340 



THE farmers' cabinet 



TOL. I. 



about one dollar per acre for grass ; now if 

 we deduct one dollar per day for the expense 

 attending the machine (this includes a man's 

 board and the extra gram that two horses re- 

 quire beyond what they would when idle,) 

 and we have fourteen dollars per day, as a 

 compensation for the owner of the machine. 



The following general description, will 

 probably be sufficient- to enable a person to 

 build a machine. The cutter is a circular 

 edge of stevil, formed by several segments 

 confined by screws upon a horizontal wheel, 

 and turns between the two wheels that sup- 

 port the machine, one of which gives motion 

 to the cutter by the aid of cog wheels, so 

 constructed as to continue the motion while 

 it moves up and down, over the irregular sur- 

 face of the ground ; this is produced by having 

 the spur cogs on the shaft of the wheel, which 

 carries the cutter, made of sufficient length, 

 upon the shaft, to continue in gear, and at the 

 same time move up and down from the lowest 

 and highest points. 



Sometimes there are two cog wheels used, 

 and at other times three, the former called 

 single, and the latter double gear. In the 

 former case, the face cog wheel, axle or 

 shaft, and one of the wheels which support 

 the machine turn together, and the other 

 wheel turns on a fixed axle ; in the latter 

 ease, both the wheels that support the ma- 

 chine, turn on a fixed axle ; one of them has 

 a face cog wheel bolted on the side of the 

 felloe ; this works into a horizontal spur cog 

 wheel, which turns another spur cog wheel 

 on the shaft which carries the cutter. la 

 either case, the wheels are so proportioned as 

 to give a motion to the cutting edge, six or 

 eight times faster than the forward motion of 

 the machine. The shaft of the wheel which 

 carries the cutter, turns on a pivot in a box 

 at the lower end, and that box is attached to 

 a slide, or to the axle of a pair of wheels, 

 constructed so as to move up and down with 

 the irregularity of the ground, and a suffi- 

 cient length of the shaft above the cog wheel 

 is made of a cylindrical form, to move up and 

 down, and at the same time turn in another 

 box. The lower side of the cutter rubs upon 

 a stone, or other suitable substance to keep 

 it sharp, as it turns round, and the horses go 

 one before the other, at the edge of the uncut 

 grass or grain. The driving wheel is pre- 

 vented from sliding on the ground, by spikes 

 or spurs in the periphery. 



Chester CO., Pa., 13th May, 1637. 



Potatoes. — In Prussia the potatoe is cul- 

 tivated with peculiar success; — as the stalk 

 grows, the earth is heaped up, leaving only 

 three leaves at the top; roots are thus great- 

 ly increased, and the produce is said to be 

 astonishing. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Alternating Elevator for the application 



of tUe Power of Men or Horses. 



NO. II. 



The following additional remarks on two 

 former communications upon this subject, 

 may be of service. By adopting this plan no 

 ladder will be wanted, and the power will be 

 more than double. 



Fig. 78. 



A is a fixed vertical pulley 

 or wheel. 



B one of the vessels which 

 ascends and descends alter- 

 nately, and may weigh 50 lbs. 



C the other vessel that as- 

 cends and descends with a 

 vertical pulley attached to it, 

 both may weigh 195 lbs. 



D E a rope made fast to B 

 about one third the distance 

 from one end ; the short end 

 E, of the rope is passed over 

 the fixed pulley, and made- 

 fast to the other vessel C, 

 which ascends and descends,- 



Jand the other end D of the rope 

 ■j^rS is passed over the movable pul- 

 ■"■■ ]ey attached to 'the \essel C,. 

 and allowed to descend in a vertical direction. 

 Now suppose a man weighing 150 lbs. hi 

 the vessel B, on a load of 290 pounds, and 

 drawing down at the rope D with his hands, 

 applying a force of 100 lbs. or two-thirds of 

 his weight, this reduces the weight of B from 

 490 lbs. to 390 lbs., and adds 200 lbs. to C, 



B— 390 lbs"' \ ^ ^^^- ^° ^ "°^® *^^° ^' '^'^^ 

 be sufficient to cause a preponderance, if all 

 the parts be properly constructed, if not, B 

 may be made heavier, and a still greater force 

 applied to C by the rope D. 



Thus B rises to the lower dotted line, and 

 C descends at the same time to the upper 

 dotted, three or four feet above the lower 

 one. The load 290 lbs. is discharged, and 



B— 50 lbs. and the man— 150 lbs. j j|^ 



200 lbs., which is 5 lbs, more tlian C — 195 

 lbs., this extra weight of B more than C, 

 causes B to descend to the lowest point, and 

 at the same time C ascends to the highest 

 point. 



When horse power is desired to be used 

 with a machine constructed upon this prin- 

 ciple, the following described parts may be 

 used, viz : 



A 1, A 2, A3, A 4, arc four vertical fixed 

 wheels or pulleys. 



B 1, B 2, arc two ves.sols which ascend 

 and descend alternately; each may weigh 

 when empty 30 lbs., and be loaded with 570 

 lbs. 



