210 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



as quickly ; and would certainly earth up pota- 

 toes at the rate of an acre per day." Through 

 the courtesy of Mr Sievewright, who>arly direct- 

 ed our attention to this machine, we have had 

 two in operation during the last three years, and 

 can corroborate all Mr Sievewright has said 

 about it. 



The modification of this implement, shown by 

 figs. 90, 91, possesses, we think, important im- 

 provements on both Dr Newington's and Mr 

 Sievewright's machines, both of whom had in 

 view mainly its adaptability to the power of one 

 man. Now we do not exactly see wherein there 

 is any decided economy in this, and have there- 



Fig. 91. 



IMPROVED CULTIVATOR WITH EARTHING- UP BOARDS. 



fore adapted ours to be wrought by a man and 

 a boy. In both of the former the operator had to 

 walk backwards — a position in which his phy- 

 sical power could not be exerted to its greatest 

 advantage. Again, in stony and hard ground 

 the machine was found ineffective ; nor could 

 the ground be stirred so deep, nor the other 

 processes so satisfactorily accomplished, as when 

 a man's whole power is directed to drawing it 

 forward, while a boy guides it behind ; and the 

 two lift it more conveniently at the end of each 

 row, and introduce it into the next, without dis- 

 ordering or dirtying the gravel walks at the 

 ends of the quarters. Our other appendages 

 will speak for themselves. 



The grubbing-tines are the same, as are also 

 the angular hoes, which fit into the same holes 

 in the frame as in Mr Sievewright's; and the 

 moulding boards are similarly attached. We 

 have, however, added the stilts, which enable a 

 boy to regulate the direction of the machine be- 

 hind ; while the man who draws it in front is 

 left to exert his whole strength in pulling it 

 through the ground, which he could not do to 

 anything like the same advantage were he to 

 walk backwards, and with the guiding of the 

 machine to attend to at the same time. By 

 gaining this additional force, the tines or grub- 

 bers can be let into the ground to double the 

 depth they formerly could, which is an import- 

 ant matter, and to a certain extent supersedes 

 the operation of digging in all loose and work- 

 able soils. It is true, weeds are not so com- 

 pletely buried by grubbing as by turning them 

 in by digging; but garden-ground in a highly- 

 cultivated state should be clear of weeds ; and 

 even should they exist, the triangular hoes are 

 to be fitted in, and the ground run over by the 

 machine the day previous to the grubbing tak- 

 ing place. The expedition with which both 

 these operations are accomplished, bears in no 

 case anything like a relative proportion to the 

 time occupied in digging ever so superficially 

 the same breadth. The machine is so con- 



structed that the frame can be contracted or 

 expanded to any extent to meet the difference 

 in the breadths between all garden crops ; 

 and the same applies to the moulding boards 

 also. With the improved machine which has 

 been manufactured for us by Mr Slight, the 

 eminent engineer, and which has been con- 

 structed to our entire satisfaction, we can grub 

 to the depth of 9 inches, or hoe between the 

 rows of crops, or earth up an acre of potatoes 

 per day, at the cost of the wages of a man 

 and a boy — say 3s. We may also state that 

 we hold no exclusive right in this machine, it 

 being a combination of former principles adapted 

 by us to horticultural and nursery purposes 

 with a view to the economy of time, and doing 

 the work better than by the ordinary operations 

 of shallow digging and hoeing, and the still more 

 laborious operation of earthing up with the 

 draw-hoe. These machines may be seen at the 

 works, and procured of Mr Slight, engineer, 

 Leith Walk, Edinburgh. 



These are the parts embodied in both Dr 

 Newington's and Mr Sievewright's implements ; 

 but to these we have added a drilling and sow- 

 ing appendage, fig. 92, which not only draws the 

 drills more equal in depth and distance than 

 can be done by the ordinary process of using 

 the garden-line and draw-hoe, but saves three- 

 fourths of the time, and lessens the evil of 

 treading the ground in an equal proportion — a 

 most important advantage when the soil is wet. 

 The drilling and sowing appendage is fitted on 

 the frame, and covers a space of 4| feet in 

 breadth, so constructed that the drills can be 

 drawn to any distance apart, varying from 6 

 inches to 18 inches ; and from 4 to 6 drills can 

 be opened at the same time, and the seed depo- 

 sited in them. The coulters that open the drills 

 are placed on the front of the cross arm or bar ; 

 the boxes for containing the seed are placed on 

 top of it; and the delivering tubes, for conveying 

 the seed from them to the drills, are placed 

 immediately behind and within these coulters, 



