158 POMEROY ON FRUIT PLANTATIONS, 
thick ; the weight varying according to the texture of 
it, from one ton to one ton and a half. An axle-tiee 
passes through the centre of the roller, one end 01 
which extends sufficiently over the bed of the mill to 
admit of a horse being fastened to it: the other enters 
an upright shaft, which has a circular motion by means 
of a pivot in some beam or bearing of the floor above j 
the bottom has a similar motion on the centre of the 
mill. The axle-tree has also a rotary motion in the 
shaft, and again in that part to which the horse is 
fastened. Thus a circular and rotary motion is ob¬ 
tained. In this state, however, which is by far the 
most general, the machine is incomplete, as the roller 
frequently slides along the trench, forcing the fruit- 
before it. To obviate this defect, a cog wheel has 
been added, in several instances, to the inner arm of 
the axle-tree, which, working in the teeth of a cor- 
responding wheel fixed on the surface of the bed, this 
motion becomes equally certain with the pther. Ano¬ 
ther improvement, lately adopted, is this—the inner- 
edge of the roller is sloped off, so, that when standing 
in the trench, it forms with the bed of the mill a level, 
by which means the circular motion is much eased. 
The rotary motion is also much assisted. The press is 
constructed on the same principles as every other per¬ 
pendicular press: short levers are used at first, after¬ 
wards longer; and at last, a long iron bar. To in¬ 
crease the purchase, a strong rope is ultimately fastened 
to the end of the bar, by means of an open noose 3 
and secured from slipping off by a pin; this rope com¬ 
municates with an upright post in a distant part of the 
building, moving on pivots at each end ; the lower, 
in a hole of the floor, the upper, in some of the tim¬ 
bers above : this post has also openings about three or 
2 four 
