NEW SEED DRESSING ATTACHMENT.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 6

NEW SEED DRESSING ATTACHMENT.

The dullness of trade and lowness ot prices in the colonies and elsewhere during the last few years, have been the means of bringing out and developing the inventive genius of many which, under other circumstances, would probably have lain dormant. To find methods of getting a living, increasing profits or saving labor, has generally been the direction in which most inveutors turn their thought* and attention. In agricultural machiuery and implements various important changes have been noted from year to year. But since the advent of the steam threshinir machine, double-furrow plough, reaper and binder, &c, the changes have scarcely been radical, and the inventor has been busy in simplifying and improving existing" appliauces. That there is plenty of scope tor inventive genius in connection with this class of machinery alone there is no doubt, as nothing can yet be said to have reached a stage of perfection. An invention has lately been patented which is of considerable importance to growers of grass seed, and to the farming community generally. It will be specially important to the cocksfoot trade, as latterly the spread of Yorkshire fog on the Peninsula has had a bad effect upon the sales of seed grown there. The appliance should completely restore confidence in the purity of the Peninsula seed. The appliance is called " Lees' Patent Yorkshire Fog and Trefoil Sheller." The patentees are Mr C. C. A. Lees, the produce expert of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Christchurch, aud Mr S." W. Lester, who is also employed by the same Company. They have been about two years in perfecting the invention. The appliance is to be attached to au ordinary seed-dressing plant for the purpose of shelling the kernels of the Yorkshire fog seed and trefoil from their husks, so that they can be readily extracted from cocksfoot and ryegrass seed respectively. The principles of the appliance arc as follows:—There are two conical-shaped metallic casings, one stationary and the other revolving within the fixture. Both casings are punched after the plan of an ordinary nutmeg grater, the two roughened surfaces coming together but do not quite touch. The seed is fed from the top, and passes between the casings at .the same time being carried round by the revolving one, and is therefore well rubbed through contact with the rough surfaces. In the case of trefoil and Yorkshire fog the kernels are thoroughly shelled out, but it. is found that cocksfoot or ryegrass seed is noc injured iv the slightest degree by the process. The seed falls out at the lower end of the casings, and it is then passed through the ordinary dresser, and the shelled kernels are riddled out, and the husks carried away by the winnower. Iv tha case of cocksfoot an improvement is etl'.cted, and in this way. When passing through the cylinders the centre seeds, in what are known to the trade as " double heads," are rubbed out, aud as these seeds are always well grown nod sound, it is claimed that fully'lo p'-'r cent, snore of good seed can be obtained tliau by the ordinary process. Thus taking the average weigh t;of cocksfootjac 801bs to the sack, it means a saving of 2s 6d per sack, through the extra quantity of good seed secured. The sheller now in use at the Loan aud Mercantile Agency's store in Durham screen South has put through nearly 1)001) sacks of seed, it being capable of passing from 100 to 110 sacks per day. The patentees have received testimonials from Messrs Kaye and Carter, \V. LS. Common and Co., and Khiud and Wagstattf, who all speak highly as to its efficacy tor doing the work claimed of it. Yesterday, by kind permission of the manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, the patentees invited a number of gentlemen interested in the seed trade to inspect their invention. There was a good representative attendance. The experts, after seeing the appliance at work, expressed themselves as very well satisfied with the cleanliness of the dressed seed. To show the effectiveness of the sheller iv performing its work, some cocksfoot, which had been riddled so as to take out any loose Yorkshire fog kernels, was put through, and the result clearly demonstrated that the fog with its external covering, which had gone in with the cocksfoot, was thoroughly shelled. A quantity of '-double heads was afterwards passed through with the best possible success, and one expert said this was the most valuable part of the process. The visitors then adjourned to the luncheon room, and Mr A. Kaye, President of tbeChamberof Commerce, madeaspeecb_ expressing bis pleasure at finding that people were endeavoring to make betterdressed samples of seed than they had previously done. Those who were exporting knew of the complaints made by consignees at Home of the presence of Yorkshire fog iv the bulk of the parcels received. He concluded by wishing the inventors every success. Mr E. G. Stavely said'that everybody was no doubt satisfied with the trial that had been held that afternoon, and that he need only add that the attachment which the Company had been using for the last three months had given them every satisfaction. Mr Lees returned thanks for their kind wishes, and gave a short account of the . manner in which the invention had been brought to its successful completion.