ROTARY BLOWERS. 231 



the blast and to prevent it from depositing in the pipes, which should 

 terminate near the ground in the manner already described. The me- 

 dian pipe descends immediately, but the two lateral ones are attached 

 along the sides of the frame and to the hind legs, behind which they 

 terminate, as shown. Such a machine is very light, and a mule or even 

 a man can pull it easily. The velocity of rotation will vary from 800 

 to 2,000 revolutions per minute, according to the speed with which it 

 is hauled. 



"The following is a machine, invented by Mr. Charles T. Hurd, of Vic- 

 toria, Tex. (Patent ^o. 145949, December 30, 1873). It is intended to be 

 attached to a cultivator or similar machine, and is drawn over one row 

 of plants at a time. It consists of a fan, or blower, inclosed in a cylin- 

 drical casing, and conjoined with a box containing the poison. The pow- 

 der is scattered over the iDlants by means of a vibrating wire or cloth 

 sieve at the bottom of the box,' and at the same time converted into a 

 cloud of dust by a current of air created by the fan already mentioned, 

 and which is operated by a pulley or band running from the axle of the 

 blower to a wheel on the supporting axle of the cultivator. 



" In Plate XXIX, Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus as attached 

 to a cultivator, showing one end of the box A partly broken away; Fig. 2, a plan 

 view, with a part of the blower-box removed ; Fig. 3, a rear view of the blower-box 

 and powder-box as attached to the cultivator axles. 



''A represents an oblong box, tapering to the bottom, which contains the powdered 

 poison, having a flap or door, /, on its top, and opening at said bottom onto a wire 

 screen or cloth, 6, running from end to end of the box, which screen'is oscillated length- 

 wise and across the row of plants by a lever, d, pivoted en one side of the box A, and 

 engaged at the other end against a rotating tam, e, upon the axle of the blower B. 

 A spring, 7, keeps the lever engaged with face of the cam. The blower B is confined 

 alongside of the box A in a cylindrical casing, B', of a common form, and is mounted 

 on a horizontal axle, g, which ^nds in a pulley, 7i, opposite to another pulley, i, upon 

 the supporting axle m of the cultivator. 



" The box A and the blower-box f rm one whole box, and is supported at either end 

 by arms Ic k, which are centered upon the said supporting axles m wi, for the purpose 

 of allowing the box A to be raised or lowered in the application of the powder. A 

 ratchet or brace, u, for this purpose extends from the box A to a convenient part of 

 the cultivator. The orifice r of the blower-box oj)ens parallel with or close alongside 

 of the oscillating screen h, so that the air current catches and directs the powder 

 against the plants as it is shaken through the screen from the powder-box. 



''To confine the powder to the plants and vicinity, side guards or hoods E E, of sheet 

 metal or light wood, as shown by the dotted lines, may be advantageously employed, 

 and be attached to the supports fc & or other convenient part or place. 



"A seat may also be attached to the arch p or beams D D of the cultivator for the 

 use of the driver." 



^'It is evident that this apparatus neither saves material to any great 

 extent nor time in the application of the poison, since only one row of 

 plants is dusted at a time. The only possible advantage it can have is 

 in so distributing the poison in a fine dust that it attaches to the under 

 side as well as to the upper side of the leaves" ; yet this is not effected 

 so well as it will be done by machines discharging the powder blast in 



