256 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



stand they arc used soaiewhat now. In front of the seed- 

 box was a large box that would hold perhaps half a bushel ; 

 in that was a little roller which revolved just enough to stir 

 up the ashes by a motion from the side-wheel. The ashes, 

 or fine fertilizer, or plaster, was dropped down into the fur- 

 row, the earth fell over it, the seed then fell upon the top, 

 and was covered by the small roller. That is the only hand- 

 machine that I know of personally. My idea is that a ma- 

 chine for dropping fertilizers with grain and corn is used in 

 England extensively in planting operations. 



INIr. . Is not the fertilizer likely to kill the seed if 



it is dropped in the same line with the seed ? 



Mr. Grinnell. It is intended to have the earth cover 

 the fertilizer. 



Mr. . The Albany corn-planter drops them both. 



Mr. Grinnell. Mr. Bowditch has an excellent corn- 

 planter, which does not drop the fertilizer, I believe. 



Mr. Bowditch. My planter is merely a Western drill. I 

 have tried the Albany machine, and it did not strike me as a 

 perfect machine. This machine that I have, plants just one 

 acre per hour, and it not only plants it, but the weight of the 

 machine, the wheels going directly over where the corn is 

 planted, rolls it so hard that the crows cannot pull up the 

 corn. 



Mr. Ware. May I say a word about the Ross machine? 

 I have a corn-planter made by Ross, of Northfield, Mass. 

 This machine will plant the corn and drop the fertilizer, 

 either in drills or in hills, as fast as you can furrow out the 

 land. About an acre an hour, I should say, was the speed. 

 It will make furrows equal distances apart, and you may 

 drop three, four, five or six kernels in a hill, or you may 

 drop it in drills continually. I plant my ensilage corn with 

 it very satisfactorily. I have used it for several years in 

 planting corn and beans. It is designed to plant all sorts of 

 seed, but I would not recommend it for other than beans and 

 corn. 



Question. Will not stones trouble it somewhat? 



Mr. Ware. Small stones would not seriously interfere 

 with its operation. Large stones would of course interfere 

 with the roller. The land I use it on has no large stones 

 and no serious obstructions. Very rocky land, of course, 



