Seeder apparatus for dispensing seed with or without top dressing

Method of seeding an area of terrain, comprising the steps of:

• loading seed into a seed hopper;
• moving the seed hopper along the terrain;
• selectively mechanically conveying seed from within the hopper to a discharge end portion;
• downwardly propelling seed at the discharge end portion to the terrain along a trajectory that is both vertical and horizontal;
• dispensing the seed on a layer of top dressing material for being commingled therewith as the seed is being downwardly propelled, wherein the step of dispensing the seed on the layer of top dressing material comprises the steps of providing a top dresser including a frame having the discharge end portion, a material hopper mounted to the frame for containing top dressing material to be dispensed, and a conveyor mounted to the frame for moving top dressing material from the hopper and discharging the moved top dressing material to the terrain at the discharge end portion, with the material hopper having a hopper interior and a discharge end wall having a lower edge vertically above the conveyor to provide a discharge opening and a metering gate movable between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for controlling the amount of top dressing material moving from the material hopper interior beneath the discharge end wall lower edge and to the discharge end portion to be dispensed to the terrain, and movably supporting the frame upon the terrain, with the step of moving the seed hopper comprising the step of mounting the seed hopper to the frame, with the step of selectively mechanically conveying seed comprising the step of selectively dispensing seed on the top dressing material moving from the material hopper on the conveyor and before being discharged at the discharge end portion;
• and preparing the terrain to have exposed soil before the top dressing material is discharged to the terrain at the discharge end portion by a terrain preparation member mounted to the frame.

Method for dispensing seeds, top dressing and similar type materials comprising the steps of:

• providing a frame having a discharge end portion and a material hopper mounted to the frame for containing material to be dispensed;
• movably supporting the frame upon the terrain;
• moving material from the hopper by a conveyor mounted to the frame and discharging the moved material from the conveyor to the terrain at the discharge end portion, with the material hopper having a hopper interior and a discharge end wall having a lower edge vertically above the conveyor to provide a discharge opening and having a metering gate movable between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for controlling the amount of material moving from the material hopper interior beneath the discharge end wall lower edge and to the discharge end portion to be dispensed to the terrain by the conveyor;
• and preparing the terrain to have exposed soil before the material is discharged to the terrain at the discharge end portion by a terrain preparation member mounted to the frame.