Concerning Gang Plows

Concerning Gang Plows

Kansas Farmer Tells What He Knows About Them

There is more than one make of gang plow. Some give satisfaction, and some do not. This fact is reason enough for the advice. "Do not under any circumstances buy a gang plow until you have thoroughly tried it, and you positively know that it is the thing you need. " It Is given by an advocate of gang plows, who writes to Kansas Farmer as follows :

A good gang plow will save a man's wages and board every day it runs, and the man who has to hire help can soon make it pay for itself. With four good horses on a reliable gang plow, with  fifth horse following behind drawing one section of a harrow, one man can plow and harrow four to five acres per day and be amply fresh enough at night to rustle up his chores in good shape.

The gang plow that was returned here (Morantown, Kan. ) was not liked because four horses could not travel abreast comfortably. The outside horse must go in the furrow, and the plows must travel between him and the second horse, and as the center of draft is between the second and third horses it will be seen how awkward a four horse team would travel. Whereve? three horses could draw this gang plow it gave good satisfaction, but all seemed to want four. One man used three behind and two on the lead, but they took too much land in turning.

The gang plow that was well liked had a patent set of eveners, so that four of the very largest horses could travel freely abreast, and the plow had no land sides, all friction that usually comes on the land side being carried on a crooked caster wheel that ran behind the plows in the furrow , and this wheel was connected by a twisted chain to the tongue in such a way that when the horses turned one -way the wheel carried the plows the other way. This improvement mad very light draft, and also facilitated the turning at the end, as when the horses swung into the return furrow the caster wheel carried the plows out and around, bringing the plows into exact position to start in.

The Kansa Jack Rabbit.

Kansas dealers in hides have at length awakened to the fact that jack rabbit hides, known in commerce as American hare pelts, are in great demand in the eastern markets, and notices similar to the following are appearing in many papers throughout the state:

"We will buy nicely handled cased jack rabbit skins at 3 cents each; opened or damaged, half price; culls and pieces 3 cents a pound; cottontails at 51/2 cents a pound. Must be perfectly 4ry and free of meat. ' '

The skins of the jack rabbits are used for making hats. The best quality of hats, says the New York Times, are made from fur, and the fur has heretofore been obtained from Australia, where the rabbits are successfully disputing the possession of the country with the human inhabitants.

Staking Trees.

A contributor to American Gardening writes : I take 2 inch chestnut planks and have them ripped into strips 2 inches wide, sharpen one end, and, after starting a hole with a bar, merely to get the course, drive the stake home with a maul. Used as shown, it answers every purpose that three stakes do, keeping the tree from swaying in either direction. takes but one-third of the material and labor, and, when driven in line with the trees, is not unsightly or in the way of the cultivator or hand hoe. I also wrap the tree with a piece of matting and make it fast to the stake with tarred cord. I think it advisable to remove the wrap at least once each season, as I have found borers at work under it in several cases.

Here and There.

Irrigation has proved a gratifying success in Michigan.

The arid region, according to a recent estimate, embraces two-fifths of the area of the country and includes 616,000,000 acres of land that can be benefited by water.

Cotton in Oklahoman was the subject of an address delivered at Perry, O. T. , by Professor Field.

The movement for increase of beet sugar production is assuming large proportions. New factories in the distant west and in Wisconsin are being established.

A shortage is reported in western honey.

The San Jose scale has been reported In Ohio.

The Ohio State association is a newly formed organization.

On the 1,000 acre farms of the vrest irrigation by flooding is prevalent. On small traots the usual plan is to run the water through furrows between the rows of trees or crops.