AUTOMATIC REAPERS AND BINDERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 28, 21 January 1875, Page 3

AUTOMATIC REAPERS AND BINDERS.

The following report of a trial of self-binding reaping machines appears in an American exchange : — During the season of harvesting the test of the improvements of the whole year, applicnble to the business, is made ; and as journalists, pleasure is taken in heralding to agricultural readers such results as are found reliable and of general interest. As harvesting is the most important epoch in the farmer's yearly round of busines, so also are improvements in hnrvesfing machinery of vital importance to his success Keepers, harvesters, and mowers hnve already attained such a degree of perfection that the farmer enters bis fUld with confidence that he can go steadily forward and cut his grain or hay ; but the labor of binding is sti'l vei'} great find expensive. This has stimulated the inventive minds of the country for many years, and year •after year the results of their efforts have failed to meet the wants and give a successful horso-power or automatic binders- The chief effort lias bef*n to j mnlce use of a wire for a band, mainly because it appeared to be cheaper and could be fastened by twisting-, which was supposed to require more simple machinery than that for tying knots of twine or straw. The objections to wire by the thrashing men, that it injured their cloth aprons for e T evating, and the cutter feeders, that it was dangerous to stock, has, no doubt, retarded the introduction of wire binders. Whether these are valid objections, it is not, perhaps, for us to say. This, however, will be settled in due time, as it is learned there are this season a number of such running quite successfully. The first machine set at work was a wire binder attached to a harvester, using No. 20 annealed wire. The machine was driven twice around a long strip, cutting a clean swathe sft. wide and short stubble, taking into the bundle all the green thrash, making along and large bundle, which was thrown off quite distant from the machine. To this extent the machine was a success. It waa drawn by two large horses well accustomed" to the machine, and thus moved it very steadily. This machine ■ was/operated by Mr Johnson, from Woods reaper agency,. St. Paul, and the binder was Lock's patent. i Attention was next called to a new twine binder from St: Louis; Mb*. This being the first exhibit of this. machine, .and unknown" in this section, it shall b;e the' endeavour to be more particular in the 'description of it. !. „ ■ I : ... ,. It is attached :ito $ front-cut two wheel machine, formerly a sft. dropper. 'I'he grain foils upon a platform, -and is carried bapk by a' rake especially adapted, to it, and left in front of.thp binding hetid and clear, of the falling , grain. The heel of the rake trips the gear and : the .binding head starts ; across,' pressing the grain against tlie twine, that is held in vertical position'; on the opposite 7 side of the platforin by two arms, .which ..are. niade. Jt6"^cloj&e the^ string around'^nerbunHljgj^dV/'^e^l'tlie. knot is: tied, the. twine ,Q^t, and, the head returns; to its former hdvip^; adjusted the arms ! ab6ve- atid below -with tHe/^ifle^&tlie^'lameyosiy' tion as before,; itbLe.ibundle! dropped' pffT |e_a vifig 'a clear .tr; ack for the next <r6iin<i-.-> T\iii' mafehine^ifcs hi^h^eavm^a' iKigh ihias&r-fltan&pg: n'Tj^e . Jbun4le-£yvf|^, m&ro&lQ&iyVbdu&d. and near d the\ hfttt?, ; mus securing all the short -straws,! ;it i* £ -t

-^^Loiibejrjtkf,. but could raise and lower th¥"^uT^V^%er4etrgtTi--6^ the whej t d[en^sdJ B 4%*^3!lLf.J^^..s^??'lff^ -done ißejbuttjr of jthe-sheaVes^iqiVare and J unifqifmi ' ta\ njost ■/cases' the ' bundles l ; were'.mttde o'f fhe size'" dictated by the revolutions of the rake;" only where the- grain -was -thin,. _the ..driver would .control ..the rake and increase the bundle.' In case of cutting, oatg' or other gfrai'n that is not ripe en'ough-for binding, the string being taken outfit will deposit the gavel more perfect- tlrafr any selfrakethe reporter has -ever seen* The question very naturally arises as to the cost of wire and twihe for binding- per acre. The quotations show that. number 20 wire is;;18c. per lb. by the 1001b ; twine 16c. per lb. By a comparison of weights of each there does] not appear to be much difference in the weight per foot of the. two; " It willjtake rather more length in tying- a knoC with twine than in the twist of the i wire. Mr Fa^-sett says that, as near, as he could determine, it will take from 31b. to 51b. of such twine as will be required per acre, : according- to the stand of grain. There is, however, a value in the twine bands that may pay for securing them when cut; r I hey will serve for bag strings, wool tying*, <fcc They are also made from the farm products, flax and hemp,, thus increasing the demand for those crops that are handled at seasons not interfering 1 with the wheat crop. The use of this binder will admit of protracting the harvest : because the straw may be ever so ripe and brittle, it will make no difference to the binder, and from the gentle movements of the grain, there will be little or no shelling. H»-nce from a full consideration of the working- of this binder and its qualifications the ' Press ' coincides with the uniform expressions of those present, that Mr Fasset's binder is a complete success. '.'.".; The extra expense of the binder is estimated at about 125d01., and it saves the labor of five men each day, paying 1 for itself in one^poßon