MACHINERY IN AGRICULTURE. 23 



The roller, which has been greatly improved, has 

 more generally been brought into use for crushing and 

 pulverizing clods and lumps, and leaving the ground 

 smooth. Our best farmers claim that the improved 

 tillage obtained by these implements increases the 

 crop at least twenty-five per cent. 



At the beginning of the present century, and to 

 within a quite recent period, all the smaller grains 

 were sown by hand. The sower would go into the 

 field with his seed in a bag, slung from his shoulders. 

 Then filling his hand from the bag, " with measured 

 tread he throws the grain " before him as he crosses 

 the field from one side to the other. But now a box 

 or trough, eight feet or more in length, is attached to 

 a pair of wheels. This trough being filled with grain 

 any child that can drive a horse may take the seat on 

 the machine, and in driving from side to side of the 

 field either scatters the seed broad cast, or deposits it, 

 as may be desired, at regular intervals in little drills 

 which it makes. In this Way a boy or girl will not 

 only sow from seven to ten times more ground than 

 can possibly be done by hand, but much better and 

 with great economy of seed. 



In planting corn our fathers, with a hoe, would go 

 over the field, making at regular intervals little hills 

 or drills ; he being followed by some one, it might 

 have been a boy, who would place upon each hill a 

 few grains of corn, or into the drill a kernel at regular 

 intervals. After the corn was thus placed in hill or 

 drill the earth was drawn over it with the hoe. But 

 now the corn planter is used, upon which a child may 

 sit and, driving a single horse, will plant at least ten 



