New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 591 



The seed was sown with an " Improved Model " Mathews hand 

 drill. It was found that by attaching the ends of a rope to the 

 seeder, and fastening a short strap to this, making a device similar 

 to a " breast collar " used in single harness, that two men, one to 

 draw and the other to push and guide the seeder, could accom- 

 plish more than double the work of one man alone, and with 

 greater ease and efficiency. Doubtless seeders will be used that 

 will sow several rows at one time. 



With the exception of six rows sown at an earlier date, two 

 men sowed the two-acre plat in eight hours. The only fault that 

 could be found with the seeding was the bunching of the seed in 

 places where small stones or clods were encountered by the drill, 

 causing it to slacken motion or to stop altogether. When this 

 happened, several seeds were dropped within a very small com- 

 pass, and before the seed commenced flowing again the machine 

 had moved along, leaving a space without any seed. 



Fifteen pounds of seed were sown to the acre. The ground was 

 moist and in good condition for promoting quick germination, 

 and vegetation commenced in about ten days from the time of 

 seeding. About June 1 the plants were large enough for the 

 rows to be easily distinguished and the hand cultivator was 

 started, the machine used being a " Buckley," having several 

 combinations of blades. 



The arrangement that was found to work to the best advantage 

 at this time was a broad V-shaped blade set in the center of the 

 frame in front, and two smaller ones set on the right and left sides 

 of the frame well to the rear of the machine. These latter are flat 

 pieces of steel sharpened on the edges, and made to form a right- 

 angle turned so that the points extend toward the center of the 

 row, and as they are about eight inches in length they nearly meet 

 in the middle, forming what is commonly termed a " a scarifier." 

 One advantage of this form of blade is that the crust can be 

 broken very near to the young plants without throwing the dirt 

 over them. Soon after this cultivation, hoeing and the first or 

 partial thinning were commenced. For the work of partial thin- 

 ning the blades of ordinary hoes were cut down to four inches. 



