THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



117 



EDWARDS' DITCHER. 



Taking into consideration its first cost and later 

 its necessary operating expenses, there is probably not 

 another machine made that will show the profit on the 

 money invested, that a good ditching machine will, if 

 properly handled. The capstan can also be used for 

 moving buildings and like work that requires great 

 power. It is now twenty-seven years since the first 

 Edwards' ditcher was put into operation. Many im- 

 provements have since been made, making it now a 

 very complete, handy and thoroughly practical up-to- 

 date ditching machine. Its operating principle re- 

 sembles that of a large plow and is drawn by a cap- 

 stan and long rope set at any convenient distance from 

 the machine. To successfully operate this ditcher in 

 all soils, except marshes or sloughs, water is required to 



known as peat marshes or sloughs are ditched to the 

 best advantage without water. The width of ditch does 

 not change, but remains the same for all depths of ditch. 

 The large knife extending down to the point of the 

 plow divides the earth in the ditch and two short knives 

 cut a few inches into the top of the earth on each side 

 of the ditch. The mold-boards which are of hard plow 

 steel, complete the cutting of the sides of the ditch as 

 the earth is being raised by them, and the wings move 

 the earth away a suitable distance from the edge of the 

 ditch. When the machine is drawn through once the 

 ditch is complete. Different depths of ditch are ob- 

 tained by turning a screw that stands in a guide on the 

 forward end of the beam. This screw being attached 

 to the knife raises and lowers the point of the plow, 

 giving the depth wanted. The runner shown under the 

 point and hinged thereto is intended to bear most of the 

 weight of the machine when in operation. This runner 



Edward's Ditching Machine in Operation. 



keep the mold boards thoroughly wet so the earth will 

 scour from them. If water follows in the ditch it is 

 generally enough and if not, it can be taken up with 

 a pail and deposited where needed. Will cut ditches 

 through either swamp or slough, plowed or meadow land 

 and even high and dry lands provided there is water 

 to keep the mold boards wet. And will, with proper 

 management, cut from 100 to 200 rods of ditch per day. 

 and more, under favorable circumstances, much depend- 

 ing upon the track around capstan and time consumed 

 in moving from one setting to another. Regular size 

 of machine cuts a ditch four feet wide on top, one 

 foot wide in the bottom and any depth to twenty-eight 

 inches, according to the nature and various conditions of 

 the ground and the power to draw it. Regarding depth 

 of ditch, the condition of the ground must be taken into 

 consideration. A 16-inch depth of ditch in one place 

 may draw as heavy as twenty-four inches in another, de- 

 pending upon what the ground is and whether it is wet 

 or dry. Some soils require much more water than others 

 to make the earth scour from the mold-boards. What i= 



is adjustable up and down at the will of the operator 

 by a screw similar to the one attached to the knife. 

 Being able to put the weight of the machine on the 

 bottom of the ditch, greatly reduces the friction and 

 consequently the draft, as the weight is then on a small 

 lubricated surface and further enables the operator to 

 cut a ditch on ground so soft and rotten that it would 

 not support the weight of the machine on its surface. 

 The bolster to which the forward axle is attached is 

 pivoted so the axle will revolve up over the end of 

 the machine, and the rear wheels on their iron axle 

 raise and lower vertically in their guides. Nothing 

 is removed from the ditcher at any time either in 

 or out of the ground. The wheels change their position 

 only. Has steel wheels with four-inch wide tires, the 

 forward ones being twenty-six and the rear ones thirty- 

 six inches in diameter. None of them are in use while 

 the machine is in operation, but the machine rests and 

 slides along upon its runners on each side of the ditch 

 and the one in the bottom of the ditch. For full par- 

 ticulars address C. D. Edwards, Albert Lea, Minn, 



