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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 394, 25 January 1879, Page 2

Tin-: glorious harvesting weather, -with the aid of reaping and binding machines, is enabling grain growers to get well on wit.li their work. Tim machines are everywhere well spoken of, Mr I*. Burke, on the Wdieun.ikura Block, with a Wood’s'machine, cut iio acres of grain, estimated to yield 30 bushels to I he acre, at the rate of cloven i:m s in a workingday of eight hours, having been but three days three hours iu cutting an.l binding tiie whole crop. Three men were employed in connection with the machine, f'ho binding was well done, and (he readiness with which the size of the sheav-s could lie. regulated was deemed a good point in favor of the machine. Although there are a number of heavy emps in the district, others are reported as very light, the rather long run of dry weather having prevented the grain filling out, and at the same time hurried it on to ripeness. Air Donald Contts, feeling considerable interest in the machinery which has been introduced, and having a little spare time, has had an opportunity of judging between the Wood and McCormick machine. Ho considers the tatter liy far the best and most profitable to work. In almost every ease lie found three men were required with Wood's machine, whilst the McCormick (Hearn and Kmnv-'dyV) required but the driver, and did its work bettor than the Wood's liiacliiii;! did with the additional help. ! Wood’s machines lie considers to lie too lightly constructed, anti (lie binding arrangements rather complicated, whilst in a moderate breeze tin; work is jerkey and variable, and it does not do wMI on tangled or lay down crops. Tirj McCormick lias woiked, without hitch, ' the driver, besides Che team, being all ! required to work it. The bin ding proI cess is very .'imp].! and off .‘diva The McCormick has two ties, whereas the Wood has but one, which would be a saving in wire for the latter ns against the McCormick So mr.cn interest being kit at the present time in reapers and binders, we cannot do hatter than reprint from the Canterbury Times the remark's made at a test trial in which six machines computed at Fend.dtown, and at which the Osborne ami McCormick were unanimously voted best, the palm being given to the McCormick. The area cut was in each case -I A- acres. No. 3, the O-borne machine, made a line, lin.-ii> wi-lili ai' (3 feet. The recorded draft was 3 c.vt. I.i the up iiiil cutting, file Work was ready splendid, the slnbb'o being closely nu.l evt-idy cut, an-1 ieit beautiful;}' dean. Nothing in tact could well ho bolter. Thu down bill cur. may be fairly described as j equally good, and without doubt for cleanness of work rlie Osborne had the honors. The average lie was good, trial of a largo number of bimdh-s showing them, however, | to lie a t.'itie loose, csp-edai.y for rathe:' '■ green straw. The Osborne finished in 3 hours 3 minutes.

I 'J'iio McCormick machine (No. 4) made j an op'-ning cut of 6 feet d inches, ami registered a draft of 4 cwt., this being (oe liglifest, witii the exception of Lie .Marsh. The linn was a decided curve, but tins was soon remedied, and during Lm wdiolc of the trial tin; steadiness of ilie work was exquisite. The op bill cut was not so go- d as that made by i lie Osborn a spiiukling of twisted straws lieing ieft, but ibis not wit liM’anding, tin- work was remarkably good, ami so Mdi’y fin sbei’i tb it, save iu a eriti>ail notice, the diifeivnee l>ctween it and the Osborne would not be worth nunlion. In the down bid cut ibe Hinbbicw.as ieft of lair average length, and. taken as a whole, the resui/ was really <-xceilent, though in the opinion of not a few competent observers, this par(i<-nhrr machine did not run quite so smooth I}' 1 }' as the one shown last year. Thu tying done by the McCormick was perfect, ami it. may lie question -d if lin-ougbout ibe whole of its w-e'k a single faulty sheaf could have It -eii found. Many tried to find one, but failed to do so. ir was certain, oven at an early stage of flu contest, tbat-eiiber ibeUsboi no or the McCormick must obtain the prize, and for a mug time ili r ‘ general opiumii s-g'iued to b • pretty equally divided. Bach machine had its cnLin-iasii-e champions, and so admirably was thy wmk done on tlie two lots that nritner machine could snir -r much l>y 1.-i Vat. Tlk* .MeGormick finisiiod in 3 hours 8 mimile.s, having occupied ou'y threo minutes longer than the Osborne. Before pissing on to Nos. 5 an i 6, Lie band-binding maebim s, i; may be, well to stale that tile decision of the judges, as umimui -t-ii by .Mr Murphy, tbo Aiss.iciation’s S-cr«-tary, was that the offered prize of T23 hail I> •cn awarded to the McCormick, mid that lire Osborne had been highly commended. The decision was received with liear'y cheering, II will have lieon s- cn from the foregoing remarks that the McCormick bad one or two proinin -iff, jtoisil.s of merit. It was 1 cwt. lighter in draught than the Osborne, and its tying was alrog'*r.her tm-yend criticism. Added to this, (be simplicity of its nueiiaii;:--m is patent e\ on to the most carnal observer, and its gentle drop or the sheaf conid not well be improved upon. It is but fair to revert to the results of its eat ling, and to point out that where a machine lias b -en iismi for a few days, the edges of the knives have lost just enough of their keenness to .recount for a few missed straws here and (here. As has be.-n before inMmated, tbo Osborne iris sail'ded no disgrace by snob a defeat. At the Association’s trial last year it stood first, ami so it may possibly do again on lutnre occasions.