Bolens 390 - Manual (Page 8)

reduces the engine speed to SLOW. Pull the
throttle completely back to stop the engir e.
Use maximum engine speed for deep tilling. Move
the throttle control to SLOW when transporting the
tiller.
TRANSPORTING THE TILLER
To transport the tiller to or from the garden, pivot the
depth stake forward, out of the way. See figu e 9. With
the throttle control in SLOW position, the unit will walk
freely on top of the lawn. If the operator does not allow
the tiller to move freely, the unit will start o till the
surface.
CULTIVATING
For cultivating, a two to three inch depth is desirable.
Setting the wheels and depth stake so that the wheels
are about two inches above the ground while the tiller
is resting on the tines and depth stake will allow the
machine to work at cultivating depth. Th(! throttle
should be set to control forward movement o a slow
walking speed. With the outer tines installed, he work­
ing width of the machine is 22 or 24 inches. For culti­
vation, this may be reduced to 13 inches by emoving
the outer tines. Refer to Tine Width Adjustment in
Adjustment section. When laying out plant rows, be
sure to allow enough width to permit cultivation
between the rows. In growing corn or similar crops,
check-row planting will permit cross cultivé tion and
practically eliminate hand hoeing. (See Figur a 11)
Figure 11.
The tiller has many uses other than tilling and cultivat­
ing a garden. One of these is the preparation of lawn
area for seeding. The tiller will prepare a deep seed
bed which will be free of hard unfilled spots, allowing a
better stand of grass to grow. The tiller is very useful
for loosening hard soil for excavation with a shovel. No
tedious hand pickwork will be necessary. Your tiller
may be used for mixing compost in the pile, or for mix­
ing it with the soil in your garden. This should be done
after the soil has been broken to the full working depth.
The compost should be worked in to a depth of six to
seven inches. This may be done by working the length
of the garden, and then by making separate passes
across its width. The addition of decayed organic mat­
ter will substantially increase the fertility of your gar­
den. For proper decaying action, fertilizer should be
applied and worked in with the mulch materials. Break­
ing up leaves and straw and mixing it with several
inches of soil causes the soil to hold moisture longer
and allows proper aeration of the plant root system.
This also retards the growth of weeds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and various state
and local agencies offer published booklets and expert
advice on all phases of gardening. They should be
consulted regarding soil information, planting dates,
and the most satisfactory varieties of crop for your par­
ticular area.
ADJUSTMENTS
A
WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug
wire and ground against the engine
before performing any adjustments,
repairs, or maintenance.
WHEEL ADJUSTMENTS
To adjust the wheel yoke and wheel position, refer to
"How To Use Your Tiller," on page 6.
DEPTH STAKE ADJUSTMENT
To adjust the depth stake, refer to "How To Use Your
Tiller" on page 6.
TINE WIDTH ADJUSTMENT
The tilling width of the unit is 22 inches. (See figure
12) Tilling width can be increased to 24 inches by
removing the clevis pins and hairpin clips, sliding the
outer tines out one inch, and securing in this position
with the clevis pins and hairpin clips. (See Figure 13)
For cultivation, reduce the tine width to 13 inches by
removing the outer tines completely. (See Figure 14)