REAPER AND BINER CONTEST.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2124, 14 December 1880, Page 2

REAPER AND BINER CONTEST.

The particulars of the contest between the various harvesters at the Melbourne National Association's Show are to hand. The “Age” says: “The crop was a thick one of green oats, badly laid in several places, and the ground was rough* while the windinets of the weather added considerably to the difficulties of doing good work. As the reaping and binding machines are intended to harvest ripe grain, working them upon green oats is a very severe and scarcely a fair test. The Walter Wood machine, which was awarded the first prize, did excellent work from the commencement, finishing in one hour and fifty-eight minutes, although it had been delayed through an accident to another machine. The catting was clean, and the binding secure, while the sheaves were well separated from each other, and delivered gently in even rows. The second prize was awarded to tho Osborne machine, which was tried first, with a string binder, but owing to the gearing getting out of order, did the whole of the work with wire. In this case the cutting and binding were well done, and the time occupisd was one hour thirty-eight minutes. McCormick’* wire binder, which, obtained the third prize* made very good work, although soma delaysoccurred, which extended the time occupied in_ competing to two hours thirty-three minutes. The cutting was done well, and the binding, separating, and delivering of the sheaves, were managed in a very satisfactory manner. It is probable that this machine would have obtained second prise if the delays had not extended the time to a greater engtb.