Part 36

But when Two different Sorts of Seed are planted, suppose a Row of St. Foin betwixt every Row of Barley, the Rows of which being Eight Inches asunder, and the Barley drill’d by the fore Hopper into the Chanels made by the five Shares, and the St. Foin drill’d from the hinder Hopper into the Chanels made by Six Shares, the Marking-wheels must be at no greater Distance than those above-mention’d, where there are only Five Shares; because one of the Six, which are for the St. Foin, must always return in the same Chanel, going twice therein; for One Row of Barley would be missing, in case the parting Space should be made by this Sixth Share; and that parting Space would have no Barley in it. Therefore it is a Rule, that whensoever Two Sorts of Seeds are drill’d, the Rows of one Sort betwixt the Rows of the other there must be an odd Share in the Drill, which must go twice in one Chanel, and the Distance of the Marking-wheels must be accounted from that Rank of Shares which are the fewest: It must also be contriv’d in this Case, that each outermost Seed-box must deliver but half the Quantity of Seed that each of the inner Seed-boxes do; because the outer ones going twice in a Place, their Chanels would otherwise have a Quantity of Seed double to the rest.

In a Drill that has Two Spindles, we place the Marking-wheels on the foremost, which upon their Account is the longest; but if we should use the Wheels of the hinder Spindle as Marking-wheels, then that must be the longest, and so the fore Wheels (their Semidiameters being much longer than the Semidiameters of the hinder Wheels, and their Spindles shorter) would strike against the hinder Spindle, unless it were set farther back than is convenient.

When Ground is harrow’d the last time before it is to be drill’d, we contrive that the Harrows may not go directly towards the same Point that the Drill is to go, lest the Track of the Marking-wheel should be exactly parallel with the Track of the Harrow-tines, which might make it difficult to distinguish the Track of the Wheel from that of the Harrow-tine.

He that has not a great Quantity of Ground to plant with St. Foin, and does not plant it betwixt Rows of Corn, will have occasion for no other Drill than this Wheat-drill, describ’d in _Fig._ 21. He may plant his Rows at Fifteen Inches asunder, by the hinder Hopper, and its Shares, without removing them, the fore Hopper being taken off; or else you may plant Three Rows at Sixteen Inches asunder, by setting the Beams, and their Seed-boxes and Hoppers, at Thirty-two Inches asunder instead of Fifteen, equidistant from the fore Share: and then the Marking-wheels, which are those of the fore Spindle, must be Eight Feet asunder; to wit, double to the Spaces of the Three Shares, which are Three times Sixteen Inches (or Four Feet); or you may set the Two hinder Beams, _&c._ at what Distance you please, setting the Marking-wheels to correspond with them; but then the Harrow must be alter’d, and both its Legs and Tines must change their Places in the Head, the Legs for guiding it exactly, and the Tines to follow in all the Three Rows, which will require a third Tine to be added in the Middle, between the other Two. But without any other Alteration than that of taking off the fore Hopper, and that of lessening the Seed-passages of the hinder Hopper by the Setting-screws; my Man planted me several Acres of St. Foin with my Wheat-drill Two Years ago, the Rows being all Fourteen Inches asunder: It is now an extraordinary good Crop.

In case the Shares, being only Three, should in fine Ground go so deep as to endanger the Burying of the Seed, the best Remedy to prevent this fatal Misfortune is, to place a triangular Piece of Wood, like those in _Figures_ 25. and 26. the first of which shews one Side thereof, with the Nail by which it is to be nail’d into the lower Part of the Trunk, with, its most acute Angle uppermost; the other in _Fig._ 26. shews the same, and its Back-side _a b_, that is to be nail’d to the Back of the Shear, being of the same Breadth with it; its Bottom _b c_ being the Breadth of the Plates, on their Inside, the Angle _c_ coming out backwards, just as far as the Plates: The Depth of this Piece from _a_ to _c_ is uncertain, because the Plates of some Trunks are broader than of others. The Use of this Piece is, to fill up the lower Part of the Trunk; so that the Seed, dropping upon the oblique Side of this Piece of Wood, may by it be turn’d into the Chanel, after so much Mould is fallen in it, as will sufficiently lessen its Depth, whereby the Danger of burying the Seed is avoided: And such a Piece of Wood placed into each Trunk, I think, is preferable to Ground-wrists, which are commonly used for this Purpose; because the Ground-wrists leave the Chanels too wide and open.

But when only the Two hinder Sheats are used for St. Foin, we can make their Chanels the shallower, by sinking the Limbers by their Chain, so much as that, the Plough bearing most upon the fore Share, the hinder Shares will go the shallower.

When we drill hilly Ground, both up and down, we cover the hinder Parts of all the Trunks, from their Tops, to within Two or Three Inches of the Ground, to prevent the Seed’s falling out far behind the Trunk, in going up Hill; and this we do either by a Piece of Leather nail’d to each Side of a Sheat, the Middle of the Leather bearing against the hinder Part of the Plates (or Trunk); or sometimes, instead of Leather, we use Tin.

Every Trunk being thus inclos’d behind, we can drill up and down an hill of a moderate Ascent; but when it is very steep, we never drill any thing but St. Foin on it, and that by a Drill made for the Purpose, so very light, that a Man may carry it up the Hill on his Back, and draw it down after him: This Drill has Five or Six Sheats in one Row (with the Harrow behind them). Their Shares being extremely short, the Standards which draw the Hopper must be set perpendicular to the Horizon, when the Drill is coming down, rather than to the Surface of the Side of the Hill: The Funnels must also correspond with the Standards.

Some, instead of these Sheats, make use of hollow wooden Harrow-tines, thro’ which the Seed descends: But these I do not approve of; because where the Ground is hard, and not fine, they rise up, and make no Chanels for the Seed; and then it lying uncover’d will be malted.

When a Drill has only one Rank of Shares, we screw on the Harrow by its Legs, to the Inside of the Two outside Sheats, as near as we can to their fore Shoulders, leaving sufficient room for the Harrow to rise and sink, in the same manner as when it is drawn by the Beams.

[Illustration: _Plate IV_

_Page. 378_

_B. Cole Sculps._]

CHAP. XXII.

_Of the Turnep-Drill._

_Plate_ 5. shews the whole Mounting of a Turnep-drill. _Fig._ 1. is a Plough, but little differing from the Drill-plough last mentioned. A, A, are the Two Limbers, differing in nothing from the other, except that they are lighter, not being above Two Inches Diameter, behind the Bar: They are drawn in the same manner as the other. Their Bar B is distant from the Plank Three Inches, being shoulder’d at each End, with a very thin flat Tenon, passing thro’ each Limber, and pinn’d on their Outsides, as at _a a_. We do not pin in this Bar thro’ the Limbers, lest the Holes should make these very small Limbers the weaker in that Part. C, the Plank, Two Feet and an Inch long, Five Inches broad, and an Inch and a quarter thick. D, D, the Two double Standards, or Two Pair of Standards, placed into the Plank with Shoulders above, and Tenons pinn’d underneath the Plank, and are Thirteen Inches high above it: These serve for a Pair of Marking-wheels, when Turneps are drill’d on the Level, to keep the Rows all parallel, and at what Distance you please, by setting them according to the Rule already laid down.

Sometimes we place the double Standards into the Plank of the Wheat-drill, in the same manner that these are placed.

We take off the inner Edge of each Standard at the Top, as at _b b_ and _b b_, for the more easy Admission of the Spindle of the Marking-wheels into the Forks: This Spindle is kept in its Place by Two of the same sort of Wreaths, and placed in the same manner as those describ’d for the fore Hopper of the Wheat-drill.

Such Marking-wheels are necessary for drilling upon the Level; but not for drilling upon Ridges.

E is the Beam, Two Feet Two Inches and an half long, Four Inches broad, and Two Inches thick: It is thus broad, that the Screws which hold on the cross Piece F, may be farther asunder: The Screws must be placed as near as may be to the Outsides of the Beam, and at equal Distance from each Side of the cross Piece; by which means the Standards are kept the firmer from Turning.

The Distance between the Plank and the cross Piece is Eleven Inches. The Breadth of the cross Piece is Two Inches and a quarter. This cross Piece is shewn apart in _Fig._ 2. where its Two Standards A B, are each Seventeen Inches long (or high), and each on its fore Side and hinder Side One Inch and a quarter broad, and nearly Three quarters of an Inch thick: They are shoulder’d and pinn’d into the cross Piece at _a b_. The cross Piece is Thirteen Inches and an half long, and one Inch and a quarter thick in the Middle from _c_ to _d_; but for about an Inch on the Inside of each Standard is Two Inches and an half thick, that the Standards may have the more Wood to support them, and that the Hopper, bearing upon the thicker Parts of the cross Piece, may be held up above the Funnel, that the Fork of the brass Spindle may not strike against it, when the Plough is taken up to be turn’d, there being a little more than a quarter of an Inch of the Breadth of the cross Piece behind the Standard, for the Hopper to rest on.

The whole Distance between the Standards is Nine Inches and a quarter. The Standards must be exactly perpendicular to their cross Piece: Their Tops are drawn up each to a Point, as at _e_ and _f_, by which the Hopper is the more easily put on upon them.

The Funnel, Sheat, Share, and Trunk, are the same as those in the Wheat-drill, except a few Differences: As G in _Fig._ 1. is the same as the fore Sheat of the Wheat-drill, with its Accoutrements; only it is lower, being but Eight Inches high from the Bottom of the Share up to the Beam; and the Plates of the Trunk are somewhat narrower: Its Tenon passes thro’ the Beam, and comes up above it, betwixt the Funnel and the cross Piece; and there is pinn’d in thro’ its Hole above the Beam. There is no want of Wood behind the Sheat, the Funnel not being cut in the Beam, but placed upon it.

The Funnel is shewn apart in _Fig._ 3. and is Two Inches deep, Four Inches square at Top; its Four Sides terminating at an Hole in the Bottom, half an Inch broad from _a_ to _b_, and near an Inch long from _c_ to _d_, which Length is divided in the Middle, by the upper Edge of a Brass Spout, which divides the Hole into Two equal Parts (or Holes), each of which is about half an Inch square; this Funnel being screw’d on upon the Beam by Two Wood Screws, entering at Two opposite Corners of the Funnel, as at _c d_ in _Fig._ 1. so that the Seed may drop from the Seed-box upon the right Side of the Funnel at _e_, which being about half an Inch distant from the Partition, and equidistant from both Holes, the Seed rebounding is pretty equally distributed to each of the Holes.

The fore Part of the foremost Hole being equal with the Back of the Sheat, the Beam being cut thro’; so that the Back of the Sheat, and the fore Part of the Hole thro’ the Beam, and the fore Part of this Hole, make one plain Surface, whereby the Seed that falls into this foremost Hole, descends to the Ground, near the Back of the Sheat, thro’ the Trunk.

And the Seed which falls into the hinder Hole, is convey’d obliquely backwards thro’ Part of the Beam, by a short thin Brass Spout, whose Diameter in the Inside is somewhat more than half an Inch; but the fore Part of it, which divides the Two Holes, descends first perpendicularly half an Inch, and then turns off backwards, and there the Spout begins to be round: Its joining is on its hinder Part, to the end that the Seed, never running upon it, cannot be stopp’d by it. The lower End of this Spout ends at the lower Surface of the Beam, a little behind the Plates of the Trunk, which Hole is seen at _a_ in _Fig._ 4. where this Hole delivers the Seed down into the Spout A, when it is drawn up into its Place by the String B drawn thro’ the Hole at _b_ in the End of the Beam, and there tied until it stand in the Posture in which it is seen at _f_ in _Fig._ 1.

The Shape of this Spout is better seen at _Fig._ 5. where A is the Spout, Four Inches long, a full Inch Diameter in the Inside: Its lower End is circular; but its upper End B is cut at oblique Angles, so that when it is drawn up to its Place, its Edges will touch the lower Surface of the Beam, and inclose the lower End of the other Spout within it: It is made of thin hammer’d Brass (as is the other). The Edges of the Piece of Brass, which make this Spout, are join’d on its hinder Part, for the same Reason that they are so in the other Spout. At _b_ there is a Jag cut in one of these Edges, and rais’d upwards, by which Jag the String being tied on the Spout just below, is hindered from slipping upwards.

Joining to the highest Part, and made with Part of the same Piece of Brass, turn’d back from the End of the Spout, is its Hinge C, near Three quarters of an Inch long in its Hollow.

D is a thin Piece of Iron, half an Inch broad, and a little longer than the Top of the Sheat, by which the Spout is held up: This Piece of Iron is riveted by a Rivet passing thro’ an Hole at _c_, and thro’ the Sheat, just before the Trunk, and thro’ another Piece of Iron on the opposite Side; both the Pieces of Iron, with their upper Edges touching the Beam, being thus riveted to the Sheat.

The Spout is pinned in by the Screw E, passing as by the prick’d Line F thro’ the Hole G, and also thro’ the Hinge C, and screw’d into the Hole of the opposite Piece of Iron, corresponding with the Hole G; and then it will appear as in _Fig._ 4.

Instead of these Pieces of Iron, we sometimes use Pieces of Wood, a little broader and thicker, nail’d on the Sheat.

The Use of this Spout is for carrying half of the Seed backwards, so that it may drop upon the Chanel, after the Earth is fallen into it: By this means the Seed lying very shallow, being only cover’d by a little Earth rais’d by the Harrow, by its Shallowness comes up in moist Weather, sooner than the other half, which lies deeper in the Ground; but if the Weather be dry when planted, the deeper half, by the Moisture of the Earth from the Dews, will come up first, and the shallow half will not come up till Rain come to moisten it; so that by the shallow or deep, the Turnep-fly is generally disappointed.

_Fig._ 6. shews one of the Tines of a Drill-harrow made of Wood: Its Edge _a b_ is made roundish at _b_, by which means it raises the Earth on its Sides; but does not drive it before: This Edge from _a_ to _b_ is Six Inches long; from _b_ to _c_, being its Bottom, is One Inch and a quarter; from _c_ to _d_ is the Back, an Inch and an half thick at Top, gradually tapering downwards to _c_, where it is half an Inch thick, being shoulder’d all round: It has a flat Tenon A, which passes thro’ a Mortise in the Harrow-head; the Length of which Mortise is parallel with the Length of the Harrow-head, into which it is held by a Pin, passing thro’ the Hole of the Tenon, above the Harrow; as may be seen in _Fig._ 7. at _a_; and its Fellow at _b_.

These Two Tines are Eight Inches asunder at their Points, and Six Inches and a quarter asunder at their upper Parts, just under the Harrow-head. The fore Edge of the Tine A inclines a little to the Left, as the Edge of the Tine B doth to the Right.

_Fig._ 8. shews one of the Legs of the Harrow. At _a_ is seen the round Tenon, which passes thro’ the Harrow-head up to its Shoulder, and is pinned in thro’ an Hole of the Tenon just behind the Harrow-head; upon this Tenon the Harrow-head may turn: The other End has an Hole at _b_, thro’ which it is pinned on to the Beam. The Length of the Leg from the Shoulder at _a_, to the Hole at _b_, is Twenty Inches: Its Thickness is an Inch and a quarter, and its Breadth an Inch. The Two Legs are seen mark’d C, D, in _Fig._ 7. They bend down in the Middle, to give the Harrow the more room for rising and sinking; they are parallel to each other, and distant a little more than the Breadth of the Beam, that they may have Liberty to move thereon, when one End of the Harrow-head sinks lower than the other, by the Unevenness of the Ground.

The Harrow is pinned on to the Beam by the Iron Pin, _Fig._ 9. passing thro’ the Hole of the Leg at _g_, and thro’ the Beam, and also thro’ the other Leg on the other Side of the Beam, where the Screw at the End of the Pin has a Nut screw’d on it. This Pin is round from its Head all the Way thro’ the first Harrow-leg, and thro’ the Beam; but all that Part of the Pin, which is in that Leg against which the Nut is screw’d, must be square; whereby that Part being bigger than the round Part of the Pin, and than the Hole in the last-mention’d Leg, cannot turn in the Hole of that Leg; for if it did, the Nut would be soon unscrew’d by the Motion of the Harrow; but the Pin must have room to turn in the other Leg, and in the Beam. This square Part of the Pin is seen at _a_, _Fig._ 9. The whole Length of the Pin, from its Head to the End of the square Part at _a_, where the Screw begins, is of the Thickness of the Two Legs, and of the Breadth of the Beam.

We sometimes set the Legs of the Harrow Two Inches wider asunder, by making them each an Inch thicker at their fore Ends in their Inside, and reaching Five or Six Inches behind their Iron Pin: These thicker Parts, bearing against the Beam, keep the hinder Part of each Harrow-leg an Inch distant from the Sides of the Beam, whereby the Harrow-legs are Six Inches asunder, instead of Four, by means of these added Thicknesses.

When a Drill is taken up to be turn’d, the Person that does it, takes hold of the Harrow-head, and lifts it up: The Legs of the Harrow, bearing against the cross Piece, support the whole Weight of the Drill.

When the Harrow does not go deep enough, we tie a Stone upon the Middle of the Harrow-head, by a String that passes thro’ the Holes at _h_. All the Wood of this Plough and Harrow is Ash, except the Limbers.

The Hopper of the Turnep-drill is very different from those already described. It consists of a Box placed into the Middle of a Carriage; which Box is described in all its Parts, lying open with their Insides upwards in _Fig._ 10. A is the fore Side of the Box, Five Inches and an half deep, and Six Inches and an half long. B, the hinder Side of the Box, opposite to the former, and of equal Dimensions.

Each End of the Box is made with Three Pieces of Board, of which C the uppermost is Three Inches and a quarter deep, and Five Inches long; which Length is the Breadth of the Inside of the Box. The End of the Piece C, when in its Place, stands against the prick’d Line _a b_ in the fore Side A; the other End standing against the prick’d Lines in B, which is opposite to, and corresponds with, the prick’d Line _a b_; the fore Side, and hinder Side, being screw’d to the Ends of this Piece by Four Screws.

The Piece D is Two Inches and a quarter broad, and of the same Length with the Piece C, and screw’d up to the Bottom of it with Two Screws, and then its End will bear against the prick’d Line _b c_, and that which is opposite to it in the Side B.