MACHINERY 



MACHINERY 



1955 



as well as from that of safely gathering and storing the 

 crop. It often happens in the northern potato-growing 

 areas that the interval between the first killing frost, 

 which is the signal for all hands to begin digging, and 

 the tune when actual freezing temperatures occur, is 

 very short. It is therefore imperative that the facilities 

 for digging and storing the crop be capable of accom- 

 plishing large tasks in short periods of time. The large, 

 strongly built diggers upon which six horses are some- 

 time used are implements of this type. 



The peof-viner. The invention of the pea-viner 

 promoted the culture of garden peas from a minor 

 place in the market-garden and on the truck-farm to 

 the position of an acreage crop to be harvested with 

 machinery and carried to the cannery. It made pea- 

 canning a factory enterprise instead of a side line to 

 market-gardening and truck-farming. 



Implements and devices which assist the grower in 

 the production or preparation of his crop for market 

 are of great economic importance, although often 

 simple in design and relatively inexpensive. Such tools 

 are well illustrated by the better types of hand-weeders, 

 dibbles, and transplanting trowels. The asparagus- 

 buncher, is a simple and inexpensive device which 

 enables the asparagus-grower to accomplish two impor- 

 tant ends offering his product in uniform standard- 

 sized bunches and of such length as the trade demands. 

 Some markets and special trades require stalks of 

 extra length. By the use of the buncher, a standard once 

 established can be uniformly maintained. 



While this by no means exhausts the list of special 

 implements used in the production and preparation of 

 vegetable crops for the market, it serves to point out 

 the place which some of these implements and tools 

 hold in the commercial production of these crops, as 

 well as suggesting in a general way the fundamental 

 equipment of a place devoted to the production of 

 vegetable crops. L. C. CORBETT. 



Brief lists of implements for greenhouse and grounds. 



The purpose in using tools for working the soil, 

 either in the greenhouse, garden, lawn or on the farm, 

 is to secure efficiency and also to save time and labor. 

 Soil-working tools for greenhouse use are few and very 

 practical. In many cases, the operator requires specially 

 constructed tools for the work. The necessity for tools 

 is also modified by the way in which the plants are 

 grown and trained. In an article of this kind, the prin- 

 ciples of operation of the endless list of greenhouse and 

 lawn tools cannot be discussed; but a list can be sug- 



ested of the kinds of mechanical helps that the gar- 

 ener most needs. 



Many simple methods have been introduced to 

 eliminate crowding and irregular growing in commercial 

 and also in private houses, where bench-growing is 

 conducted to any extent. There have come into use, 

 within recent years, wires stretched horizontally over 

 beds of roses and carnations, to which the vertical 

 wires are fastened by clips. The method is good, as it 

 looks neat and prevents irregular growth of the plants 

 and admits use of proper tools for cultivating. For 

 this tillage, the Eureka weeder, with short and long 

 handles, is about the best, being made of flexible steel 

 with narrow teeth, thus preventing seriously disturb- 

 ing the roots when used for cultivating and weeding. 

 The method of running the horizontal wires from end 

 to end of the staging is by fastening them to a cross-bar 

 of ^-inch-diameter galvanized pipe, so constructed and 

 braced as to form an anchor at the elevation that 

 accommodates the height of the plants. Wire pot- 

 hangers are convenient for overcrowded spaces; also 

 for such plants that do best by being suspended and 

 given abundant light and air. These supports may 

 themselves be classed with greenhouse devices and 

 implements, and they determine to a considerable 



extent the character of the hand tools that may be 

 used on the bed or bench. 



The watering-can is perhaps the most important 

 requisite in the greenhouse or conservatory, but for 

 the commercial house the hose is used entirely for 

 watering and spraying. The long-spout can, fitted with 

 brass tubing for attaching the rose or sprinkler, is the 

 best. The special low can of four-quart size is used for 

 watering seed-pans and boxes which are often placed 

 at an elevation above the benches. The number of 

 forms of watering-pots now available is considerable 

 and represents excellent adaptation of means to ends. 



Fumigators are necessary devices against insects. 

 The combined fumigator and vaporizer acts in a double 

 capacity, generates tobacco vapor as well as smoke, and 

 prevents burning, which is often caused by the dry 

 smoke. The fumigating lamp is used for vaporizing 

 nicotine extract. Any apparatus of a lamp type will 

 accomplish this work successfully. The brass syringe 

 with its varied-sized caps, coarse and fine, for spraying 

 or syringing and sold for watering seed-pans and boxes, 

 is still in general use. Pressure sprayers are a greater 

 convenience than the syringes and much more efficient 

 for applying insecticides. 



Among many important requisites for the greenhouse, 

 the thermometer is an indespensable factor, as are also 

 flower-pots, fern-pans, orchid-pans, orchid-baskets, 

 seed-pans, and flats of wood used for seed-sowing and 

 also transplanting seedlings, soil-sifting sieves for hand 

 use, specially constructed wheel-barrows for greenhouse 

 use, pot-washing machinery from the old style scrub- 

 bing-brush to the revolving brush machine of greater 

 power and capacity which is used by the commercial 

 florists. 



In large commercial establishments, particularly for 

 vegetable-growing, where the bench and staging are 

 no longer used, the soil is handled the same as in the 

 open, with either the spade-fork or plow, but in houses 

 with side benches and large center staging, the soil is 

 removed and replaced by hand carrying-boxes operated 

 by two men, and in modern and extensive establish- 

 ments by tilting cars running on a continuous cable. 

 The very coarse soil is broken up and sifted through 

 large riddles, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide and standing 

 on an angle. 



Tools for the lawn. 



The finished lawn requires constant attention. It 

 does not demand a great variety of tools, but they 

 should be practical and efficient. Of the lawn-mowers, 

 the most recent is the gasolene motor, which has the 

 great advantage of doing the work of mowing and 

 rolling in early spring without disfiguring the lawn, as 

 is the case when using the horse lawn-mower. Steam- 

 and gasolene-power lawn-mowers have been in use for 

 several years, and have hitherto been very heavy and 

 unwieldy; however, in the recently introduced machines, 

 the weight is no greater than the horse-power 30- and 

 36-inch-cut mowers. The operator usually walks in the 

 rear where he has full control in guiding the machine 

 and regulating the power. In large park areas, private 

 or public, the ordinary farm mowing-machine may be 

 used; and in some places sheep may be employed to 

 crop the grass, as on golf-courses. The old-fashioned 

 grass scythe still has many uses about large lawns. 



The lawn-sweeper for hand- and horse-power is a 

 lawn accessory not in general use, but it does finished 

 work, particularly in late summer and fall, when the 

 fall and other coarse grasses make their appearance, 

 and prevents their seeding for the following year's 

 crop. 



Hand lawn-mowers of low- and high-wheel makes 

 are now used in all parts of the world where lawns are 

 to be found. Without the hand lawn-mower, the ten- 

 nis-court and the putting-greens of the golf-links could 

 not be kept in proper condition for use. The cropping 



