48 Forest Club Annual 



It was, however, much more complex than the machine about to 

 be described. 



During the year 1909, the Union Pacific Railroad Com- 

 pany decided to establish a catalpa plantation of approximately 

 100 acres, two and one half miles east of North Platte, Ne- 

 braska, as a possible source of fence posts, railroad ties, and 

 other products. Small plantings of other species were provided as 

 an experiment and for beauty. The actual field work was entrusted 

 to Mr. J. P. E. Rodman, a landscape gardener of the company, 

 who immediately decided to construct a machine which would 

 do the planting. This machine was made without any knowl- 

 edge of the Stratton machine and was given only a half hour 

 trial before it was shipped to North Platte. 



The planting site . borders the Platte River and consists 

 of an alluvial top soil of dark, rich, sandy loam which averages 

 eight to ten inches in depth. The subsoil is a fine sand and 

 very wet since it is only 48 inches to water. The year previous 

 to planting, the area had been allowed to grow up in sunflowers 

 and other weeds. This necessitated plowing the land in the fall 

 of 1908 which was done at a cost of $3 an acre. In the spring 

 of 1909 small portions of the site were plowed and all of it 

 was disked amounting to $2.50 an acre. This makes a total cost 

 of $5.50 for preparing the ground. 



The machine is drawn by four horses abreast with one man 

 driving and one man setting the trees in the furrow. The 

 doubletree is attached to the end of the plow-beam which in 

 turn is fastened to the tongue and regulated by means of a foot 

 lever. A downward movement of this lever raises the plow 

 beam and brings the plow to the surface. The coulter cuts 

 the sod or breaks the soil in advance of the plow which is 16 

 inches high, 18 inches long at the top,and 32 inches long at 

 the bottom. The plow makes a furrow about 8 inches wide and 

 8 to 9 inches deep. The depth is determined by a hand lever 

 which raises or lowers the two front wheels and results in 

 raising or lowering the double mold board. A heavier machine 

 and more power would be necessary to throw a furrow deeper 

 than 9 inches. The machine is supported by two 40 inch front 

 wheels and two 16-inch rear wheels which trail behind the furrow 

 plow. These latter wheels have wide rims and are set at an 

 angle of about 45 degrees. In addition to giving the machine 

 support their principal function is that of covering up the fur- 

 row and packing the soil around the seedlings. 



The driver occupies a seat which is built on the back end 

 of the tongue while behind this and nearer the ground is the 

 planter's seat. On each side of this seat, within reach of the 



