TRIAL OF COMBINED DRILL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2515, 13 June 1893, Page 3

TRIAL OF COMBINED DRILL.

On Friday last a trial of great interest to farmers took place at Mr Joseph Hoi well’s farm, Arowhenua. Mr James Findlay, engineer, of Temuka, has for some time been perfecting a drill that would combine the operation of seed sowing and manure distribution at one operation, an implement that would prove of immense value to farmers. Such a machine he has recently completed, and it was subjected to a severe test on Friday in the presence of a fair number of farmers, who attended in spite of the inclement weather. The paddock to be sown was one ploughed out of grass, and ,the machine, which is somewhat on the principle of a Suffolk drill, was started sowing wheat and superphosphate. The latter was somewhat clogged owing to the dampness of the atmosphere, but those present considered that the machine did its work well, the manure being evenly distributed through the coulter tubes. Subsequently another style of manure provided by Mr Francis Franks, of the Eclipse Bone Works, was used. This manure, although coarser, was not so liable to clog. The machine did equally good work with this class of manure. The manure distribution could be regulated, it was readily proved, to any quantity per acre required. On this particular occasion about 18 cwt per acre was put on. The draught of a fifteen-coulter drill appeared well within the power of three horses. For various reasons a full description of the mechanism is not given, but it may be mentioned that the machine used was provided with a spoon feeder. It can, however, be readily arranged to be fitted with a force feeder for hill country, so that its use should, other things being equal, become fairly universal in South Canterbury. At present no other implement makers have attempted this particular style of combined sowing, and we must congratulate our townsman on his enterprise. On the same day a Howard digging plough was working in a lea paddock pretty well covered with twitch. This implement is now so well known as not to require description. The work done by four horses was extremely good, the plough being set to about 8 Jin x 14iu, all grass and rubbish being well buried. The drill, which can be supplied at a reasonable rate, can be inspected for a few days at Mr Findlay’s works.