The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-07-15
GREAT SAVERS OF TIME AND
MONEY.
Sugar Beet Blocking Machines Have
So Proven.

Sugar Beet Blocking Machines Have
So Proven.
From The Saginaw Courier Herald.
At the invitation of John Wood, fore
man of Governor Bliss sugar beet farm
at Carrollton, representative OF The
Courier Herald went to the farm yes
terday to see an exhibition of the work
performed by two sugar beet blocking
machines. One machine, the 'Derham
Patent Sugar Beet Blocker and Cultiva-
tor" is the invention of Charles Derham
of Corunna. The other is an implement
as yet unnamed, invented by Thomas
McEwen and manufactured by Grand
Rapids concern. 1t was intended to
make the exhibition a COMPETE
tive test of the comparative values OF
the two implements, and representa-
tive of "The Michigan Sugar Beet, T"
the official sheet of the sugar industry
in this state, was present.
Difficulties of Boet Raising.
The work known as BLOCKING" in
the beet fields, consists in going over
the rows one by one, and pulling out
by hand many of the beets, so as to
leave one growing every 8, Dor 10 inches,
according to the discretion of the plant
er This process consumes a great deal
of time and, together with the wedding
and cultivating, is very costly to the
farmer. Then again, the best of help
that can be obtained for this work is
none too good, for too often the beets
are neglected by the workers in trying
to cover more ground. These, then,
are the two hardest problems the farmer
has had to face in raising sugar beets,
and he has anxiously waited the COM
ing of a machine capable of doing the
work properly.
Derham Machine Worked Well
The Derham machine was first tried:
1t consists of series of round steel disks,
hung in pairs from a steel frame, the
distance between the disks being three
and half inches, and that between the
pairs six inches, which leaves distance
Of nine inches between the beets when
thinned. This last distance can be
varied to suit the planter. Between
the pairs of disks, on level with the
ground, stationery knife is fixed
The blades extends across from one pair
10 another. When the machine is
lrawn across the field in the opposite
direction than that in which the rows
Ire planted, it cuts all growing matter
md loosens up the ground in six long |
,waths, nine inches wide and three and |
/ half inches apart. The disks, which |
ink into the ground when the machine
S in motion, revolve and scatter the |
oosened earth, making smooth surface.
BY bearing down upon the handles of
his blocker the knives may be made to
tut deeper, thus taking in any little
follows in the field The machine
worked admirably as blocker.
Can also be Used as CuItivator.
One feature of the implement is, that
t takes only moment to shift the
lisks and add cultivator teeth in place
# knives, after which it becomes an
EXCELLENT cultivator, each row of beets
icing straddled and protected by pair
f disks, and the teeth loosening all the
round between. \ 1t can be used only
where the rows are sown with seed
rill and are all in a uniform dis
ance apart. Simplicity of construction
nd adjustment is one of the great
ualities of this machine.
MoEwen Machine Worked Well.
The McEwen machine when given
is trial, also did excellent work. 1t,
owever is more complicated than the
)erham. The chief difference is, that
he disks of this machine are rectangu-
ar in shape and do not revolve. Guilt
ator teeth are used instead of knives
0 loosen the ground and cut beets be-
ween the rows. This implement is
uilt for blocking, and blocking only,
nd therefore cannot be used to cult
ate.
Saving Made by Machines.
Mr. Wood showed the representative
the Courier Herald, some fields in {
yhich the McEwen machine had been
yorking and they certainly were in fine ,,
BY a system of springs and
lever, the teeth had been made to dig
eeply, thus loosening the ground all
round and giving the beets as much
punishment as is possible Mr.. Wood I
ses this machine entirely and says that,
y using it, he has saved $50. so on every
welve acres planted, and has done the
,ork about six times more rapidly.
Roth nachinaa hava axcaIIapf fao+,,~o, | I