TRIAL OF REAPERS AND BINDERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1018, 2 January 1879, Page 2

TRIAL OF REAPERS AND BINDERS.

(Fcom yesterday's ' ETorald.') Messks T. and S. Mokrix have been appointed the agents for the selfbiuding and reaping machines raiuufuctur< j d by Messrs C. t£. and L. J. .VlcCormick and Mr Wa ter A. YVoxl. botli of New York, United States, for the provinces of Auckland, Taraaaki, and iiawke's Bay, and having obtained a supply of these machines, decided to have a public trial of these two favourities with farmers. Yesterday was fixed for the trial, Mr W. Groodfellow, Otara, near Otahuhn, having placed a field of wheat at the disposal of the Messrs Morrin, arrangements were made that the trial should take place an three o'clock. The weaklier was fine. The field of wheat was a mciium crop, somewhut unequal, portions of it approaching a heary crap, while olher portions were rather thin and stunted, •. with occasional pathes of thin, wiry grass growiug .among it; The ground was fairly level, and the conditions under which the -rial was to be made, so far as crop, &c, were concerned, may be regarded as fair average circumstances, likely to be met with o-i nineteen out of every twenty farms. At one o'clock, the Messiy Mon-in und a number, of gentlemen proceeded to the ground to witness the trial, The paddock was reached just' before 1 two o'clock, A. large ouuiJB 1 ' ot farmers ia th.? neigiib jrh'iod also assemoted to wi-ne-s th s trial. Th 3 McOoruaick harvester and bind-r, wish two horses, was first ciicst Tne wilt-li of the cut taken tv*s aboiu t[ve< fyjG, aad the ijuility of chu wor pjrfo.-m'-d w<«s certain y a. master of sucpriae tp, nearly -Ai \vho witaoased it The horses moved &■ tlie ordinary pacs* farm horasa arp aC3uatooi^d t> travel, and whero tlu crop was mt too liglio, a firmly-bound fchaaf was genfeiy pushed oif the binding table every eleven feet faat the macnine tr-iYolloJ. It aaay sornotiinea happen tint where the crop is particularly Jitfhr, a very small ahetf would be gathered m the space of eleven feet, and, to ensure the sheaves being of a nearly uniform si/o, an ingenious contrivance is deyispd, by which the driyer, by pressing his foot upsn a lever, can regulate to a large extent the siae of the sheaf. The stubble left was about five inches high, but the height at which this and the Wood's machine can cut is capable of being varied, according to the wish of the owner of the crop. The cutting was remarkably clean, very few heads of grain being seen on the ground, and the sheaves were all delivered m regular order, their butts being all kid m one direction. The cleanness with which this machine. QUt >yas remarkable, bqiug superior to ' the 'Wjprk performed by ' ordinary reaping-ma'chinos, and superiorto what we have seen doiyfiri former years by skilled hand reapers. i Shortly after the MoCormick harvester binder lisul begun work. Wood's improved

self-bindiiig harvoatei- f O £ the soa-on of 1878f 79 waa started. This waa divuvri by threo hor.^o^. Thoim-li the draught of tho Tnacliino.s was not .tested by *a,dynamometor,- it appoarod that both \vera eiisily drawn, and, after a couple of hour's work, tho lior.se.s appeared to be comparatively cool. At first, this machine apu&n'ed f to have been startedj>efore it was "perfeoSly adjusted, and £ *fevv shor^ delays took; place. I3ut, nftef the iii^tHe.. adjustment of its various parts, it workedvery freely, cut; clean, arid so fiuvasV© could judge-, did its work as perfectly ai that of the. Ale Jormick. Its manner of delivery is different - from that of "tho AlcOormick. Instead of pushing tho sheaves ono by «no from the binding table, this maohiuo gives each sheaf a gentle "kick" after tfie wire biirttug tits 1)05)1 suoarod, *ud ihoß,a »v : >«j faU on ihe*L!rouud uot iv regu-«V ' order as by the vlcC .rmick uuc&ine. Thh.glit from yvhio/i the-aheaf falis on ohel ground is fully a?t oClesi than the bind^ iny-tab:e of the McOormiok mtoaiae,' and th> (liaadv»u6age of thß "kfok;' ti>»t, eaon sheaf geW^fcor bsing bjuud by the Wo id's machine is probably mo.v ap parent In oo oi'ae waV oheriany Hpp'-jar-aace of uho being Bnakeu*our. by slaves being*" k ckdd" from tue Wood'.uiachiae, o- by-'* ltiw frota ttia bi nil ii.--übly of tne fliDOo^m ck. ' baring one whole of rhe fcrhl, ie was very rarely tbas auy htsada of wheat we c found at fch- bus of th« Bheav .»«, v> ie, far 'ewtjr -thao we have of en e-iQ when very *low;r hti-venciu^ «n i hods we c mod a'ao aving of jjraiu iv this fd-poct tnuat ba ooisi lerjiole.