Daily Republican., 1879-07-08
" cat.
From the Middletown Transcript.

From the Middletown Transcript.
On Tuesday We visited "Wheatlard,
the splendid farm of John A. Jones
Esq, near Mt. Pleasant, and found
three champion" rsapers just finish.
ing the last Of one hundred and fifty
acres Of as large wheat as 1t has ever
been the writer's good fortune to look
upon. The wheat was grown in three
fields, and was all planted by the new
drill-tooth attachment, invented and
patented by Mr.. Jones, and only recent
ly perfected. Some Of this wheat was
thoroughly cultivated, and some only
partially SO, as the grower was desirous
Of satisfying himself fully in regard to
the merits of the new system OF wheat
culture, about which there has been 80
much said recently in the agricultural
papers. One field was sown upon clover
sod, with two hundred pounds of phos-
phate to the acre, and another upon
stubble, with two hundred and sixty
pounds of phosphate to the acre. The
straw is exceedingly heavy ON both, the
heads long and we'll filled and the grain
large and plump. But, like a great deal
of wheat this season, it had fallen bad.
ly, and in many places it was fiat to
the ground. On this account, the grow
or is unable to make an estimate of his
probable yield per acre, but several
farmers, who have seen the wheat,
think the yield will bs in the neighbor.
hood Of thirty-fve bushels per acre.
The first reaper put in the field was a
self-binder, which could do little with
such heavy and tangled straw, and had
to be put aside. 1t seems that while
the self-binders work very satisfactorily
in ordinary grain they are not yet per
fected to such an exteLt as to cut and
bind wheat that is fallen and tangled.
Owing to the difficulty with the self
binder Mr.. Jones lost day or two,
and, his wheat ripening very rapidly,
he will probably lose considerable
grain. He finished cutting on Tuesday,
the champions" doing the work very
neatly, and will commence to thresh on
Monday.
The drlll-tooth upon which Mr..
Jones has just obtained letters patent,
is certainly y great invention, and it is
the opinion of all practical farmers who
have seen it that it is destined to super.
cede the old drill point entirely. The
tooth can be adjusted to any drill in
few minutes, and will be made in four
sizes of polished steel. When it is de-
sired to cultivate the wheat four teeth
and spouts only will be used. and eight
when cultivation is not intended. Mr..
Jones' attachment is very hard to de-
scribe; but once seen at work no argu
ment will be necessary to convince the
farmer that it is just the thing he
"long has sought" II runs fiat upon
the ground, has a spreading capacity
OF from to 6 inches, and, by an in
genieus arrangement of little mould
boards upon the heel, covers the " heat
thoroughly with light, moist earth.
The inventor made number Of expert
nents before he caught the idea OF his
perfected point. He has also patented
a cultivator, attachable to any drill,
which is very perfect arrangement.
Mr.. Jones is now having his patent
points manufactured in large quanti- :
lies, and will at once put them upon
.he market. He is confident that the
'id-fashioned drill-point will "have to .
co." aud all practical agriculturists,
Who have seen his new points, think so
90.