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therefore well entitled to notice in this place. The 
judges at the Royal Agricultural Society’s show at 
Liverpool in 1841, spoke of it “ chiefly in its capa- 
city ofa dibbler of seed and manure,” and reported 
upon it as follows :—“ The operative part of the 
machine is suspended upon an iron carriage 
having four wheels, the two hinder ones being 
fast upon their axle and turning within it. On 
this axle is a spur-wheel, giving motion to a 
pinion on an intermediary axle, which carries a 
wheel geared into a second pinion fixed on its 
axis, having six cranks arranged spirally. The 
velocity given to the axis is such that the cranks 
make one revolution for every six inches of the 
circumference of the hind wheels, or whatever is 
the distance desired between the dibble-holes, 
The radius of each crank is such that this distance 
shall be equal to the circumference described by 
one revolution. Thus the space described by 
every crank coincides with that passed over in the 
same time by the hind wheels ; and as the cranks 
turn, during the half of a revolution, in an oppo- 
site direction to that of the wheels, the result of 
this compound motion is a pause or rest of short 
duration, at the point where the crank in its ro- 
tation commences to retrograde from the line of 
progress of the machine, 7. e. at the lowest 
point, and when the dibbles are in the ground. 
The crank raises the dibbles up and down by 
means of connecting rods and levers, which double 
the vertical without increasing the horizontal 
motion ; and in order that the point when in the 
ground, may be perfectly stationary, it is made the 
centre of motion while the machine progresses ; 
and to enable it to retain that position for a suf- 
ficient length of time for the purpose of leaving 
a hole truly vertical, the dibbles move between 
checks in the rod which connects it with the 
crank, and which has a spring to restore it quick- 
ly to its proper place as it rises out of the ground. 
During therefore the entire time occupied in its 
piercing the hole and being withdrawn from the 
soil, the dibble retains its perpendicularity. By 
an ingenious and simple contrivance, a slow rota- 
tory motion about its own axis is given to the 
dibble, by which means its point may be said to 
bore into the ground, thus assisting in the for- 
mation of the hole; and by the same action the 
dibble is cleared of any adhering soil, and the 
hole left firm and clear. The seed-valve consists 
of a cylinder, with a cavity in it of dimensions 
sufficient to hold one or more seeds. This cylin- 
der is tumbled over, and the seed discharged into 
a recipient of the shape of a quadrant, from which 
it is pushed out, when the cylinder returns to its 
first position and takes in a fresh supply. As 
this motion is sudden, the seed is surely delivered, 
even when rather damp: when the cylinder is 
delivering, the quadrant is receiving, and vice 
vers. The delivery of manure is effected by a 
similar apparatus, only of a larger size, the valves 
being furnished with brushes or other means to 
remove the superfluity. The valves are connect- 
SOWING-MACHINES. 
ed with the dibbles in such a manner as to de- 
posit the manure and seed in the hole last formed, 
whilst the dibbles are stationary in the advanc- 
ing one. The dibbles bore their holes in shallow 
drills made by the pressure and sliding action of 
an iron shoe shaped like a boat, and forming a 
smooth furrow. The whole of the machinery is 
supported by an iron frame, one end of which 
rests on trunnions attached to a projecting part 
of the back of the carriage. It is suspended 
at the other end by a cross shaft carrying two 
pinions, working in ares of circles fixed on the 
frame, so that it can be raised or depressed at 
pleasure, or elevated clear of the ground by one 
turn of a winch. At the same time, the pinion 
connecting the machinery with the hind wheels 
is put out of gear, and the whole can be moved 
about on the carriage. The implement is steered 
in a manner somewhat similar to Lord Western’s 
drill.” See the articles Disspiz and Dissurna. 
The broadcast sowing-machine, in one of its 
most improved forms, for sowing seeds of corn 
and grasses, is described in the article Broapcasr 
Sowtna. This machine is not much used in Eng- 
land, but is extensively and increasingly used in 
the best arable districts of Scotland. Its great 
recommendations, which give its work a pre- 
ference to hand-sowing, are the saving of seeds, 
the regularity and certainty of their deposition, 
and the prevention of all the bad consequences of 
unskilfulness or carelessness or conflicting with 
the wind on the part of a hand-sower. The first 
broadcast sowing machine ever known in Scot- | 
land was introduced in 1816 from Yorkshire ; 
and the first ever manufactured in Scotland was 
made in 1817 by Mr. Lowrie at Edington in Ber- 
wickshire. “ In the early application of the broad- 
cast machine,” said Mr. Slight in 1844, “it was 
mounted on two wheels; but a few years ex- 
perience pointed out the advantages of a third 
wheel, which was applied to it by Messrs. Scouler 
of Haddington about the year 1830, the third 
wheel being applied as a swivel or fore-carriage. 
The carriage is still subject to considerable varie-_ 
ty of construction ; but these varieties are not of 
a nature to alter its general character. A carriage 
of nearly triangular form is very generally adopt- 
ed, the apex being in front over the swivel-bar. A 
rectangular carriage is also very much employed ; 
and this is the most workmanlike construction, 
though perhaps not the cheapest, but it is withal 
the most convenient and useful form. As regards 
the general construction, an important improve- 
ment has been introduced within the last six 
years ; this is the cutting of the seed-chest into 
sections. The chest is usually made 18 feet long, 
which being far beyond the width of any field 
gate, produced a necessity for changing the posi- 
tion of the chest when passing through a gate- 
way. It was therefore the practice to lift the 
chest from its working position parallel to the 
axle of the machine, and deposit it parallel to 
the horse-shafts until it had passed through the 
