Winter Farming in Albany County signs might become far more generally a matter of acquisitions It is precisely in such points as these that farmers should: It is sometimes forgotten, in reading an outline of the endeavor to derive more benefit from our Agrienitnralj practice of one farmer, that seldom if ever can it be reShows. And the managers of our Agricultural Colleges garded throughout as more than a general guide in the operations of others. And although every thoughtful should not overlook the necessity of securing thoroughly; reader desires to obtain all the details he can In such an qualified judges of live stock as assistants in the practical; outline, it is in order to study more thoroughly and com- part of the instruction they are to convey. No one can prehend more exactly the basis on which success has in attain success in this department of farming, except by one case been dependent, and the measures by which it skill in the selection of his stock as well as in the manage ment of his resources, and new beginners should content has there been actually secured, rather than with any de-themselves with an experiment at first upon a moderate, sign or hope of putting himself in precisely a similar po- scale, sition, and working out again precisely the same results.

ample ventilation. East autumn thirty loads of leaves had been drawn and spread in the yards for this purpose, and are found to answer admirably. Straw is spread during the winter as necessary, generally twice a week, and Mr. Winne said that he would pay $5 per ton for it if neces sary, sooner than have his yards wet. When the straw began to run low this spring, upwards of twenty loads more of leaves had been collected. He has also bought pine sawdust for the purpose, and likes it, and the chips, &c., as they accumulate, very much as a manure, upon, heavy land. There i is also a bed of muck which he tried one year, also a bed putting it into the yards to the amount of 150 loads. As there are only about two weeks in the season when this deposit is readily accessible, it is not always convenient to take it out at that time, but Mr. W. expressed a high 9 opinion of its value; he thinks it should be allowed to freeze and thaw through one winter, and become thoroughly dry m the summer before it is used under the sheep.

The land upon the farm is mostly a pretty heavy clay, but if well worked and kept dry becomes friable; one experiment in draining has been made with the best results, and Mr. W. proposes to drain a larger area the coming season. He likes to plow as soon as the oats are off, and goes to a depth of seven or eight inches. The ground then lies till the 1st to 10th Sept., according to season, when the manure is brought out and spread; it is turned in with a Share's Coulter Harrow about two inches, the rye sown and dragged in lightly, and then timothy seed, succeeded by another dragging. About the last of the next March or first of April, clover is sown. He likes to seed tolerably thickly; one field of about six acres, for instance, receiving in autumn a bushel and a half of timothy, and in spring a mixture of about a bushel and a peek -one-third timothy and two-thirds clover. No matter how high its price, true economy teaches him to buy uniformly the best and cleanest seed.

With the 330 sheep fed a year ago, there was, as might be supposed, à considerable quantity of manure provided, and an opportunity offering for purchase in addition, Mr. W. bought 150 loads, at a dollar per cord, which lie deemed a very good bargain. The manure in the yards is heaped under the sheds as soon as the sheep go, and there protected from exposure. It will need turning to prevent fire-fanging, unless wetted from time to time, and for this purpose a cistern has been provided for the reception of liquid manure, and a force pump by which it is thrown over the heaps from time to time, before they are finally drawn out for use.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.){ VERTIGO IN HORSES.

MESSRS. EDITORS-A friend called my attention to an article in the "COUNTRY GENTLEMAN" of Jan. 26th, viz., "Vertigo in Horses." The description given by "A Subscriber," corresponds entirely with a disease that prevails among horses in this vicinity, and for want of a better name, is denominated "Chest Staggers," but "Vertigo" is its real classification. The cause is a fermentation of food in the stomach, and the effect upon the animal very smilar to that which is produced upon “bipeds" under like conditions of liver, stomach, &c., and the remedies to be employed the same. A dyspeptic man cannot eat Indian meal in any form-with impunity, neither can a dyspeptic horse-and whether it be raw or cooked, matters not in either case, inasmuch as the digestive agents in both cases are repelled by it-consequently fermentadeveloped. I was once a confirmed dyspeptic, and after tion follows, and cholic, vertigo, debility, &c., &c., are exhausting almost every resource for reliet, finally became my own physician, and for twenty years have enjoyed un-` interrupted health, partaken of my full share of “good things," and now stand firm in my boots, strong, 190 lbs. in bulk. I had a horse in same condition as the one described by "A Subscriber"-called in the aid of a veterinary humbug-eminent in his profession, who pronounced it an incurable case of "chest staggers," assuring me that a horse once affected could never be cured; he would, however, try, and if in a few days there was no improvehead. No improvement was manifest-$10 out for sciment apparent, I had better have him knocked on the ence-and a horse I valued highly, pronounced fit only for use as a fertilizing agent.

I took the animal under my own special charge, watched every symptom, and thought he wanted to tell me that Such operations going on upon any farm for a few years not describe my own sensations. On examination I found he felt just as I did when I was a dyspeptie, when I could cannot fail to be felt in enlarging its productiveness, while his feet were cold-(mine were just so,)-his ears were in addition since Mr. Winne has been engaged in feeding, cold, (so were mine,) his breath was sour, (mine the same,) prices have been such as to pay a good pecuniary profit. his heart seemed to palpitate with undue force at one moThe markets scarcely promise returns as large this year, ment, and at the next was scarcely to be felt, (I had had although we doubt if the produce of the farm could have the same,) and his breath did not inflate the lungs sufficiently to swell out the body as it ought, (I had the same been put to any other use so remunerating. A letter re-experience,) and I determined in my own mind that my ceived from JOHN JOHNSTON, while these notes were in horse was living the same kind of death that I had risen course of preparation, says: "Cattle won't pay for feed- from. I treated him for dyspepsia-cured him in three ing this winter, unless they advance materially from present lived in Massachusetts, and since his case, have aided in months-and for four years a healthier animal has not prices; in fact they must meet with a serious loss who have restoring a dozen others to health that were similarly disbeen selling of late, and what is worse, I fear the drovers eased. Now for the treatment-but first let me refer to have also been losing. Sheep generally must have paid for the character of food he had been kept on. He came to feeding; the high price of pulled wool has kept up the price me, green from Vermont, where hay (and but an occaof sheep. I seldom or never sold sheep higher per pound feed, (hay and corn meal mash,) which he had a glorious sional feed of oats) was his ration. I placed him on cut than this spring, but I fed higher and they cost me high; appetite for, and on which for a year he seemed to thrive, still they pay for what they have consumed, and I always although worked hard. Towards the close of his first allow the manure made by them to be worth a dollar per year of civilized life, I noticed a degree of languor at sheep." times that was so entirely inconsistent with his ordinary elasticity of spirit, that I was apprehensive that all was not described by your correspondent, and I refer to it as an well with him. This was followed by the development incident in the association of cause and effect-but to the remedy. I cooked his hay by steaming, and instead of corn meal used fine feed-one quart to each feed of mash with twenty of the little Belladonna pills of Homœopathists, three times a day for three days, giving him water but once in twenty-four hours, and that late in the evening. I followed this with cut hay and fine feed (one quart at each feed three times per day,) and added a teaspoon of mustard seed for one week, then substituted ground oats with same quantity of mustard seed for fine feed in the mash for a week, all this time barely exercising him around the house. I then put him to his work, using double quantity of ground oats, viz.: two quarts to each feed, and from that time forward to the present, he has not lost an hour from his work on account of sickness, and weighs nearly 1400 lbs. ; in fact, is esteemed one of the best working horses in the State. Bo Fo

A favorite food with Mr. Winne for horses, is rye and oats ground together in equal proportions, and mixed with cut hay wetted; it fits a horse for work, he says, better than anything else, and he believes four bushels of grain ground to be fully equal to five whole. As above stated, he also grinds and cuts the feed of cattle or pigs, but never for sheep-giving them straw and hay, as well as grain, in its natural bulk.

A HINT. It would be worth more than the price of your valuable paper, to many, to have their attention called to the fact that to pitch manure containing long straw or cornstalks, they will save much time and hard labor by cutting the heap of manure with a hay-knife, in the same way that we cut a cheese of pomace at a cider mill. This treatment does away with the objection to cornstalks in the manure heap-consequently to that of feeding them in the barn. P. P. PECKHAM. Bradford Co., Pa.

1860, dat de somaliasə qulomb of THE CULTIVATOR.

147

3.12

Fig. 2.--Elevation section—manner of

The Balloon Frame is one of those innovations, which, like the sewing machine, the husking machine, and the mos4T apple-parer, is destined to put an end to those social gatherings, which, in by-gone days, assembled to accomplish by united efforts that which by the advent of machinery is now performed with far greater ease and rapidity. 40 Balloon Framing is not, however, a manner of effecting by machinery what has formerly been done by hand, but embraces a series of improvements in the art of building, which time and experience have shown to be thoroughly practical--that which has hitherto called out a whole neigh-all borhood, and required a vast expenditure of labor, time, noise, lifting, hoisting, and the attendant danger, can, by the adoption of the balloon frame, be done with all the quietness and security of an ordinary day's work. A man and boy can now attain the same results with ease, that twenty men would on an old fashioned frame.

Suppose we compare the heavy, cumbersome barn frame of to-day with the barn of fifty years ago, with its rotten tenons, bulging sides, and broken-backed roof. Can we see one single mark of improvement? Has 50 years advanced the art of building frames? What change is there

for the better?

What is demanded, is something in keeping with the progressive spirit of the day. We want really better and stronger frames, and we want them to cost less. If our houses, barns and out-buildings can be built for less money, and be just as good, as convenient, and as safe, it is au improvement that will suit us.

The Balloon Frame answers these requirements. It has long since ceased to be an experiment; and where its principles are understood, no other style of frame is used.

b. Fig. 1.-Isometrical Perspective View of the Balloon Frame.

The engraving shows a portion of a Balloon Frame, drawn in isometrical perspective. This is sufficient to show the whole manner of construction, the other parts of the building being a repetition. The manner of securing the different timbers is shown in figs. 2 and 3-the nails being driven diagonally, and in a manner to secure the greatest amount of strength.

The sizes of the different pieces of timber in a frame of this size, are sills 3 by 8-corner studs, 4 by 4-other studding, 2 by 4-plate, 1 by 4-side strips, or side girts, 1- by 4-rafters, 3 by 6, or 24 by 5 will do-collars, 1 by 4-floor joists, 3 by 8, or may be 2 by 7. Rafters, studding, and joists, are 16 inches between centers.

Small buildings of this character, not calculated for heavy storage, may have all timbers two feet between centers, Small buildings of one story, as tool-houses, granaries, cottages, &c., will be perfectly strong and secure, if

nailing Acorner stud, 4 by 4—B.
joist, 5 by 3-C. 2 by 4.

Fig 3.-Upper edge of joist-E. stud,

the timbers above the first floor joists are ripped from common 14 inch floor plankthus make studding, ceiling joists, and rafters, 1 inches by 5 inches,nige ni binada

For large_barus,, storehouses, &c., larger sizes will be required. The weight and power necessary to injure a building with 3 by 8 studding, with a double row of bridg ing, is more than is ever practically applied to any storehouse.

The lining of a balloon frame adds immensely to its strength, particularly so if put on diagonally; it may be done outside or inside, though on the whole the inside is preferable. If done outside, it should be carried over the sill and nailed to it; the sill being wider than the studding, in order to get a larger bearing on the masonry, and the floor joists being in the way, does not admit of inside lining being put on in the same manner. Close or continuous lining is not necessary for strength, but for dwelling houses adds much to the warmth. Large buildings, not used as dwelling houses, can be sufficiently well braced by diagonal strips of 1 inch board, 6 inches wide, nailed to the studding inside, 6 feet apart. Where vertical siding is used, these same strips can be put on in the same manner outside the studding. Let the strips run over the sill and nail to it. Between the strips on the sill, nail an inch board, and it is then ready for upright or battened siding. Small out-buildings, barns, &c., do not require any diagonal bracing.

Every stick of timber in a balloon frame not only has a weight to support, but its tensile and compressible strength, which theoretically is 11,800 pounds per square inch of its end area, is taken advantage of. This is not the case with the old style of frame. A balloon frame looks light, and its name was given in derision by those old fogy mechanics who had been brought up to rob a stick of timber of all its strength and durability, by cutting it full of mortices, tenons, and auger holes, and then supposing it to be stronger than a far lighter stick differently applied, and with all its capabilities unimpaired.

The balloon frame has been known in the newer sections of our country for many years; it has been tested and found to stand the test. It is not, nor cannot be patented; there is no money to be made out of it except as a public benefit in which all share alike.

The following are some of the advantages claimed for it:

1. The whole labor of framing is dispensed with.
2. It is a far cheaper frame to raise.

3. It is stronger and more durable than any other frame. 4. Any stick can be removed and another put in its place without disturbing the strength of those remainingin fact the whole building can be renewed, stick by stick. 5. It is adapted to every style of building, and better adapted for all irregular forms.

6. It is forty per cent. cheaper than any other known style of frame.on I A 7. It embraces strength, security, comfort, and economy. Architects, builders, mechanics, and practical men, are respectfully invited to prove the contrary.

GEO. E. WOODWARD,

Architect and Civil Engineer, 335 Broadway, N. Y. Officers BAINBRIDGE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY for

President-Hon. JOSEPH Busи.

Vice-President-A. J, Sands.

Secretary and Treasurer-Joseph Juliand, 2d.

Directors-Charles Bixby, Walter Higly, Daniel Bristol, John F

Landers, Reuben Searles, Charles P. Kirby.

CALLANAN'S TRENCHER.

May,

of obviating the trouble of turning the teams when there is the trench between them and fence close at their heads. We have not space to speak at present more at length upon the merits of this invention. By promoting the rapidity of the operation it does a great deal; by enabling the farmer to put any laborer at work who can handle a shovel, it does still more, and in the saving of labor and money, as well as of time, it seems to us to justify entirely the anticipations of its inventor. A team or two, according to the soil, can be employed for an hour in the morn

The difficulty in the way of accomplishing the "DRAINAGE of our farms more perfectly, is of a double kind: the labor required in excavating either for tile or stone is not only expensive, but ordinary farm workmen have not had the experience necessary to do it well. It is a task which they almost uniforinly undertake with bad grace, on the one hand, and which on the other is quite as often slighted if let out at contract, except mider care-ing in loosening up as much as there are hands to shorel ful wetching; in any event it is a protracted, tedious and ( costly prelude to the advantages which the farmer is told the is going to secure when once the water is fairly on its way out of the soil. 230,noialitatav *97

We have already alluded casually to a new contrivance for facilitating the operation of Draining, which has now been so far perfected that we think we may reasonably hope from it results of considerable importance. Mr. DAVID CALLANAN, a hard-working and energetic farmer residing about twelve miles from Albany, became a“ convert to the theory of thorough drainage some years ago, and began in 1853 to carry it into practice. He entered upon the manufacture of tile at that tire mainly for the sake of securing what he wanted for his own use; and, from then until now, he has been adding to the extent of the underground channeling of his farm, until he has laid in all something like nine miles of tile beneath its surface. The obstacles with which he had to contend in perform- | ing this labor and in getting it done, were such as to set him to thinking how they might be more advantageously encountered. After numerous experiments, the resulting invention has taken its present form; and we introduce it to the notice of our readers thus prominently, because Mr. C. is not by trade a manufacturer of implements or a speculator in patents, and, having no interest whatever ourselves in his invention-except as it may become a "matter of benefit to the public,- -we wish to lighten if possible the labors of those who are now engaged in draining, and to do anything we can to put the process within the reach of others who have not as yet begun.

out during the forenoon or during the day, if the horses or oxen are required for other work, or if it is to be done on a large scale, a heavy force of men, with their aid, must be able to go over the ground with wonderful rapidity, as compared with the slow process of hand labor. Mr. C. has also a contrivance for filling drains, somewhat similar to a reversed snow plow, which does its work completely, as easily as a plow would turn in one furrow, and which is also of use in leveling the surface of a field, by filling hollows, and scraping off hillocks or elevations

A part of Mr. Callanan's land rests upon a stiff and compact clay, and we were assured that the Trencher here accomplishes an equal saving, while its work is done still more neatly than among the stones, where we saw it tried. The farm comprises some 200 acres, with a work-shop and forge, where Mr. C. has had a number of machiffes constructed to supply the orders of those who have seen its operation last autumn and this spring. His address, we may add to save farther inquiries, is Callanan's Corners, Albany Co.

There is much that we should like notice, if our limits permitted, in Mr. C.'s general farm-operations. Although still a young man, he is entitled to rank as one of the most thorough and enterprising farmers in the county 93

Quietly progressing in numbers and influence, we are inclined to think that FARMERS' CLUBS are beginning to assume an importance they have never before possessThe object of Callanan's Trencher is to loosen the ed. In some parts of Massachusetts, and in one or two ground so that it can be rapidly shoveled out. As the counties in this State, we might point to several examples patent is not yet secured, we defer a complete description of excellent management and remarkable prosperity. Inuntil hereafter, but may say that by cutting down at both deed our attention has been particularly attracted to the sides of the ditch, and having also a third cutter in the middle, it detaches the soil to be thrown out, and tho-subject by the receipt of a number of copies of the Greenroughly loosens it, to the depth of from 8 to 10 inches at field (Mass.) Courier, in one of which alone we find inonce in the upper soil, and to a proportionately smaller ex-teresting and valuable reports of the proceedings of four tent at each passage through the harder substances below. different clubs-those of Greenfield, Ashfield, Bernardston We visited Mr. C.'s farm last week for the purpose of seeing and Heath. Another contains a report from the Wapping its operation in a field which he is now preparing to drain. The sub-soil at a depth of from 10 to 12 inches, was a Farmer's Club, and we do not know but there are still complete "hard-pan"-perhaps more than a third of it others beside these five in that same region. that stones of various sizes, so compactly packed in together no digging could have been done without a pickaxe, and many of the stones so large that it would be a long and Carduous task to dislodge and remove them by hand.

JAMES S. GRENNELL, Esq., Secretary of the Greenfield Club, to whom we are indebted for the papers alluded to, has taken a great interest in organizations of the kind, and by lectures before them, as well as letters through The form of the cutters or teeth in this instrument, the press, has been laboring earnestly to promote the which are steel pointed, is such as to keep them constant-agricultural advancement of his locality. A Farmer's ly in the ground at their work. When we came to the Club, to tell the truth, may often fail-not for lack either hardest of the sub-soil, it was a good pull for two teams to of the right materials in ample quantity, or of a spirit of scratch out three or four inches even, but it was success harmonious co-operation, but simply because, like a well fully accomplished; upon coming to a boulder too firmly made watch lying idle, it is not properly wound up; and fixed to be moved at once, the return of the Trencher, | fortunate is the club which, with intelligence and kindly striking it on the other side, in no case failed to complete feeling, includes also among its members some who are its dislodgment. Several of the stones were split and bro-willing to be ever on the alert to do this winding. It is ken as though a crowbar had been employed, and we a task which cannot be accomplished once for all, but rewatched the process with increasing satisfaction until the quires a frequent exercise of the faculties and tact, that ditch was from 30 to 36 inches in depth. interest may never flag, and some good be constantly developed.

The width and length of the cutters can be adjusted at pleasure, and the whole is so perfectly simple and strong Kindred in some degree to Farmer's Clubs, are associathat there seems to be nothing father to desire in either tions of another kind, which are also growing up, one by of these respects. As its weight is some 200 pounds, it one, over the country. A prospectus before us affords a would be difficult to lift it out of the ditch for turning, but case in point-that of the Homer Rural Improvement the horses or oxen themselves do this, while by making | Association" in Cortland County. The "Objects of this the tongues detachable, Mr. C. has contrived an easy way Society," are indeed worth copying, because it is now just