240 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



As the long beam is swung to one side it does not advance 

 so much, because it travels in the arc of a larger circle. 



Due provision should be made for varying the width 

 between the gangs to suit the various conditions which may 

 arise. This adjustment should be easily and quickly accom- 

 plished. The wheels should also be adjustable to various 

 widths. Many cultivators are now made with reversible 

 axles; that is, the axles are made in the form of the letter Z; 

 one of the two ends, which are alike, is attached to the culti- 

 vator and the other end serves as the axle proper. After 

 the one becomes worn, the ends may be reversed and a new 

 wearing surface presented. 



Wheels. The wheels of a cultivator should be high and 

 have wide tires which will not carry dirt up on the inside. 

 Often the value of a cultivator is indicated by the construc- 

 tion of the wheels. To determine their strength, the width 

 and thickness of the tires and the number and diameter 

 of the spokes should be observed. The wheels should have 

 interchangeable boxes which may be replaced after they are 

 worn without requiring an entirely new wheel, and these 

 boxes should be dustproof or long distance. To describe, 

 the wheel is held in place by a collar on the inside arranged 

 to exclude the dirt and dust, and the outer end of the wheel 

 box is enclosed. The end of the wheel box had best be remov- 

 able for filling with axle grease or hard oil. A supply of 

 grease in one of these inclosed boxes will last for a long time. 



Balance Frame. The balance frame now generally used 

 on cultivators has two purposes ; first to balance the weight 

 of the operator on the wheels; and, second, to balance the 

 cultivator when the gangs are carried out of the ground. 

 The balance frame makes provision for setting the wheels 

 forward or backward as required. It should be a feature 

 of every riding cultivator. 



