1948 



MACHINERY 



MACHINERY 



intensive cultivation. In the opinion of many fanners 

 in the corn-belt, increasing the number of shovels over 

 six not only increases the draft but the difficulty in 

 operating. The cultivator shovels are bolted directly 

 to a shank. The shank is usually attached to the beam 

 so that it may be raised or lowered. Where no provision 

 is made for taking the shock caused by the shovel 

 striking stones, roots, or stumps, the shank is hung by 

 one bolt and fastened into place by means of a wooden 

 peg. Thus when the shovel strikes an obstruction, the 

 wooden peg breaks and allows the shovel and shank to 



2272. Different types and arrangements of cultivator gangs: 1, steel beam, four-shovel; 2, steel 

 beam, six-shovel; 3, steel beam, V-spring trip, six-shovel; 4, steel beam, V-spring trip, four-shovel; 

 5, pipe beam, four-shovel; 6, pipe beam, spring trip, four-shovel; 7, steel frame, V-spring trip, four- 

 shovel; 8, steel frame, V-spring trip, six-shovel; 9, steel beam, universal spring trip, four-shovel; 

 10, steel beam, universal spring trip, six-shovel. 



turn back without breaking the beam. Fig. 2272 illus- 

 trates several arrangements of cultivator gangs. 



Corn is usually cultivated three or four tunes. At 

 the first cultivating the corn is usually very small arid 

 the operation consists mainly of killing weeds and 

 stirring the soil. The shovels are usually turned so as 

 to throw the soil away from the corn, and fenders are 

 provided to protect the corn from clods and soil which 

 are thrown toward it as the cultivator shovels tear 

 through the soil. At the second plowing the shovels are 

 not turned quite so much and it depends largely on the 

 size of the corn whether the protecting fenders are used. 



But at the time of second plowing the weeds are usually 

 thicker and the soil drier and harder so that the opera- 

 tion is usually a difficult one. The third plowing is 

 often the "laying by" plowing. Corn is, however, 

 often not laid by until the fourth and sometimes the 

 fifth plowing. At this plowing the shovels are turned 

 so as to throw the soil toward the corn, hilling it up 

 around the roots. An objection made to the shovel- 

 cultivator for laying by is that it cuts the corn roots. 

 A surface cultivator is now used for this purpose which, 

 it is claimed, does not cut the corn roots but throws 



the earth well toward the 

 corn. Fig. 2273 illustrates 

 a cultivator of this type. 



Disc -cultivators are also 

 used for cultivating corn 

 and other row crops. The 

 discs may be regulated to 

 throw the earth toward, 

 or away from, the corn. 

 Fig. 2274 illustrates a cul- 

 tivator of the disc type. 

 Another type of single-row 

 cultivator is the single- 

 row "go-devil" which is 

 equipped either with 

 curved knives or discs 

 and operates usually on 

 wooden runners. This 

 cultivator is often used 

 for the first and second 

 cultivation of listed corn. 

 Fig. 2275 illustrates a "go- 

 devil" of trie disc type. 



Two-row cultivators of 

 both the disc and shovel 

 types are now in use. It 

 has been found that these 

 implements require con- 

 siderable practice for 

 satisfactory operation. In 

 addition, the rows must 

 be straight and parallel 

 and the weeds few. It is 

 difficult to cultivate satis- 

 factorily where irregulari- 

 ties in the rows are en- 

 countered. The draft also 

 is practically double that 

 of a single-row cultivator. 

 On the other hand, it is con- 

 tended that they do good 

 work under proper condi- 

 tions. The writer's experi- 

 ence with a two-row disc- 

 cultivator in listed corn 

 was satisfactory for the 

 first plowing. Fig. 2276 

 illustrates a two-row com- 

 bination disc- and shovel- 

 cultivator. There are 

 many such combination 

 machines in use on 

 single-row work, especi- 



ally for listed corn. Fig. 2277 illustrates a two-row 

 shovel-cultivator . 



There are many other special types of cultivators 

 adapted to different special kinds of work. Fig. 2278 

 illustrates a cultivator which is especially adapted to 

 orchard cultivation. It is impossible here to cover all 

 the types, but they all have practically the same pur- 

 pose in view. 



It is important that cultivators be well taken care of 

 and that their operation and adjustment be studied 

 so as best to adapt them to the requirements of a cer- 

 tain kind of cultivation. Cultivator shovels should be 



