropriate
; tools for their removal; but failing to heed
this advice, don't attempt to dellaud the
manufacturer by charging the breakage
TO flaws in the iron or poor timber in
the wood work
In selecting pow, buy the one you
think is too large, rather than the one you
fear is too small. The heavy one will
grow lighter every day of its use. The
shape of II pillow has far more to dc
with the case of its Graught than has the
number of its pounds. Other things be-
ing equal, the longer and more tapering
the mould-board, the easier its draught
Do not wear the points or other irons O.
tllage implements too dull, Dull points
make poor work, and too long using
wears other and more costly parts whict
new points would protect. Better buy {
new point for II dollar, and make goot
r work, than spoil four dollar mould
!, board while doing work you will bt
ashamed Of. Finally, keep all valuable
c tools housed, when not in use. Ter
dollars worth Of lumber will cover ;
hundred dollars worth of tools and make
them last twice as long as if left expos
+. ed to sun and storm.-N. &. Farmer.