WHEAT 165 



grain seeding machine in the United States in 1799. 

 The rotary seeder was introduced in 1856, the 

 grain drill in 1874. 



The grain drill differs from the broadcast 

 seeder, (which feeds the seed onto a spreading pan 

 or oval disk which causes it to scatter broadcast 

 over the ground, when it is covered by the shovels 

 or hoes which follow in the rear of the machine), 

 in that the seed falls into a grain tube and is 

 carried in a steady stream to the bottom of the 

 furrow made by the shoe or disk, where it is 

 covered by the drag chain or press wheels which 

 follow the shoe or disk furrow openers. Thus the 

 grain is planted in straight rows or drills in the 

 firm moist soil on the floor of the small furrows 

 and evenly and regularly covered with mellow or 

 pressed soil as may be desired. 



DEVELOPMENT OF FORCE FEED 



The development of the grain drill has been 

 rapid. The old gravity feed has been replaced by 

 the force feed. The original method was to allow 

 the seed to run out through a hole in the bottom 

 of the seed cup. An agitator kept the grain 

 stirred so that it might feed regularly through the 

 openings which could be regulated in size by 

 moving a slide. It was not possible to sow very 

 evenly with such a drill since the jar of the machine 

 as the wheels passed over clods or obstructions 

 caused the seed to run irregularly. 



The force feed raises the grain above the bottom 

 of the seed cups and forces it out at a regular rate 

 by means of grooved wheels or grain pinions 



