THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Ud 



is effected through the medium of a handle situated at 

 the back of the machine, within the reach of the at- 

 tendant. This handle is fixed at the end of a rod 

 reaching from one end of the machine to the other, and 

 provided at the further extremity with a pinion working 

 into a rack fitted on the hind bar of the sloping 

 wi"Ought-iron frame carrying the guide bars (c) work- 

 ing in slots attached to the main framing of the 

 machine. The whole apparatus is supported in a long 

 rectangular framing, of length corresponding to the 

 number of ploughs employed. This framing is sup- 

 ported by two large wheels, running loose upon separate 

 axles, placed at different levels to suit the depth of fur- 

 row to be made in the inequality of the surface over 

 which the machine travels. A support for the framing 

 is obtained at the back end by a smaller wheel set upon 

 a swivel centre capable of lateral adjustment. In 

 ploughing, the off'-side front wheel runs in, and is 

 steadied by the furrow cut by the previous traverse of 

 the plough, whilst the corresponding wheel runs on the 

 unploughed ground. This aiTangement involves the 

 necessity of having the near side-wheel higher by the 

 depth of the furrow than the off side, this being attained 

 by a nut and screw in a rack and pinion adjustment. 

 The ploughshares or cutters are set one behind the 

 other, as regards the direction of the plough's traverse ; 

 so that the off or right-hand plough begins to cut first, 

 the second one next, and the near one last : the hind 

 wheel, following immediately in the newly cut furrow 

 on the near side of the plough, receives a guide from 

 the last formed furrow. 



Although not exactly in chronolgical order, we may 

 here notice a second patent granted to Mr. Williams 

 (date of patent Dec. 7, 1855; No. of patent 2,7(i6; 

 price of specification 9d.), for a ploughing or cultivat- 

 ing machine, the general arrangements of which closely 

 resemble that which v/e have above described; the 

 plough or cultivator bars being supported and adjusted 

 by the same mechanism ; the framing is, however, sup- 

 ported, on a pair of small swivel wheels in front, 

 and by a pair of larger wheels at the back of 

 the machine. An important claim in the patent is 

 for *' a peculiar share." This consists of an ordinary 

 plough share, with a left-hand pin formed in it. " A 

 small turnfurrow of a peculiar construction is fitted 

 to the plough body, and consists of a steel plate, fitted 

 or formed with a knife or cutting edge, at right angles 

 or thereabouts to its surface, working under the furrow, 

 and severing the same, so that one portion of the fur- 

 row slice will be cut and laid over the other part, thus 

 leaving an uneven surface for the harrow teeth, in the 

 subsequent operation of harrowing, to lay hold of." 

 The central beam is the longest, and has its cutting 

 implement nearest to the front of the framing, which 

 is angle or pointed, so as to suit the different lengths 

 of the beam. By the arrangement adopted, the two 

 implements on each side of the central beam come 

 into operation successively. The pins of the shares are 

 made broad enough to intersect each other's course ; in 

 this way the entire surface is operated on. A claim is 

 also made in the patent for a combination of imple- 

 ments in one frame, to act as a rafter frame and a horse- 

 hoe. The ploughs in the ordinary machine can also 

 bo taken out, and " drag" tines substituted. 



The last patent machine or implement, coming 

 tinder the present divition of our subject, is that 

 of Richard Coleman (patent dated May 28, 1865 ; 

 No. 1,2-22 ; price of specification Is. lOd.) The 

 patent is for improvements in the construction of 

 land rollers, and an implement for ploughing and 

 breaking up, or scarifymg the soil. That part of the 

 patent which refers to the latter class of implements 

 13 for " a method of combining a series of ploughs in 



one machine, for turning up or otherwise tilling the 

 land." Two, three, or more ploughs are mounted on a 

 frame, in a position diagonal to their direction of 

 motion, so that one acts in advance of the other, and 

 breaks up and turns over a breadth of land equal to 

 the numl)er of ploughs employed. In the machine 

 shown in the drawing four ploughs are employed. 

 The ploughs are provided with parallel-faced stc'ms, 

 which slide in sockets, made in the main framing. This 

 framing is supported in front by two swivel wheels, 

 which are free to turn round on the vertical axis, 

 supported by the front of the framing to the axle of the 

 wheels. Near one end a rod is jointed; this is carried 

 along the front of the framing, and jointed to the 

 short arm of a hand lever, placed within reach of 

 the attendant. By turning this handle the rod acts 

 upon, and causes the axle of the wheels to move out of 

 the line, so that the machine may be guided as desired. 

 The centre of these wheels is also adjustable, so as to 

 bring it nearer to or further from the ground, by a lever 

 jointed to the upper end of the vertical one attached 

 to the axle of the wheels. The framing is supported at 

 the back by two large wheels, which are capable of 

 adjustment, by means similar to that employed in the 

 well-known " cultivator" of the patentee. The plough- 

 frames are fitted to sockets in a second framing ; this 

 is placed above the main framing, and moves in vertical 

 guides attached to the main framing, and also by rods 

 sliding in vertical guides made in a bar or tie, which is 

 placed across the lower framing. To the upper frame 

 the coulters are suspended in the same way as the 

 plough-frames; the upright stems of the coulters, as 

 also of th plough, slide in sockets made in the lower 

 framing. The upper frame, with its plough-frames 

 and coulters, is elevated and depressed at will by an in- 

 genious system of levers. A cross shaft (a), fitted with 

 a lever handle, by which it can be turned on its bear- 

 ings, is supported in bearings fitted to the main or 

 lower frame ; and carries at each extremity bell cranks 

 or levers, with two arms, one of which is horizontal. 

 These horizontal arms are connected by jointed rods to 

 the middle of the upper framing carrying the plough- 

 frames, while the other arms of the bell cranks are 

 jointed to the lower arms of a second series of bell 

 cranks. These second bell cranks are fitted to sluda 

 in the lower frame, the other arms of these bell cranks 

 being connected to the upper fi-ame by levers. The 

 upper frame is thus entirely supported by jointed rods, 

 connected with a series of bell cranks. By moving the 

 lever on the cross shaft (a), the whole system of cranks 

 and levers is operated upon, and the upper frame 

 lowered or raised as required. 



In a modification of this apparatus, also described 

 in the specification, the upper moveable frame is dis- 

 pensed with, and the plough-frames and coulters are 

 raised by a rack-and-pinion motion. 



THE ARTIFICIAL MANURE QUESTION. — At a 

 meeting of the Oxford Farmers' Club, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 

 the following resolution, proposed by Mr. Main, and seconded 

 by Mr. CoprgiDS, was carried unanimously : " That this Club 

 considers the use of artificial manure is still too much limited; 

 that Peruvian guano, as a standard, is the best top-dressing 

 for corn crops ; farm-yard manure, guano, nitrate of soda, and 

 bone-dust for grass land ; that mixed manures are the best for 

 root crops ; and that without a Uberal use of artificial manure 

 the present extent of laud in this country could not be kept in 

 cultivation, as there is nothing that has tended more to assist 

 high farming than the introductiou of artificial manure ; and, 

 finally, that this Club does uot consider that the decay of the 

 root crop is attributable to the lavish application of manures." 

 At the same meeting, Mr. Thomson, of Culham, was le-elected 

 Chairman of the Club for the ensuing year. 



