296 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



The Truck. The truck of the manure spreader is impor- 

 tant, as it is often the first part to wear out. Steel wheels 

 are quite generally used now, and in dry climates they are 

 preferable to wooden ones. It is also important that the 

 frame of the truck be constructed of durable material, which 

 should be well braced and trussed. Maple is to be preferred 

 to pine for the frame. 



Capacity. The capacity, or size, of a manure spreader is 

 designated in bushels, but this seems to be an arbitrary unit 

 at the present time. As now rated the capacity would be 

 more nearly represented by cubic feet. 



Low-down Spreaders. The latest development in ma- 

 nure spreaders is the low-down spreader, which is built so that 



the top of the bed is very 

 low. It is obvious that 

 this type of construction 

 reduces the labor in load- 

 ing by the fork, and it 

 is also more convenient 

 for filling from a litter 

 carrier. 



Fig. 186. A low-down spreader. __ 



Wagon box Spreader. 



The wagon box spreader is a machine designed to be placed 

 on the rear of an ordinary farm wagon or farm truck. 

 The power is transmitted by sprockets clamped to the rear 

 wheels. This machine is small, light, and cheap; it furnishes 

 an opportunity to use the truck for other purposes. The 

 manure spreader, however, is a machine in such constant 

 use as to demand a truck of its own. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Why is machine spreading of manure to be preferred to hand 

 spreading? 



