sow 



sow 



through the tube into the holt- made by the point of the 

 dibble. In drawing up the dibble out of the ground with 

 the motion above-defcribed, the earth will be covered in 

 upon the acorn. Thorns, bullies, and thickets, fays Mr. 

 Waillell, are the natural guardians of young oaks from the 

 depredations of cattle of all kinds, m foreils and other 

 grounds where they pafture ; and by this means, acorns 

 may be depofited m the interior of buflies, as well as in 

 open grounds, with rapidity and accuracy. 



Sov/ltiG- P/otigh, that inftrument of this kind which 

 is employed for the purpofe of fowing, or of forming the 

 land in a proper manner for the feed being put into it, 

 after it has undergone the necelTary ploughing. There are 

 many ploughs of this fort in ufe in different diftridls of the 

 kingdom, and they are conflruftcd in feveral different ways 

 in different places, and with very different numbers of fhares, 

 or contrivances for forming the little drills, or fmall furrow- 

 openings in the land, which are to receive the feed. They 

 are made with three, five, feven, and nine of thefe ihares or 

 parts, according to circumltances, and the intentions of 

 fowing which they are to ferve. Low iron wheels, in com- 

 bination with tines or teeth, are fometimes hkewife made to 

 anfwer the purpofe of forming tlic little openings for the 

 feed in thefe ploughs. And they have many other vari.itions 

 in thtir ftrufture in other parts. Thefe kinds of fowing- 

 pli iighs are now beginning to make their way, fomewhat 

 rapidly, in the mouldering chalky-land diftrifts of the country, 

 particularly where the foils are of a light, dry, friable na- 

 ture. They conltitute, in lome meafure, a plan between 

 the drill and broad-caft. methods of fowing, as the feed is 

 fown or fcattered over the land by the hand, after it has been 

 furrowed by the plough in a fuitable manner. The Berk- 

 ftiire mne-fhare fowing-plough ii faid to be ufed witli the 

 moll beneficial efFe£ls. After the land is properly prepared 

 and rolled, this plough is palled over it, and the grain or 

 other feed fown broad-calt and harrowed in ; by which 

 means it comes up, it is obferved, with as much regularity 

 as if it had been drilled. It is indeed fuggefted, that in many 

 foils and fituations this fowing-plough might undoubtedly 

 be found preferable to the belt: drill-machine. See Sowing. 

 The preffing.plough, and probably fome others, are of 

 this kind, though they may polfefs other highly ufeful pro- 

 perties, in different intentions. See Preffitig-FLOVGU. 



The utihty and preference in favour of thefe forts of fow- 

 ing-ploughs, probably, in a great meafure, depend upon 

 their being attended with but little labour, trouble, or diffi- 

 culty in the performance of the bufinefs, and their requiring 

 little knowledge in the perfons who conduft and manage 

 them. There may alfo be fomething on fuch li^ht foils, 

 in their rendering the land more folid, in putting in fome 

 forts of crops, as thofe of the wheat kind, &c. See Tread- 

 ing and Wheat. 



SoviiriG-Rol/cr, that fort of implement of this kind 

 which is conftrufted for the purpofe of fowing different 

 forts of grain and feeds. Implements of this nature have 

 been lately contrived, and formed in feveral different mo'les 

 and manners, in the view of effefting this intention in a more 

 complete and fatisfaftory manner than has been commonly 

 the cafe formerly. They are, however, for the moil part, 

 flill defedive in all or fome of the ways which have been 

 noticed in fpeaking of fowing.machines, and to be remedied, 

 moft probably, in the ways, and by the means, which have 

 been there fuggeft;ed and pointed out. See Roller. 



In a fowing-roUer which has been lately invented, the 

 heavy expence commonly attendant upon conft:ruaing fuch 

 implements, and their being moftly applicable only to one 

 particular purpofe, has induced the inventor to fix and 



I 



attach a complete feed-diftributing apparatus to the commoB 

 field-roller, which is capable of feeding, it is faid, any given 

 number of little rows or furrows made in the ground by 

 itfelf, or of fowing the land broad-cait, if that mode (hould 

 be preferred. This fowing implement, which is wholly 

 formed on the above principles, from its very great powers, 

 the eafe with which it may be conllrudled, being fuch as 

 that any tolerable good village wheelwright may put toge- 

 ther, and the little liabihty there is of its being out of order, 

 warrant, it is fuppofed, the aflertion, that it is a more ef- 

 feftual fowing tool than any which has yet been offered to 

 the public. It is in this cafe calculated and conftrufted on 

 a narrow fcale, that is, with a roller of only four feet two 

 inches in length, and twenty-eight inches in diameter ; as 

 fuch a block of wood is eafily to be procured in almolt any 

 fituation, but it may be formed of much larger dimenfions. 



This fowing-roUer confills of a roller-part, the gudgeons 

 of which pierce the ffiafts of the tool, and after pading 

 through them about two inclics, are bent at right angles, 

 fo as to form cranks, which, by means of parallel bars of 

 communication, give a rotatory motion to a tin cylinder, 

 which, for the fowing of fmall feeds, fuch as thofe of tur- 

 nips, rape, cabbage, clover, and others of the fame nature, 

 may be about a foot in diameter, but for different forts of 

 grain larger, and perhaps fomewhat differently modified. 

 This tin cylinder is to be fliut at each end, by means of a 

 piece of ftout board, turned fo as to fit exaftly, and to be 

 faftened in with very great nicety and firmnefs. The whole 

 furface of it is to be pierced witii fmall holes, fo that when 

 it is furnifhed with feeds, the revolutions of it may caufe 

 them to pafs through mto the funnel for their dillribution. 

 It is alfo internally divided and feparated by feveral dia- 

 phragms of the tin kind, by which the feed is prevented, 

 when the implement is on a declivity, from being thrown 

 all to one end of the cylinder, by the force of its own weight 

 or gravity. Each compartment is provided with a fmall 

 Aider, which moves in a groove internally, by means of 

 which it is fupplied with feed when it is wanted. The axis, 

 or axle-tree, is fquare, from the end or place of its entrance 

 into the cylinder, to that of its exit at the oppofite end. 

 Both ends of this axis, as well as thole of the gudgeons in 

 the ends of the roller, are turned for cranks ; but in order 

 that there may be no poffible check given to the motion of 

 the cylinder, the two cranks, that is thofe of the roller and 

 of the cylinder, on the right fide of the implement, are to 

 be fet at right angles with the direftion of thofe on the left 

 fide of it, fo that when the former are vertical, the latter 

 will be horizontal ; as is feen to be the cafe in many pieces; 

 and forts of machinery, as in thofe of windlaffes for pits 

 and wells, hand-mills, and fome others, where two perfons 

 are employed, one at each end of the power which gives the 

 motion. 



There is a ftrong plank, about two inches in thicknefs, 

 and two feet at lealt in depth, which reaches all acrofs the 

 tool; the whole of it that is above the fhafts, refting upon 

 them by means of a (houlder at each end. It is fupported 

 by a ilrong iron ftay, as it is a part which mult be very 

 firm, on account of the whole ftrefs of the fhares bearing 

 upon it. All of it that is above the fhafts, which need not 

 be more than eight inches, ferves as a foot-board, while that 

 part which is under the (hafts forms the front part of the 

 feed-funnel. A ilrong wooden flip or llrap, for a fupport, 

 fhould be faftened firmly, at its upper end, to the fide of 

 the ftiaft, taking care that it be out of the way of the crank 

 on the axis of the roller. The other end may be fixed as 

 a buttrefs, at the back of the projefting elbow of the above 

 plank or board, fo as to ilrengthen and enable it to refill 



the 



