1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



121 



ALBANY SEED DRILL AND CORN PLANTER. (Fig. 27.) 



A GOOD and cheap drill, for planting corn, 1 

 beans, and small seeds for root crops, has long 

 been a desideratum among our farmers. The 

 Albany Seed Drill and Corn Planter, repre- 

 sented in the above figure, we have carefully 

 examined, and consider it a very perfect and 

 apparently durable implement, and can confi- 

 dently recommend it to our readers. 



In noticing this drill^ the editor of the Albany 

 Cultivator says : — " This is, in its general fea- 

 tures, similar to the well known English Drill or 

 Brush Barrow. It is light, strong and durable ; 

 can be used by one man, as its whole weight 

 will not excead fifty pounds, or can be drawn by 

 a horse when a large amount of work is to be 

 done. It is also quite simple ; the small seeds, 

 as onions, carrots, parsneps, turneps, &c., are 

 sown by a revolving brush inside the hopper, 

 and which forces the seeds through a hole in a 

 tin slide or plate, at the bottom of the hopper — 

 the holes in the slides varying in size according 

 to the size and quantity of seed to be sown. For 

 corn, beans, peas, &c., the brush and tin slide, 

 or plate, are removed, and a wood cylinder sub- 

 stituted, with eight cavities in the same, equal 

 distances apart, and in each cavity is a screw 

 with a large head, which can be turned out or 

 in to receive the requisite number of grains of 

 seed to be sown in each hill. One or all these 

 cavities may be used at the same time, according 

 to the distance between the hills. The brush 

 and cylinder both receive their rotary motion 

 from the large or forward wheel, B, by means of 

 small gear wheels, one of which, at B, is move- 

 able on the connecting rod from A to B, and can 

 be confined so as to operate in any of the differ- 

 ent rowp or series of cogs in the face of the 

 large wheel, and thereby receive a greater or 

 less number of revolutions to the ground over 

 which it moves, consequently varying the dis- 

 tance of the hills with the cylinder, from 3 to 6, 

 9, 12, 24, 35, 48, or 96 inches asunder. The 

 plow can be placed up or down, to any required 

 depth, to suit tall or short persons holding the 

 same ; the scraper and roller follow and cover 



the seed, and compress the earth atone operation." 

 The drill is manufactured and sold by the in- 

 ventor, H. L. Emkry, at the Albany Agricul- 

 tural Warehouse, (as will be seen by reference 

 to his advertisement in this number. ) The price, 

 complete and wai'ranted, is, we believe, $12. 



Product of Two Acres. — Inquiry. 



Messrs. Editors : — I send you the following 

 statement, showing the amount received from the 

 sale of tlie products of two acres of land during 

 the past season, which you are at liberty to 

 publish. * ||^ 



From one-fourth of an acre of June Peas, $20.00> 



" three-fourtlis •' Potatoes, (Meslian- 



nocks,) Hold eurly, 10L25 



" three-sixteenths of an acre of Sweet Corn,..- 20.00 



" one-sixleenth " Tomatoes, 15.00 



" one-fourth '• Melons ..- 35.00 



" one-hair " RutaBagas, 400 



IsatSr^cts., - -- 150.00 



$341.25 



The soil upon which the above crops were 

 raised was dry and sandy, with some mixture of 

 gravel. No extraordinary pains was taken in 

 raising said crops. 



The land was plowed but once, and none of it 

 manured, except the half acre sown to ruta bagas, 

 which was covered with coarse manure as thick 

 as could well be plowed under ; it had been plant- 

 ed the year previous with corn, and was in what 

 might be considered tolerable good condition. 



The ruta bagas were sown the eleventh of 

 June, in drills two feet apart, and were hoed but 

 twice during the season. 



I should be glad to hear from some of your 

 correspondents their views as to the best method 

 of culture for turneps, especially the ruta baga — 

 the best way of preparing the land — time and 

 manner of sowing, and the best way of avoiding 

 or remedying the effects of the black fly, which, 

 in this section, is very destructive ; and such 

 other facts as may be of interest to those of your 

 subscribers who raise turneps extensively. 



Yours, &c., J. W. Sprague. 



Ea>>t Hamburg, Erie Co., N. Y., Jan., 1848. 



