A New Binder

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 94, 31 January 1891, Page 4

A New Binder

Ax Interview With Mr MEij.CE%i : -As Uu^ noted by an advertiaemoist'-iu' our columns, a hew bincier "has besn introduced into New ZeaiandV 'Of \v?ifich Messrs Reid and Grdy, of punediu, are the sole agents. This is the Mercer, which,, as will be a reference'; to the interview •Svith the inventor • .and manufacturer, Mr Mercer, is called after him. Mr Tfrerrrerhas only just- arrived in New and' uu a request for an iuterview readily acceded. ; Said Mr Jfercer—'' The muehiue; was iriveuted and" first : brought but juear Toronto ■-■tftiouV sixyeara; ago,: That was in 188.4. It v , has .been. \ working in but not iv" the States, bei;iiusejbf the high tariff : In Beeedito;;; l; 889, 'the yuiacibiuef was' first -in I'-.1 '-. trbViuced into the Australasian colonies, and this season .150 '". uiauliiues ■ were v eold in Victoria^ vj^lie creditof lufcrpjduciiig:VithV3 machine into' /New Zea-~ land;.is?due^^ tothe .well-kuown ;firm of, ! Messrs ' -!Roid 'aud /; Gray- : , We hayie Held r.vefy, : sucuessf ui trials of the machine iii Oaiuaru aud Titnaru. Tiia chief -; feature of : .--.tiio_ ruiachine is the doißg away :V Vitfi : -Vali::cauyaß-vfo'r;cpnV". yeyiug ? n 4 e^ e y at i u S vthegrain to tlib tnncler. '■' „; .-.V;;^ ■'.■■->'■• T -' :: ." .^•■■v ;. t'!' JJp to the .time the Mercer was invented it, was thought it was ; imV /possible to get anything to take th 6 v place- 'of ; canvas 'H for conveying; and ? elevating graiu to' the- knotter, al| dtlKiUijll f >rtunJes;i have^be'eii- symit^iii trying to do. away^with seemed r to-be a necessary;; nuisance; The on 'the i'CTfllercer 'for conveying r'arill^ieleyating - grain : to the knotter] whichAhas entirely and so^succesj jef ullyj Übue. away ;^with all canvas, 1 •consists of two/ series of; rakes atf Cached to sprocket chains, the teeth Vthe conveyor rakjes' passing up] "\turough slots from below.,'/ and those {'qt "the elevating; rakes down through "the 'slots fronr.abpvev: The .-teeth, of the elevating rakes after delivering: .;'the\ grain to the packers -wittidraw; t from the slots and Teturri: by the; •action of the sprocket chaius to which j ""• f Key" "ate - attached to the conveyor \ "table; iTHejdecka ; of bbth_ tables arej tmade"/ •'.of .the best sheet - y steel. The j -a^dvantages 1 these" tables have l over thej 'old canvas ;uiethodare/many: There; -is no canvas to wear out, nor to re-j : ;jnov;e/Q.r) cover up ? -fbir!' fear 'of dews,| frast. ■; The amount of space : j^fOT] the, grain to pass up through is I Tjau>revv,t£an : double of ii any canvas J machine, and the elevators will elelyate -ieafy, damp or_; green grain iklniost^ Wsily as light or dry. The j igraiu is simply lified up instead of j ) being squefeze'd vp 1 -between two j i tightly; -drawn .canvases^ : The, chief jpoiiit'overconie i'in, the' ! Mercer is that ■^ ttiersprbcket : chain belts are extremely ; jie'xitilei 3 aud eg dally easy iv kll cases. Thus the draft remains the same in -all oropisV ' '' Thfr ' machine' possesses iiuaay adyantages ia the^yay of hand- , ling,' havi'ug : a - very complete ; reel for . Ipngbr Bhbrr T crops.^ ' Oae ■ very hovel ; feature is- a little" device" for holding the ,#upV?:wherebyK) either of the .horeejSi .may be'iwhipped -oip at will, witjjout 1 reuioviug tho whip from the -•socket, -r This- is accompiished by >xueans. 6i jai, small rodt. convenient to >'the driver ieayiug; lhe ; - htinds of the flatter free to operat.e,ali lever 3." r^Tiie.jtirst trial of .the machine, says -•the- Canterbury ; Weekly Press, took ;place ( jon, the estate of Mr JohuDeacs, Biccarton." The crop selected was a .heavy one . ot dim oats,' which was ia places aucl full of uuder-j.-gtSW'tn." . "This made the ci op as 'difficult l a oue ".as could possibly have •l^e^^eiec^d ii fp^''tjie' display of the -points of any machine. JStili, despite these .disadyantages, ..the -machine / worked in'a'.w^y Vhichfully satisfied . tfibse^.VprjSsenti : ._.'.^^ When-^as was the -case on . a'pie ! ce o£ land near the road - — the machine gotJaCgood upstanding piece of. crop, the! ! work? was^ done very ' cleanly, the .sheaves" being formed in .neat tied bundles.- In view of the : facility'rof Elevation possessed by the rmachine most, of the \ farmers present > expressed an opinion that at would be the very thing ttb be used in cuttiug 'Crops of beans and peas, a facility which .upito /the present;: 'has j not been posssessed; by any machine in the market. • Ji.t the ■conclusion: of 4 the trial Mr John. Efeans.:- expressed his , appreciastion [of; . : the;;machine.,in. a practical .manner by : ordering, one : for next .reason/ : ; r;.;. -p-'.-- l-'-Cl.'^