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THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



like parts. This invention consists in the employment or use of an endless apron, placed 

 underneath or at the bottom of a hopper, and provided with a series of apertures, -which will 

 be hereafter fully described ; said apertures receiving the potatoes of a suitable size for seed 

 and conveying them to the discharge-spout, through which they fall into the furrow at equal 

 distances apart ; said apertures also conveying potatoes that are too large for seed to a knife 

 at the bottom of the hopper, by which they are cut of a suitable size for planting. The 

 apertures in the under side of the apron receive the teeth of a wheel by which motion is com- 

 municated to the apron. 



Description. — A represents a rectangular frame supported upon two wheels B B ; and 

 C C are two cheek -pieces, between which an endless apron D is placed — <aid apron passing 

 around rollers a a at the front and back ends of the cheek-pieces. The front parta of the 

 cheek-pieces rest upon a rod b, which passes transversely through the frame A and cheek- 

 pieces, about midway between their upper and lower surfaces ; said rod also attaching the 

 shafts E E to the frame A. The lower surfaces of the back ends of the cheek-pieces rest 

 upon a cross-piece c of the frame, and the cheek-pieces and endless apron have an inclined 

 position ; C is a rod, have a screw thread cut on its upper end. This rod fits in a plate /.• 

 on the ends of the cheek-pieces, and the rod projects downwards a suitable distance below 

 the cross-piece c. The endless apron D is composed of a series of rectangular blocks d, the 

 lower surfaces of which are attached in any proper manner to a belt e ; the edges of the 

 several blocks being in contact, except when passing around the rollers a a, between each two 

 of the blocks a circular aperture /is made, one-half of the aperture being in the edge of each 

 block ; consequently, each block of the apron has a semicircular recess in two of its edges, 

 and these recesses, when the blocks are attached to the belt c, form the circular apertures/. 

 F is a hopper secured to the upper surfaces of the cheek-pieces C C, and directly over the 

 endless apron D; G is a knife placed at the bottom of the hopper, at its upper or derated 

 end; said knife passing across the hopper, and just above the endless apron I). H is the 

 furrow-share, which is formed of a tube having its lower end cut obliquely, so as to form a 

 point to enter the ground. The furrow-share is secured to a frame I, the front part of which 

 is secured by eyes g g, which pass through the ends of the frame I, and into a cross-piece h 

 of the frame A. The back part of the frame I is attached by a chain I to a roller J, on the 

 back part of the frame. K is the covering-share, which is attached by a hinge or joint to 

 the back end of the frame I ; a chain/ connects the covering-share with the roller I ; L is a 

 discharge-spout, the upper end of which is placed directly Under the elevated and discharge 

 end of the endless apron D. The spout L conveys the potatoes into the tube of the furrow- 

 share ; M is a ratchet on one end of the roller J, and N is a pawl attached to the frame — said 



Fin. 2 



