1884.] 
AMEEICAE AGEICULTUEIST, 
73 
OUR RECORD 
OF 
Eecent Agricultural Inventions. 
It is a familiar observation that the development of 
scientific and mechanical aids to agriculture, during re¬ 
cent years, has changed and ameliorated the conditions 
of rural life more than all that had been done in that di¬ 
rection in many previous centuries. Especially in this 
country has rural life felt the beneficial effects of the 
social and industrial changes due to the creative activity 
of inventors, particularly American inventors, the larger 
number of whom have been farmers or the sons of far¬ 
mers. That the future is destined to see changes in the 
means, methods and conditions of rural life, not less rapid 
and revolutionary than those of the immediate past, is 
evident from the increasing fertility of inventors in fields 
of thought having a direct bearing on agriculture and the 
surroundings of those who live thereby. 
Under these circumstances it is naturally becoming 
more and more needful for farmers to know not only in 
a general way what our inventors are doing, but also to 
keep a close watch for all new ideas and devices likely to 
prove helpful to them or to their rivals in the markets of 
the world. This for many reasons—for two especially: 
that they may hold their own iu competition with their 
neighbors; and still more that they may be able to adopt 
promptly for their own advantage, as inventors or 
users, any new inventions of use to them, or any useful 
suggestions that may come from inventions in other 
fields. It often happens that the clever adaptation of a 
device to a use radically different from the one the orig¬ 
inal Inventor intended, has resulted in an invention of 
great pecuniary value. Quite as frequently very prom¬ 
ising inventions fall short of real success for the reason 
that the inventor lacked a full knowledge of the condi¬ 
tions under which his invention was to be used, and so 
has missed a point of vital importance—a point which 
the practical and observant farmer may be just the man 
to supply. In the improvements of agricultural imple¬ 
ments and machinery, as in every otlier connection, real 
knowledge and practical skill rightly applied are what 
the world wants most, and is most willing to pay well for. 
In view of these facts, it is believed that in adding to 
the American Agricultw'ut a new department, to con¬ 
tain eacli month, so far as our space may permit, a re¬ 
view of such of the latest inventions bearing upon rural 
life and affairs, as seem to be of promise, the value of 
our paper to all classes of readers will be materially in¬ 
creased. In each case our aim will be to give a clear 
statement of the nature and purpose of the invention, 
with so much of the inventor's claims as may appear to 
be of interest to our readers. The illustrations and de¬ 
scriptions are gotten up entirely at our own expense and 
by our own editors. In all cases onr summary will be 
strictly impartial, and done solely with a view to increas¬ 
ing the value of the American Agriculturist to its readers. 
Riding HarfOW.— T. L. Cone, Brest, Missouri. 
Nov. 13; No. 289, ?32. The patented features of this 
harrow are, the rigidly connected tongue-rods, h, h, so 
attached to the two sections of the harrow by the 
swiveled clevis rods, j,j, as to prevent the tongue from 
interfering with the up and down movements of the ends 
of the harrow; the uprights, d, d, and the swinging 
hangers of the seat board, and the levers, g, g, by which 
the driver may easily raise either end of the harrow to 
clear the teeth, or pass freely over stones and other low 
obstructions. 
Seed Dropper.— Samuel Dement, Samuel D. 
Palmer, aud John A. Palmer, East Lynn, Ill. Nov. 13; 
No. 288,317.—This improvement in seed droppers con¬ 
sists of certain peculiarities of construction, whereby the 
seed-slide is operated by a spring arm, adapted to give 
way and prevent breakage, should the slide become 
clogged. In operation the wheels are lowered till their 
points and markers enter the ground. When the ma¬ 
chine is started, one of the dropping-arms, 5, strikes the 
spring, i, and carries it forward, turning the arm, d, and, 
by its connections, carrying the dropping-slide to plant 
two hills of corn or other seed which may be contained 
in it. At the same time the marker-blade on the wheel 
marks the place of the hill, and as the machine passes 
on, .one of the dropping-arms on the opposite wheel re¬ 
peats the movement, and another hill is planted as be¬ 
fore. The marking points enable the operator to keep 
the rows straight, and the hills at equal distances apart. 
By using the spring-arm to move tlie slide, the slide is 
started slowly and without shocks, and iu case of any 
binding of the slide, the spring-arm gives way, prevent¬ 
ing breakage or undue strain on any part of the machin¬ 
ery. The general construction of the machine will be 
readily understood from the cut. 
Cu ItivatOf.— L H. Allen, Wenona, Ill., Nov. 13; 
No. 288,292,—This figure represents one gang of Jlr, 
Allen’s improved straddle row cultivator. In operation 
each half of the cultivator is attached to the running 
gear of any two-wheeled machine, so as to fall on oppo¬ 
site sides of a row of corn or other grain. It will be 
seen by tlie figure tliat no two plows run opposite oaclt 
other, thus allowing weeds and like rubbish to escape 
between the plows without clogging the machine. The 
special advantages claimed are due to the use of beams 
of unequal length and curvature, and to the manner of 
attaching tlie plow feet to the shanks so as to make 
them adjustable. 
Portable Straw-Stacker.—s. H. Garvcr, 
Decatur, Ill., Nov. 13 ; No. 288,224.—This invention con¬ 
sists in a portable frame provided with a pivoting straw 
elevator and a revolving-brace adjuster, by means of 
which straw may be carried from the threshing machine 
at various angles, both vertical and lateral. The figure 
shows a side elevation of the stacker when in condition 
for use. By turning the lover, q, the pinions may he 
carried to tire opposite end of tlie rack, when tire frame, 
a, will rest on the support, s. A partial revolution of 
tire drum, z, will change the lateral position of the 
straw discharge; or by changing the positions of the 
pinions, iJ, in the rack. The vertical position of the 
straw discharge may be varied. 
Tile-Laying P low.-rllerbortKing, DesMoines, 
Iowa. Nov. 13 ; No. 288,344. The object of this inven¬ 
tion is to provide a strong and durable machine for laying 
drain-tiling underground, without opening a ditch, or 
removing any soil. It is to be drawn by horses, and 
consists of three parts ; first, a mole-plow, with two flat 
land sides, two duplex mould-boards, and three cutters 
arranged to cut two distinct furrow-slices, to lift them 
so as to admit the laying of tiling underneath, and then 
replace the soil as the machine advances; second, a sub¬ 
soil attachment for making a concave furrow for round 
tiling ; third, a carriage adapted to support the operator, 
carry tiles, govern the plow and regulate the depth of 
the drain. The general construction of the machine, 
and the way it works, are sufficiently shown by the en¬ 
graving. 
Cyclone-Refuge.— Joseph N. Mileham, Jersey 
City, N. J. Nov. 13, 1883 ; Letters Patent No. 288,354. 
—Dwellers in regions subject to tornadoes have learned 
tlie utility of under-ground resorts in such times of peril, 
when notliing above ground can withstand the terrible 
violence of the wind. Many liave saved their lives when 
in the track of a whirlwind by promptly seeking the cel¬ 
lar; hut not unfreqnently snch places of refuge have 
proved unsafe, being uncovered and exposed to the fury 
of the storm by the removal of the house bodily, or made 
untenable by falling timbers. Mr. Mileham's invention 
is intended to provide a safer and more convenient ref¬ 
uge in such emergencies. It consists, as the illustra¬ 
tion shows, of a metallic chamber, to be sunk in the 
ground, with proper openings for ingress and exit and 
for ventilation. A cylindrical form is preferred, and as 
tlie refuge is intended to he water proof as well as wind 
proof, the structure can be used as a cellar or storehouse 
iu places exposed to floods. In the engraving, A is the 
door or cover to the man-liole, to be locked by the chain, 
F, which is tightened witli tlie turn-huckle, E. The ven¬ 
tilators are marked B and C; the entrance ladder, B. 
Potato Digger.— John Shannon, 'Wixom, Mich. 
Nov. 20 ; No.' 288,875.—The figure shows a plan view of 
this potato digger and gatherer. The bearers of the 
bed-frame of the truck support a digger shaft, which is 
geared to the axle as shown. The digger shaft is aimed 
with curved forwardly projecting prongs or teeth, which, 
as the shaft rotates, are thrust into the ground to dig 
up the potatoes. The potatoes roll down the teeth or 
prongs into the gathering lube, to be carried by a screw 
conveyor to a basket at the end. The teeth are closer 
set toward the rear, and at their base are doors to the 
gathering tube, which open for the potatoes, and are at 
once closed by suitable mechanism. The gatherer tube 
has holes for sifting out the dirt. 
