276 
SEED SOWING AND PLASTER-SPREADING MACHINE. 
other building, to be within some rods, if possible. 
I then take chestnut, or southern pine joists, twelve 
feet long, and cut them in two in the middle, giving 
six feet to each. Two pieces, of six feet in length, 
form the supports of two hives. I sink them 
eighteen inches in the ear*h, at such a distance from 
each other, that when a strip of board is nailed 
horizontally to the inn or side of each joist, on a 
level with the top, a hive with a strip of deal one 
inch square nailed to two sides, where the division- 
hoard is placed, say one foot from the bottom, will 
lit in between the joists, and rests upon the upper 
edges of the boards, as before named, nailed to the 
sides of the joists. The pieces attached to the 
j ‘VfJr he at least 28 inches long, in order to 
hr.-ft ft 9 »d/!s projection on either side. They 
may be from six inches to one foot wide in the 
centre, and run to a point at each end. It will be 
perceived, that a hive can be hung on each end, 
which will bring them three feet six inches from 
the ground. They should never be nearer the 
ground than one yard, as the vapors arising from 
the earth after rains in warm weather, are very in¬ 
jurious. The strips of deal should be placed on the 
front and back sides of the hives, in order to have 
them both front the same way. I thus continue 
till I have hung all my hives, taking care to leave 
about 15 inches space between the hives of differ¬ 
ent stands, so as to allow of their being removed at 
pleasure. T. B. Miner 
Ravenswood, L. I., August 1st, 1846. 
SEED-SOWING AND PLASTER-SPREADING MACHINE. 
Seed-Sowing and Plaster-Spreading Machine.—Fig. 66. 
This machine is mounted on two wheels, the 
axle-tree of which carries two standards, support¬ 
ing a long hopper, marked c, in the above figure. 
One wheel carries a gear-wheel, which works into 
another gear-wheel, inserted on a shaft set in the 
standards, and connected with a long cylinder, b, 
directly below the hopper, c. This cylinder has a 
number of cups formed by holes bored about 1J 
inches deep, which depth is regulated by large¬ 
headed brass screws, with heads about the size of 
the calibre or bore of the cups. In the bottom of 
the hopper is a board made to fit close to the upper 
part of the cylinder, b , with holes in it, which are 
so arranged as to come directly over the cups. 
Each of these holes has a small sheet-iron slide to 
shut off' the supply of seeds from the cylinder, b. 
The other carriage-wheel carries another wheel 
geared into a small pinion fixed to the cylinder, a , 
which is also set on the standards on the axle-tree, 
and is armed with numerous pegs or pins. The 
size of these several gear-wheels is so adjusted 
that the lowermost cylinder moves six times faster 
than the upper. 
The operation of the parts is as follows :—The 
machine is first drawn to the place where it is to be 
used, by horses, and the hopper filled with seeds. 
The small sheet-iron slides are then withdrawn, 
and the whole set in motion. The seeds, in de¬ 
scending through the holes in the board above de¬ 
scribed, fall into the cups or holes in the cylinder, 
b, and, after being carried partly round, drop on the 
cylinder, a, which moves at a greater velocity 
than the cylinder, b, and by means of the small 
pins become scattered after the manner of sowing 
broad-cast. 
For spreading lime, plaster, guano, &c., the 
board in the bottom of the hopper is to be taken 
out, and the iron slide on the back of the hopper is 
to be so adjusted, vertically, by means of the 
screws, as to allow a sufficient quantity of plaster 
to escape from the hopper to the cylinders below, 
and be scattered after the manner of the seeds. The 
machine may be followed by a harrow, roller, or 
any other implement used for covering seeds with 
earth, or for raking in lime, plaster, or guano. 
Price of six feet cylinders, $60. Ditto nine feet 
cylinders, $70. 
Wm. J. Jones and H. C. Smitm 
