The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-05-22

Inc long knlI6 goes uHQer the gas
pipe, with a bolt through the end of
the knife and the gas pipe. Back
edge Of knife slips in between the two
lower castings, and is clamped there.
resting against the bolt To make
the knife cut wide or narrow, slip the
castings forward or back on gas pipe
and knife. To give the knife more or
less suction, loosen bolt IN end of
knife and loosen clamps on gas pipe.
Then put knife in the position you
want it and tighten the clamps When
you have the knife securely clamped
IN position, then tighten the bolt IN
the end of the knife. Either end of
the knife can be raised or lowered by
sliding the gas pipe up or down on
the posts that it is bolted to. Front
end of knife always gets dull first,
and when it does, you can reverse
ends and sides, making the knife give
double service and last twice as long.
In very deep listing and very high
ridges, put the knife on top of the gas
pipe. You can do this by taking the
castings off and putting them on the
other way, with the longest casting on
top of the gas pipe, instead of below.
Under some conditions, it may be ad-
visable to put one or both ends of gas
pipe inside Of posts, instead of out
side, using the little bolt castings on
the other side of the post In using
beveled knife, put the beveled side
down, especially in trashy ground.
Trash will clear better with back end
running low. Tell the blacksmith to
leave your knives straight, and bevel
both sides alike Then turn your
knives over frequently, and they viii
have a tendency to sharpen them
selves, and also become polished on
both sides A smooth edge for trash
and a rough edge for big, heavy
weeds. Run the long knives as high
as you can, and the short knives as
low as you can.
The short knives go under the run
ner at the back end, or under the run
ner at the two holes just back of the
middle post. Use the back position,
unless the dirt is covering up the
plants If the plants are very small,
use the forward position, which gives
you fender to keep the dirt away
from the plants. Most short knives
are provided with extra holes to ad-
just for width of cut. They are gen
orally provided with an upward turn
at the back end, so they viii throw
dirt to the plants The quantity of
dirt they viii throw depends on the
size and shape of these turns. You
can heat them red hot and change
them to suit conditions. They viii
stand considerable hammering cold.
Hammer them out straight, or nearly
straight, if they throw too much dirt.
1t is we'll TO have an extra set or two
os the different kinds, to be used for
different kinds of work. The short
knives are made in several different
sizes and styles, and the long knives
in lengths varying from three feet to
five. The standard short knife is
fourteen inches, and the standard long
knife is four feet, which IS about right
for rows planted with a fourteen-inch
lister forty inches apart.
When you want to use the machine
for the second time over, the runners
should be set further apart
The hitch can be shortened by drop
ping off a link or two.
On the One-row machine, the seat
may be shifted forward or back, the
seat brace being made in two pieces
50 that it can be heightened or short
ened- If you want to raise the hitch,
put hitch bar on top Of runners.
On the two-row machine, and also
the three-row, the roller frame is fast
ened to top of sled with clamps, so
that 1t may be shifted forward or back
on top Of the runners, to put the
drivers weight toward the front or
toward the back, as may be desired.
This is a very important adjustment,
and has much to do with making the
machine run light and do good work.
II front end of runner Is digging into
the ground, then the roller frame is
too far forward. If front end Of run
ner does not touch the ground, then
the roller frame is too far back.
On the three-row machine for four
horses, it may be converted into a
twO-row machine by taking out the
middle sled You can use the same
connecting plank by boiling a short
piece across the hinge, and, instead Of
using the regular four-horse eveners
that come with this machine, hitch q
team direct TO each sled with an or
binary twO-hOrse evener- The middle
sled may easily be converted into a
machine
On the three-row machine for six
horses, we hitch team direct to each
sled with an ordinary tBo-horse even
and sin a--aE--- ,EEo-. IL .,--,.