THE WALTER A. WOOD REAPER AND BINDER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3044, 19 January 1892, Page 2

THE WALTER A. WOOD REAPER AND BINDER.

Ir ran scarcely be mure than thirty year ago since the mowing uuichitio was invented and yet how marvellous Ins been the effect df the adaptation of the principle then introduced. What an amount of labour it has saved, and how largely it has added to the world's production of the necessaries of lifn. Many of our earlier settlers can call to mind the difficulty that faced them in the old days, of the uncertainty of being able to obtain the required labour in harvest time and.in this way, how it restricted production. With the advent of the reaper and binder, an enlargement of the mowing machine and its necessary additions these difficulties havo passed away, and with these machines large areas of grain can now be handled with very little additional help beyond the usual cnmploment of farm hands. On Saturday last we were invited by Mr Slade, of Hamilton, the local agent for Walter A. Wood, to witness a trial of one of the latest improved singleapr jn machines at work —the first that had come into the district. Tho crop chosen for the trial was a medium one of wheat at Mr A. Primrose's farm, Kirikiiiroa. The machine was just set up, and the driver, Mr John Primrose, who had never worked one of this make before, could not, therefore, be expected to havo made himself master of all the little adjustments, et-.\ Still, notwithstanding these serious drawbacks, it would have been almost impossible to have done better work. The machine is remarkable for its simplicity, strength, and lightness of draught and all its various actions are under the immediate control of the driver. One of the great advantages claimed for the machine is its single apron, and after watching this at work and the simple and easy way in which it does its work, one is inclined to wonder that any additional one should ever have been considered necessary. Before the grain is carried by the arron up the inclined piano leading to the binder, a square wooden roller and butt rake lay the stalks straight and even, and when passing down towards the tier a butter, working on a joggle, presses all the butts up square, forming a compact sheaf with a nice level butt to stand upon. A presser then forces the sheaf down to the tier, and, when full, a tripper is started, and the tying process is completed. Another action then comes into play ; tho arms of the ejector fold back behind the sheaf, and it is tossed well out ar.d away from the line of draught. There was not any sheaf carrying attachment to the machine, and during the trial Mr John Primrose, who was driving, suggested what appeared to be a very desirable adjunct namely, that some method should he devised for holding the corner sheaf, as in coming round those dropped at the corner in the next turn came under tho horses feet, and a certain amount of damago would naturally ensue. This hint Mr Slide duly noted, and with the mechanical genius at the disposal of the firm, this can, no doubt, be easily applied. Another important feature with this machine is the simple adjustment necessary for removal from one paddock to another. This can be dons easily by one man, and takes about a minute in execution. The lightness of all the ironwork about the machine accounts for its easy dr&ught, and this is due to its construction of an improved metal, known as maleable cast-iron. To the uninitiated tho gear-work looks like light ordinary cast-iron, and gives one the impression that anv unusual jar would send it flying like glass. This idea, however, was quickly dispelled when Mr Slade commenced to put the matter to the test. Taking hold of a light-looking cast-iron spanner l;e first binds it, and then commences to hammer away at the most, fragile parts of tho machinery—■the small cogwheels and light link chains, etc. - without in any wav making an impression. Wo understand that this metal is piepared by some special process known to the manufacturers, which whilst being cast renders it as tough as the best wrought iron. Judging by the ea s e with which the horses got over the ground and the adaptability of the machine to work on rough and broken country and in any kind of crop, we should say it is particularly well adapted to this district, and is sura to find favour with our agriculturalists, to whom we recommend an inspection of the machine before purchasing any other make. Further, in almost every contest it has come out at tho head of the list of competitors. Scarcely any higher recommendation can be necessary than this.