A MACHINE FOR PLANTING POTATOES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 182, 31 August 1878, Page 4

A MACHINE FOR PLANTING POTATOES.

Wihere farm hanils are scarce, and wages high, every maohine that saves labour is valuable to the farmer. Some months we referred to o/ie — a handy help — a potato-planter, which cuts tbe seed, opens a furrow, drops the sets, scatters any dry fertiliser in the furrow and covers seed and fertiliser -—all at one operation. Tlub machine, anAmericnu invention, is Tr tie's potatcplanier. It is no new iovmtioa but has been used in America by a large number of extensive potato growers for tome years. It was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition, where it attracted the notice of the English judge of agricultural machinery, who procured several machines for himself and his frieuds. The value of a really effective machine, which will plant six acres of potatoes in one day, doing tho whole work completely, as well as, if not biter than, it can bo done by baud, is obvious. It consists of a two-wheeled frame upon which is a hopper for the seed potuoep, nnotber hopper iu front (if thi3 is for tho fertiliser ; a plough through she slaudard of which tho cut sets drop into ihe furrow, vvbicii it open?, and a pair of scrapers ia the rear, by whieh tbe furrow is closed, and tbe sets ure covered. Jn the bottom of the hopper are a series of revolving boles, into which the potatoes drop, and as they ure carried around upon a snfc onery floor, they ate thrust against a blade, which slices eff a piece sufficiently large enough for a set. The operation is ceria'n and even and tho only thing which cau interfere with it is the ptesence of a potato too largo to drop into the holes. This is provided ugiiiiist by taking care to break any large potato, or to remove any "Very large ones. Different sets of holes are furnished, to be used with potatoes of various sizes, from very small OEes up to those of average bulk. The machine is drawn by one horse, and the wheelmark ia intended to be a guide for planting each succeeding row. These useful machines have not yet been imported into tbe colony. — Canterhitay Times.