AGRICULTURE.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2817, 13 May 1872, Page 3

AGRICULTURE.

We have received by our English files the following descriptions of two inventions of considerable importance to agriculturists. The first is A GANG PLOUGH, patented by L. Chapman, Collinsville, United States. This plough has two wheels with an axle sunk somewhat below the centre of the wheels. To the centre of the axle a plate of metal is attached, to the top of which another plate is pivoted so as to be free to revolve horizontally tLereon. To the top of this last plate a standard is attached open up through the centre. A block slides on ways vertically in this open centre, and by means of a collared swivel in its centre supports the plough beam, which extends both ways equally from the axle, and has two complete sets of ploughs upon opposite sides, a set of right-hand and a set of left-hand ploughs. These ploughs can be revolved so as to put either set at work by means of a worm hung in bearings on the sliding block and meshing into a worm wheel on the swivel. The sliding block (with beam and ploughs) can be lifted up so that the ploughs will clear the ground by means of a small hydraulic jack attached to the standard at its top and to the sliding block at its foot. The plate to which the standard is attached at its foot is revolved horizontally on the plate beneath it, attached to the axle by means of a worm attached to the upper plate and teeth for the same on the lower plate. To the front end of the beam a gauge wheel, which can be fixed at different heights is attached. To the front end of the beam is also attached the arc of a circle in metal, whose centre is the centre of the beam, and on it is a sliding clamp attached to a draw bar, whose rear end is attached near the centre of the beam; to the front of this clamp the power is attached. After the ploughs have been once across the field the whole gauge is turned around the ploughs, lifted and turned over, then swung horizontally into position, aud it is ready to go straight back across the field and leave no dead furrow. The next is A REAPING AND SOWING MACHINE, Patented by Messrs Howcroft and McGregor, Bedford, England. This invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing machines, which improvements relate, fiist, to the delivery apparatus of that class of reaping machines wherein the cut grain is delivered in sheaves by. means of rakes jointed to an upright revolving spindle, and acting on a curved platform. To the top of the said spindle the rake arms are jointed, so that they can rock in a vertical plane, and as they revolve therewith their path is regulated "by an inclined circular plate or disc fitted on the upper end of the vertical tubular bearing, through which the upright spindle passes. This inclined circular plate or disc is formed in two parts, the inner or central part being keyed or fixed firmly to the upright tubular bearing, and the other or outside ring or periphery is connected to the inner plate by a pin, the axie of which is in a line with the forward motion of the machine, that is at right angles to the cutter bar. The second part of this invention relates to improvements iv the convertible or combined reaping and mowing machiue, for which letters patent have been previously granted to the inventors (No. 658, ISG'J) and consists in the use of an internal wheel for both reaping and mowing, attaching one internal wheel to the axle on the inner side of each travelling wheel, and they obtain the required variation in speed by having these internal wheels of different diameters, the larger wheel and pinion being used for reaping, and the smaller one for mowing.