94 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



quite exposed to dust and sand, the wear would be rapid. The raising and 

 lowering of the gangs of ploughs ly a quick screw, proved itself bad; for 

 when the points ran down deep, the downward pulling weight caused the 

 screw rapidly to run up, and the ploughs were buried almost to the beams. 



RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 



Wetherill's Horse-Hoe. This invention, by Lorin Wetherill, of Worcester, 

 Mass., is designed for hoeing corn, potatoes, cotton, or other field crops that 

 arc grown in rows or drills; and is adapted to the condition of the plants in 

 any stages of their growth. It consists principally of a double mould-board 

 plough, having at its rear sides two sets of hoes or paddles, affixed to the 

 ends of arms that rotate in planes perpendicular to the furrow made by the 

 plough. Motion is given to these arms by shafts driven by gearing moved 

 Toy a wheel running upon the ground just in advance of the plough. The 

 shafts can be raised or lowered at the ends carrying the hoes, in order that a 

 lesser or greater quantity of earth may be thrown by them upon the hills sur- 

 rounding the roots of the plants. The clods are broken by the hoes into 

 small pieces, which consequently lay more closely about the roots. 



It is claimed to be an efficient and labor-saving machine, hoeing as much 

 ground in one day as the draft animals can pass over. 



Ittitney's Plough-holder. The invention consists of an iron frame, sup- 

 ported by a wheel, which can be fastened to the left side of the beam of any 

 plough, and which by its weight keeps the plough upright. Tho machine is 

 simple, costs $-3, and is said to work well, even on stony land. 



Prairie Draining Plough. A machine is in use in Illinois, that answers a 

 good purpose in draining the ordinary soil. A strong beam, on four rollers, 

 carries a small cutting-wheel, which divides the sod; this is followed by a 

 sharp coulter, set at an angle backward, to the bottom end of which a piece 

 of iron, shaped something like a pear, is welded, supported by a flat bar, 

 bol ed, like the coulter, fast in the beam. To this " mole" is attached a 

 second, of similar shape, a little larger, by a link-joint. Being set into the 

 ground, it opens a hole, which it moulds permanently by side pressure, three 

 feet below the surface, and through this drain the matter runs off as easily 

 and continuously as through tile drains. 



Neiv Garden Implement for Transplanting. A new and useful implement 

 has been invented by John Bargum, of Concord, X. H., designed to facilitate 

 the transplanting of small garden plants or flowers from one bed to another, 

 or from the grounds to pots. Imagine a tapering pint tin pot, with the bot- 

 tom cut off, and the cup split up and down into two halves, and these 

 halves attached to two handles, like those of a stout pair of shears. By 

 opening the handles, so as to spread the halved cup a little apart, and thrust- 

 ing it, small end down, into the ground upon each side of the plant, and then 

 pressing the handles together, the dirt is pressed around the roots, and the 

 plant may be lifted out and set in its new place directly from the implement; 

 or any number of them may be laid upon a board or in a box for distant 

 removal. 



Raking and Binding Machinery. A correspondent of the X. Y. Tribune, 

 under date of Sept. 8th, 18o9, thus describes two devices for raking and bind- 

 ing grain, conjointly, exhibited at the Illinois State Agricultural Fair one 

 the invention of Allen Sherwood, of Auburn, N. Y., which binds the sheaf 

 with a bit of wire, and the other, that of John P. Manny, of Rockford, 111. 



