1884.] 
AMERIOAISr AGBIOULTUEiST. 
171 
OUR RECORD 
OF 
Eecent Agricultural Inventions. 
Plow.— Geo. C. Avery. Louisville,Ky. Dec. 25; No. 
290,959. The object of this improvement is to prevent 
the breaking of the cap plate of the plow standard by 
sudden shocks to the plow. To this end the standard is 
secured to the socket so as to have a rocking movement 
in it on the retaining pivot, thus distributing the strain 
between the socket and the bracing of the plow beam. 
Cultivator.— Sttaron French, Silver Lake, Kansas. 
Dec. 11; No. 289,824. This “ Lister ” cultivator is de¬ 
signed for use in the cultivation of crops planted in a 
hollow between two ridges. The riding planks a, a, 
break the clods and sods on the tops of the ridges, while 
the knives d, and scrapers/, ioosen the sou and destroy 
the weeds on the slopes, the knives are adjusted by 
means of the arms g. The action of the cultivator is out¬ 
ward from the plants, instead of inward as in ordinary 
cultivators: and is such that the finer portions of the 
loosened soil are brought back to the plants, while the 
coarser portions are carried up the slopes, and deposited 
on the ridges to be broken fine by the clod breaking 
planks. The construction and operation of the machine 
are sufficiently shown in the engravings. This cultiva¬ 
tor is intended to be used only when the plants are smaU. 
Automatic Vehicle-Brake.—R- R. Pace, 
Lineville, Ala. Dec. 4; No. 289,698. This brake comes 
into action the moment the horse begins to hold back. 
The thills are attached to the front axle by means of 
shackles, and carry a system of pivoted levers, having 
brake shoes at their outer ends. When the vehicle runs 
of the thills are swung up against the axle, and the brake 
shoes are pressed against the wheels, If the brake is not 
to act, as in backing or turning, the braces j. j, are un¬ 
locked from the levers A, k, and yield so as not to bring 
the brakes to bear. 
Potato Digp'Cr.— A. Adam, Reno, Nevada. Dec. 
18; No. 290,305. The patented claims of this digger, 
consist in the means of driving the sifters with a posi¬ 
tive motion ; in means for adjusting the sifters ; and in 
the manner of enclosing the gearing. The driving-wheel 
takes hold of the ground by a portion which projects 
through a slot in the bottom runner. It has an adjusta¬ 
ble bearing, and by the medium of a belt, transmits its 
motion to the shaft of the sifters. The plow digs up 
the patatoes, the side runners », throw them up to the 
sifters which clean away the dirt, and the screen o, gath¬ 
ers them and prevents their scattering. The revolution 
of the sifters is positive and certain. 
Sap Bucket Holder.— J. M. Lance, New 
Jerusalem. Ohio. Dec. 4 ; No. 289,662. The holder is a 
curved wire with hooked ends to catch the bark of the 
tree. Attachments for supporting and covering the 
bucket are also included in the patent. Devices like this, 
if new, are sometimes valuable properties. The holder, 
and several ways of using it, are shown in the figures. 
Hand Cultivator.— J- H. Thompson. Omaha, 
Neb. Dec. 11; No. 290,142. This cultivator and its attach¬ 
ments are clearly shown in perspective in the figures. 
The inventor claims as new, the perforated arm, and the 
securing staple k, in combination with the cultivator 
frame, to which the various interchangeable implements 
may be attached, and so adjusted out of line so as to do 
work while the operator walks on the undisturbed soil. 
Cotton Scraper and Cultivator.— w. c. 
Thompson, Covington, Ky. Dec. 25; No. 290,814. The 
knives a, one on each side of the machine, are fastened 
to the vertical braces S, and made adjustable both as to 
bight and inclination. The longitudinal braces c, are 
adjustably attached to the handles and to the knives. 
The handles are pivoted to the forward end and move 
up and down in slots in the upright standards g, these 
standards being adjusted to move horizontally in a slot 
in the bench. By these connections and adjustments, 
the distance between the knives can be made to suit the 
requirements of the ground and the plants, and so that 
they will not only cut the weeds, but side up the stand 
at one and the same operation. 
Plow Point. —Albert Ball, Canton, Ohio. Dec. 11; 
No. 289,797. This is a hollow plow point which may be 
attached and held firmly without the use of bolt or key, 
and yet readily removed and reversed when worn bevel¬ 
ing. The point is made of malleable metal, only the 
solid edge being hardened. The plow-share point has a 
recess, tf, into which the rear part of a is sunk for attach¬ 
ment. The long holes, a, allow the depression at b to be 
made without springing the point. When the point is 
worn the bent part may bo sprung out and the piece 
turned over and re-attached. 
Corn Planting Attachment for 
Plows.— Philip Dougherty, Fort Do.lge, Iowa. Dec, 
11; No. 290,006. This invention is designed to provide a 
convenient means for dropping seed corn in hills in ad¬ 
vance of a turnitig plow, and in the furrow previously 
ttu’ned, so that the seed will be covered by the furrow 
slice as it is turned. The construction is clearly shown 
by the engraving. As the plow is drawn forward, the 
revolution of the wheels acting on the connecting bar. 
causes the slide, to work the valves in the seed box, 
so as to drop the seed into the spout. The motion of 
the vibrating bar, operates the valves, by which the 
further movement of the seed is controlled. The spout 
is jointed so as to be adjusted to drop the seed in the 
outer part of the furrow, so that the plants will come up 
between the adjacent furrow slices. 
Stock Releasing Device.— Wm. Donion, 
Eden Prairie, Minn. Dec. 4; No. 289,398. This inven¬ 
tion is to he applied to stock barns, and consists of a 
series of rods, wires, chains, or ropes distributed through 
the barn, and provided with fusible or burnable parts, to 
be severed in the case of fire. This system is connected 
with proper weights and springs, and also with the 
doors and the hitching straps of the animals, so that in 
case of fire, the animals will be set free and the doors 
opened for their escape. The details of the hitching 
device and its operation, are shown in the engraving ; 
also a sectional view of a barn, with the system applied. 
Steam Plow.— N- Pidgeon, Saugerties, N. Y. 
Dec. 4; No. 298.554. The engraving shows a longitu¬ 
dinal elevation of the plow, to which Mr. Pidgeon’s im¬ 
provements apply. Their object is to increase the trac¬ 
tion of the plow and to facilitate the steering of it. The 
