ESCULENT- ROOTED PLANTS— THE POTATO. 



209 



Newington calls his "Patent hand-row cultivator 

 and drill-hoe:' The head and handle are much 



newington's hand-cultivator. 



the same as in the last, only the head is so con- 

 structed that when the tines (three) at present 



newington's hand-row cultivator. 



shown as affixed to it are removed, hoes of dif- 

 ferent sizes, a, b, and c, can be substituted, and 

 in this form it acts as a weed-killing hoe ; and 

 these hoes are placed like the tines, one in the 

 centre of the front bar or head, and two in the 

 hind one. A moulding-board for earthing up 

 has also been added to it, but we think with 

 much less effect than in Sievewright's improve- 

 ment upon it, which, although acting upon the 



same principle, is every way a superior imple- 

 ment. 



Sievewright's improved cultivator is one of these 

 contrivances for the economising of labour, and 

 is thus described by him in " Gardeners' Chroni- 

 cle," 1849, p. 500. After premising that the ma- 

 chine has been most effectually employed in hoe- 

 ing between drills, grubbing up ground to the 

 depth of from 5 to 6 inches, and earthing up be- 

 tween potatoes and cabbages, &c, the intelligent 

 improver proceeds : " When I use it for hoeing 

 between drills, I use flat tines, which are five in 

 number ; the transverse bar at the back expands 

 to the width of 21 inches, or contracts to 13 

 inches ; and should even this latter width be 

 greater than the drills will allow of, I take out 

 the two hind tines. There is a weight which is 

 fixed at pleasure on any part of the bar running 

 through the centre, the position of which is re- 

 gulated by the way in which you are using the 

 machine, and which keeps it working steadily." 

 This is a circular piece of cast-iron attached ; and 

 one, two, or more may be used, according to the 

 weight required. " When I use the machine for 

 grubbing up ground, or for working it into a fine 

 state, I change the flat tines to a set which I 

 have, similar in form to those of a common 

 grubber : in this way I prepare the ground for the 

 reception of a second crop, saving the expense of 

 digging ; and, when no manure is required to be 

 buried in, doing the work far better than the 

 spade. When earthing up potatoes or cabbages, 

 the front tine is left in, the four hinder ones taken 

 out, the moulding-boards put on ; and as the trans- 

 verse bar expands or contracts, I am enabled to 

 earth up potatoes 21 inches between the rows, 

 or cabbages at 13. The wheel in front regulates 

 the depth to which the tines enter, and keeps 

 them to a uniform depth in the soil ; the hind 

 wheel can be applied for the same purpose, and, 

 where the ground is rough, has the additional 

 effect of steadying the machine." In our own 

 practice with this excellent machine, we place 

 the weight referred to above here, finding in our 

 light soil the hind wheel of little service. " The 

 whole machine, which is of iron, is very light, 

 and the work which I have described it as do- 

 ing is quite within the power of a lad. The 

 work a man could do with it would not be less 

 than 2 acres per day, hoeing between turnips, 

 at 2 feet apart; the grubbing he would do nearly 



Fig. 90. 



SIEVEWRIGHT'S CULTIVATOR IMPROVED. 



