A POTATO-DIGGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 23

A POTATO-DIGGER.

According to the Scottish Farmer a potato-digger, embodying several new features, has been invented by Mr Robert Fleck, Cardowan, Glasgow, and was seen at work by our contemporary's representative, its 'work being entirely satisfactory. In 3 potatoes were thrown out very olein within a space of 4 jft, which enables them to bo lifted in a shorter time than when they are widely scattered. Blades are used instead of the ordinary “hairpin ” forks. These blades rotate with a double movement. They are held perpendicularly while passing 'half through the drill, and then assume the usual movement of the fixed forks. This double action gives the easy touch of the graip movement on the potatoes, and also throws the potatoes well clear of the soil. It thus combines the advantages which are peculiar to tho graip and to the wheel separately, and does away with the corresponding disadvantage of each of these types of diggers. The second new addition is a circular brush which revolves at the end of the share. The advantage of this will be apparent to all, as in the case of diggers a number of potatoes slide off in front of the end of the share along with a quantity of earth before they can be thrown out by the forks, and are thus covered up. The brush in Mr Fleck’s machine, which has direct connection with the main gear, and revolves in unison with the blades, acts so as to prevent the eliding of tih© potatoes, and turns them back into the way of tho blades. The third improvement is a screen, placed diagonally and constructed, of siring netting with meshes of an oblong shape sufficiently wido to permit of tho earth passing through, but yet close enough to prevent the tubers doing so. The netting is purposely left slack so that it yields slightly when the potatoes are thrown against it, with the result that these rebound off it. This screen has a “wing” at tho side whiclf confines the spread of tho potatoes * within 4£ft. Mr Fleck commenced his experiments at first with a circular wire screen, but got better results all over with a fixed screen of tho above shape.