would then throw sufficient seed a greater distance (when needed) than
when both broadcasters were operating. One fan was sufficient to
distribute seed with the seeder mounted on the side of the truck; how-
ever, for larger areas with the seeder mounted on the tail gate the two
fans were used, The
second fan can be re-
moved by loosening
one set screw from the
gear on the fan shait,
shown in the photo-
graph at left,

Except for the
above and keeping
the gears well coated
with a heavy gear grease
to reduce wear, the
project forces found no
need to improve upon
the seeder as furnished,

The seeder cost
approximately $150,
complete with engine
and grass-seeding
attachment, The one

=, ’ first used on the Central
. Valley Project was pur-
chased from the H. C. Shaw Company, Stockton, California, Further in-
formation regarding the seeder, its present cost and its operation may
be obtained from the manufacturer, dealers, or the Bureau of Recla-
mation, To contact the latter, write Regional Director, U. S. Bureau
of Reclamation, Sacramento, California, Attention: Code 2-440,

IMA11


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IIB10



hydrocarbon is represented by such materials as ordinary gasoline,
kerosene, and other straight-chain and branched-chain saturated
hydrocarbons,

Sample No. 4 is a branched-chain unsaturated hydrocarbon
(olefin), This compound caused some injury to aquatic weeds but not
enough to be considered an effective waterweed killer.

Sample Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8, which contain a high percentage
of aromatics, are the most effective for controlling aquatic weeds.
Sample No. 6 is more effective than No. 5 at least in part because of
the higher aromatic content of No. 6. Sample Nos. 7 and 8 are more
effective than Sample Nos. 5 and 6 and are among the best of the aro-
matic hydrocarbon solvents for control of submersed aquatic weeds,
Sample No, 8 is a pure grade of xylene and Sample No. 7, based on its
distillation range, probably contains a high percent of xylene.

The above results demonstrate the importance of knowing the
percentage of the different types of hydrocarbons represented in an
aquatic weed killer. The percent of aromatics, along with the distilla-
tion range, is a very useful factor in determining those solvents that
are likely to be effective waterweed killers,

IVB1

GPO 840391



in the order of 1,800, 1,300, and 800 feet respectively, or approxi-
mately 7, 5, and 3 times the lengths normally cleaned at the same
daily cost by the excavator using a standard bucket,

The weed bucket,
shown in use in the photo-
graph at left, has an ad-
vantage over the.standard
bucket also in that it
removes, roots and all,
without enlarging or
upsetting the designed
bed width of the drain,

As with the standard
bucket, however, a cer-
tain amount of water is
necessary for its effec-
tive working,

Others who have
inspected the bucket under working conditions were also impressed by
its performance, and have requisitioned similar equipment for use in
other irrigation districts.

Construction Details:

Manufactured under patent, the 8-foot bucket is 18 inches high
and 21 inches deep. Its weight is approximately 1, 060 pounds and is
used successfully on a 3/8-cubic yard dragline, The bucket consists of
a cutting blade on the base, with reversible edges, one edge being
straight and the other curved from the base to the top and is latticed
to enable silt and water to drop through.

The 10-foot bucket, which is the one shown in the photographs,
is similar in design, but is 30 inches high and 2 feet deep. It weighs
1, 740 pounds and is too heavy for use on a 3/8-cubic yard dragline,
but is very suitable for a 1/2-cubic yard machine, The 10-foot bucket,
as shown in the above photograph, was used for cleaning approximately
1, 300 feet of cattail infested drainage channel in a day, with the bucket
attached to a 1/2-cubic yard dragline.

*

IIB12


being forked from the channel where they have collected against abridge.
In channels from which the weeds have been cut with the broad-arrow
cutter, it has been necessary to recut the weeds only once every six
weeks as compared with once every two weeks when cut by hand methods,

In the photograph at
left, a four horse team,
two on either bank, is
pulling the 10-foot weed
cutter along a channel.
Note the turbulence on
the left bank following in
the wake of the cutter
working on that side.

The implement as
the name implies is
shaped like an arrow
and is constructed in three parts:- the arrow-head or 5-foot cutter, the
training or 10-foot cutter andthe rudder. A pulling attachment is fixed
to the arrow-head for hitching the tow rope.

Flush welded construction is adopted for the arrow-head or
5-foot cutter, 4- by 1/2-inch flat mild steel being used. This forms a
5-foot equilateral triangle, with 4-inch bearing surface on the three
sides. A triangular hardened-steel nose piece is welded to the apex and
is bevelled 1 inch to a knife edge, Also, flush welded to the main frame
is a 4- by 1/2-inch cross member to take the rudder bracket and pulling
attachment.

In the center of the base a rudder guide is welded. This is

IIB11
2


BROAD ARROW WEED CUTTER

Control of aquatic weeds in irrigation and drainage channels
is one of the major problems confronting irrigation authorities of the
State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, Victoria, Australia.
Chemical control and burning with flame throwers have been tried,
but removal of weeds by manual labor has been common practice,
Dredging with a dragline and bucket has also been used but this pro-
cedure alters the characteristics of the channel and leaves a ridge of
spoil on the banks for disposal. Other mechanical means have been
tried but all tend to alter the shape and depth of channels.

The broad arrow weed cutter, shown below, was developed by
Mr. R. I. Walsh, A.M.I.E.Aust. Information extracted from the offi-
cial supplement to the
Commission's staff maga-
zine ''Spillway", was pub-
lished in "The Common-
wealth Engineer", June
1948. The weed cutter
was considered a con-
siderable improvement
over the then existing
methods used in remov-
ing weeds and appeared
the only implement that
did not damage or alter
the shape of the channelin
operation,

Cutting can be carried out on either up or down streamruns, The
blades have a slicing action as they move forward and will cut any weed.
The cutter sinks just slightly below the bed of the channel and the cut is
generally just under the surface of the silt through the root system of the
weeds, The result of cutting the weeds so low is that many of them will
not grow again.

Using the 10-foot cut-
ter shown above, one trip
up and one down is re-
quired to clear a 16-foot
channel, Removing the
cut weeds from the canal
by hand labor requires
about 12 men. It is esti-
mated that about 4 to 5
miles of channel per day
can be cleaned, In the
photograph at left, a por-
tion of the weeds cut dur-
ing a 20-minute run are

Bil


NEW ZEALAND WEED BUCKET

One of the major problems in the irrigation districts of Vic-
toria, Australia, is the maintenance of the drainage channel systems.
The persistent growth of weeds seriously affects the capacity and effi-
ciency of the drains, and previously, although a great many control
methods have been tried, a reasonably satisfactory means of dealing
with the problem had not been obtained.

The Hon. H. E. Bolte, M.L.A., who was then Minister of
Water Supply in Victoria, was in New Zealand during the early part
of 1950. He was very much impressed with the performance of the
implement shown below, used on weed control work by the North Can-
terbury Catchment Board. As a result of the Minister's inspection,
the Commission immediately placed an order for two of the imple-
ments, which are popularly referred to as "New Zealand Weed Buckets".

The weed buckets purchased, one 8 feet in width and the other
10 feet in width, were evolved by Mr. W, H, Harris, then Chief Engi-
neer of the Catchment Board, and manufactured under patent by Messrs.
Sinclair, Melbourne & Co., Lyttleton, New Zealand. They weretested
under the most severe conditions.

Although the 10-foot bucket has been successfully tested, the
8-foot bucket was considered the best suited to the needs. The 8-foot
bucket, attached to a 3/8-cubic yard dragline, was engaged in cleaning
a drain which had a bed width of up to 10 feet and from 3 to 4 feet indepth.

The weeds dealt with can be classified into three groups in order
ofinfestation, viz., Pondweed and Ribbonweed; medium to light Cum-
bungi with Pondweed; and heavy Cumbungi. Depending on the type of
weed infestation, the lengths of channel which may be cleaned daily are

I1B12
1


DEMOSSING BUCKET FOR GRADALL EXCAVATOR

A bucket was fabricated in the shops of the Salt River Valley
Water Users Association in Phoenix, Arizona, for use with the Asso-
ciation's fleet of Gradall excavators in expediting and facilitating the
removal of moss from the canals and laterals of the irrigation system.

Construction details:

The bucket is shaped much like the 60-inch ditch cleaning
bucket supplied by the manufacturer. However, the Salt River bucket
is 72 inches wide, has a serrated cutting edge, and the bucket plate has
been perforated,
as it is nor-
mally usedunder
water,

The unit is
shown in opera-
tion in the photo-
graph at left. A
large amount of
moss and silt
can be removed
with each pass of
the bucket, demos-
sing about one mile
of ditch per day.

Bg


"SEED EASY" BROADCAST SEEDER

The ''Seed Easy" broadcast seeder shown below and manufac-
tured by Garber Power Seeders, Inc., St. Paris, Ohio, has been a big
help in the spoil bank seeding program along canals on the Bureau of
Reclamation's Central Valley Project. Use of the seeder has resulted
in completing the job faster and at less cost. Compared with previous
seeding methods and costs, there was a saving of $600 to $800 in the
broadcasting of 50, 000 pounds of seed,

The seeder performs very efficiently and with the exception of
seeding by helicopter, it is the fastest method used on the project for
seecing large spoil banks and ditch-bank areas, The seeder has been
borrowed on several occasions by other public agencies who also have
found it to be fast and efficient.

First used on the Delta-Mendota Canal, a similar seeder was
purchased later for use on the Friant-Kern Canal also a part of the
Central Valley Project. For seeding slopes the seeder is used on the
left side of the pick-up truck as shown, For seeding larger areas, the
seeder is mounted over the tail gate. It is mounted on a platform de-
signed to fit in the bed of a pick-up truck, so that the broadcaster hangs
over the side or end of the truck bed. The operator on the pickup con-
trols the speed of the seeder engine so that the seed is broadcast 10 to
50 feet onto the spoil banks. On level ground the truck travels 8 to 10
miles per hour,

The photograph above and on the following pages does not show

IA11
1


KERR GRASS DRILL

The Kerr Grass Drill shown below is used in the Bureau of
Reclamation's Region 5, New Mexico and Texas, for seeding grasses
along canals and on reservoir areas, The photograph is a general
view of the drill in operation seeding grasses on the McMillan Reser-
voir area, on the Carlsbad Project in New Mexico,

Construction Details:

This particular drill has separate seed containers for each
drill furrow, which is of advantage when using the seeder on a steep
slope. Also separate containers are provided on the seeder for the
large, fluffy seed (Western wheat grass, grama, etc.) and the small
hard seed (Bermuda, Love grass, etc.). Regulators are installed
on the seven discs to regulate depth of seeding, and a conventional
car transmission is incorporated into the construction of the drill to
facilitate changing seeding rates.

The drill shown was purchased from the Kerr Manufacturing
Co., Geary, Oklahoma, for approximately $650. For further infor-
mation write the manufacturer or the Regional Director, U. S. Bureau
of Reclamation, Amarillo, Texas,

IIA10


the center guide for the 10-foot cutter and rear guide for the 5-foot cut-
ter. In addition, on this member are welded the female components of
the butt hinges for attaching the trailing cutter.

Cutting blades 5 feet in length and manufactured from 5-1/4-
by 1/16-inch saw steel are bevelled to a knife edge and sharpened, The
blades are attached to the frame by a cover piece of 3- by 1/4-inch
mild steel bolted through with 3/8-inch counter-sunk bolts, spaced at
16-inch centers, The cutting edge of the blades protrudes 1-1/2 inches
over the base.

Formed on a base of 4- by 3/4-inch mild steel, the trailing or
10-foot cutter has its four members flush welded at the corners. The
front member carries the male components of the butt hinges and the
rear member of the rear rudder guide for the 10-foot cut. Blades sim-
ilar to those on the arrow-head are attached in the same manner,

A pulling attachment, profiled from 1/2-inch mild steel plate,
is welded to the main frame and cross member of the arrow-head. This
is "L'' shaped, the vertical leg having three 1-inch holes for the adjust-
ment of the shackle to allow for the varying angle of pull. To this
shackle is attached a single wire rope, 4 feet 6 inches long with a ring
on the outer end for connecting the towing ropes.

Design of the rudder follows modern timber practice. The ma-
terial used in Australia was laminated hardwood, heavy red gum being
used for the pilot model. Two lengths of rudder are required: - 12 feet
for the 5-foot cut and 16 feet for the 10-foot cut; therefore, the lamina-
tions are of varying lengths. On one side there is a 12-foot length and
a 4-foot length and on the other side a 9-foot 6-inch and a 6-foot 6-
inch length. When the 12-foot rudcer is required the 9-foct 6-inch and
the 4-foot laminations are removed anc a 5-foot 6-inch filling piece is
fitted. Each lamination is 2 inches in thickness and 9 inches in width,
making the full section 9 inches by 4 inches. However, the front end
is reduced to 6 inches back to the center guide and cut away to 7 inches
at the rear guide to allow for a slight vertical movement so as not to
disturb the horizontal alignment of the cutter, the front end being
pivoted. The laminations are bolted together with l-inch bolts; bolt
heads and nuts are recessed making the rudder sides flush so that there
is nothing to catch in the weeds to cause undue drag.

Formed from 4- by 1/2-inch mild steel, the front bracket and
the center guide are of ''U'' shape, with the rear guide in two '"L" shaped
parts, a bolt being fitted across the top to allow for withdrawing the
rudder for transportation,

The implement can be broken down into sections light enough
for two men to handle and can be easily transported. The longest length
is the 12-foot section of the rudder and the greatest width, the arrow-
head cutter, approximately 5 feet.

eR Rk

TIB11
3


IIB10


WEED SPRAY HOSE

A spray hose that is oil resistant and that has proved to be
very successful for use on spray equipment, is the B. F. Goodrich
"Weed Spray" hose. Designed for conducting weed-killing solutions
such as DDT, 2-4D, etc., and for low pressure insecticidal and
fungicidal spraying of shrubs, bushes, trees, etc., for the control
of pests and disease, the hose has given good service.

The hose is supplied in 500-foot reels or in specified
lengths. It is of braided construction with high tensile strength
rayon cord. It can be supplied in internal diameters of 3/8- and
1/2-inch, which will have external diameters of 11/16- and 27/32-
inch, respectively. Maximum working pressure is given as 200
pounds, with the weight per foot of the 3/8-inch ID hose being 0.158
and that of the 1/2-inch 0, 237.

The hose has a semi-glossy, black, smooth rubber cover.

B.F. Goodrich Spray Hose

Tubes will not flake or clog spray guns

Paint spray hose Weed spray hose

Recommended uses: Fo Recommended uses: \seal for

Length:
lengths.

Couplings: As speciied by customer.

Paint spray hose specifications
M.

ise Werle preware Weed spray hose specifications
ID) Braid OD pert. tbs

Size
(ID) Braid OD



acsorbability of the
components, The low-
est zone contains the
saturates, the middle
zone the olefins, and
the top zone the aro-
matic hydrocarbons.
After the top zone
has progressed far
enough into the ana-
lyzer section, the
boundary of each zone,
which has a distinct
color under ultra-
violet light caused

by the fluorescent
indicator dyes added
to the sample, is
marked, The length
of each zone is meas-
ured and used to cal-
culate the percentage
by volume of each of
the groups of hydro-
carbons present; the
length of each zone is
proportional to the per-
centage of the hydro-
carbon groups.

z
5
5

To illustrate the
importance of this test
in evaluating the herbi-

~cidal properties of
solvents, results on several samples of hydrocarbons are listedas follows:

Sample Hydrocarbon types (percent by volume)
No, Saturates Olefins Aromatics
ui 99.7 0.3 0.0
2 86.3 13.7 0.0
3 93.4 0.0 6.6
4 0.0 99.3 0.7
5 4.8 L7...1! 78.1
6 6.4 8.0 84.9
ti 0.0 4.3 95.7
8 0.3 0.7 99.0

Sample Nos, 1, 2, and 3, which contain a high percent of satu-
rates, are found to be ineffective for aquatic weed control. This type of

IVB1
2


TRASHRACK RAKE

The debris that collects on the trashrack of the Wellton- Mohawk
Pumping Plant No, 1 of the Gila Project, Arizona, consists largely of
pondweea, as shown in the photograph below. A mechanical rake was
provided for clearing
the debris from the
trashrack; however, in
operation, difficulty was
encountered in using the
rake, due to the type of
debris. It collected on
the trashrack and inter-
wove into a homogeneous
compact mass, forcing
the wheels of the rake to
ride over it. This in
turn lifted the rake away
from the trash bars,

A drawing of the
original trashrack rake
is presented at the end of
this article. The modifi-

~ cation of the rake de-
vised by the project forces is shown in the photograph below.

The modification consisted of a set of rake teeth or plows
mounted just ahead of the wheels. The teeth clear a path through the
debris so that the wheels are permitted to roll on the surface of the rack
as designed, success-
fully removing the en-
twined mass.

Several rakes of
the type installed on
the Gila Project have
been installed on other
Bureau of Reclamation
projects. The type of
debris appears to have
abearing on the success
of the rake in clearing
trashracks, As now
modified, the Gila Proj-
ect is well satisfied with
the rake in handling the

} debris, principally pond-

i weed and moss encoun-

tered in the canal sys-
tem. A view of the rake in operation is shown in the photograph at the
top of the next page.

IIB10
a)


Cleaning of the canal or lateral while demossing also elimi-
nates an additional pass through the ditch by hand crews at a later
date.

Cost:

On the Salt River Project, maintenance of the canal system is
complicated by the proximity of many growing residential areas,
Limited right-of-way, the presence of overhead power and telephone
lines, and other residential problems made the Gradall ideally suited
for the work. Demossing on the project by the use of the bucket is
done for approximately $68.00 per mile, This is about one-half the
cost of the conventional chaining and discing operation previously used,
which involved catching the moss on grates placed in the waterway
being cleaned and then hand forking the moss from the grates.

eR

IB9


the attachment for handling small seeds, but such an attachment is
furnished with the seeder, By using the grass seeding attachment,
both large and small seeds or two different kinds of seeds can be
planted at the same time without mixing prior to seeding.

The seeder has a built-in metering device so that the ad-
justed density of the broadcast seed is uniform, whether the fans
are throwing seed 10 feet or 40 feet.

Construction Details:

The seeder used on the canal banks of the Central Valley
Project was the Garber ''Seed Easy", Model GM. A platform, large
enough to fill the entire
pickup truck bed, was
secured to the bed, The
platform should be suf-
ficiently high to permit
the seecer to rest on the
platform and on the side
or tail gate of the truck
bed, The seeder was
attached to the platform
by two bolts on the back
side and two clamps,
which are furnished
with the machine,

Some modifications
were made to the seeder
on the project, which
improved its operation
and the results obtained.
These modifications
were:

(a) The addition of a hand throttle to control the speed of
the fans, rather than use of the engine governor for this purpose,

(b) The seed reflector behind one fan was extended approxi-
mately 8 inches to the outside so that all the seed cleared the truck
bed,

(c) Bushings were placed behind the gears operating the fans
so that the gears had a closer fit and ran smoother at high speeds,

(d) The engine pulley was replaced with a smaller one, A
1-1/2-inch pulley was found best.

It was discovered that by closing one aperture and discon-
necting the broadcaster from the same side, the opposite broadcaster

WIA11
2


NEW METHOD FOR ANALYZING HYDROCARBON
TYPE AQUATIC WEED KILLERS

The ''Tentative Method of Test for Hydrocarbon Types in liquid
Petroleum Products (Fluorescent Indicator Adsorption (FIA) Method), "
ASTM Designation: D 1319-54T, has been evaluated and adopted as the
method for determining the aromatic content of aromatic solvent water-
weed killers in the Weed Control Laboratory, Division of Engineering
Laboratories in Denver. The procedure is sometimes referred to as a
chromatographic adsorption method of analysis. The three major groups
of hydrocarbons (saturates, olefins, and aromatics) which boil below
600° F. can be separated and determined quantitatively by this method,

The method is used to determine the aromatic content of sam-
ples of waterweed killers and other solvents which may be effective
herbicides, The results will be used in preparation of revised specifi-
cations covering purchase of aromatic solvent waterweed killers and in
determining whether
offered products con-
form to purchase spec-
ifications. The data
will contribute to a
more fundamental
understanding of the
factors governing
the phytotoxicity of
hydrocarbons.

Test Procedure

A small portion
(3/4 ml) of the sample
to be analyzedis intro-
duced into a reservoir
on top of a column of
packed adsorbent (sil-
ica gel), After the
sample is added to the
adsorbent, an appro-
priate desorbing liq-
uid (isopropyl alcohol)
is added to the reser-
voir. Under slight air
pressure the desorbing
liquid forces the hydro-
carbon portion down the
column slowly, during
which passage the
hydrocarbon portion is
fractionated and sepa-
rated into contiguous
zones according to the

5>H-474-i