456 Effective Farming 



(Fig. 208) plants one row at a time. Most one-horse planters 

 can be adjusted to plant either corn or cotton. 



In the bottom of the seed-boxes are revolving plates with 

 holes or notches in them. As the plate revolves, the grain, 

 or several grains, if planting in hills, drops into these holes or 

 notches and is carried down into the soil. 



Potato-planters. These are very useful implements, a much- 

 used type of which is shown in Fig. 88. The planters open 

 a furrow, drop either whole or cut pieces at regular intervals, 

 and cover the furrow with soil. Most potato-planters are 

 equipped with fertilizer attachments. 



Transplanters. These implements (Fig. 93) are used ex- 

 tensively for the transplanting of seedlings of sweet potatoes, 

 tobacco, celery, cabbage, and the like. They are provided 

 with a tank or barrel for carrying water, a furrow opener, and 

 a covering device. Two boys usually ride on the implement 

 and hold the plants in an upright position until the soil is pressed 

 around them. Water from the tank or barrel wets the soil 

 around the plants as they are set. 



227. Hay-harvesting machinery. The usual hay-harvest- 

 ing machines are mowers, rakes, tedders, loaders, stackers, 

 harpoon forks, and slings. 



Mowers. On a mower (Fig. 56) there is a cutting bar that 

 is protected with a series of fingers called guards. The cutter- 

 bar is a set of triangular plates riveted to a bar of steel that 

 moves back and forth over the guards. From his position 

 on the seat the operator can raise and lower the cutter-bar to 

 cut the grass at different heights. Mowers are either one- 

 horse or two-horse ; in the former type, they cut swaths three 

 to three and one-half feet wide ; the latter, from four and one- 

 half to seven feet wide. 



Rakes. There are three general types of hay-rakes 

 sulky, side delivery, and sweep rakes (Fig. 60). Sulky rakes 

 have a row of teeth that gather the hay from the swath ; when 

 a large enough quantity has been collected, it is dumped into 



