AN IMPROVED MODE OR SYSTEM OF PREPARING AND MANURING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS AND ROOTS BEFORE SOWING OR PLANTING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Friedrich Eckhardt, of the City of
Hamburg, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OR SYSTEM OF
PREPARING AND MANURING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS AND ROOTS BEFORE
SOWING OR PLANTING."
Sealed the 5th February 1869, and dated the 24th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Friedrich
Eckhardt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th August 1868.
I, ALBERT FRIEDRICH ECKHARDT, of the City of Hamburg, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OR
SYSTEM OF PREPARING AND MANUBING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS AND ROOTS BEFORE
SOWING OR PLANTING," to be as follows:-
The main objects of my Invention are to secure to seeds and to
roots, such as potatoes and bulbs, during the whole time of the growth
of the plant all the manure which they need, and in such a manner
that it cannot be washed away by rain or flood, also to protect the
sown seed or planted roots from the attacks of mice, birds, grubs, or
insects, and to avoid the nourishing or manuring of weeds or the pro-
pagation of parasitical plants and fungi.

page_text: The essential feature of my Invention consists in manuring and
covering seeds and roots with a covering or case insoluble in water;
the manure is thus retained in contact with the seeds or roots during
the growth of the plant and at the same time protects them from the
evil effects before mentioned. The substances used as artificial manures
will of course vary with the nature and requirements of the seeds or
roots dealt with. The substances necessary for the formation and growth
of various plants are already well known.
The manner in which my Invention is carried into effect will be
understood by the following description of the mode in which wheat
may be prepared and manured before sowing. I immerse, say, a cwt. of
wheat in a solution of potash dense enough to bear an egg; when
the wheat is moistened I remove it from the potash solution and put
it into a vessel containing bone dust. I impart rotation to the vessel
so that the grains become coated with the bone dust. I allow this
coating to become firm, and then put the grains in a sieve to sift off
the loose bone dust; I again moisten the grains with a potash solution,
and then immerse them in ashes with which they become coated;
I then again moisten them with a potash solution and immerse them
in powdered lime with which they become coated; I again moisten
them with a potash solution and throw sulphur over them, and in
order to dry them completely sulphate of magnesia may be thrown
over them; I again moisten them with a potash solution, and throw
upon them powdered plaster and phosphate of lime. The plaster owing
to the moisture becomes agglutinated or cemented, that is to say, it
forms a hard crust round the grains. After about 2 hours have
been allowed for drying the plaster the crust is moistened with a
solution of ammonia, and the damp body again covered with powdered
plaster, the grains are then ready for sowing. The plaster crust
attracts or absorbs moisture from the air, holds together the mineral
or other substances for nourishing the plant, keeps the salts always
moist, and prevents the manure being washed away by heavy rains or
floods. The grains thus constantly receive the required nourishment,
and may therefore be advantageously sown in fallow or otherwise
poor ground..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Albert Friedrich Eckhardt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
FRIEDRICH ECKHARDT, of the City of Hamburg, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Albert Friedrich Eckhardt,
Her special licence that I, the said Albert Friedrich Eckhardt, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Albert Friedrich Eckhardt, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OR SYSTEM OF PREPARING AND
MANURING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS AND ROOTS BEFORE SOWING OR PLANTING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Albert Friedrich
Eckhardt, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert Friedrich Eckhardt, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the,
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The main objects of my Invention are to secure to seeds and to roots,
such as potatoes and bulbs, during the whole time of the growth of the
plant all the manure which they need, and in such a manner that it
cannot be washed away by rain or flood, also to protect the sown seed.
or planted roots from the attacks of mice, birds, grubs, or insects, and
to avoid the nourishing or manuring of weeds, or the propagation of
parasitical plants and fungi.

page_text: The essential feature of my Invention consists in manuring and
covering seeds and roots with a covering or case insoluble in water; the
manure is thus retained in contact with the seeds or roots during the
growth of the plant, and at the same time protects them from the evil
effects before mentioned. The substances used as artificial manures will
of course vary with the nature and requirements of the seeds or roots
dealt with and with the nature of the ground in which they are to be
sown or planted. The substances necessary for the formation and
growth of various plants are already well known, and will be found
mentioned in any good work on agricultural chemistry.
The manner in which my Invention is carried into effect will be
understood by the following description of the mode in which wheat
may be prepared and manured before sowing. I immerse, say, a
hundredweight of wheat in a solution of dextrine and potash dense
enough to bear an egg; when the wheat is moistened I remove it
from the solution and I put it into a vessel containing bone dust.
I impart rotation to the vessel so that the grains become coated with
the bone dust. I allow this coating to become firm and solid, and
then put the grains in a sieve to sift off the bone dust which does not
adhere. I again moisten the grains with a solution of dextrine,
potash, common salt, soda, ammonia, waterglass, and a few drops of
sulphate of iron which have been first dissolved in muriatic acid, and
I then immerse the grains in ashes with which they become coated;
I then again moisten them with a dextrine and potash solution and
immerse them in powdered lime with which they become coated; I
again moisten them with a dextrine and potash solution and throw
sulphur over them, and in order to dry them completely sulphate of
magnesia may be thrown over them; I again moisten them with a
dextrine and potash solution, and throw upon them powdered plaster
and phosphate of lime. The plaster owing to the moisture becomes
agglutinated or cemented, that is to say, it forms a hard crust round
the grains. After about two hours have been allowed for drying the
plaster the crust is moistened with a solution of ammonia and dextrine
and the damp body again covered with powdered plaster, the grains
are then ready for sowing. The plaster crust attracts or absorbs
moisture from the air, holds together the mineral or other substances
for nourishing the plant, keeps the salts always moist, and prevents
the manure being washed away by heavy rains or floods. The grains

page_text: thus constantly receive the required nourishment, and may therefore
be advantageously sown in fallow or otherwise poor ground.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
preparing and manuring grain and other seeds and roots before sowing
or planting, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Friedrich Eckhardt, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ALBERT FRIEDRICH ECKHARDT. (L.S.)