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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



A PLAIN FARMER'S VIEWS OF THE NEW THINGS IN AGRICULTURE. 



ITnitrun's ^'oU/to Digger, made by Coleman of 

 C-helmsrord. — Tliis is the neiocst impleaient of note I 

 liave seen, and, I see, is called " the imjikiiient of the 

 season.'' It conbisls of a frame of wood in shape some- 

 liiing like the Ducie-drag frame, but longer, and is sup- 

 ported upon two large-sized and strong carriage wheels 

 of wood, vvi'.li a pnir of small iron steerage-wheels in 

 front, wide enough to bestride the potato ridge. These 

 are attached to an upright stem formed as a circular 

 raek, allowing the wheels to be swivelled, and also per- 

 mits it to be raised or lowered by means of a pinion 

 and wituh, and fastened by a pin through the rack. 

 Uiidcrneaih the hind-part of the frame a strong bracket 

 carries, by the tharc- stalk, a curved triangular share or 

 cutting i-pade (a hodding spade) which passes in a nearly 

 horizontal posit. on under the potato-rows, raising up 

 the whole miss for the freer operation of the revolving 

 forks. Tiicse consist of a disc of eight two-tined arms or 

 forks on a horizontal shaft, made to rotate transversely 

 behind the machine : this shaft is actuated by means of 

 two mitre wheels, one on the shaft and the other on the 

 axle of the driving carriage wheels, both nicely covered 

 or boxed in. These wheels set the whole in motion 

 by reversing a cam placed in front of axle, and thus 

 permitting the machine to travel when not in work. 

 The wheels are aimed with pegs of iron, in a wedge 

 lorm, to prevent slipping in work. To allow the disc 

 to be set higher or lower there is an adjustment behind 

 for that I'UrnoBe, and the forward end of the shaft 

 woiks in a moveable socket bearing on the axle of the 

 carriage wheels. The machine is cleverly contrived 

 and does the manufacturer great credit. I objected to 

 the siz3 and coal-shoot form of the share : its very form 

 causes it to clog in work, of course adding greatly to the 

 drauglit. We see no reason for such an immense share 

 for such a simple purpose. A common curved coulter 

 with such a share-stalk would, I think, do better. The share 

 is certair.ly a very clumsy one; and I hope, when I next 

 see the riiachiue iu work, to find a great improvement in 

 this particular. I think it a mistiike to suppose it is 

 requisite for the ruw to pass into this shoe or share, 

 and from thence to be thrown abroad by the revolving 

 forks : this is not necessary. The revolving forks work 

 at such a tpeed that nothing more is required than simply 

 to raise the row to eusure its being thrown abroad with 

 great facility ; ihc instant it is raised the forks seize it 

 and all is instantly thrown out for conveiiient picking. 

 I have repeatedly seen it at work, and such is its power 

 that no trifling obslructiou can interfere with its proper 

 working. It cannot en all soils, as now arranged, be 

 fairly worked by two horses ; it mosily requires three, 

 on slilf soils, to get forward with expedition. The 

 whole row of potatoes, haulm, and soil are thrown out 

 and scattered almost inconveniently far abroud ; so that 

 in some cases a screen to prevent this is attached to the 

 side by an apparatus for that purpose. I worked one of 

 these machines on my own farm, in the past season, and 

 was much pleased with the result; for in addition to the 

 dispersion of the potatoes by the forks, the soil itself 

 received a good pulverization, and all roots and rubbish 

 were thrown out on the surface ; thus saving the cost of 

 a subsequent harrowing and other labour. I do not 

 hesitate to assert that, with some moditication, it is a 

 highly ustfal implement, and will come into general 

 service. 



Crank-axle Carts.— 1 will next make a remark or 

 two npon this new feature in our carriage-department 



of agriculture. The l^oyal Agriculiural Society offered 

 a priz.' for the best cart with crank-axle, to be decided 

 at the Salisbury Meeting. I took pleasure in examining 

 the carts shown in competition ; but for general-purpose 

 carts I speedily descried they were inadmissible. The 

 long shafts I approved, as giving the horse more 

 power over the carriage. The high wheels (which the 

 cranked axles were designed to accommO'late) are un- 

 doubtedly advantageous in point of draught ; but they ap- 

 peared to me to be disadvantageous in otiier respects. 

 The shelvings could not be prevented pressing on the 

 wheels under a heavy burden. The usual height of a 

 common cart-wheel is about 45feet. In these carts the 

 diameter is six feet, and some even more. In loading, 

 there must be inconvenience from the height of the sides, 

 and in unloading, too ; for take the tipping, the low 

 cranked axle cannot permit the cart-body a sufficient 

 incline to slip out the load behind, and the bottom is so 

 low that over many of the roads in my neighbourhood 

 I hey could not travel, in consequence of the depth of 

 the ruts. The axle itself would slide on the surface. 

 Then agsin, their large wheels would continually throw 

 into the body of the cart such soil or mud as adhered 

 to them, unless prevented by high shelving boards. The 

 principal advantage that 1 could discover was that it 

 is almost impossible to overturn them ; the loud is so 

 low, resting almost between the wheels ; and their light 

 draught upon hard level roads — these are great ad- 

 vantages. 



MOWING AND REAPING MaCHINSS. 



Although this class of machines is not decidedly new, 

 yet some of them have under^^ons such extensive and re- 

 cent alterations as almost to constitute ti.em new ma- 

 chines. It is with such that I have to do, and that very 

 briefly. Perhaps I shall not be in great error if I con- 

 sider and treat mowing machines as new machints. 



Mowing Machines. — CargVs American Eagle 

 Moiving Machine. — The admirable way in which this 

 machine cut the clover crop at Salisbury quite took me 

 by surprise. I at once pronounced it to be the best 

 of its kind hitherto produced, and the awards of the 

 various prizes which have been conferred upon it since 

 have fully borne out my impression. The machine isin 

 most respects similar to our common reaping ma- 

 chines, both in fryme and the position of the cutters ; 

 but in its more minute details it varies considerably. 

 The most singular adjustment in it is its first moving or 

 motive power. It is communicated from the axle of 

 this most unique of all wheels. This wheel is made of 

 ca-t-iron, is 3 ft. 7 in. diameter, and the rim is 11 in. 

 broad. Throughout its periphery, and parting as it were 

 what seems a solid cast-iron rim into two jiaits or slots, 

 making a scries of zig-zags or curves, which, alternately 

 opening and closing, act as cams, and passing over or by 

 a ball or roller attached to the cutter- bar, gives it that 

 quick vibratory motion so requisite to cleanly cutting. 

 The rapidity of the movement, and its singularity, is 

 very striking, quite doing away with spur-wheels, cranks, 

 or pinions to work the cutters. The whole is undei; the 

 control of the workman, the frame being so nicely 

 balanced that, by a movement of his foot, hecan instantly 

 raise or depress the knives, to prevent obstruction from a 

 surface-drain or uneven ground. " The knives are 

 acute, not serrated, and slide above fixed sharp fingers, 



