_Of the Turnep-Drill._
_Plate_ 5. shews the whole Mounting of a Turnep-drill. _Fig._ 1. is a
Plough, but little differing from the Drill-plough last mentioned. A,
A, are the Two Limbers, differing in nothing from the other, except
that they are lighter, not being above Two Inches Diameter, behind the
Bar: They are drawn in the same manner as the other. Their Bar B is
distant from the Plank Three Inches, being shoulder’d at each End, with
a very thin flat Tenon, passing thro’ each Limber, and pinn’d on their
Outsides, as at _a a_. We do not pin in this Bar thro’ the Limbers,
lest the Holes should make these very small Limbers the weaker in that
Part. C, the Plank, Two Feet and an Inch long, Five Inches broad, and
an Inch and a quarter thick. D, D, the Two double Standards, or Two
Pair of Standards, placed into the Plank with Shoulders above, and
Tenons pinn’d underneath the Plank, and are Thirteen Inches high above
it: These serve for a Pair of Marking-wheels, when Turneps are drill’d
on the Level, to keep the Rows all parallel, and at what Distance you
please, by setting them according to the Rule already laid down.
Sometimes we place the double Standards into the Plank of the
Wheat-drill, in the same manner that these are placed.
We take off the inner Edge of each Standard at the Top, as at _b b_ and
_b b_, for the more easy Admission of the Spindle of the Marking-wheels
into the Forks: This Spindle is kept in its Place by Two of the same
sort of Wreaths, and placed in the same manner as those describ’d for
the fore Hopper of the Wheat-drill.
Such Marking-wheels are necessary for drilling upon the Level; but not
for drilling upon Ridges.
E is the Beam, Two Feet Two Inches and an half long, Four Inches broad,
and Two Inches thick: It is thus broad, that the Screws which hold on
the cross Piece F, may be farther asunder: The Screws must be placed as
near as may be to the Outsides of the Beam, and at equal Distance from
each Side of the cross Piece; by which means the Standards are kept the
firmer from Turning.
The Distance between the Plank and the cross Piece is Eleven Inches.
The Breadth of the cross Piece is Two Inches and a quarter. This cross
Piece is shewn apart in _Fig._ 2. where its Two Standards A B, are each
Seventeen Inches long (or high), and each on its fore Side and hinder
Side One Inch and a quarter broad, and nearly Three quarters of an Inch
thick: They are shoulder’d and pinn’d into the cross Piece at _a b_.
The cross Piece is Thirteen Inches and an half long, and one Inch and a
quarter thick in the Middle from _c_ to _d_; but for about an Inch on
the Inside of each Standard is Two Inches and an half thick, that the
Standards may have the more Wood to support them, and that the Hopper,
bearing upon the thicker Parts of the cross Piece, may be held up above
the Funnel, that the Fork of the brass Spindle may not strike against
it, when the Plough is taken up to be turn’d, there being a little more
than a quarter of an Inch of the Breadth of the cross Piece behind the
Standard, for the Hopper to rest on.
The whole Distance between the Standards is Nine Inches and a quarter.
The Standards must be exactly perpendicular to their cross Piece: Their
Tops are drawn up each to a Point, as at _e_ and _f_, by which the
Hopper is the more easily put on upon them.
The Funnel, Sheat, Share, and Trunk, are the same as those in the
Wheat-drill, except a few Differences: As G in _Fig._ 1. is the same as
the fore Sheat of the Wheat-drill, with its Accoutrements; only it is
lower, being but Eight Inches high from the Bottom of the Share up to
the Beam; and the Plates of the Trunk are somewhat narrower: Its Tenon
passes thro’ the Beam, and comes up above it, betwixt the Funnel and
the cross Piece; and there is pinn’d in thro’ its Hole above the Beam.
There is no want of Wood behind the Sheat, the Funnel not being cut in
the Beam, but placed upon it.
The Funnel is shewn apart in _Fig._ 3. and is Two Inches deep, Four
Inches square at Top; its Four Sides terminating at an Hole in the
Bottom, half an Inch broad from _a_ to _b_, and near an Inch long from
_c_ to _d_, which Length is divided in the Middle, by the upper Edge of
a Brass Spout, which divides the Hole into Two equal Parts (or Holes),
each of which is about half an Inch square; this Funnel being screw’d
on upon the Beam by Two Wood Screws, entering at Two opposite Corners
of the Funnel, as at _c d_ in _Fig._ 1. so that the Seed may drop from
the Seed-box upon the right Side of the Funnel at _e_, which being
about half an Inch distant from the Partition, and equidistant from
both Holes, the Seed rebounding is pretty equally distributed to each
of the Holes.
The fore Part of the foremost Hole being equal with the Back of the
Sheat, the Beam being cut thro’; so that the Back of the Sheat, and the
fore Part of the Hole thro’ the Beam, and the fore Part of this Hole,
make one plain Surface, whereby the Seed that falls into this foremost
Hole, descends to the Ground, near the Back of the Sheat, thro’ the
Trunk.
And the Seed which falls into the hinder Hole, is convey’d obliquely
backwards thro’ Part of the Beam, by a short thin Brass Spout, whose
Diameter in the Inside is somewhat more than half an Inch; but the fore
Part of it, which divides the Two Holes, descends first perpendicularly
half an Inch, and then turns off backwards, and there the Spout begins
to be round: Its joining is on its hinder Part, to the end that the
Seed, never running upon it, cannot be stopp’d by it. The lower End of
this Spout ends at the lower Surface of the Beam, a little behind the
Plates of the Trunk, which Hole is seen at _a_ in _Fig._ 4. where this
Hole delivers the Seed down into the Spout A, when it is drawn up into
its Place by the String B drawn thro’ the Hole at _b_ in the End of the
Beam, and there tied until it stand in the Posture in which it is seen
at _f_ in _Fig._ 1.
The Shape of this Spout is better seen at _Fig._ 5. where A is the
Spout, Four Inches long, a full Inch Diameter in the Inside: Its lower
End is circular; but its upper End B is cut at oblique Angles, so that
when it is drawn up to its Place, its Edges will touch the lower
Surface of the Beam, and inclose the lower End of the other Spout
within it: It is made of thin hammer’d Brass (as is the other). The
Edges of the Piece of Brass, which make this Spout, are join’d on its
hinder Part, for the same Reason that they are so in the other Spout.
At _b_ there is a Jag cut in one of these Edges, and rais’d upwards, by
which Jag the String being tied on the Spout just below, is hindered
from slipping upwards.
Joining to the highest Part, and made with Part of the same Piece of
Brass, turn’d back from the End of the Spout, is its Hinge C, near
Three quarters of an Inch long in its Hollow.
D is a thin Piece of Iron, half an Inch broad, and a little longer than
the Top of the Sheat, by which the Spout is held up: This Piece of
Iron is riveted by a Rivet passing thro’ an Hole at _c_, and thro’ the
Sheat, just before the Trunk, and thro’ another Piece of Iron on the
opposite Side; both the Pieces of Iron, with their upper Edges touching
the Beam, being thus riveted to the Sheat.
The Spout is pinned in by the Screw E, passing as by the prick’d Line F
thro’ the Hole G, and also thro’ the Hinge C, and screw’d into the Hole
of the opposite Piece of Iron, corresponding with the Hole G; and then
it will appear as in _Fig._ 4.
Instead of these Pieces of Iron, we sometimes use Pieces of Wood, a
little broader and thicker, nail’d on the Sheat.
The Use of this Spout is for carrying half of the Seed backwards,
so that it may drop upon the Chanel, after the Earth is fallen into
it: By this means the Seed lying very shallow, being only cover’d by
a little Earth rais’d by the Harrow, by its Shallowness comes up in
moist Weather, sooner than the other half, which lies deeper in the
Ground; but if the Weather be dry when planted, the deeper half, by
the Moisture of the Earth from the Dews, will come up first, and the
shallow half will not come up till Rain come to moisten it; so that by
the shallow or deep, the Turnep-fly is generally disappointed.
_Fig._ 6. shews one of the Tines of a Drill-harrow made of Wood: Its
Edge _a b_ is made roundish at _b_, by which means it raises the Earth
on its Sides; but does not drive it before: This Edge from _a_ to _b_
is Six Inches long; from _b_ to _c_, being its Bottom, is One Inch
and a quarter; from _c_ to _d_ is the Back, an Inch and an half thick
at Top, gradually tapering downwards to _c_, where it is half an Inch
thick, being shoulder’d all round: It has a flat Tenon A, which passes
thro’ a Mortise in the Harrow-head; the Length of which Mortise is
parallel with the Length of the Harrow-head, into which it is held by a
Pin, passing thro’ the Hole of the Tenon, above the Harrow; as may be
seen in _Fig._ 7. at _a_; and its Fellow at _b_.
These Two Tines are Eight Inches asunder at their Points, and Six
Inches and a quarter asunder at their upper Parts, just under the
Harrow-head. The fore Edge of the Tine A inclines a little to the Left,
as the Edge of the Tine B doth to the Right.
_Fig._ 8. shews one of the Legs of the Harrow. At _a_ is seen the round
Tenon, which passes thro’ the Harrow-head up to its Shoulder, and is
pinned in thro’ an Hole of the Tenon just behind the Harrow-head; upon
this Tenon the Harrow-head may turn: The other End has an Hole at _b_,
thro’ which it is pinned on to the Beam. The Length of the Leg from the
Shoulder at _a_, to the Hole at _b_, is Twenty Inches: Its Thickness is
an Inch and a quarter, and its Breadth an Inch. The Two Legs are seen
mark’d C, D, in _Fig._ 7. They bend down in the Middle, to give the
Harrow the more room for rising and sinking; they are parallel to each
other, and distant a little more than the Breadth of the Beam, that
they may have Liberty to move thereon, when one End of the Harrow-head
sinks lower than the other, by the Unevenness of the Ground.
The Harrow is pinned on to the Beam by the Iron Pin, _Fig._ 9. passing
thro’ the Hole of the Leg at _g_, and thro’ the Beam, and also thro’
the other Leg on the other Side of the Beam, where the Screw at the End
of the Pin has a Nut screw’d on it. This Pin is round from its Head all
the Way thro’ the first Harrow-leg, and thro’ the Beam; but all that
Part of the Pin, which is in that Leg against which the Nut is screw’d,
must be square; whereby that Part being bigger than the round Part of
the Pin, and than the Hole in the last-mention’d Leg, cannot turn in
the Hole of that Leg; for if it did, the Nut would be soon unscrew’d
by the Motion of the Harrow; but the Pin must have room to turn in the
other Leg, and in the Beam. This square Part of the Pin is seen at _a_,
_Fig._ 9. The whole Length of the Pin, from its Head to the End of the
square Part at _a_, where the Screw begins, is of the Thickness of the
Two Legs, and of the Breadth of the Beam.
We sometimes set the Legs of the Harrow Two Inches wider asunder,
by making them each an Inch thicker at their fore Ends in their
Inside, and reaching Five or Six Inches behind their Iron Pin: These
thicker Parts, bearing against the Beam, keep the hinder Part of each
Harrow-leg an Inch distant from the Sides of the Beam, whereby the
Harrow-legs are Six Inches asunder, instead of Four, by means of these
added Thicknesses.
When a Drill is taken up to be turn’d, the Person that does it, takes
hold of the Harrow-head, and lifts it up: The Legs of the Harrow,
bearing against the cross Piece, support the whole Weight of the Drill.
When the Harrow does not go deep enough, we tie a Stone upon the Middle
of the Harrow-head, by a String that passes thro’ the Holes at _h_. All
the Wood of this Plough and Harrow is Ash, except the Limbers.
The Hopper of the Turnep-drill is very different from those already
described. It consists of a Box placed into the Middle of a Carriage;
which Box is described in all its Parts, lying open with their Insides
upwards in _Fig._ 10. A is the fore Side of the Box, Five Inches and an
half deep, and Six Inches and an half long. B, the hinder Side of the
Box, opposite to the former, and of equal Dimensions.
Each End of the Box is made with Three Pieces of Board, of which C the
uppermost is Three Inches and a quarter deep, and Five Inches long;
which Length is the Breadth of the Inside of the Box. The End of the
Piece C, when in its Place, stands against the prick’d Line _a b_ in
the fore Side A; the other End standing against the prick’d Lines in B,
which is opposite to, and corresponds with, the prick’d Line _a b_; the
fore Side, and hinder Side, being screw’d to the Ends of this Piece by
Four Screws.
The Piece D is Two Inches and a quarter broad, and of the same Length
with the Piece C, and screw’d up to the Bottom of it with Two Screws,
and then its End will bear against the prick’d Line _b c_, and that
which is opposite to it in the Side B.
E is the lower Piece of this End, and an Inch and a quarter broad: Its
End is to stand against the prick’d Line _c d_, and its other End at
the opposite prick’d Line in B. The Piece D must be screw’d upon the
upper Edge of the Piece E, as the Bottom F must be screw’d up to its
under Edge, which will stand upon the prick’d Line _e f_. The Three
Pieces G, H, I, being opposite to C, D, E, and of the same Dimensions
with them, placed in the same manner, make the other End of this Box.
At _g_ in the Bottom F, appears the Hole which is over the Mortise of
the Brass Seed-box, the Shape and Size of which Hole may be seen by the
prick’d Lines upon the Flanches B, C, of _Fig._ 9. in _Plate_ 2. The
foremost End of which Hole reaches almost as far forwards as the End
of the Axis of the Tongue of the Brass Seed-box, and its hinder End
almost as far as the hinder End of its Cover[269]. The Bottom F, being
of the same Length, with C, D, E, and their Opposites, bears against
the prick’d Line _d h_ of the fore Side A, and against the opposite
prick’d Line of B. The Length of this Bottom F is the Breadth of the
Inside of the Box, and its Breadth reaches to the outer Edges of the
Pieces E and I, being Three Inches and an half.
[269] Commonly it reaches within half a quarter of an Inch; but if
it should only reach within a quarter of an Inch of them, it would
not have that ill Consequence at that Distance, as the same Position
would have in the large Seed-boxes; for, in them, the Seed would,
in such Case, be apt to bear against the Bottom of the Hopper, and
obstruct the Motion of the Brass Tongue, which small Seeds cannot do
in the Turnep-seed Box.
All the Jointings of these Pieces must be at right Angles, and so
close, that no Seed may run out at them. All the Pieces are of Board,
full half-inch thick, except the Bottom, which is thinner.
_Fig._ 11. shews the Bottom of the Box with its under Side uppermost,
where the light Part A is the Bottom-board, covering the Two
End-boards, E and I, in _Fig._ 10. The dark Parts B and C are the under
Sides of D and H, in _Fig._ 10. At _a_ is the fore End of the Brass
Seed-box screw’d up to this Bottom-board. At _b_ is the hinder End of
the Brass Seed-box screw’d up in like manner, the outer Edge of the
Flanch of the Seed-box being even with the Edge of the Bottom-board.
The End of the Brass Spindle, with its Fork, appears at C.
_Fig._ 12. shews this Box standing upon its Bottom, with its hinder
Side laid open. At _a_ is the Hole in the Bottom, under which the Brass
Seed-box is fasten’d, with small Iron Screws, square near the Heads,
passing thro’ the Bottom, and thro’ the Holes at each End of the Brass
Box, with their Nuts underneath. The Pins must touch all the Sides of
the Holes in the Brass, to prevent the Seed-box from moving any Way.
A is the fore Side of the Box. B the hinder Side lying down. C is the
Piece H of _Fig._ 10. which makes a sort of Shelf in the Box at its
left End. D at the right End makes another like Shelf, underneath
which, the Fork of the Brass Spindle is turn’d by the Crank in the End
of the wooden (false) Spindle. By means of these Shelves, there is
room for the Two wooden false Spindles to come the further into the
Carriage, without lessening the upper Part of the Box. E and F are the
Two Ends of the upper Part of the Box, made by the Two Pieces G and C
of _Fig._ 10. When the hinder Side B is rais’d up, and screw’d to these
Ends, the Box is complete.
We put a Lid upon this Box, which is hing’d on to its right or left
End. This Box (having the Brass Seed-box at its Bottom) is to be placed
into the Middle of a Frame or Carriage.
_Fig._ 13. shews the Inside of the Carriage lying down. A is the hinder
Side, Eighteen Inches long, Dove-tails and all, and Six Inches broad.
B the fore Side of the same Length with the hinder Side, and Eleven
Inches broad. This Five Inches greater Breadth than the hinder Part is,
because a greater Height is required on the fore Side, on account of
the Hopper’s being drawn, and the Plough held up by that and the Pieces
that must be fix’d to it. C, D, are its Two Ends, Six Inches long,
beside their Dove-tails, and Six Inches broad. E and F are Two Pieces
each Six Inches long, whose Ends are to stand against the prick’d
Lines _a b_ and _c d_ of the hinder Side, and their other Ends against
the prick’d Lines in the fore Side, which are opposite to these. The
Breadth of each of these Pieces is Four Inches: When they are in their
Places, their lower Edges come even with the Bottom of the Carriage.
Their Use is to support the Ends of the Spindles which come just
thro’ their Holes, after each of them have passed their Hole at its
respective End of the Carriage.
All this Carriage is made of Board full half-inch thick; The Ends C and
D are made of double Thickness by another Piece of Board added to each,
that covers all their Insides, except their Dove-tails. These Boards
with which they are lin’d, are nail’d to them, with their Grain going a
different Way, and crossing the Grain of the Board at the End, either
at right or oblique Angles. This prevents the Holes from splitting out,
and makes the Holes of a double Thickness; whereby the Spindle is the
less worn by them, in case there are no Brass Wreaths to enter them.
The middle Pieces E and F are lin’d by their whole Surfaces, in the
same Manner as the Insides of the Ends are lin’d.
When these Ends and middle Pieces are in their Places, a wooden
Cylinder, of the exact Diameter of the Holes, is thrust thro’ all Four,
to hold them exactly true, whilst the Ends and middle Pieces are all
screw’d fast into their Places.
The prick’d Lines are drawn all round the Carriage, thro’ the Centres
of the Holes, and at equal Distance from the Bottom of the Carriage,
which is an Inch and Three quarters, and the One-eighth of an Inch.
This prick’d Line is a Direction how high to nail on the Ledgers G and
H, whereon the Box is to stand; and the Distance the upper Surface of
the Ledger must be above the prick’d Line, is the Semidiameter of the
Brass Spindle; and the Thickness of the Brass Box above the Spindle, or
which is the same thing, the Distance between the Centre of the great
Hole of the Brass Seed-box, and the Plane of the Top of its Mortise,
being half an Inch and half a quarter, strike a Line above the prick’d
Line parallel to it, at this Distance above, and then nail on the
Ledger, with its upper Edge at this Line. This, with its opposite
Ledger plac’d in the same manner, will support the Box with the Axis
of the Spindle of the Seed-box, at equal Height with the Centres of
the Holes of the Carriage; so that if those Holes are parallel to, and
equidistant from the fore Side and hinder Side of the Carriage, and the
Axis of the Brass Spindle be placed in the like manner parallel to, and
equidistant from the fore Side and hinder Side of the Box; then when
the Box is thrust down in its Place, upon these Ledgers, and the wooden
(false) Spindles are placed into their Holes, their Axis will fall into
a strait Line with the Axis of the Brass Spindle, as they ought.
_Fig._ 14. shews the Carriage laid open. A is its back Side lying
down. B is its fore Side standing up. C is the square End of the left
(false) Spindle, whereon a Wheel is to be put up to the Shoulders of
the Spindle, quite close to the Ends of the Carriage. This Spindle,
being an Inch and an half Diameter, is held in its Place, and kept from
moving end-ways, by Two Wreaths; the one at _a_, bearing against the
Inside of the End of the Carriage, the other Wreath at _b_, bearing
against the left Side of the middle Piece; which Wreath keeps the
Spindle from moving towards the right Hand, as the other does from
moving towards the left. D is the square End of the other wooden
Spindle, whereon a Wheel must be placed in the same manner as the other
Wheel. This Spindle is kept from moving end-ways by Two Wreaths, in
the same manner as the other Spindle is; but this right-hand Spindle,
being that which turns the Brass Spindle by its Crank, which enters the
Fork, should have its Wreaths of Brass, like those describ’d in _Fig._
17. _Plate_ 4. Part of which Wreaths entering about Three quarters
of an Inch into the Hole of the End and middle Part of the Carriage,
being firmly screw’d on to the Spindle, prevent the Friction that would
otherwise be betwixt the Wood of the Spindle, and the Wood of the
Holes; which Friction wearing the Wood of both, would in time cause
the Spindle to be loose in its Holes, whereby its Axis would deviate
from the strait Line it should make with the Axis of the Brass Spindle,
and make an Angle with it; and then the Crank would change its Place
in the Fork at every Revolution of the Wheels; and if the Hole should
be worn very wide, and the Spindle worn much less, the Crank might let
go the Fork; but when the Wood is of this Thickness, and each Hole has
Wood in it, with its Grains pointing different ways, it would be many
Years before the Holes would become large enough for this to happen,
tho’ only wooden Wreaths were used; and as to the Two Wreaths of the
left Spindle, they may be of Wood, because tho’ that Spindle should
grow loose, it is no Damage; for it only serves to bear up that End of
the Carriage; but he that has this Sort of Brass Wreaths for the hinder
Hopper of a Wheat-drill, may take them thence, and place them upon
these Spindles, and remove them again to the Wheat-drill when that is
used; for that and the Turnep-drill are very rarely, or never, used at
the same time.
E is the Iron Crank, plac’d into the false Spindle, in the manner shewn
at H in _Fig._ 5. of _Plate_ 2. for turning the Brass Spindle by its
Fork; but take care that the End of this wooden Spindle do not approach
nearer to the End of the Brass Spindle than the Distance of half an
Inch, left, if the inner Wreath should grow loose, the wooden Spindle
might bear so hard against the Brass one, as to wrench the Seed-box
down from the Wood, and then the Seed might run out betwixt the
Seed-box and the Bottom to which it is screw’d.
When the hinder Side A is screw’d up against the Ends and middle
Pieces, then the Box describ’d, being thrust down into the Carriage,
and standing upon the describ’d Ledgers, and at that Distance from
each End of the Carriage, that the Seed may drop on the Side of the
Funnel, as is before describ’d; the Box is kept in its Place by one
Screw passing thro’ its Back, and the back Side of the Carriage.
The Notch F is cut in the Bottom of the hinder Side of the Carriage,
up to the Bottom of the Ledger, for the Convenience of seeing the Seed
drop into the Funnel.
The round Notch G is made in the Bottom of the fore Side of the
Carriage, to make room for one’s Hand to go in there, and turn the
Setting-screw without taking off the Hopper from the Standards.
This Box and Carriage, so fix’d together, compose the Turnep-hopper,
which is drawn and guided, and also holds up the Plough, by Two hollow
Pieces of Wood screw’d on to the Outside of the fore Part of the
Carriage; their Ends H and I appearing a little above the Carriage.
One of these hollow Pieces of Wood is shewn in _Fig._ 15. The Breadth
of its Hollow must conform to the Breadth of the Standards, which are
One Inch and a quarter broad; but we must allow about a quarter of an
Inch more in the Hollow for the Swelling of the Wood. The Depth of
the Hollow must be the Thickness of the Standard that is to go in it,
allowing about the Eighth of an Inch for the Swelling of the Wood.
The Hollow should be a little deeper in the Middle than at each End;
because the Standard ought not to bear against any thing, except at or
near the upper and lower Part of the Carriage. Altho’ the End of these
Pieces come a little higher than the Carriage in this Hopper, yet I
think it is better that these hollow Pieces come no higher than even
with the Top, nor descend any lower than even with the Bottom of the
Carriage; and then the Length of each of these Pieces need be no more
than Eleven Inches, which is the whole Depth of the Carriage.
The Wood on each Side of the Hollow, sufficient for the Holes _a_, _a_,
_a_, _a_, must be about half an inch broad. The best way for fixing
them on, is whilst the Standards are in them, placing a small Piece of
Wood at each Corner of the Hollow, betwixt the Standard and the Wood,
to the end that there may be no more room on one Side of a Standard
than on the other Side; then screw them on (parallel to and equidistant
from their respective Ends of the Carriage) by Four small Screws each,
the one at _c_, _c_, _c_, _c_, and the other at _d_, _d_, with Two
below; the Heads of these Screws being on the Inside of the Carriage,
and their Nuts on the Outsides of the hollow Pieces; then pull out
those little Pieces of Wood, that were to keep the Standards in the
Middle of the Hollows, whilst the Holes for the Screws were bored, and
then the Turnep-Hopper is finished, and being put on upon the Standards
A, B, in _Fig._ 16. is ready to go to Work; and in this Figure the
whole Turnep-drill may be seen as in the Prospect of a Person following
it at Work, except that this Figure has not the double Standard, nor
Marking-wheels; because we never use them for drilling-Turneps, except
it be on the Level, which we very rarely do.
The Circles of the Wheels of this Hopper go Twenty five Inches asunder;
were they farther asunder, they would not go so well upon the Ridges;
or were they nearer together, they might not hold up the Plough so
steadily, but that one Wheel might happen to be rais’d from the Ground,
by the descending of the opposite Limber; and if it should happen to
be the Wheel that turns the Crank, no Seed would be deliver’d out
whilst the Wheel was rais’d above the Ground; sometimes we use Wheels
of Twenty-six Inches Diameter, sometimes Thirty, and at intermediate
Diameters, with this Hopper.
The best Wood for making all Sorts of Hoppers is Walnut-tree or Elm;
our Beams and Standards we make of Ash.
[Illustration: _Plate. V._
_P.392_
_B.Cole Delin et Sculp_]
What is meant by Wood-screws, are taper Screws made with Iron, having
very deep Threads, whereby they hold-fast when screwed into Wood, and
their Points will enter into soft Wood without boring any Hole for them
into the Wood they are to take hold of; but near their Heads they are
round, and have no Thread, and that Part of them must always be in a
bored Hole thro’ that Part of a Board that is to be drawn close.
If the Standards should be much swollen by being wet, it may be proper
to anoint them with Soap.
In drilling, when the Wind is very strong, and the Hopper goes high
above the Funnel, the Seed might be blown over it, if we did not take
care to guard it from the Force of the Wind; and for doing this there
are many Ways: Sometimes we nail a Piece of Linen Cloth round the Ends,
and the fore Side of the Hopper; or else we nail on a Piece of old Hat,
or Shoe-leather, round the Edges of the Funnel, to raise it higher; or
if the Hopper go a great deal above the Trunk, we nail up a Pipe of
Leather to the wooden Bottom of the Box, which Pipe, being about an
Inch wide at Bottom, protects the Seed from the Wind, till it arrives
so near the Funnel, that the Wind cannot blow it over.
If we would have a long Hopper, to plant many Rows at once, of Clover
or other fine Seeds, it is easy to make each of these wooden (false)
Spindles turn Two or Three Brass or Iron Spindles; but then, as in all
other Cases; where the same Hopper is to supply more than one Chanel
with Seed, each of its Wheels must have Liberty to rise without the
other, as those of the hinder Hopper of the Wheat-drill do.