1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



429 



California, cuts a "farrow" or swath twelve 

 feet wide, and has ploughed at least one thou- 

 sand acres there, including land "baked to 

 the brick-like consistency which is character- 

 istic of most California soils in the height of 

 the dry season." 



On this twelve-foot machine, four sets of 

 horizontal cutters, each working a circular 

 space of three feet, are used, — only one, of 

 which is shown in the cut. These operate 

 on the soil something as the knives in the 

 Daniel's planer do on a board. And from the 

 manner in which the cutting knives are forced 

 through the scil, they do not drag or retard 

 the forward motion of the machine ; but, like 

 the wings of the propeller of a boat, they 

 rather crowd forward, and thereby prevent 

 the tendency of the locomotive to settle down 

 in soft soil, as it would do in drawing ploughs. 

 Another obstacle to success in drawing gang 

 ploughs by locomotive power is in the difficulty 

 of starting both the machinery and the ploughs 

 at once. In the California machine, the cut- 

 ters can be put into operation before starting 

 the machine forward at all, and then this for- 

 ward motion can be graduated at pleasure, 

 while the cutters are in full play, so that their 

 forward stroke at each revolution may be half 

 an inch or six inches, according to the state of 

 soil or other circumstances. 



From his experience with this twelve-foot 

 machine, the inventor believes that those cut- 

 ting from six to eight feet will be more con- 

 venient and more generally satisfactory. He 

 estimates the cost of a six foot machine, capa- 

 ble of ploughing from one to two acres an 

 hour, at $2500, and an eight-foot machine, 

 with a ploughing capacity of one and a half to 

 two acres an hour at $3500. A seed drill 

 may be attached to the machine, or it may be 

 used for operating a threshing machine, a 

 grain mill, or far other purposes for which a 

 stationary engine can be used. 



The following description of the part^ of 



the machine ate copied from the California 



Mining and Scientific Press, of Feb. 27, 



18G9 :— 



A very strong frame of wood supports the ma- 

 chinery and is mounted upon two broad wheels, 

 B, B. The front of the machine is supported by 

 two guiding wheels, C, C, turning on an axle, 

 which parses throu«gh a vertical standard, D, with 

 a device at the point of its support on the axle, by 

 which the wheels, C, U, are allowed to accommo- 

 date themselves to any irregularities of the suiface. 

 A gear wheel, E, is keyed to the top of the stand- 



ard, D, and is turned to the riaht or left by a screw, 

 F, working in its teeth, and operated from the 

 platform, G. by a loig rod and a wher 1 or crank 

 attached. The engines, I, I, and boiler are sup- 

 ported upon the frame and siutahly stayed, so as 

 to be firm. An upright tuliular boiler is preferred, 

 in order to accumnuidate the tuachine to declivi- 

 ties, without danger by a change in the watiT level, 

 as would be the case in a horizontil boiler, and 

 also to tconomize room. A pair ot horizontal en- 

 gines, as shown, will give the requisite power, 

 and will be much more steady in their action than 

 would be possible if they were vertiL'.al. The 

 ploughs or cutters are driven by the beveled 

 wheel, U, on the sharp, K, also thrown in and out 

 of gear by a clutch, as shown, and which, by en- 

 gaging the wheel, V, turns the shaft, W, and 

 through this the bevelled gear, X, at the other end, 

 by which means the ploughs or cutters may be 

 revolved. The cuiters are mounted upon a sup- 

 plementary frame, b, b, which has the arms ex- 

 tending forward to a point at the sides of the 

 frame, where they are pivoted so as to be movable 

 about an axis in a Ime with the engine shatt. The 

 driving gear, x, is keyed to a horizontal shaft, 

 and by means of the bcvelK d gears, g, g, drives the 

 vertical shafts, h, h, which operates tne cutters or 

 ploughs. A disk, i, is keyed to the bottom of the 

 cutter shaft or spindle, h, and has the arms, k, k, 

 projcLting from it, radiating from the centre. 

 These arms are bent at right angles at the outer 

 ends so as to form supports for the axes of the 

 hubs, m, to which the cutters are attached. The 

 cutters, n,n,pass vertically through ihe hubs, and 

 when not fastened, can turn with them about their 

 axes. For use in soil that contains but few stones, 

 the cutters are retained in position by light sup- 

 porters ; r, r, which may be made of cast iron. 

 The supporters are bolted to the arms, k, k, and 

 each have a slot made in the projecting end which 

 clasps the head of the cutter, and holds it rigidly 

 in place under the ordinary strain of ploughing; 

 but if the cutters strike a stone or oiher obstruc- 

 tion, one of the projecting lugs or sides will be 

 broken off; so that tne hub can revolve, the cutter 

 being swept backwards until the obstruction is 

 cleared, when a new supporter can be attached. 

 As these castings cost but a few cents, and are 

 easily replaced, they will serve as an efficient pro- 

 tection to the cutters. But if the soil be very 

 stony or full of obstructions, the cutters may be 

 kept in position by a stiff spring, which is attached 

 to the arm, k, and curved around so as to clasp 

 the cutter below the hub. This spiing is sufficient- 

 ly stiff to withstand the ordinary strain of plough- 

 ing, but will yield to any great obstruction, so as 

 to allow the cutters to pass over it. The cutters 

 may be either straight or curved, as may be the 

 most efficient. They are elevated or depressed by 

 various devices, one of which is shown at t, bsing 

 a screw operated by a wheel from the platform, G. 

 Any approved seed sower may be attached to the 

 apparatus as shown at u, having distributing pipes, 

 V, so that that the grain may be sowu, aud then 

 ploughed and harrowed in. A roller, or a series 

 of broad wheels, J, are attached to tne frame, b, 

 so as to run on the ground just in front ot the cut- 

 ters, thus regulating the depth of the cut, and 

 preventing them from being thrown out by ine- 

 qualities iH the surface. 



— Gen. Kamey, of Keokuk, has the largest vine- 

 yard in Iowa. In two different enclosures, within 

 two and a half miles of Keokuk, he has seventy- 

 one acres set in grape vines with fine oak posts and 

 wire to train them on. He has expended in all 

 some ^35,000 on his vineyard, and in enclosing the 

 grounds, building tenant-houses, &c. 



