Improvements connected with Planting Seeds.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Planting Seeds.
We, ELIZABETH EVANS, of 3 Glebe Street, Walsall, in the County of Stafford,
wife of William Evans, and WILLIAM FREDERICK HAMILTON, Esquire, of
19 Christchurch Road, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements connected with
planting seeds which improvements are carried out as follows:-I fix the seeds by
suitable adhesive matter such for instance as gum or paste, at the proper distances
apart arranged in a row or rows or in a geometrical or other design or pattern
between two or more sheets or strips or other pieces of paper or other suitable fabric
which are gummed or otherwise cemented together so as to enclose the seeds between
them. Or I fix the seeds as aforesaid on a single sheet or sheets or strip of paper
or other suitable fabric. When planting the seeds the sheets or strips of paper or
other suitable fabric with the seeds fixed thereto are buried in the ground to the
proper depth that is immediately below the surface so that the natural or applied
moisture of the ground will cause the paper or other fabric to decay and allow of
the seeds germinating, and they will come up at the proper distances apart and in
the proper order as to colour and kind as previously arranged on or between the
paper or fabric before the seeds were planted.
By enclosing and fixing the seeds on or between papers or fabrics and planting
them in this way as above described I obtain the following advantages over the old
method of sowing broadcast or sowing in rows, viz. :-
1st. By the seeds being enclosed between the papers or fabrics as above
described they will keep as "fresh seed for a long time as they are excluded from
the air;
2nd. The seeds will be symmetrically sown, the spacing and rowing being
uniform;
3rd. There will be no waste as heretofore as only the proper quantity of seeds
will be sown and as all the seeds are at equal distances beneath the surface the
growth will be equal and no after labour will be required in thinning out; thus also
avoiding the disturbance of the roots of the young and tender shoots;
4th. The paper or other fabric between which the seeds are enclosed can be
manufactured from a base consisting of manures such as strong guano, common
street sweepings, ammonia, or other suitable substance or substances, so that as the
papers or fabrics decay they will aid the rapid and healthy germination of the
different classes of seeds;
5th. The seeds will be entirely free from the depredations of birds snails and
insects;
6th. For ornamental flower gardening the seeds will come up in the exact required
pattern or design ;
7th. The papers or other fabrics in which the seeds are cuclosed will attract the
moisture either natural or applied to the surface, which, while causing the paper or
other fabric to disintegrate or dissolve will furnish the much needed moisture to
assist in starting or germinating the seed;
8th. The seeds can very readily be made up for sale fixed between or on the
sheets or strips of paper or other fabric as above described;

page_text: 9th. The surface of the paper or other fabric will serve as a widely circulating
advertising medium;
.
10th. There is a saving in the seed inasmuch as in the case of very light and fine
seeds there will be no waste by windage whilst sowing. This will also prevent the
possibility of promiscuous and inconvenient growth throughout the garden.
In fixing the seeds on the paper or other fabric I prefer to put a small dot of the
adhesive matter at each point on the sheet or strip where a seed is required and
then to scatter the seeds on the sheet or strip of paper or other fabric, or to canse
the sheet or strip of paper or other fabric to pass through a trough or other
receptacle containing the seeds, so that one seed will adhere to each dot of adhesive
matter, the upper sheet or strip of paper or other fabric when used being placed on
the other said sheet or strip and secured at the edges or on the surface by thin paste
.or other adhesive matter.
Dated this 31st day of May 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements connected with Planting Seeds.
We ELIZABETH EVANS of 3 Glebe Street Walsall, in the County of Stafford,
wife of William Evans, and WILLIAM FREDERICK HAMILTON, Esquire, of
19 Christchurch Road, Streatham Hill, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention for improvements connected with planting seeds has for its object
to enable the seeds to be planted with mathematical regularity without the use of
machinery; and consists essentially in affixing the seeds regularly to strips or sheets
of paper or other suitable material that will rapidly rot when placed in the ground.
In order to allow for bad seeds two or more seeds may be affixed in one spot or the
seeds may be placed at equal distances apart but closer than the desired distance
apart of the seedlings.
The seeds are fixed by suitable adhesive matter such for instance as gum or paste,
at the proper distances apart arranged in a row or rows or in a geometrical or
other design or pattern between two or more sheets or strips or other pieces of
paper or other suitable fabric which are gummed or otherwise cemented together so
as to enclose the seeds between them, or on a single sheet or sheets or strip of paper
or other suitable fabric. When planting the seeds the sheets or strips of paper
or other suitable fabric, with the seeds fixed thereto, are buried in the ground to
the proper depth that is immediately below the surface so that the natural or
applied moisture of the ground will cause the paper or other fabric to decay and
allow of the seeds germinating, and they will come up at the proper distances apart
and in the proper order as to colour, and kind as previously arranged on or between
the paper or fabric before the seeds were planted.
By enclosing and fixing the seeds on or between papers or fabrics and planting
them in this way as above described we obtain the following advantages over the old
method of sowing broadcast or sowing in rows viz.:
+6
1st. By the seeds being enclosed between the papers or fabrics as above
described they will keep as fresh seed" for a long time as they are excluded
from air;
2nd. The seeds will be symmetrically sown, the spacing and rowing being
uniform;
3rd. There will be no waste as heretofore as only the proper quantity of seeds

page_text: will be sown and as all the seeds are at equal distances beneath the surface the
growth will be equal and no after labour will be required in thinning out; thus also
avoiding the disturbance of the roots of the young and tender shoots;
4th. The paper or other fabric between which the seeds are enclosed can be
manufactured from a base consisting of manures such as strong guano, common
street sweepings, ammonia, or other suitable substance or substances so that as the
papers or fabrics decay they will aid the rapid and healthy germination of the
different classes of seeds;
5th. The seeds will be entirely free from the depredations of birds snails and
insects;
6th. For ornamental flower gardening the seeds will come up in the exact required
pattern or design ;
7th. The papers or other fabrics in which the seeds are enclosed will attract the
moisture either natural or applied to the surface, which, while causing the paper or
other fabric to disintegrate or dissolve will furnish the much needed moisture to
assist in starting or germinating the seed;
8th. The seeds can very readily be made up for sale fixed between or on the
sheets or strips of paper or other fabric as above described;
9th. The surface of the paper or other fabric will serve as a widely circulating
advertising medium;
10th. There is a saving in the seeds inasmuch as in the case of very light and fine
seeds there will be no waste by windage whilst sowing. This will also prevent the
possibility of promiscuous and inconvenient growth throughout the garden :
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The method of planting seeds consisting of first affixing the seeds to a sheet of
paper or the like and then placing the sheet with the affixed seeds in the ground
substantially as described for the purpose specified.
2. A sheet of paper or the like with seeds affixed thereto substantially as described
for the purpose specified.
3. Two sheets of paper or the like stuck together with seeds arranged and fixed
between them substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 1st day of March 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.