Even after duplicate names are sorted out, Mammillaria is the largest of several genera of diminutive cacti with about 175 species worldwide. The Sonoran Desert species are less than 6 inches (15 cm) tall, with closely-spaced areoles bearing many spines that obscure the body of the plant. The areoles are at the tips of long tubercles that are arranged in 2 spirals (one clockwise, the other counterclockwise). These tuberculate stems contrast with the ribbed stems of the genus Echinocereus. In addition, many mammillarias have hooked central spines, whereas no hedgehog does.

All the Pretty Chickens

The most essential knowledge to the successful operation of a Harvester is to recognize the proper time to start harvesting. Most grain growers become anxious to start harvesting when the grain begins to show a golden hue. Grain should never be threshed until thoroughly ripe and the straw gets brittle.

Case Steam Tractor • Case Wooden Body Thresher • Massey-Harris Hay Loader • P & O Cultivator

Antique Hand-Tinted Vegetable Art

If draft animal power is your first choice, there are many models of excellent mid to small-sized, pull-type, two-wheeled, ground-drive manure spreaders that might be quite handy when used with a forecart. The Minneapolis Moline Avery is but one. Today there are Amish shops making spreaders new. And, across North America, it is still possible to find serviceable used spreaders at farm sales.

Always keep bearings well lubricated and nuts on all bolts tight. • Wear on the oil-soaked wood bearings is at rear and top of bearing. Turn the wood bearings for wear adjustment. • Bearing boxes are reversible and can easily be turned upside down when worn. Timely replacement of wood bearings protects bearing boxes from excessive wear. • Keep notch axle washer adjusted to eliminate end play in bracket bearing. • In trailing the three section sprocket pulverizer through narrow gates, remove pins of trailer gangs where they are attached to extension angles. Connect trailer gang with trailer hitch to front gang and then attach the remaining gang to the trailer gang. • Width of cut may be varied by attaching trailer gangs at different holes on the extension. • Always keep hitch in horizontal position when in operation.

The knotter has only two working parts. It is so simple and the adjustments are not delicate that almost anyone can keep it in working condition. The reason that no delicate adjustments are necessary is that the surface cord holder is unusually large. The surface holds the twine, yet it does not grip it too tightly to prevent the knotter from working properly. In tying a knot the cord holder feeds the twine toward the bill hook. This obviates the danger of breaking the twine.

Buggy and Wagon Steps

Adjust the hitch down until the heel of the landside rests flat on the bottom of the furrow. The hitch should always be set as high as possible so that the plow will take the ground quickly, but care should be taken to see that the heel of landside runs flat in bottom of furrow. In case the plow has a tendency to run on its nose, the hitch should be lowered slightly until the heel of the landside runs flat in the bottom of the furrow. The position of the draft bars in a sidewise direction should be maintained by moving the hitch adjusting bar out as the bar is tilted downward.

Care should be taken that the charcoal be well pulverized, for it has been ascertained that during the process of burning the wood to get it, the openings of the pores become closed by a vitreous matter – probably caused by the fire melting the silicate of potash – and thus deprive it of the power of absorbing gases. By crushing it other openings are made, which unless the charcoal is again subjected to fire, will not become closed.

Barn Layout • Sheep Shed • Hay Self-Feeder • Open-Air Shed

We frequently hear from readers who want very specific information about their pieces of horsedrawn equipment. One category of those questions encompasses the manufacturing dates of equipment. We offer here a lineup of the Deering and McCormick and then McCormick/Deering mowers with the manufacturers stated dates of production.

A marked characteristic of this group is that certain individual trees have a long blossoming period and a correspondingly long season in which the fruit matures. It is this that gives special value to the “Everbearing,” a variety which originated about 1885 in the garden of a Mrs. Page, at Cuthbert, Ga. Blossoming, as it does, through a period of several weeks, it rarely fails to set a fair crop of fruit, while the fruit in turn ripens through a period of from six to twelve weeks on the same tree.

The foundation of the circular beater is a cold-rolled, steel shaft securely fastened at each end of the rear of the spreader box. This shaft does not revolve, but forms a sort of a curved axle on which the beater revolves. The great advantage of the circular beater is that it spreads more than twice its own width — away beyond the wheels on each side. The circular beater is imitated as closely as the patents allow but none of the imitations will give you the positive, uniform, wide, even spread of the Fearless.

Turkeys 6 to 10 weeks old are ready to go on the range, which should be clean and separate from range used for chickens. Adequate shelter is very important. A good practice is to place feeders on clean ground, away from the roost, and to move the feeder each week. The roost should be moved 3 or 4 times during the growing season, as sanitation is of the greatest importance.

We have lately seen one of these implements, represented in the engraving, and we have been so well pleased with it that we have made arrangements for keeping a constant supply at our agricultural wareroom. It is simple in its construction and unerring in operation. Suppose the ground to be prepared for the seed, the wedge-like projection on the face of the wheel makes a furrow of the proper depth, into which the seed are dropped through a small tube leading to it.

A general barn plan showing floor plan layout and an elevation view. Also a pedal-powered crosscut saw.

The illustrations on these pages came from two old Harness Catalogs, one from Southern Saddlery of Chattanooga and the other, an Oregon company named Keller Harness. We offer these pictures to help answer questions we’ve received about the difference between work and buggy brichens as well as breast collars versus hame-style.

Hay Barns & Sheds and Corn Shellers

Hay Doors for Gable End of Barn

Successful storage of vegetables is not difficult and in most homes it merely means utilizing the cellar, attic, a large closet or other parts of the house, depending upon the character of the product to be stored. There are four major things to remember in storing vegetables; namely, temperature, ventilation, degree of moisture, and the quality of the vegetable.

The first and most important requirement is the frame of an old fashioned treadle type sewing machine with a sewing machine belt. You may have one stored away in the attic or basement. If you do not have the frame of a treadle sewing machine we recommend that you look for it at any junk shop. A belt may be purchased from the hardware store. The second essential part is the axle from the front wheel of a Model “A” Ford.

By breeding stock that meets the farmer’s needs, and by developing rations to maintain animals and produce energy at less cost, Experiment Stations have made farm power more economical and efficient. To a large extent, the ability of work stock to meet the challenge of mechanical power is a result of this research.

There was one event, at least, that occurred in 1831 of which history makes but little mention although it has had a broader and more pronounced bearing upon human life, industry and prosperity than almost any other occurrence in modern history. That event was the demonstration in a Virginia oat field of the world’s first practical reaper – the invention of Cyrus Hall McCormick.

In order to get the best results both as to spreading manure evenly on the ground and to avoid heavy draft, the machine should be loaded at the forward end of the box first, and continue loading toward the rear until the cylinder is reached, being careful not to force the manure against the cylinder. This will allow the cylinder to start easily and the machine will draw much easier when loaded in this manner, the manure being more easily separated.

The John Deere Corn Binder is set up as illustrated in the following pages. The darkened portions of the progressive illustrations show clearly the parts to be assembled and attached in proper order. Where the instructions or the connecting points are numbered, follow closely the order in which they are numbered and lettered. Arrows are also used to point out important adjustments or parts that need special attention in setting up.

The binder attachment is adjusted when it leaves the factory, and will operate under average conditions without adjusting. Make no adjustments until all paint is worn off and important working parts are smooth. Successful operation depends largely on proper adjustment of all chains and the manipulation of levers for height of cut, position of butt pan, and tilting. These adjustments are provided to meet varying or extreme conditions. If knotter or twine tension adjustments are made and do not correct trouble, be sure to change back to original position, before making further adjustments.

Wheels have three settings. The cultivator is regularly shipped set in wide track. For narrow-row work, set wheels closer together by removing cotter at A. Push axles in pipe to center hole and insert cotter; attach treadle rod at B to center hole; set frame at C in center hole on cross shaft. In case still closer setting is desired, use the last set of holes at A, B, C. Adjust both sides of cultivator alike.

Your John Deere Tractor has a range of speeds. These various speeds not only give you the flexibility and adaptability you want, but also they enable you to balance the load and the speed for maximum economy. However, if you are handling a light load and want to travel at slow speed, it is far better to put your tractor into the gear which gives you the speed you want than to use a higher gear and throttle down.

Check the adjustments on your spreader and make sure they are in proper operating condition. Hitch your team to the empty spreader to limber it up and see that it is working properly before loading. If you will turn the beaters over by hand before starting to the field, the spreader will start easier and will prevent throwing out a large bunch of manure when starting.

It is only natural for the owner of a new combine to want to try his machine as early as possible. This results in most new combines being started in the field before the crop is ready for combining. As soon as a binder is seen in the neighbor’s field, the urge to start becomes uncontrollable. When grain is ready for binding, it is not ready for straight combining.

The No. 5 Power Mower can be attached to practically any make of tractor. Illustrations show hookup equipment for several of the more common tractors for which “cut-to-fit” hookup parts are furnished. This machine will continue to cut like a new mower, if properly oiled and kept in good repair. Cutting parts must be kept sharp; badly worn knife head guides, knife holders and wearing plates must be replaced and carefully set; guards must be kept in alignment; adjustments to restore alignment of knife and pitman and for registering knife sections in guards should be used whenever necessary; lifting spring should be properly adjusted and mower attached to tractor at correct height. Proper attention to these essentials insures clean cutting, light draft; continuous operation and low upkeep cost.

When starting a new side rake, turn the reel by hand to be sure it revolves freely and the teeth do not strike the stripper bars. Then throw the rake in gear and turn the wheel by hand to see that the tooth bars and gears run free. Breakage of parts, which causes serious delay and additional expense, can be avoided by taking these precautions before entering the field.

The John Deere Side Delivery Rake is set up as illustrated in the following pages. The darkened portions in the progressive illustrations show clearly the parts to be assembled and attached in proper order. Where the instructions or the connecting points are numbered follow closely the order in which they are numbered. Arrows are also used to point out important adjustments or parts that need special attention in setting up.

The John Deere-Syracuse No. 210 Sulky Plow is acknowledged to be the lightest-draft plow of its type. It does an extra good job of plowing in any kind of soil and under all conditions. It runs level and plows at uniform depth, always — even when turning square corners. It’s the all-wheel-carried plow that has established its superiority wherever the use of this type of plow is practical. The advantages of the No. 210 over the ordinary sulky are many. The special design of rolling landside, and the fact that the plow can be used with either the Syracuse or John Deere clean-shedding bottoms are features responsible for the extremely light-draft and good working qualities of the No. 210 in a variety of conditions.

Practically all trouble with new machines is due to improper setting up, faulty adjustments and lack of oil. The object of these directions is to assist you in setting up this machine correctly and operating it to the best advantage. By carefully following these simple instructions, one person can set up the machine. 1. Place all bundles where they will be handy.

Tractors used for cultivating require high clearance; the center of gravity is necessarily higher than in other types of tractors or automobiles, and to avoid accidents and injury when operating at the higher speeds, greater care must be exercised than is used in operating automobiles. Even modern automobiles with their low centers of gravity are frequently wrecked by thoughtless drivers when making sharp turns on smooth paved roads; this demonstrates clearly the need for care in turning in high gear with any high clearance tractor.

Since the conditions encountered in the field are so varied that definite instructions would be of little value, the aim is to explain the effect of certain adjustments and leave it to the one making the adjustments to determine when they should be made. Determining the cause before attempting a remedy will simplify the task. Study the problem carefully before making any changes. There are four principal units in the Harvester-Thresher: The Heading, Threshing, Separating and Cleaning Units. Each should be considered individually to determine where loss of efficiency may be present.

Small to mid-sized disc-harrows are a most useful tillage implement. Some farmers consider them indispensable. Discs such as the McD 10-A may be used with either tractors or big hitches of work horses. This tool will cut both plowed and unplowed ground. Ahead of the moldboard plow, the disc harrow is a valuable tool to cut up and free tough sod. When employed in tandem with spring tooth harrows, a great deal of work can be accomplished in much less time.

The manure spreader, above all other machines used on the farm, is subject to the worst conditions. A little kerosene oil is good occasionally on the apron links and the main bearings of the machine, afterwards using a little heavy oil, as the lye and acids which come from the manure are very severe on the metal parts. Always use plenty of oil. It will increase the life of your machine.

During the 1940’s, McCormick-Deering retrofitted its basic horsedrawn mower design to be pulled by tractors and added infrastructure so that two could be pulled, one just behind and offset from the other. Some of our Amish friends prize these “Trail” mowers for horsedrawn use recognizing that they are built a tad bit heavier. What follows is the actual Instruction manual, including set up notes, for that model. There are some mechanical tid-bits hidden in here that will assist the more avid shade-tree tinkerers.

The information in this article may appear so specific that it escapes application for most folk, but we have discovered that this sort of detail can work to spur the ingenious farmer and shade tree mechanics towards far flung remedies to seemingly unrelated applications. In this case the material is very specific to the challenge of attaching an offset wagon to the back of a pto or ground drive corn binder so that the harvested crop may be gathered in the same field pass. The geometrical solutions to the offset draft are amazing. Where else would one find such information but in your Small Farmer’s Journal?

Tests on wheat and coarser grains have shown that a high speed gear, resulting in a faster revolving feed shaft, and with the fluted feed cylinder partially closed, will produce a more even and continuous flow of seed than a low speed gear setting with the cylinder opened sufficiently far to sow the same amount of seed. This is true unless the seeds are so dry or so large that a narrow opening of the fluted cylinder would cause them to crack.

The RC Cultivator will fit all Model BF tractors and any Model A tractor that is equipped with a pivot type hydraulic unit. The recommended assembly procedures are outlined on the following pages. If followed closely, the implement can be assembled quickly and easily.

Parts list, assembly instructions, diagrams and specs for a Montgomery Ward Farm Wagon Running Gear.

This cultivator has many features which farmers everywhere know to be desirable. Its extremely simple construction is combined with unusual strength and durability. Light in draft and easily operated it makes cultivation work easy for man and team.

The art of properly setting a threshing outfit for operation is an accomplishment not to be overlooked. The machine should be set as level as possible. Usually the machine will set at a perfect level on a barn floor or on level ground and is built with the right pitch to work off the straw and get good results. There might be extreme cases where it is advantageous to lower the rear wheels by setting them in the ground or placing a plank under the front wheels when the separator sets on a barn floor.

Well, like the sign says… plans for building an Ox Yoke and for setting up a Three Abreast Evener for an implement with a Standard Tongue.

The rear end of landside on rear bottom should set 1/2 inch above bottom of furrow. If heels of landsides are too high and plows running too much on the point of shares, loosen bots in rear bail brackets and move brackets towards the rear slightly. This will lower the heel of landsides. When lowered to 1/2 inch, tighten bolts securely. Adjust stop under right hand corner of rear bail. Adjust front bail stops so front bail rests on stops and tighten all bolts.

The Parlin Cultivator represents our best medium priced walking cultivators, and when we say medium price, we do not mean to convey the idea that there is any element of cheapness in their construction. It is one of our oldest makes, and owing to the fact that it can be equipped with any style of gang, it is a very popular implement wherever used.

For surface cultivation the Gopher gangs have become quite popular, and in response to a general demand we have brought out the Jewel Surface Cultivator. The frame is of the same general construction as the regular Jewel with such changes as are necessary to attach the Gopher gangs, and in place of the pendulum movement, ratchet levers are used for raising the gangs. The foot-rests are adjustable, giving the operator an easy position and enabling him to do the most effective work.

Pollarding & Coppicing

Poultry Breeds – Partridge Cochins • Light Brahmas • Silver Polish • Silver-Gray Dorkings • Barred Plymouth Rocks • Silver-Laced Wyandottes • Langshans • Buff Cochins • Single-Comb Brown Leghorns

The manner in which wool is prepared for market has a great influence on the quality and value of the finished cloth—hence on the marketability of the grower’s clip. Proper shearing is important—growers should supervise it carefully. Other points vital to good preparation are keeping the wool clean and dry, tying fleeces attractively, and packaging them properly.

Scientific American Supplement • Case Threshing Machines • Tongue and Shaft Supports

The guard is made of soft copper or brass wire of the above design. A silk twist is passed with a needle through the nostrils and the guard is tied in position. The bottom is wound with waxed string to prevent its marking the head. The hook is to keep the point of the guard from pressing into the comb.

An advertisement for the Sheppard Diesel 3 farm tractor.

The 1938 SILVER KING is more than a NAME. It’s constructed right – only the best materials are used throughout, and the workmanship is of the highest quality. From end to end – the 1938 Silver King gives you more desired features than any other tractor. Accessible – easy to drive – the Silver King makes work a pleasure.

There exists a need in every part of the country where there is passenger transportation by rail or water a necessity for a vehicle for the comfortable conveyance of travelers, transient or commuters, of sufficient size to accommodate four grown persons at least, in addition to the riders on the driver’s seat. The large wagonettes serve the purpose fairly well, but all excepting those who occupy the driver’s seat must sit on seats that parallel the length of the body. To many this is decidedly objectionable from the standpoint of comfort, as well as from the restriction of vision to passing objects instead of the much longer view that is obtained by facing the direction in which the vehicle is moving, or by the continued view when looking rearward.

A small combination type barn with the accommodations for two horses, eight cows and several calves. Picture shows a view of the end where calf pens are located. Concrete wall is carried 2′ above grade, balance being frame construction with 6″ drop siding. Roof is of cedar or composition shingles. Working plans show the installation of a gravity type ventilating system.

Fruit trees should always be planted in a sunny location. Full sun encourages vigorous growth, while discouraging fungal disease. A minimum of six hours of sun is requisite. Avoid planting near the edge of a woods, which may seem sunny, but allows little direct light. Also, choose a site that has good, but not excessive, air flow. Upland slopes that run perpendicular to prevailing winds are the ideal. Valleys often have troublesome frost pockets; hilltops expose trees to temperature extremes and drying winds.

Spoke Augers, Tank Heaters, Case Almanac Cover

When I was a youngster we traveled from California to Wisconsin to visit our grand parents and my grandpa took me out in a little row boat on a large, tree-sheltered Lilly-padded pond. It was my first time fishing. He set me up with a cork bobber and a worm on a hook and we both fished for sunfish. In a short time we caught a bucket full of fish. It was a glorious experience.

Last issue Ida Livingston talked about her discovery that sweet potatoes were exceptional feed for laying hens, year round. That led me to wondering how we might have the tubers for 12 months, so I looked up this building plan in our archives. With what chicken feed costs and what eggs WILL be worth in the coming years, a building such as this might be better than the cat’s meow.

Considering their common origin, there is a marked difference between the plows of England, the United States, and France. Southern Europe has plows still more primitive, resembling those shown on coins of the period of the Greek occupation of Sicily. It is not easy from the specimens shown at the French Exposition to determine what may be the ordinary plows of Denmark and Sweden, as the plows from those countries are all of iron and copies of the English.

The P. & O. Co. Canton Disc Plow is made entirely of steel and malleable iron, and strong enough to endure the greatest strain in the hardest and most difficult soils. The Canton Disc Plow is built on lines peculiarly our own, and which have not been successfully imitated, as the essential parts are covered by our own patents, and it is the legitimate result of several years of experimenting in soils where moldboard plows will not work.

The frames being hinged to the wall swing back out of the way when not in use, occupying only a few inches of space. A perfect automatic device to hold the foot perfectly solid in any desired position. Guaranteed not to skin or chafe the foot.

When first you become familiar with North American working harness you might come to the erroneous conclusion that, except for minor style variations, all harnesses are much the same. While quality and material issues are accounting for substantive differences in the modern harness, there were also interesting and important variations back in the early twentieth century which many of us today either have forgotten or never knew about. Perhaps the most significant example is the Walsh No Buckle Harness.

Welcome to the Hogstravaganza!

I spoke with a subscriber on the phone who was trying to get a lock on what color the International corn planters were. I immediately puffed up and said “why they were either red, or yellow gold – and blue, or if residual from the merger with P&O, blue with some grey. Then I dug through our archives and found this plate from circa 1910. Huh?

Horsefolk have a vocabulary all their own. When we buy a horse it is worth while to know just what each term means. Here is a little dictionary of commonly used expressions that I have compiled.