AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS AND RURAL ECONOMY. 103 



pawl catching into the teeth of the ratchet ; is a toothed wheel on the axle P of the wheels 

 B B. The teeth of this wheel fit in the apertures / in the endless apron D. 



Operation. — The hopper F is filled with potatoes ; and as the machine is drawn along, mo- 

 tion is given the endless apron D, by means of the toothed wheel gearing in the apertures /, 

 in the under side of the endless apron. Potatoes of a suitable size for planting will fall into 

 the apertures /, and will pass under the knife G, and be thrown into the discharge-spout L as 

 the blocks d pass around the roller a, at the upper or elevated end of the apron, the aper- 

 tures being widened as the blocks pass around the roller in consequence of the edges of the 

 blocks being forced apart. Potatoes that are too large for planting will project upwards 

 above the surfaces of the blocks d, and will be cut by the knife G ; the top portion that is 

 cut off will, if small enough, enter one of the apertures/, and be discharged into the spout L. 

 If not made small enough at one cutting, it will be again cut when brought to the knife, the 

 pieces of the potato remaining in the apertures are of course discharged as the blocks pass 

 around the roller a. The potatoes drop into a furrow made by the share H, and they will be 

 dropped at equal distances apart, the distance between the potatoes being regulated by the 

 size of the wheel 0. The larger the wheel 0, the nearer the potatoes will be planted ; and 

 one or more extra wheels of different sizes may be placed in the shaft P, and put in gear with 

 the apron, as occasion may require. The furrow and covering-shares H K are raised from 

 the ground by turning the roller J. As the chain ij is wound around the roller J, the 

 frame I is raised, and will act against the lower end of the rod C / , and raise the cheek-pieces 

 C C and endless apron D, and the endless apron will be thrown out of gear with the wheel 0, 

 the roller J being prevented from moving casually by means of the pawl N and ratchet M. 

 Thus by this machine the potatoes will be cut the required size, and planted at equal dis- 

 tances apart in the furrow. There is no uncertainty attending the operation. The machine 

 is simple, not liable to get out of repair, and is economical to manufacture. 



Nixon's Potato-planter and Seed-drill. — A potato-planter and seed-drill, recently patented by 

 Mr. William Nixon, of Lincoln county, Canada West, is constructed as follows : — The hopper, 

 or box for containing the potatoes, rests upon the axle passing through two wheels, with 

 shafts attached to the axle in the same way that a cart or gig is constructed. A horse is then 

 put before the planter, in like manner as a horse is placed before a cart, and the machine is 

 drawn in the same way. The seed-hopper rests upon the axle and wheels, as above described, 

 being keyed together, and fastened to a cog-wheel which drives a horizontal cog-wheel that is 

 fastened to the underside of the cast-iron seed-wheels. When, therefore, the horse moves 

 forward, the whole machinery is set in motion. There is a round bottom to the hopper that 

 revolves correspondingly with the motion of the animal which draws the vehicle. In this bot- 

 tom, or revolving platform, there are holes at given distances. For planting in hills, you 

 open two holes, and leave all the others shut up; and in this case, four or five sets are 

 dropped in one place, whatever distance you may think proper, the seed being cut by a sharp 

 knife, placed immediately under the revolving platform. Some might prefer to cut the sets 

 by hand, and in this case the knife may be removed, or the potatoes may be dropped without 

 being cut. If drills are considered preferable to hills, the two large holes are plugged up 

 with leather, sheeted with tin, and the plugs, made of the same material, taken out of the 

 smaller holes. The seed is then poured into the hopper, the horse moves, the sets are cut, 

 and dropped at regular distances. For planting corn, there is another set of smaller holes, 

 by means of which corn may be planted in hills or drills upon the same principle as the 

 potatoes are planted. For fine seeds, such as onion, turnip, carrot-seeds, etc., there are tin 

 canisters with holes suitable for sowing such seeds. In connection with the other wheels, 

 there is a seed-wheel, by which the whole is regulated. 



Underneath the planter is a large tooth, like that of a cultivator. This tooth makes a 

 suitable place for the seed to fall into, and is placed in front of a hollow sheet-iron tube, 

 through which the seed falls to the ground ; and behind the tube are two scrapers, so con- 

 structed as to cover up corn or potatoes, and two small brooms are used for the purpose of 

 covering up the smaller seeds which drop from the tin canisters. To this part of the planter 

 there is a set in the rear of the hopper, by means of which the drills can be made deep or 

 shallow, as the farmer thinks proper. 



