sow 



the prefTure occafioned by the aftion of the (hares. The 

 back part of the funnel is formed by a thin deal board, 

 which is fecured at its upper part to the (hafts. The fides 

 of the funnel are clofed under the (hafts with moderately 

 thin deal boarding. The funnel, when ready for direfting 

 the feed, reaches within four or (ive inches of the ground ; 

 it has no bottom, fo that when the implement is in motion, 

 it will, in this (tate, fow broad-call with much regularity and 

 exaftnefs. When thus employed, however, inllead of having 

 the chain which hangs in loops, at fix inches apart, all 

 along the bottom part of the back-board, for the purpofe of 

 covering in the. feed, and filling up the little furrows made 

 by the (hares in the bufinel's of drill-fowing, a broad but 

 fliort harrow is to be fixed to, and appended from, the 

 bottom part of the back-board, which, pafling before the 

 roller, covers the broad-call work, which is immediately 

 afterwards comprefled by the roller coming over it, and 

 finifiied. It mud be noticed, that the loops of the chain 

 ufed in drill-fowing hang in thofe parts of the back-board 

 that lie over the intervals between the fmall furrows. This 

 is managed by having a number of tenters, into which along 

 chain may be looped, as the occafion may require. The 

 (hares have each a ilandard, the latter being long enough to 

 meafure the whole deptli of the front board or plank noticed 

 above. The foot part of thefe fpreads a httle at the heel, 

 fo that it may (land open to about two inches and a half at 

 that part ; the length of the fole part may be (ive inches, 

 and the inftep about three inches, the point and the upper 

 part being lliarp. At the back part of each Ilandard are 

 two flit-fprings, which ferve to keep them tight, when they 

 are put into the groove in the front board or plank. At 

 the top, in the front part, for about eight inches downwards, 

 the (tandards are furrowed in an horizontal manner, fo as 

 to form teeth or cogs, which fit into the grooved bar that 

 pafles all acrofs the tool, whereby the feveral ftaudards, and 



SOW 



the fnares that are fixed to them, are capable of being either 

 raifed or lowered. This is efFeaed by means of the fmal! 

 winch handle. There are two rows of ilaples driven through 

 the front board or plank, and rivetted firmly within the funnel. 

 Thefe Ilaples (hould admit the ftandards to pafs up them from 

 below, when fitting into their places, and (hould fit them 

 exaftly in breadth ; but in depth fome allowances (hould be 

 made for the play of the two back fprings. The upper 

 row of Ilaples (hould be juil between the (hafts, the lower 

 one within four inches of the bottom of the board. Great 

 care (hould be taken to place thofe in the upper row per- 

 feftly in a line with thofe belew ; and both lines (hould be 

 in a correft parallel with the grooved bar, otherwife they 

 never will work up and down fo freely, or in fo proper a 

 manner, as they ought to do. The ftandards (liould be about 

 half an inch in breadth and nearly an inch in depth, from 

 front to back, exclufive of the flit-fprings, which are not 

 to be rivetted, but welded on, that they may not weaken 

 the ftandards, which muft alfo be perfeftly fmooth and 

 (Iraight. The number of the ftaples in each row is feven- 

 teen ; but as it is fuppofed that fix inches will be as fmall 

 an interval as will ever be wanted in this method of fowing 

 by means of drills, no more than nine (hares can ever be re- 

 quired for the purpole. 



The tabular form and reprefentation which is introduced 

 below will give a clear view of the manner in which the 

 (hares (hould be diftributed in the feventeen fets of ftaples, 

 which are calculated for fowing any number of rows in this 

 implement ; confidering always that the tool, in returninsr, 

 muft pafs more or lefs diftantly from its preceding track, 

 according as the vacancies on the right of the row of (hares 

 may indicate : thus, for inilance, when fowing at a foot 

 interval, as both ends of the line will bear (hares, a foot 

 diftance (hould be allowed, as is exemplified in the third 

 column below. 



Sowing-Diftance Table. 



It is to be noticed, that the crofTcs m the above table (hew 

 in which of the ftaples the (haies (hould be fet, in order to 

 fow at the diftanccs exprelled in the lirll column of it ; all 



the other (hares may be drawn up, or wliolly taken out and 

 removed. 



The ftaples arc counted from the left of the implement j 

 3 H 2 calling 



