Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-25

potato there is primarily machine
that divides the root into halves,
quarters or any number of parts,
separates the eyes and removes the
seed ends. 1t does the work of ten
men. When it comes to the planting
there is employed an automatic ma.
chine drawn by two horses; the driver
occupying a seat at its front. 1t
plants whole or cut potatoes at any
distance apart desired. 1t drops the
seed, covers it with moist under
earth, and marks for the next row all
at one operation. II also sows fertil-
izer, placing it just below the seed,
after sufficient earth has been mixed
with the former. 1t is provided with
steel runners or discs to cover the
seed and these yield to all irregulari-
ties of the soil. For the transplant
ing Of plants, such as tomatoes, cauli-
flower, cabbages, celery, in fact all
plants that do not require to be SIT
nearer than one foot apart, the auto
matte plant setting machine will cover
from four to six acres day. An
automatic check valve fitted to tank
attached TO the machine lets water
flow through hose extending in be-
hind the shoe or turnover, just before
setting the plant. The flow can be
regulated from one to six barrels an
acre.
cULT1vAroRs FOR EVERY PLANT.
Formerly when the crops were
planted and had begun to grow farm
ers and vegetable gardeners had to
ply the hoe vigorously in order to
loosen or cultivate the soil, and to
keep down weeds. This was hard
work and moreover where growth was
rapid and rank it involved hiring ex-
ira labor. The talent of inventors has
reduced the fatigue of this agricultural
function to minimum. Most OF these
machines are light and opei ated by
man power. There are others in
which horses are used. Those who
employ call them the greatest labor
savers of the age. There are some
provided with number of spring
steel teeth which while they do not
iniure the plants loosen and uproot
the weeds. These are more on the
principle OF the harrow. There is
machine for cultivating aud hilling
celery. 1t is through the use of these
devices that celeryis marketed in such
perfect condition, with every stalk
bleached to its very top. Potatoes
are cultivated and hilled up by
special machine that does the work of
many men far more thoroughly and ex-
peditiously than human hands can ac-
complish it. There are many ma
chimes combining hoe, cultivator, rake
and plow. The latest machine
piows, burrows, covers and hills;
there are rakes for shallow cultivation,
ining, levelling aud pulverizing the
soil; there are cultivator teeth for deep
stirring of the soil, and fiat hoes OF
different widths for loosening crust
and cutting off weeds.
Every growing plant except cotton
is now provided with cultivator that
does away with an immense expendi-
ture of human toll As yet no ma
chine has been perfected that picks
cotton with the discrimination of man.
The difficulty to be overcome is to
avoid injury to mature cotton balls
that are growing on the same plant
with those that are immature. No
doubt some method will be found that
will overcome this defect. Then the
Southern darkey will find his services
no longer so eagerly sought for as they
ara at present.
LABOR-SAyINS RARVTSTEpS
Machines to harvest crops come in
every variety to perform special
function. Everyone is familiar with
the moving machine. 1t has driven
the scythe ous of use. Formerly there
were men whose trade was confined
exclusively to the use of this imple-
ment. None is following it to-day.
The same is true Of the reapers and
binders of grain; single machine
will do the work OF twenty or mora
men. The old-fashioned fail to thresh
grain is now curiosity. The rattle
of the power -thresher is familiar
sound in autumn to every resident of
a farming country. The sulky hay
teader will thoroughly turn and spread
ioui dcIeS VI cup grass III au uOur.
This can be repeated so ofton that in
a single day the crop of hay from
that amount of land can be cured and
stored. In loading the crop, human
hands are no longer necessary, except
to guide the team that draws the
wagon. The machine hay-loader will
put on load in five minutes. 1t
takes the hay direct from the swath,
though it will rake and load from
light windrows.
There is labor saving machine for
every agricultural process, most of
them automatic. Farming II the
future will not be Synonymous with
toll. What heretofore the farmer
has expended in the hire of labor >
will devote to the purchase of ma
chinery. This does not consume food,
neither does it sulk or throw up ioo
at the most inopportune moment, nor
strike for higher pay. The farmer of
tha fi,it1ra will ha ,,,or,, ov Iase MO-,