HARVESTER TRIALS.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6053, 9 February 1885, Page 3

HARVESTER TRIALS.

On Saturday a public trial of harvesters ins held in a paddock adjoining the Ashlmxton Domain. The field: selected contained a rather light crop of oats (somewhat on the green eide)Tthe property of Mr James Tasker. The weather was gloriously fine, and the trial was witnessed by a large number of farmers and others , interested in the purchase or sale of , reapers and binders. The machines on, tbe ground were the Howard, Samuelson's . low Level, the Champion, Walter A. food's, the Osborne, and Homsby. Each nachine cut about two-and-a-half acres, .- tte farmers present eagerly watching the -manner in which the work was performed. The crop was not one to severely test the. qualities of the machines, being rather ' %ht,nottoo losg in the straw, and not iwißg been laid at all by wind or rain, foe catting done by the various machines we all that< could be desired, but ' h one or two instances the sheaves van rather loosely bound. Wood's jßadune and the Hornsby were workag with bundle earners, the sheaves iemg laid dewn in rows equal distances *$art>and in such a manner as to save a Snat deal of labor in etooMng. Both ttae machines did excellent work, as did

aho the Howard and Oeborne, though the *$v*g of &c former was a little looser than tfcttof the Wood. The Champion attracted * gcod deal of attention, and so fault ■etaterer could be found with the manner ia which it did its work. A description of Sttauekon's Low Level recently appeared Sattaaenoloins. The machine was quite * novelty in the Ashburton district, and attracted a good deal of notice. «» opinion expressed was that the ma«JM would come into extensive nee, more jartaeularly in hiily districts. It is rarely the Ashburton farmers have an opportunity *k seeing bo many different machines werkSsg eide by side in the district, and it was gafirying to see that the exhibition on eworday attracted such a large attendAoe. in a paddock close at hand a tnal «the Johnstoae Twine Binder took place, wait was not witnessed by many of the «mew, their attention beinr taken tip vy »c machines at work in Mr Taster's P»4doek.