THE FARMER^S MAGAZINE. 



osy 



holes arp other apertures leading obliquely up to the 

 bottom of the seed-chamber. These are the channels of 

 c iinmunication between the perpendicular holes and the 

 seed-box. Stretching from end to end of the seed-box 

 a flat bar is placed, the ends of this passing out through 

 apertures in the ends of the seed-box, and its flat side 

 lying in close contact with the floor or bottom of the 

 seed-chamber, in such a way as to cause it to completely 

 cover, provided it were solid, the apertures of the 

 channels leading to the perpendicular holes already de- 

 scribed. Holes, however, corresponding in diameter to 

 those in the bottom of the seed-box are bored in this 

 flat bar. Now, by moving the bar from side to side, 

 when the solid part of it comes opposite a hole in the 

 floor of the seed-box it closes it up, so that all commu- 

 nication is cut off from the interior of the seed-chamber 

 and the perpendicular hole ; but when the flat bar is 

 moved to the side, so that the holes in it coincide with 

 those in the floor of the seed-chamber, the communica- 

 tion is open. The seed-box is provided near each end 

 with a vertical standard, which supports a cross bar or 

 handle, by which the apparatus is lifted. In the per- 

 pendicular holes already described, five steel dibbles 

 move up and down ; these are fixed to a cross bar run- 

 ning parallel with the top of the seed-box, this cross-bar 

 having at each end a standard supporting a handle, which 

 is placed a little above the main handle of the seed-box. 

 By moving this handle the cross bar with its dibbles is 

 moved up and down ; the amount of play on the length 

 of the stroke is such, that when the handle is pulled up 

 to its highest point, the lower points of the dibbles are 

 clear of the oblique holes communicating with the seed- 

 box, and the holes in which the dibbles work. We have 

 now to explain how the flat bar is moved to and fro. 

 Near the centre of the apparatus, a curved lever vibrates 

 in a stud fixed to the side of the seed-box. The long 

 curved arm of this lever passes through a slot in ths 

 lower bar which carries the dibbles ; the slot being long 

 enough to admit of the lever moving from side to side. 

 In the slot two circular studs are fixed, the end of the 

 lever passing between them. The lower end of the lever 

 is inserted in a slot cut in the flat bar which lies in the 

 bottom of the seed-box. If the long arm of the lever 

 was straight, as the cross lever carrying the dibbles was 

 raised and depressed, it would simply slide up and down 

 between tlie studs of the slot, and no motion of the lever 

 would take place ; but as it is curved, the studs press 

 upon it, and force it to move laterally, which, of course, 

 causes a corresponding movement in a contrary direction 

 of the lower arm ; as this rests in the slot of the flat 

 bar it is moved to and fro, alternately covering and 

 releasing the apertures in the bottom of the seed-box. 

 Brushes are placed to come in contact with the upper 

 side of the flat bar, thus keeping the apertures always 

 open. 



The cost of a five-row depositor, v^-ith which a man 

 can plant about one acrea-day, is £3 3s. The four-row 

 depositor bean-dibble, invented by Sigma, contains four 

 bean depositors, arranged thus — on one side of the im- 

 plement there are two depositors at 7 inches apart, then 

 an interval of 27 inches for horse-hoeing, and then two 



more depositors at 7 inches apart. The price of the 

 implement is £Z Gs. 



Of haymaking machines, the first prize was awarded 

 to that invented and manufactured by William Newzam 

 Nicholson, of Newark. In our article on the Smithfield 

 Club Show, in the March number of this Journal, we 

 adverted to the modern system of working haymaking 

 or tedding machines, namely, that in which two motions 

 are required, the " backward " and the " forward." 

 In the one, the fork, or tine barrel or cylinder, revolves 

 so as to completely throw up and turn over the cut hay ; 

 in the other, the forks or tines, as they revolve, simply 

 move or lift the grass turned over by the first move- 

 ment. In the ordinary class of improved machines the 

 two motions are obtained by the use of an intermediate 

 or third wheel. When the forward motion is desired, 

 the third wheel is thrown out of gear, and the toothed 

 wheel of the main driving-wheel engages with the pinion 

 fixed in the barrel or hollow sbaft of the fork or tine- 

 carrying cylinder. When the reverse motion is required, 

 the third or intermediate pinion is thrown into gear with 

 the other two. In Mr. Nicholson's machine this inter- 

 mediate wheel is dispensed with, thus simplifying the 

 mechanism, and reducing friction, and the power neces- 

 sary to work the machine, by reducing the number of 

 the working parts. The two motions are obtained thus : 

 the nave of the main driving-wheel is formed of a large 

 cylinder or hollow drum. The cylinder or axle-box con- 

 tains on one side an annular or internal toothed wheel 

 (rt) — that is, a wheel with the teeth internal, not exter- 

 nal, to its outer periphery ; and on the other or opposite 

 side a spur-wheel (b) of the ordinary description. 

 These are fixed to, and form a part of, the axle-box. 

 At a point above, and a little to the left of the centre of 

 the axle-box, the sbaft or hollow axle of the fork-carrying 

 cylinder revolves, having its bearings on the sides of the 

 axle-box. This shaft carries two pinions, one of which 

 (c) engages with the annular {a), the other (d) with the 

 ordinary spur-wheel {h). When the machine is travel- 

 ling from place to place — that is, not engaged in ted- 

 ding—these two pinions (c d) are placed midway, being 

 kept in position by a simple catch in the shaft between 

 the two wheels (a b), so that none of them are in gear. 

 By moving the fork cylinder shaft to another catch, the 

 pinion (rf) engages with the spur-wheel {b), and the 

 forward motion of the fork-barrel is given ; by moving 

 the shaft to the third catch, the pinion {d) is thrown out 

 of gear with the spur-wheel {b), and the pinion (c) 

 thrown into gear with the annular wheel (a), which gives 

 the reverse motion. In addition to the simplicity of the 

 driving gear, this machines presents other features 

 worthy of commendation. Thus the fork-barrel is raised 

 from or lowered to the ground by the following simple 

 mechanism : The inside cover of the axle-box is length- 

 ened out, to form a long arm or lever ; this is termi- 

 nated with a segmental rack, worked by a small pinion 

 of two or more teeth. The shaft on which this pinion is 

 keyed passes through a hollow stay to the other side of 

 the machine, where a similar pinion is attached, work- 

 ing in the segmental rack attached to the axle-box of the 

 second driving-wheel. By turning a handle fixed on the 



