[Usa 
66 
structed with twisted joints, as to make the inner 
end of one part work behind the end of the other, 
so that no seam is left between them. 
Lord Strathmore’s soil-consolidator is a com- 
bination of machinery for the purpose of con- 
solidating loose soils. First in it are two com- 
mon rollers; and these put in motion two wiper 
shafts ; and these lift, in continued rotation, a 
number of stampers, which are let fall on the 
soil while the machine is travelling over the sur- 
face. 
Drill-rollers have a series of stout metallic rings, 
upon an axis, each commonly about 24 inches 
thick, and sometimesso much as3 feet in diameter; 
and they are used either without weights for mak- 
_ing grooves ready on light soils to receive the seeds 
_ of a broadcast sowing, or more or less heavily 
laden with weights to crush the clods of rough 
and strong land in the manner of common or of 
spiked rollers. They have long been known to 
the farmers of Norfolk and Suffolk, and were a 
highly appreciated implement so long as 40 years 
ago ; and they have of later years been variously 
improved,— but principally in rendering each 
ring independent of the others, so as completely 
to accommodate their action to diversities of sur- 
face, and to facilitate their turning at the end of 
fields. When a drill-roller is used for crushing 
clods, it requires to be followed by a harrow of 
sufficient weight to lighten up the surface; but 
when it is used for making grooves preparatorily 
to broadcast sowing, it should not be followed 
by anything heavier than a fine short-toothed 
harrow, or even than a mere bush-harrow. 
The seam-presser or land-presser or pressure- 
roller is an abstract of a drill-roller, and has but 
two double conical wheels for pressing, and is 
greatly employed in some districts for rolling 
down the soil newly turned up by the plough, or 
for closing the furrow-seams of a seed-furrow 
from lea. The two double conical wheels are set 
upon an axle, at about 10 inches apart, and are 
situated on the one side of the machine-frame ; 
while a common wheel supports the other end of 
the axle, and occupies the corresponding side of 
the frame. The machine, in working, follows in 
the wake of two ploughs ; its conical wheels run 
in the seams of the last turned-up furrows; and 
its common wheel runs upon the unploughed 
land. It acts more. effectually than the drill- 
roller, and directs its whole force upon each 
furrow, and gives a firmer bottom for the germi- 
nation of the seeds, and tends to retard, if it does 
not altogether prevent, the insidious operations 
of the wire-worm. 
The conical grooved pulverizing land-roller, 
was invented by J. Stewart Hepburn, Hsq., of 
Colquhalzie in Perthshire; and is described and 
figured in the 11th volume of the Highland So- 
ciety’s Transactions. It comprises three varie- 
ties, and has, as its chief characteristic features, 
a conically diminishing instead of a cylindrical 
form of roller, and a series of transverse parallel 
ROLLER. 
flutings round the roller’s surface. Two of the 
rollers or conical frusta are adjusted in one frame, 
base to base, and have their axes so inclined that 
both the fore-part of their peripheries and the 
parts in contact with the ground are always in a 
straight line. The frame is the same as that of 
a common roller; and three perpendicular bars 
from it carry the axes of the two rollers ; and a 
light horizontal frame with scrapers is adjusted 
behind the rollers to clear the grooves of the 
rollers when at work from all adhering soil. 
“The effects of such a form of roller upon the 
surface of the soil,” remarks Mr. Slight, “ are 
peculiar and important. While the cylindrical 
smooth roller acts merely by its pressure on the 
rough soil intended to be pulverized, one of a 
conical form, arranged in the manner of Mr. 
Hepburn’s, will, besides acting by its direct 
pressure, produce a strictly pulverizing effect, by 
reason of its form ; for the cones having a con-. 
stant tendency to move outward in a circle, but 
being restrained by the bearings in which they 
revolve, their surface will produce a crushing and 
abrading action well adapted to the pulverization 
of the soil.” Plate LL. 
Crosskill’s patent clod crusher is, in several 
respects, a remarkable and very valuable imple- 
ment, and was pronounced by the judges to be, 
with its latest improvement, the most beneficial 
implement used in agriculture exhibited at the 
Newcastle Meeting of the Royal Agricultural 
Society in 1846. ‘ Mr. Crosskill,” says the official 
Report of that Meeting by Mr. Parkes, “ about 
the year 1832 imagined the form of this roller. 
His first plan consisted in forming a barrel, by 
stringing a number of narrow indented rims or 
discs loosely upon a square axis, the whole re- 
volving, together with the axis, in the journals 
of the frame. In addition to the saw-like teeth 
into which the periphery of each rim was divided, 
other teeth were formed, projecting sideways 
from the plane of the rim, and in a radial line 
from the centre, so as to leave no portion of the 
soil unoperated upon. This roller gradually 
fought its way into considerable practice, being 
found to effect a much greater amount of super- 
ficial pulverization than the common plain roller. 
Extended experience disclosed other uses than 
mere clod-crushing, to which it was applicable ; 
and at the same time pointed out defects which 
deteriorated its performance and diminished its 
value. The rolling of young wheat and spring 
corn, or other plants, was commenced with it, 
and usefully ; but it was found that, on turning 
short at the headlands, injury was done by tear- 
ing up the soil in the act of turning. A greater 
scope for turning than is convenient was, there- 
fore, necessary to avoid this evil. Another evil 
resulted when using it on soils at all damp or 
sticky, from the adhesion of earth to the teeth 
and their interstices, which further limited its 
useful employment. Mr. Crosskill, observing 
these defects, applied himself to their remedy, 
