REAPING MACHINE.
SICKLE.
Machines have lately been produced to effect more rapidly, what has hitherto been done by hand, with the sickle, namely, the reaping of corn. These machines are of various kinds, but the one that seems most perfect has been patented by Messrs. Dray & Co.; it consists of a heavy wooden frame drawn by a horse, and having wheels attached, which on turning round set in motion a line of spear-headed knives; these knives are made sharp at each side, to cut both ways. The motion communicated to them is very rapid, and from side to side, so as to cause the knives to pass through long narrow openings made to fit them in a series of iron points which are placed one between each knife. This action causes the point and knife to act like the blades of a pair of scissors, only that the points are fixed and the blades move through them, cutting off the corn at any distance from the ground that may be required; at the side furthest from the horse is a point of iron, having two diverging pieces prolonged from it, and which pierces the corn and separates the portion to be cut from what is to be cut at the next return of the machine; for it is drawn up and down, cutting at each time a belt about four or five feet wide; when cut, the corn falls on a platform balanced on its centre, and capable of being turned so as to incline forwards or backwards. A man sits on the machine with a rake, and as the platform fills with cut corn, he pushes it with the rake, tilting the platform back and delivering the corn behind, where women attend to bind it up. These machines can reap ten or eleven acres in a day.
DRILLS.
DRILL.
The drill is used when it is desirable to sow seed in rows at intervals from each other, so as to give room for the plants to grow, to free them from weeds and admit air, light, and moisture; it is a machine which contains the seed for sowing, and at the same time makes a series of furrows to receive it. There are a great many varieties of drills, but they act upon the same principle, namely, that of a cylinder, taking up and pouring small portions of the seed into funnels so arranged that they shall follow a set of small coulters forming furrows in the ground, into which the seed falls; the drill is generally followed by a bush-harrow which covers up the seed. Some drills have two compartments, one for containing manure, the other for seed; the manure must be dry and pulverised, such as ground bones, ashes, &c., which arrangement allows the seed and manure to be both drilled together, so that the manure shall only be applied where it is wanted. The cut represents this machine; A A are portions of the cylinders which are turned round by toothed wheels attached to the ordinary wheels of the machine, and which can be put in or out of gear at any time, so as to stop the action of the drill; B B represent the funnels into which the seed is poured, and C C the coulters which cut the furrows for the seed. These coulters are pressed into the ground by means of iron weights attached to the ends of levers joined to them, and which can be regulated by small chains.