No. 129.] 69 



augers receive their motion from gearing attached to the axle, 

 which revolves with the wheels when the machine is in full 

 operation, but the whole is readily thrown out of gear, in wliich 

 case the wheels revolve on the axle and the dropping of seed is 

 suspended. The seed, thus delivered by the augers, passes into 

 leather tubes extending below into six hollow coulters, through 

 which it is deposited at the bottom of the drills The augers 

 pass the regular quantity of seed into the coulters without injury 

 and with precision. The construction is such that the coulters 

 may be arranged at any required distance from each other, and 

 being placed in two rows of three each, the rear row being oppo- 

 site the spaces in the front row ; thus the liability of the machine 

 to collect stubble is avoided. The coulters are secured to the 

 levers by means of wooden pins which break in case of coming 

 suddenly in contact with obstacles, and the wooden pins can be 

 replaced on the spot in a few minutes, without injury to the 

 machine. One or all the coulters may be raised out of the ground 

 at pleasure to avoid obstacles, or in turning at the end of the 

 rows, and when thus suspended the planting is stopped. The 

 machine received Ike gold medal of the Institute at its twenty- 

 fourth Annual Fair. A. C. 



REUBEN DANIELS' SELF SIIAHPENING STRAW AND STALK 



CUTTEK. 



This machine is designed for cutting straw, hay, stalks, roots 

 and brush for fuel, into any lengths below four inches. It consists 

 of a series of knives placed on a revolving cylinder and adjusted to 

 a stationary knife attached to the end of the feeding box ; the feed 

 is carried forward by means of a tcolhed rol.er whic]i 1 Its so ss 

 to accommodate the space to the size of the material to be pressed 

 forward to meet the cutters on the revolving cylinder ; the self 

 sharpening process is thus managed, the knives on the cylinder are 

 pressed forward by means of set screws so es slightly to n:eet the 

 stationary knife, the edges of which being touched with oil and 

 fine emery, the cylinder is put in operation with a reversed mo- 

 tion until they wear themselves sharp and easy. In large tstab- 

 lishmtnts where immense quantities are required it occurs to us 

 that this machine would be very effective. A. C. 



