New-Style Drill Seeds Ditches, Ditchbanks

New-Style Drill Seeds Ditches, Ditchbanks DRILLS Drills (42C) 3-5-18 "Farmers who couldn't justify owning this machine alone are making it pay by teaming up with neighbors," says the Canadian manufacturer of a new contour-seeding grain drill that's designed to seed irrigation ditches and other hard-to-work areas, with grass or grain. "We don't know of any existing mechanical way to seed these ditches," says Will Hyswick, president of Fabro Limited, Swift Current, Sask., Canada. "In most cases, farmers up to now have seeded as close as possible with conventional drills and hope the grass spreads. Or, they seed by hand." The company acquired their first prototype Flex-O-Drill from government researchers who developed it. Improvements have been made on the machine which the company hopes to have on the market in early 1980. The 3-pt. mounted drill is primarily designed to seed grasses but can handle any grain. Double-disc furrow openers are mounted on independent, spring-loaded arms that hug the contour of land being seeded. Seed drops through flexible, pleated tubing that expands and contracts, depending on shape of the land. While you can drive in ditches, it's often difficult to drive across the pile or bank. Consequently, the company has designed a side-mount hitch that can be adjusted to seed several feet off to the tractor's side. In addition to irrigation ditches, the seeder works well in heavily eroded areas, and for road maintenance work. "In a pinch, it could even be used on level ground," says Hyswick. The company projects a cost of $6,500 for the drill, plus $1,000 or the optional side hitch. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fabro Ltd., P. 0. Box 1073, Swift Current, Sask. 378 3X1, Canada (ph 306 773-6346).

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