On the Use of the Water-Drill. 
363 
carefully and critically the results consequent upon the adoption 
of this new principle of husbandry in the growth of mangolds, 
turnips, coleseed, and oats, and I unhesitatingly assert that it has 
proved a " perfect success." Similar testimony has also been 
borne by others, who with equal care have been watching its 
progress in other counties. 
From these considerations, I conceive the water-drill evidently 
possesses claims which entitle it to be classed amongst the most 
valuable and successful inventions of the present day. 
3[r. Chandler, a gentleman farming in Wiltshire, was the first 
inventor of the water-drill, and some years ago introduced it to 
public notice. He has, I believe, contributed a paper upon the 
subject, which appeared in an earlier number of this Journal. 
Since th.at time one or two other inventions, seeking to improve 
upon ]\[r. Chandler's principle, have been before the agricultural 
public, but have not come into general use. As my own experi- 
ments have all been made with Chandler's drills, and the 
observations I have made and the information 1 have acquired 
have all been in connection with them, I shall confine my 
remarks to this particular form of water-drill. 
When Mr. Chandler first invented the drill he made it to dis- 
charge the liquid by means of cups affixed to endless chains, 
which were made to revolve by means of a spindle which passed 
through the cistern containing the liquid ; but this principle was 
found to work imperfectly, as the chains soon got out of order, 
thus preventing that regularity of motion and proper delivery of 
the liquid which were requisite. These chains were consequently 
very soon abandoned, but the cups were retained, and a much- 
improved principle of working them was adopted. They were 
placed upon discs, like the cups of a seed-barrel, and like them 
revolved, but only in the manure-cistern instead of in the seed- 
box, discharging the liquid manure into pipes, which conveyed 
it through the coulters into the ground, precisely as the corn-barrel 
delivers the seed. This principle has been continued, and still 
remains in use. About five years ago Messrs. Reeves, the 
manufacturers of Chandler's drills, patented an entirely new 
method of discharging the liquid from these drills. This con- 
sisted of plates fixed at certain intervals in the bottom of the 
manure-cistern ; these plates were perforated, and underneath 
them passed a slide which was AA'orked by a handle at the side of 
the drill, and which regulated the quantity of liquid dis- 
charged from the cistern, by passing the slide under a part of 
the holes in the plates, thereby preventing any discharge from 
those holes so covered ; so that when a larger quantity of liquid 
was required to be sown more of these holes were left unin- 
