Potato Beater Digger - Potato Museum
To See A Large Photo Please Click On The Image.
History Of The Artefact:
This "beater digger" or "Whirligig" as it is locally known on PEI, would have been used to dig potatoes in Island fields during the early 1900s.
Originally it was drawn by 2 horses until it was converted to be used with a tractor. Its curved shears would first slice the rows of dirt while the rotating spinner would break the row apart, throwing the potatoes over a large area.
To control the potatoes from being thrown too far, some farmers would hang a blanket of jute canvas to stop them. Other farmers would dig 4-5 rows, then have the potatoes picked up (by hand), and continue on. Each of the eight iron spokes on this digger is covered in rubber to prevent bruising/cutting the potatoes.
Originally it was drawn by 2 horses until it was converted to be used with a tractor. Its curved shears would first slice the rows of dirt while the rotating spinner would break the row apart, throwing the potatoes over a large area.
To control the potatoes from being thrown too far, some farmers would hang a blanket of jute canvas to stop them. Other farmers would dig 4-5 rows, then have the potatoes picked up (by hand), and continue on. Each of the eight iron spokes on this digger is covered in rubber to prevent bruising/cutting the potatoes.
Beater Digger Videos:
|
|