SEED CLEANING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 10

SEED CLEANING.

A GBOAVING INDUSTRY. - : (Published by Arrangement:); A representative of tlio "Standard" ' (Palmerston North) recently, paid', a- visit ; to: the.r:seed':cleaning':establishment ,:of Messrs. A.v <T.v Palmer,', and Co., 'Ltd., Queen ' Street, ,imd . was' shown, over ■ the factory . by. Mi\;; A.;. Palmer/ -, :,Tiie repre-' . sentativo : was .sin-prised ..at' .tho- largenumber of . machines' 'in"use, /but found, ?i 1 " re xL iuspeciion was completed, that , they; were, all necessary .to -cope with the- increasing business/ ivhich has mtule. onormous strides during the past few years.. The. building, which', is twostoried,. has .a frontage to Queen' Street of 35 feet,.running.-back the whole depth the secUon ; (135 • feet),; while at . the ! » convenient passage. used by:thenrrns carriers"when'-.conveying- tlie vari- . ons consignments of. seeds to and. from, the railwiQy« ; scation,. : Iu the■ engine-room at ..the : ,rear .of ..'the- building, is'located. ' two, of Crossley's. gas .engines of the lat-, est pattern,. .26 and 16 horse! rpower • res ,These aro used to drivo' tho. whole of : . the, .machinery.;- In: the .-machinery room'-.on the -ground: floor..are : seven l largo machines',. - ..Those -are usedin . the! . various' stages of . seed, cleaning./: On- the, top floor is a largo hopper'into, which .tlio ; undresse.il seed is first emptied; it ,-theh. passes- over' ii : scalping riddlej which takes away straws aud other- rough rubbish; then an exhaust fan draws off all ; 'fight llusbs and dust'. ' Prom there-the seed is elevated to the tdp; floor,'and there passes, through ,two large", cylinders <vhich' take' away.'all• the "goose" and " grass., v The spleiidid work theso .' two machines' do is remarkable, the weeds mentioned being taken. away -,without tho loss of any .seed.; After .treatment by these. machines tho seed s runs ' down to . -another: .of the large- .machines on the lower floor, where it. goes "through' a "liusker," , which separates' the husks ■' ffuui. all the Small seeds, the 1 exhaust fan ' .blowing-'.awayTiiny remaining {husks Vand .'dust; The, good; seed thou passes over: two ■ , 'Sieves'-which are workfd with a' rotary ; motion; from these it proceeds to' : an- : \pther of. the large machines and' which' jumps out-"Cape 'weed" .aud.'iino hair 'grass. , ';It .is . then I .' olevate'd to ' tho 'top; ; iloSr bnco more', and , runs through four' .'. .more -cylinders' which do/ a wonderful work in : separating suckling clover,'.'sor-. .rell, docks, fog. ana other, weeds 'from the ' good seed, which then runs into.another, ..machine oni the : bottom floor. The latter! rilachines grade; tho, seed; and it is here the first-class samples,tire .separated from, .the lower grade seeds. „ This machine was especially, designed: and built to Mr. Palmer's-,order -as-the adjusting: of'the . various .parts, requires ,the ;export's close . .'attention, as it.acts on theiweightof.tho 'clean seed produced.,,'.' f:Tho. suckling clover,' sorrell,\dock, fog, arid other;weeds taken ..fromi the'seod; .as i -before mentioned, run. into. another machine. of Mr.: Palmer's';dcsigning,. which produces a very : 'fina. sample of. Suckling, , ,clover . and fog, the remaining.: 'weeds; beiug passed out as worthless. . This ma- . chino was specially designed for dressing suckling clover,'of : which largo quan- . titles come. in with,-the. rye, grass from tho. Sandon district Mr. ; Palmer ,-■ here 'mentioned that his'firm last-year-sold'on , 'account of the. .-farmers soiuo:22 tons of thiiT little yellow, seed which netted.over' 1i!350. ■ This goes a long way towards the cost of-dressing the main-seed.crop. This 'all,.went to London, 'where* owing to the ■ expert vmanher"in., which it.; had ■ been . : treated, by Mr. Palmer, it,found a ready. market., It'-is the; most difficult ; seed to, sqparatofrom- tho weeds'., --MrJ : Palmer is : to ,bo congratulated on the'success-of his- , efforts in turning out such ,a. payable .. article from a seed that in. most places . would be passed out,as worthless. It .- fmay .be : here' mentioned, that starting' from the rough, tho'seed .goes, through - .eleven machines before it is turned out. as .the finished article, and patrons cau ■ rely ou tho fact that,when it,leaves Mr., Palmen's hauds it is as clean , as it is-.. to .mako- it. : - Besides .tho. grass soed cleaning machinery tho firm have aiyery fine'plaut for.all. kinds of grain .; cleaning; also - crushing and grinding machinery. As an evidence, of .tho-volume : " of, work done tho'following , relating,'.to the : Quantity ,of seed dressed .will give' some idea of last year's operations : —1255 sacks ,of grain;-, 13,465 sacks . (0r59,802 bushels) of : rye - grass; . 1039 ■sacks; (or 98,4Q21bs.);crested dogstail,\ 1511 ', sicks (or 98,5321b5.) cocksfoot2ol9 - sacks of variousisoeds, .including, clover, prairie grass, , foxtail, fescues, etc. Sixty • per cent, of .tho'crested dogstail'and 75 :' ■per cent, of the ryo dressed wero. grown in tho Sandon.district.-.Last year's seed was exceptionally.-dirty, still,' thanks to! tho splendid plant used by the .firm and the expert manner in which it was ■handled, tho. loss-, in ryo averaged . only < 4ilbs. per bushel. . . . . 'i