60 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



the shoulder of the knob X, alternately with the shoulder of 

 the handle part of the stick. 



49. Operation of the Mechanism. The sower fills his seed 

 box B with sufficient seed to sow a double journey across the 

 prepared field. For his convenience he employs two long 

 poles, one at each end of the field and with a space between 

 them equal to the average distance which the seed is thrown 

 out of the machine. To one pole at the furthest end of the 

 field the sower walks outward and it acts as a guide in keeping 

 his traverse straight. On the return journey the second pole 

 acts as a similar goal. As an alternative method, especially 

 in a large field, the sower may use three sticks A, B, C, and 

 place them initially as shown in Fig. 22. 



The sower, on starting out from point 1, has the two sticks 

 A and B in the same straight line to direct his steps ; the 

 stick C is placed 18 ft. the full adjusted throw of the fiddle 

 on his right, that being the central point to which he will 

 direct his course on the return journey. Immediately the 

 sower reaches the first stick A, he, or his attendant boy, will 

 move it 18ft. to the right position 5 directly in line with 

 the stick C. 



On reaching the stick B it is moved 36 ft. to the right, to 

 the point 9, a distance equivalent to twice the throw of the 

 seed and which is the central point of approach on the second 

 outward journey. Meanwhile the sower makes the first 

 return journey towards the stick C, and when he reaches the 

 position 5 the stick A is removed to the position 8. 



50. The Work of the Sower. The sower carries the fiddle and 

 seed suspended from his shoulder by an adjustable strap. 

 When ready to commence sowing he moves the plate J and the 

 adjustable bracket T so as to cover as much of the aperture D 

 as is necessary to regulate or limit the amount of seed which 

 is to continuously fall from the feed box B through the aper- 

 tures D of the vibrating feed plate C and on to the oscillating 

 and distributing fan wheel F. Then as the sower strides out 

 with the left foot he moves the fiddle stick inwards to the left, 



