FIELD TRIALS OF HARVESTERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2192, 12 January 1886, Page 2

FIELD TRIALS OF HARVESTERS.

The most important field-trial of harvesting inaoh'ines held this season took plaoo on on the 4th inst,, under the auspices of the B;illarat Agricultural and mbral Society, on the farm of Mr A. Miennan, about two miles from the Windermere Railway atation. Eiijht rnachines were entered for competition, Messrs s Briscoe and Co. exhibiting a Hornby , machine, Messrs McLean Bros, and Eyras Bros, eaoha McCormick, Messrs A,% Greenfield and Co, three Howard .machines, the Ballarat Hardware Co.' a Woods machine and Thos, Henderson andOo. a Buckeye. Two hours wero allowed for each maohino from starting to complete the cutting of twoacreß of. wheat crop eaoh." AH the machines did'clean work, and the time occupied wasi-Hornsby one hour and thirty one minutes; Buckeye Jh. 44min.; W ° ftd / (M'Ewen & Co.), lh.46min.; Woods (Ballarat Hardware Co.), lb 49 Win,; M'Oormiok (M'Lean Bros and Rigg, Ih, 50min.; M'Cormiok (Eyros Pros), lh. 59min.; Howard, 2h. 35mm. The judges awarded first prize to the Hornsby machine, the second to M'Oormick'a machine, worked by Messrs Eyres Bros., and the third prize to Woods' machine, worked by Messrs J. M'Ewon and Co. The points awarded were as follows:—Hornsby, best -binding 10 cleanest, work 18, timo 20, total 64 out of apossible 60. Tho twine used in binding by all the machines, except the Howard was made by Messrs O'Donaghy and Sons, of Geelong. This industry has reached such magnitnde that the firra' named manufacture from 150 to 2Qo , tons during the season; The judge, o'f the machines, were Meßsri A. E,Mie(Aßwt), Colin Baird (Mount Blowhard), J Bm es Jfisher (Miners Rest),' John Dickie (Burrumbeet), and Peter Stewart (Burrumbeet), '." ' , ■ A field trial of reapers, binders, strippersyand winnowers, took place on the 7th inst. at the farms of Messrs J T Proctor and H. Bracken, at Barrakeo! The contest was under the auspices of the Charlton Agricultural Society, but, owing to the excessive heat and othor oiroumstances, it did not attract a large attendance. The rosult of the contest for reapers and binders was that tho Hornsby machine got the first prizo; the other competing machine-M'Cormick's -broke down, not being in good order at the start. In the trial for strippers, the mathine entered'by the truatees of G Munroand Co,, Ballarat and Charlton! got the first prize, Nichclson and Co being second. For. winnowers the first prize fell to tho trustees of Munro and Co., no second prize being awarded. A private trial of one of Hornsby's im- ' proved reapers and binders took place on Wednesday, on the farm of Mr Baker, Thomastown,. near Epping. At the invitation of Mr 15. K. Morton, the representative of Hornsby and Song, a number of the farmers of the district, several gentlemen from Melbourne, Mr Hickman (of Ballamt), and MrSommers (of .Lancefield) were in attendance. The latter gentleman, worked the machine during the trial, arid, expressed his entire approval of It. The land aeleoted was very rough and uneven, but the work done by the machine was- excellent. A full description of the improvements made in this binder is given in another'column, and.records of. the many prize? won during 1884-5. A notable fact in connection with the improvod machine, is that in every trial throughout the colonies in ; which experts, or'the agents, have • worked, the; machiae, -it has taken the first prize.'-.'. - ' ' Afield trial of reapers and, binders was held at.Sale, on the 7th inst., under the auapicesol tho Bale Agricultural Society. The, entries the Hornsby, peering,,. Johnstone;, -Baokeyo, and Woods, Good work was, done by each maohine, .and the:Hornsby- was again auoceaafyl in winning the :prize." Federal Austrian, December: 12.-' v