Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-31
FARMING By MACHINERY.


methods have revoiutionized the lead
ing industries OF the country, the humble
farmer. the greatest producer OF them
all, Inns not been overlooked. Farming
today Is nearly an exact science, and |
tho man who runs the farm Is thor
oughly trained In one Of the many agri-
cultural colleges maintained by the |
different States, He IL generally y |
specialist II II be dairying, grass or
grain growing that he follows, he is |
fully posted In every little detail of his
particular line
1t must he bnrne in mind that the |
farmer Of today Is not horny handed |
son of toll. He usee steam, electricity |
or horses to do the work thar was for
merly done by hand. More than that,
he lives in spacious house, containing
every improvement known to sanitary
science. Ii is oftsn lighted by cleo.
tricity. and be uses one part ui it as an
Office, from which POINT, with the mid
Of local telephones, he directs all the
operations of the farm.
The modern farmer knows what he
wants to do b. fore he begins operations,
and adapts himself to the situation,
whatever it may be. He studies the
climate he is in, and he knows what
under given climatic conditions. Then
| he anayzes the soil, which is a simple
thing for him TO do, and thus ascer-
| isins just what fertilizers are needed
| for certain crops 10 that soil. As for
the fertilizers, 1t may be SAID incident
ally that the modern farmer grows
crop of clover, beans or something
similar to supply nitrogen to the soil.
Nitrogen ia the most costly constituent
of fertilizers, and clover or beans will
draw nitrogen from the air. These,
when plowed into the soil, furnish that
costly element At the same time
| crop such as clover rests and refreshes
the soil, which in necessary proceed
ing when the land ia closely cropped.
If the farmer is situated in the great
grain growing districts in the West he
uses portable engine instead Of horses
for blowing and narrowing, On the
level land there the farmer puts any
whore from six to - plows In a gang
and gives the signal to the engineer.
1t is poor day when they cannot pillow
anywhere from 10 to 30 acres.
BY the old method mali and team
would pillow from one to two acres day.
The steam engine Is used not only be-
cause OF the great amount of work done
|
does away with the expense of keeping
many men and horses on the place dur
ing the slack period.
If the farmer makes q specially o
corn, he has a corn planter. This
low machine, with hoppers on each
side. Seed corn 49, dumped in one set
and fertilizer in another. He hooks q
team to it settles bnck in comfortable
seat and is driven cover the fields. This
planter drops the corn either In con-
tinuous rows or at any distance desired
by the opeartor.9 A II he has to do is to
set the gauge. Two rows are planted at
the same time, or beans can be planted
out OF the same machine. 1t will drop
the beans wherever they are wanted,
and fertilize both properly at the same
time. Also, if it is desired to grow
pumpkins among the corn, which Is a
common practice, this obliginR machine
will drop the pumpkin seed at regular
distances apart. A single corn planter
will plant from eight to 90 acres day.
When the corn Is ready to be cut a
machine Llso does that work in the
same rapid way.
Should the farmer SOW grain he does
it with what is known as grain drill
which sows the seed in eight rows &C a
time. The grain can be sown either In
strsight lines or zigag, and the machine
fertilizes the ground at the same time.
In order that there may be no mistake
: as to the number of acres sown in q
day, there is q clock like device on the
,, drill which tells how many acres have
been covered and also the quantity oil
seed that has been sown to the acre.
When the farmer wishes to SOW his
seed broadcast there ia q simple ma.
chine that he attaches to the rear part
of an ordinary farm wagon. This ma.
, chine sows from so to 100 acres by
throwing the seed out broadcast and
the power to run 1t 10 derived from the
.. hub of one Of the rear wheels on the
wagon. The machine Is very simple
and looks like big funnel with severa
cogwheels under it.
When his speciality IL potatoes the
, farmer handles them but little, for the
way in which potatoes are planted
fashioned method Hof outing them fol
. seed. They are cut still, but the cutting
!. is done by machine which separates
] them into quarters, halves or any mum
her Of parts as desired. All the operator
, has to do is to throw the potatoes int
the machine and swing over lever anc
several cuts are made at one stroke.
When the potatoes have been GU
!, they are dumped into potato planter
which is operated by one man, who
: drives his horses, because the machine
y leaves nothing elss for him to do. Thii
!, machine marks the rows where thu
I, potatoes are to be sowed. Then 1t open
y the row, drors the seed and covers i
u with moist earth from beneath the sur
9 face. This Is all done In one operation
9 1t will plant the seed anywhere from
= three to nine inches deep and from II
y to 20 inches apart. 1t is all a matter o
u regulating the machine, which viii
! plant from five to eight acres day.
= For digging the potatoes the farme
. bitches his team to complicated look
J. ing machine, which Is simple enough
y after all. This is potato digger, an,
u 1t roots the potatoes out without bruis
20 lug one OF them. More than that,
l. throws the vines and all other trash oil
e to one side and deposits the potatoes il
q perfectly straight row on clea
y ground.
"a When this IL done the potatoes ar
IL gathered up and sorted according t
size. For this operation another ma
chine-a potato sOrter-is brought int
use. The potatoes are dumped on tn
sorter and come out of it separated int
three sizes-large. medium and small
'n One man stands by the machine an
:. picks out the decayed tubers as the
~ roll over the sorter.
70 When the farmer goes 10 for any lin