The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-21
CHEAP AND EFFEcrIvE HARROW.

CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE HARROW
We often hear farmers say that they
nave never yet found a harrow exactly
SuJteu 10 their wants especially when it
Is desirable to cover a large amount of
ground that is light and fine tilth DR..
j. e. Currier of Mankato, Minnesota,
assistant superintendent of the Mime
sofa Farmers Institutes, has devised a
narrow, the construction of which can
be understood by any farmer. and
which any farmer at all skilled in the
use OF tools can make for himself.
There is no patent on it. He gives full
instructions for it's construction as fol-
lows:
For a drag TO cut sixteen feet wide,
take five pieces 2X4 hard pine, sixteen
feet long each, and cut four of the
pieces into four pieces. each piece four
feet long-theSe make the beams for
the teeth or spikes. Next, either put
A-lnch bolts or twenty-penuy spikes
through the ends lat least of each
piece Through four-inch width to pre-
vent them from splitting when driving
the spikes. After the ends are thus
secured (and ait intervals through the
entire length If the wood is cross
gralned), take two fence boards about
twelve feet long and cut them into
pieces about two feet. seven inches
long each, with the ends sawed at an
angle OF about twenty degrees to give
the proper cut of the harrow teeth
when at work in the field. The teeth
should not follow each other, but cut
face over
Next, take a piece of inch board two
inches wide and long enough, and nail
on the edge of one of these pieces COR
other piece 2x4 for a pattern for ths
space between the beams, making
spaces five inches between the beams,
and all alike. Now, lay down four of the
beams pathways on a smooth surface.
and with patterns for spaces Give
lnches) nail with twenty-penny spikes
the inch fence-bOards on to these
beams with only one spike in each
beam, and clinch on under side OF
beam until ready to make it ridged.
After all the four sections are thus
prepared, then the process of driving
the drag-teeth may be commenced as
follows; Prepare a pattern by boring
5-l6 inch holes through a 1-inch by A.
inch piece four feet long, commencing
three inches from each end, which will
make fourteen holes, and they should
be bored at just the right angle that
the teeth are required to stand. When
the holes are carefully bored through
this inchpiece, take a saw and split
this pattern so as to separate it in the
middle of the holes lengthwise Sc
cure hinge or piece of leather at
one end of this pattern, the two pieces,
Just as 1T was originally, and with a
ring, hook or strap around the cthea
end, the pattern is complete. Place il
over one of the beams and tack II into
position, and through these holes the
teeth or SiXty-penny spikes can ba
started in the proper place at just tha
proper angle for a complete working
and valuable farm implement. When
NHA III
n one beam the pattern can easily be
by slipping off the ring or
strap at the one end, and It will part
rom the teeth and be ready to go on
% the next beam, and so on until the
asst beam is complete. After all the
sections have their teeth in the beams,
hen lay them down with their for
ward ends toward the 2x4 sixteen feet
ong piece, to which they are all to be-
attached. Place so that the different
sections are at least six inches apart,
ind then have corresponding holes in
he outside pieces of each section and
n the long bar directly opposite each
sther and secure the sections to this
)ar by cleviseS or rings, or pieces OF
wire or rope of equal lengths to make
he drag run true; then the braces can
)e placed across the sections. to have
hem hold their proper positions or
more nails can be driven through the
10 make them retain their
inform shape.
Bore holes in the long draft bar ana
axe a chain, wire or rope of proper
ength, and fasten with clevises, so as
o make it draw properly. If the teeth
ollow each other in the field the draft
ing should be changed at the evenep
ne way or the other until the teeth
ut the entire surface evenly and per-
ectly.
The depth of the work can be regu-
ated by driving the teeth through the
cams either way; three inches below
he beam IS about right for all kinds
f work, if it is commenced in time and
ept at work. But if the field has
cen allowed to become weedy befora
tarting, it will not give the satisfac-
ion desired, as it cultivateS only the
urface, keeping a dust blanket over
he grain crop rots and retaining the
loisture in the soil, and destroying
urface weeds.
Six-penny wire spikes are used; they
re six inches long, smooth, strong and
tiff. Two by four inch pine is used
ecause the draft is light. The di-
tensions given make a drag that Gov.
rs sixteen feet at a time, which ena-
les the farmer to get over the CROP
uick, and therefore oftener-tha
lrest way to kill weds. There are 22k
eeth.