ROBEY'S FARM MACHINERY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 879, 8 February 1879, Page 2

ROBEY'S FARM MACHINERY.

To-day was exhibited near the railway station a new set of thrashing machinery, manufactured by Robey and Co., Lincoln, England, which attracted considerable attention amongst farmers and others, being a novelty in many respects. It consisted of a 9-horse-power portable engine, of first-class construction and splendid finish, comprising many important improvements. One of the greatest of these is a very efficient and simple means of heating the feed water before it enters the boiler, which, it is needless to add, greatly diminishes the quantity of fuel—an important consideration, where coal is expensive, and has to be carted a distance. The thrashing machine differs considerably from all others, having the framing made of wrought angle iron, which is not affected in the least by the climate, the bearings and working parts always remaining perfectly true. This must be a great advantage in this Colony, where it is not customary to house machines when not in use as a protection against the weather. The greatest novelty, however, is a very simple patent self-feeder, which entirely does away with a man-feeder ; and which, the makers assert, deliver the sheaf corn into the drum with much greater regularity than it is possible to do it by hand. By this means the machine is able to get through a much larger quantity of work in a given time, than when fed by even a most skilful man. It, of course, entirely precludes the possibility of those accidents to attendants, which are so frequent. We learn that this machine has been specially designed to suit this Colony. It performs a large amount of work in a very short time, with little trouble. In one case in this district the enormous quantity of 2200 bushels of wheat has been thrashed in a day. Messrs. Robey and Co. are evidently endeavoring to take the lead in thrashing machines in this Colony, for not only have they already made several alterations, at the suggestion of practical farmers in New Zealand, but Mr Foster, who comes from tho works, and who was superintending the exhibition to-day, intends spending this harvesting season in this district, in order that he may personally watch the working of these machines, and, if possible, suggest still further improvements. Messrs. Hassell, Son, and Co. are the agents in Oamaru for these machines.