New Drain Gearing Machine Demonstrated

Chronicle (Levin), 14 July 1948, Page 3

New Drain Gearing Machine Demonstrated

Drain maintenance will always be a problem in the Manawatu and any man who makes an effort to lessen it is to be commended fpr his initiative. Such a man is Mr. Arnold Gillespie, of Opiki, whose recently imported drain cleaning machine aroused consi'derable interest at a gathering of Lower Manawatu farmers at Kuku last Thursday. The machine,- which is simple in structure and easy to operate, can be ^dapted to practically any tractor of the 20 horse power calibre and upwards. It will clean open drains from three to eight feet wide and up to three feet six inches in deptjb. It is a definite improvement on the old method of cleaning by hand. At the demonstration on Thursday the type of drain used was about five feet in width, with a considerable amount of weed. The cleaning was efficiently done. The drag was suspended from a hoist, attached to the back of, the tractor. The tractor brought it to a position over the drain and then lowered it down into the weed. The drag was drawn across the 'drain and then hoisted tip again back on the other side, to be drawn across the drain again.