Abstract: A seed furrow closing apparatus which utilizes a pair of tine wheels having inner and outer press plates which may be selectively removed depending on the particular soil conditions and amount of debris and residue encountered. The tine wheel comprises a hub for operative engagement upon each press wheel axle and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially curved tines projecting therefrom. The individual press plates have a central aperture for the hub and a circumferential shoulder with a plurality of slots through which extend the tines. The press plates may be bolted together to form a press wheel with tines extending from the outer rim, or one or both plates may be removed as would be desirable in heavy gumbo soils or when encountering excessive debris. The press plates further include a slot running from the hub aperture to the shoulder to allow removal of the plate without removing the tine wheel from the axle.

Abstract: A furrow closing apparatus for an agricultural planter producing an open seed furrow in the soil into which seeds are sequentially deposited, comprising a pair of rotary forks mountable on the planter on opposite sides of the open seed furrow and at a location rearwardly of the seed depositing mechanism; each rotary fork having a hub portion for rotational mounting on the planter and a plurality of radially projecting rigid tines rigidly secured to the hub portion; said tines having an arcuate configuration in a radial direction thereby producing a convex soil engaging surface which imparts a compressing action to the soil adjacent the sidewall of the open seed trench to fragmentize both sidewalls and an adjacent strip to cover the deposited seed with the fragmentized soil particles.