Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/276

248&#93; 248] T U R Description of Mr. KniGHt's D rill- Macaine for Sowing Tur- nip-Seed. [PlateU. Supplement.] Fig. 2. — A, is an iron wheel ; which, running on its edge, form- ed by two concave sides, makes the groove, into which the set-ds fail. B, a wheel, ibat moves on the same axis as that marked A, and turns the wheel C, which gives out the seed, by means of a strap. D, the tube, through which the seed passes, and falls into the chan- nel made by the iron wheel. E, are the feet of the imple- ment. F, represents six lengths of a jack-chain, which Mr. Knight £nds to cover the seed remarkably veil ; and which he believes to be preferable to any kind of har- row ; as it can never become ob- struded by the loose straw gene- rally occurring on the surface of ^ai)d recently manured. G, I, the seed-box. H, H> the handles of the ma- chine. Fig. 3, is a seftion, on a larger scale, of the seed-box G, in Fig, 2. — The wheel marked C, is the same iu both figures : it is fixed on the axis of the cylinder I, the sur- face of which is perforated with holes, as at K, for the distribution of the seed. Such cylinder re- volves within a groove, at the bot- tom of the box J in which it is so firmly fixed, that no seed can pass through, without being delivered by the holes K. L, is a small brush, rubbing against the cylinder, for clearing cut any seeds that may remain iu the holes. — ^The seeds fall into tiie tube beneath the cylinder, whence they are conveyed into the furrow TUR or channel, made by the indent- ing rim of the iron wheel ; being then covered with soil by the loose chains above described. Fig. 4. — A front view of the wheel, exhibiting its edge : the angle forming that edge must be made more or less acute, and the strength of the machine in pro- portion to that of the soil, Mr. Knight has, sometimes, added weights of lead over the axis of the wheel J but he observes, that they will seldom be required; having tried the instrument on different soils, with equal success. Great advantage may be derived from sowing turnips with it, at the time when horses, now commonly em- ployed for such purpose, are other- wise engaged. In this respeft, a few days are frequently of import- ance ; as the plants, in consequence of fortunate rains, obtain a remark- able superiority over those which have been sown a few days later. The labour of using this machine is so easy, that a workman usually drills four statute acres, or some- what more, in one day ; the rows being at the distance of 18 or 20 inches, and the plants six inched apart in the row. — It is necessary either to harrow the ground across, or to roll it, previously to the in- strument being used, that the la- bourer may see the rows be has made; but, Mr. Knight remarks, that he always found the crop td succeed better, after the roller, thati after the harrow, even in very strong lands. When the turnips have ^ve leaves, they must be hoed, and thinned so as to be six inches apart, whether sown by the drill or broad-cast method : in the course of another month, or sooner if the weather prove wet, the hoe- ing