NEW WHEAT-CLEANING MACHINE,

Otago Witness, Issue 1192, 3 October 1874, Page 6

NEW WHEAT-CLEANING MACHINE,

(From the S. A. Chronicle ) We have been favoured with drawings nnd the following description of a wheatcleaning machine, invented by Mr. Robt. Shapland : — This machine will clean from 500 to 800 bushels of wheat per day, according to the yield per acre, as a light crop has more chaff in proportion to wheat than a heavy one. It will leave the wheat a good sample with once going through, making in all six samples. Ist, chaff; 2nd, spoutings ; 3rd, small seeds ; 4th, wild oats, &c. ; sth, cracked wheat and drake ; 6th, the market sample. This machine will be as easily worked with four men as the ordinary cleaners are with three. It will require two men to turn this machine, or portable horse-gear can be attached, so made that one man can set it to the machine in five minu:es in firm working order. With this two men would be sufficient to work it, with a well-trained horse, as the animal would be near the spout-man, who could speak to it, and do all the driving a good horse would require without neglecting his work. One man with a steel fork of nine prongs will throw twice as much wheat and chaff as it comes from the reaping machine on a low board as he could lift the height of his head in a milk dish, which is the article commonly used for that purpose. The board that the wheat is thrown upon slants on to the elevators. The elevators, or endless span, passing under, will load themselves, and carrying their bad to the top, discharge it into a half round trough, in which will be a screw that will screw it in over the riddle. An angle-shaped board, forming part of the bottom of the trough over the riddle, will be hung on hinges at the back, and a rod of iron at the front corner, to raise and lower it, to regulate the discharging of the stuff from the screw. Thence it will go through the operation of chaffing, falling in a frame containing three riddle?, under the top of one of which are three brackets — the first, 1 inch; second, If inch ; and third, 2\ inches deep, which are to catch a portion of the blast that would go between the riddles and carry it through the top ones to raise and keep the chaff from loading it. First riddle rather coarse, second sufficiently fine not to allow whiteheads through, third very fine, only allowing snrrel and small seeds through. This last riddle will be slanting from all sides, bringing the grain into a ppout, through which it will be conveyed to the revolving screen. Under No. 3 riddle will be a fixed bottom, sloping from three sides, bringing the small seeds into a spout, which conveys it to No. 4 spout-hole. The spout-holes are holes where the different samples come down, at which bags are hooked, and they fill themselves. The revolving screen, the wires of which are wider at one end than the other, will make three samples — the first half of the screen wild oats and small drake, the other half cracked wheat and drake, and at the end the market sample. At the division between the market sample and No. 2 will be a small leaf, made moveable, to catch a portion of wheat that comes through the screen, if it is thought best to mix a portion with the best sample. It can take the whole length of the loaf, a little, or none at all. Over the revolving screen will be a revolving brush to keep the screen clean. The fans are bent back in the centre to draw the blast well into the centre, and will cause them to fill themselves much fuller than if tney were straight. They will also be slightly bent back at the bottom to throw the blast off freely. There will be a drop board at each hole to close or open the hole to regulate the blast. On the machine side of the holes will be board leaves to act as windsails, to supply tho fanners with wind, which will make their turning much easier than if they had to suck the blast. The spindle of fanners to have a crank, attached to which will be a rod to shake the frame containing the riddles, which will be suspended by four springs. The t-poutings, or unthreshed heads, &c. ,^ill fall from fie mouth of the riddle down a narrow drop to the ground underneath the machine. There will be a board, slanting from the front of the machine, hung on hinges at the bottom, at the top to be fastened by a finger screw at each side ; thus it can be raised or lowered to regulate tho dividing of the spoutings from the chaft". At the under portion of the machine, next the chaff, will be a leaf hanging down near the ground ; this will keep the chaff and spoutings from each other, and when the machine is moved fprward

will rise over the heap of spoutings without that being removed or levelled dawn. At this end of the machine will be a light shutter at each side hooked to the corner standards ; stayed by an iron rod, Avhich. are to keep the chaff from blowing back on the spout man and elevator man. They will be also useful if the wind should chango partly around. This machine is to be on wheels, with shafts, so that one horse can move it about. The tools for working this machine are the aforesaid fork of nine prongs, a wooden scoop to lift the bottom of the heap, and a funnel for filling up the mouths of the bags when sewing them. There should be a box or bin with wheat in it ; this funnel will hold about a peck. Holding one hand under the small 1^ inch hole of the spout it can be used for "clipping up its fill, and for filling up the corners of the bags. V/hen nearly sewn, let the spout of the funnel into the last corner, holding it around the spout, and work the wheat back with the other hand. This will be found much handier than mustard tins, &c.

A pat cow of unusual weight is thus referred to by the Central Australian of August 15 :— "The fat' cow referred to in our last, which was presented to the Church of England bazaar by M. O'6hanassy, Esq. , J.P., of Fort Bourke, was weighed on Saturday morning, and turned the scale at 1, 0441b. A reference to the following notice of the prize now exhibited at the Muclgee show will prove that Fort Bourke has in this instance beaten the best they could produce in Mudgee:— ' The fat cow sold on account of Mr. S. Blackmail to J. C. Guppell, of Perry Street, was bred by Mr. John Lee, of Bylong. She also has gone to the majority, and her carcase weighed 1,0221b., whilst her inside fat was about 1001b. This is said by good judges to be the largest and fattest cow ever killed in Mudgee.' "

The following is a reply to a correspondent of the Journal of Horticulture, in reference to destroying American blight :— "The receipt you had from the Orchardist, published in 1805, is, as your experience shows, a valuable one, having effectually cleared a Dumelow's seedling apple 26 years of this pest. The receipt may be useful to some of our readers:— ' Half an ounce corrosive sublimate, reduced to fine powder by beating with a wooden hammer, and put into a threepint earthen pipkin with a glassful of spirit of hartshorn, stirred well together, and the sublimate thus dissolved. The pipkin then filled by degrees with vegetable or common tar, and constantly stirred till the mixture is as intimately blended together as possible. The mixture applied with a hard brush to the parts infested. The effect on parts where the bark has been cut away, or where branches have been lopped-oif, is marked— moat invigorating and healing — the new bark comes with the healthiest appearance, and soon laps over the exposed wood. 1 Answering so well for the older tree, we do not see why it should not answer for the young ones, if applied, as we presume it was in the former case, when the tree is leafless. During growth you may syringe the trees forcibly with a solution of soft soap, 4oz. to the gallon, or dilute paraffin oil with an equal quantity of water, and apply with a brush to the parts infested, keeping it from the leaves and shoots of the cur rent year's growth."

Wheat Growing in Minnesota. — The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company have instituted a novel method of disposing of their lands in Minnesota. They sell 640 acre 3to one or four (not more) persons at six dollars per acre without any payments until the third crop has been harvested. The terms of sale are that the purchaser shall fence the whole of the purchased tract, break up the surface, excepting that part which may be too wet for tillage, plant forty acres in timber, and cultivate the rest in crops each year. The cost of the improvemoments by contract is as follows : breaking, 3 dollars 50 cents per acre ; sowing with wheat and seed, 2 dollars 87-i cents ; harvesting, 3 dollars per acre ; thrashing and hauling to depot, 14-| cents per bushel. The average yield of "wheat is 20 bushels per acre, and the price from 70 cents upwards. Perjons Avith a capital of 5,000 dollars are now engaged in raising wheat in Minnesota upon lands purchased on this plan, with every prospect of raising the purchase money out of the land before the time of payment shall arr.ve.

Milk Fever in Cows. — This disease is to be feared amongst cows over four years old that are well bred and good milkers, and that receive more than ordinary care and attention. Tho system in a vigorous condition, filled Avith rich blood, and not having the elasticity of that of a younger and growing animal, is suddenly subjected after calving to a reflux of the blood which has been circulating through the system of the calf. The drain upon the mother's system consequent upon the support of the calf's life is stopped, and a great reaction occurs. The parts of tho body which have been excited during the birth of the c ilf suffer from the reaction, and the womb and udder and frequently the bowels become inflamed. Sudden changes of the weather also increase the difficulty, and after a fit of shivering, which may accrue from the first to the third day, a fever sets in, the appetite fails, rumination is stopped, weakness across the loins causes a staggering gait or an inability to rise, the udder is hard, hot, and swollen, the animal groans, looks wild, and frequently falls into convulsions, or becomes frantic and dashes her head about violently.

When these last symptoms occur, rapidly following the first, recovery is very doubtful. To prevent an attack of this disorder, the cow's feed should be reduced some time before calving, and only hay and bran gruel given to her. The bowels should be kept loose by a few handfuls of linseed meal, and plenty of salt should be given. If the cow is in good flesh she should have one pound of Epsom salts with half an ounce of ginger a week before her time is up, and as soon as she shows signs of relaxation or looseness of _ the hinder parts, she should be kept in a quiet and well-sheltered part of the stable; a loose box or stall being the safer place, in which she should not be tied up. If there is a flow of milk it should be drawn from the udder. If the cow has had this fever previously, or her symptoms cause an attack to be expected, she should be given twenty -five drops of uncture of aconite three or four hours after calving, repeating the dose every six hours until four closes have been given. If, in spite of all precautions, an attack occurs, the aconite, as previously mentioned, should be given along with two drams of powdered opium in a bottle of thin gruel immediately. A pound of Epsom salts with half a pound of common salt dissolved in water, with some sugar or molasses to flavour it, should be given soon after. Cloths dipped in hot water should be placed across the loins, and the cow should be covered with blankets. All the cold water she will drink should be given as frequently as may be needed, and she should be kept as quiet as possible. The milk should be drawn every few hours. Pure, fie ih air is also indispensable.