STRAWSON'S AIR-POWER DISTRIBUTOR, OR PNEUMATIC DRILL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2561, 8 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

STRAWSON'S AIR-POWER DISTRIBUTOR, OR PNEUMATIC DRILL.

The newly-invouted mnchine, Strawson's air power distributor, described fully below—an account of a trial of which was given in our supplement of Soptembor loth last—seems to bo the very mnchine suitable to the requirements of orohanlists in this couutry. It is thus described in the pamphlet before us, and wo append one of the many opinions of tho Press that its excellency as a machine has called forth.

This new machine marks a distinct period iu tho history of agriculture. Hitherto there has been no effectual means of dealing with the myriads of destructive insects that hold growing crops at their mercy, and bring heavy losses every year to the cultivator.

The Pneumatic (or Wind) Drill, will, to a large extent, meet the requirements in this ca»e, by its remarkable power of distributing insecticides, (whether ia fine powder, or liquid), far more perfectly and rapidly than has ever been possible by any means previously at our command.

It may not bo out of place to observe that the inventor has devoted a considerable portion of each year lately in a systematic attempt to deal with the ravages of tho turnip fly, by which the annual loss to agriculture in this country is probably not less than £1.000,000. In the attempt to completely reach these small insects with the finely divided substances already known to be useful, this machine has boon constructed, and it is a source of great pleasure to tho inventor to be able to say that iu this respect it is a remarkable success. The fly can be driven off the plant immediately with several different substances, but it appears to the inventor that a complete success follows the use of paraffiu, sprayed over the ground at the rate of one ffillon to the acre. The Pneumatic Machine issues paraffin as a thin mist, which falls like dew, and covers every plant, costing but a few ponce per acre.

Another class of substances is put on in a fine state of subdivision, such as freshly slacked ltme, soot, sulphur, b:isio phosphate, ground gypsum, fertilizers, and all powdered remedies for insect pests, &c. ; upon these, the rapid vibrations of the swift current of compressed air acts with an extraordinary disintegrating power, never before used in agriculture. It will surprise many to learn that with this Pneumatic Drill, under favourable circumstances, an aero of ground can be covered in three minutes with a perfectly thin film of lime, as even as the breath upon a piece of glass. The flakes of soot are shaken to dust, and as has beeu well observed, the soot appears to return back to its origin—smoke—as it issues from the machine.

For hops, vines, cnfL>o plants, fruit trees, shrubs, &c, the cloud of insecticides may be made to take the under surfaces of th? leaves, or the upper surfaces, or discharged horizontally against the whole plant. In many cases this three-fold operation may be carried on simultaneously.

As a hroat-nast sower for whoat, ont, barley, &<:.. and seed", it. is not probable th'it any means has ever beeu known that operates so perfectly as tho pneumatic principle.

Besides t.Vieso, there are many substances that recent and scientific farming has introduced, but which have never bean at all well sown until the introduction of this new machine, as for instance, nitrate of soda, (of which above 500,000 tons have been shipped within tho last few mouths) and it is quite within the mark to say that one-tenth of this is wasted by being badly distributed, and we have seen cases where more than 25 per cent is thus lost. The sow T er is perfect for nitrate of soda, distributing with unapproached regularity from a small quantity per acre to as many cwts. as are desired, at the rato of about 6 acres per hour.

Sulphate of ammonia is dispersed like a shower of sand, every small loose crystal being separated.

In distributing fertilizers upon tho land, it may bo taken as a rule that the air-power completely separates all the loosely-cohering particles or crystals in spreading them.

Much of the work done by this machine is of a kind entirely new iu agriculture, and as a broad-caster it does the work so much more rapidly and perfectly tliau the old system, that it cannot fail to be of the greatest servico to every cultivator.

The inventor hopes that those who purchase tho machines will assist him in his work against the ravages of the turnip fly, and send him tho result of some exact experiments that will be useful to him in developing this subject.

The distributor is the simplest and easiest to work aud keep clean that can well be imagined, as tho materials in the hopper do not touch any moving parts of the machinery except the plain feed roller that passes tho feed out upon the air-curreut, so that cleaning is, as a rule, unnecessary, but we advise after salt or nitrate of soda is used, that a pailful of water is passed through the hopper. The machine should be well oiled, and is always ready for use.

"On Thursday, at Newbury, a new Agricultural Machine was introduced for the first time by the inventor, Mr G. F. Strawson (of the Chemical Manure Works, Newbury). It was primarily designed by Mr Strawson for applying soot, lime, &c, for "Turnip Fly," but during its construction it has developed into a machine of such extraordinary powers, and so entirely different in principle from anything ever seen before, that it naturally excited much interest in Berkshire and the neighbouring counties, where Mr Strawson is personally well known. Originally designed for separation by vibration of the minute particles of lime and such substances, and distributing them by an air current over the surface of crops attacked by " Tho Fly," the machine does this in the most perfect way that can well be conceived, covering an immense breadth at each round. The machine has an extraordinary appearance at its work—soot, lime, and gypsum appeared to roll out over the ground in a dense cloud 30 to 40 feet wide, leaving I everything in its path perfectly covered with a thin film, so fine that on a piece of glass laid anywhere in its track, letters could bo written in the dust with a pin. Indeed, the distribution was practically perfect for the even distributing of powdered substances. But a surprise was still in store for the visitors. Without any alteration of the apparatus, it was tried with salt and nitrate of soda, throwing it out in the most perfect pattern as fast as the horse could walk, for about 22 feet in breadth with perfection and rapidity. Superphosphate of lime, guano, carbolic powder, were successfully put in, and the machine troated all with equal results and equal indifference. Then half a bushel of barley was put in, and sown 23 foet wide with a perfect pattern at the rate of about two bushels per acre. This was surely enough for any one machine, but a different nozzle and a cistern were attached, with about one gallon of paraffin. This it sprayed over the ground like a very fine dew, and it is with paraffin, dilute carbolic acid, and solutions of chemicals sprayed over the orop that Mr Strawson hopes to leseen tho ravages of the "fly." It is worked with one horse, and is said to cover the ground with the different materials at the extraordinary rate of six to ten acres per hour. We understand that Mr Strawson will show- this maabine at Abingdon next Wednesday, and also at the Bournemouth Show, if he can be allowed to exhibit it in actual work. The apparatus has been patented."