A NEW BINDER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3726, 3 February 1891, Page 2

A NEW BINDER.

As has been perhaps noted by an advertisement in our columus, a new binder has been introduced into Now Zealand. This is the Mercer, which, as will be seen by a reference to the interview with the inventor and manufacturer, Mr Mercer, is called after hiui. Mr Mercer has only just arrived in Ne«r Zealand, and on a request for an interview readily acceded. Said Mr Mercer:—"The machine was invented and first brought out near Toronto about six years ago. Thti was in 1885. It has been working in Canada, but not in the States, because of the high tariff. In December, 1889, the machine was first introduced into the Australasian colonies, and this season 150 machines were sold in Victoria. The credit of introducing this machine into New Zealand is due to tho well-known firm of Messrs Roid and Gray, We have held very successful trials of the machine in Oamaru and Timaru. The chief feature of the machine is the doing away with all canvas for conveying and elevating the grain lo the binder. "Up to the time the Mercer was invented it was thought impossible to get anything to take the plaoe of canvas for conveying and elevating grain to the knotter, although fortunes had been spent in trying to do away with what seemed to be a necessary nuisance. The method on the Mercer for conveying and elevating jjruin to the knotter, which lias entirely and so successfully done away with all canvas, consists of two series of rakes attached to sprocket chains, the teeth ot the eonveyor rakes passing up through slots frpm, below, and thos? of the elevating rakeu duwu through titota

from ahovo. The teeth of the elevating rakes after delivering the grain to the packers withdraw from the slots, and return fcy the notion of the sprocket chums to which they Rio attached to the conveyor tahle, The decks of both tfbles are made of the West sheet steel. Tho advantages these tables huve over the old canvas method are many. There is no canvas to wear out, nor to ro» move or to cover up for fear of dews, rain or frost. The amount of space for the grain to pass up thiougfk is move than double of any canvas machine, aud the elevators will elevate heavy, damp or green grain almost as easily as light or dry, Tho grain is simply lifted up instead of being squeezed between two wghtly drawn oanvases. Tho chief point overcome in the Mercer is that tho sprocket chain belts are extremely flexible, und equally easy in all cases. Thus the draft remains tho saruo in all crops. Tho ninchino possesses many advantages in tho way of handling, having a very complete real for long cr short crops. One very novel feature is a littlo dovice for holding tho whip, wheroby either ot the horses may bo whipped up at will, without removing the whip from the socket. This is accomplished by means of a small rod convenient to the driver, leaving thojignds of the latter free to operate '•■ avers,"— Telegraph. wf^.'