REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3420, 28 January 1890, Page 2

REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST.

The most important and exhaustive trial of harvesting machinery ever hold in the Ashburtou district took place on a piece of land ownod and occupied by Mr John Bonifanfc, and known as a part of Christie's farm, situated ' about "seyeri miles below Ashburton,.in the Wakanui district.' ■The>- oritp.' chosen was a. thirty-six aorc paddock of .Tuscan,wheat, eatif mated, to go about 22 to 24 bushels per acre. With the exception of a small ridge of shingly- soil, and a slight dip in one part of the paddock,

tho field was a level-one, and the orop was pretty even all over, so that there: was little differanco' in the nature of the machines had to go over. The Massey machine had a shingle ridge at one end of her piece, and the Hornsby had an aokward bit of ground to go oyer In the first part of the crop, Nine machines had entered for competition, A start was to have been, made at ten o'clock, but it was a quarter to eleven! before: all the machines were ready. The Brantford was the first out, and as she dropped the last sheaf she was hailed with hearty cheering, from a, big knot of the onlookers, The trusty MoCormick was only five minutes behind the 7ft cut Brantford, and a round of well deserved applause greeted. her performance. Tho • Deering was • the next out, aud was closely followed by the Buckeye. Then came the Hornsby and Massey, the last to finish being the Howard.; The judges,, who were

not present 'while: the .cutting-was »oing on, commenced their duties'at 1.30 p.m., and while they wore performing their very difficult task the farmers gave their individual opinions the general verdict; appearing to; bes that the McOormiok would be placed

first.; The 'Brantford, Massey, Hornsby, Buckeye, and Heoringhad also won a lot of supporters, and il was difficult to tell how these would

be placed. The judges having tested the draught of the machines, and oarefully examined tbs meohahioal construction of each,made their award as follows:—MoCorraiok, U points ; Brantford, 72 points; Buckeye;; 70 poin.ts; Massey, C9points; Hornsby C 5 "points.;: Deering,' 66 points; Howard, 29 points; Wood, 18 points; Wood (No. 2), 7 points. This adds one more, and that a very

important one, ; to 'the' long. line, of victories won by the McOoraiick, and those who saw the work done on Monday by this remarkably successful harvester will agree withtho.decisiou of the Judges, Prom the time she cut in till she had finished her three and a-half acres, in an hour and nffcy live minutes, she never missed tying a sheaf, while a particularly close, even, and clean stubble was loft. Getting on to a bit of rough ground at the start a big stone damaged' the knife and made it a bit blunt, but in spite of this hor cutting could scarcely be beaten. Her sheaves wore well bound, with good square butts, and the

majority of those who went over her ground were of opinion that the old favourite would once more head the poll. She started at 10.40 a.m. and

dropped the last sheaf at 12.40 p.m. Two horses were used, and the mac-, bine was: well driven by Mr Carlton, The Brantford was the first out,'at 12,'85 p.m., but a little has. to be allowed for her greater width of out. The work.;done by this machine was muoh admired. She worked without a hitoh from start to finish, The crop happened to be badly laid in places and this had the effect of giving the butts of some of the'eheaves'anuntidy appearance, but it was no fault of the machine. She cut very oloso to the ground.delivered a geod-sized,tightly-hound sheßfj and there were very few loose straws left about,:

The Buckeye had only once before

been Been in a trial in Ashburtbn. On that ocoasionsome very pretty work was done, and it was expected she would repeat the performance yesterday. Slie was drawn by : a. splendid pair of horses, owned by Mr Houston and driven by Mr J, Houstonjnr. Re opened out remarkably straight,but at first was tying the sheaves a little too high arid a little too loose. Hestopped to alter the tension and. shifted""tno binder.and from this bnt tho Btiokeye did very prdtty w6rk,:ieaving a clean, close stubble - ; and,. delivering a ; tightly-bouud and woll-shaped sheaf; She started, at 10,45 a.m., -and finished at 1.2 p.m., but out of this was allowed" four minutes for having been detained by another machine. Mr Houston's' particularly- straight and good driving was'much'admired; and many were, of opinion he • bad won the driver's prize. ..' " The! Massoyi had ,;bad : 'luck 'at starting, a very; i'oiigh bifc/of stony.ground making exhibition work an impossibility and causing a bit of a ;s'toppage after the. seoond round? However, she went on without interruption and did remarkably pretty work up to the finish, leaving a very. close stubble and delivering with great regularity oven rows of tightly bound sheaves. ■ Her work was:muoh admired as was also her smooth running 1 , easy draught and' general construction. "The' driver, Mr Sturgeon, handled the machine, well. Tho' machine finished at 1.19 p.m. ' ; The Hornsby had a nasty bit of ground to go "over at first, but with this exception, her' wqrkhvas good, the even lines of.sheaves being. well tiedj and having good square-butts, She was drawn by as fine a pair of horses as ever walked a wheat fiold, these animals being owned by Mr W. Jamieson.. Mr G. A Stone was tho driver, and was awarded the, first prize. Tho machine finished at 1.84 pim.

.The Deerjng did some particularly good' work' and delivered tlie bost butted sheaves on the ground. - She was- soarcely cutting so low as she usually does, but this could easily have been altered. As it was,'her work was such as to'deservedly win ' favorable comment, and gain her many friends. Tho time takeii was' from ,10.45 a.m to 12,60p.r£;;-i'V: -..

: 'Tlie new Howard was not seen 'to advantage, a fact whioh l was muoh to be regretted.' She had only been set up a few hours, .before the trial, and after being' set np, oije of,tlie spjndles that works the butter was twisted by 'sorne/'moans, and the bearing becomißg- overheated a roundor two it gave'way; aiid the remainder of Jhe yprk had to be done without the use of the gutter. .-,-• ,; : i.: -. ■■■ The.iffood pifsohpjips were not also 'seeh'to advantage,' the work-dorje-being notliing liko equajlo that both the single; apron'; and v ;elevator Djaphines' usually do. Th'o single; apron b|4 good work-now an 4. then,' and left a very oloso oleafj etiibhle. ■;- ' It should be: raentiqiied that tlis whole of the machines-were quite new, aiid none bf them-hadcut-a sheaf previous to the fall of the -'flag : on the morning of the ttiali'..