REAPER AND BINDER TRIAL.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7253, 12 January 1889, Page 6

REAPER AND BINDER TRIAL.

A trial of the Walter A. Wood reaper and binder was* held at Wakanui on Thursday, when a party, including the local agent (Mr F. Ferriman) and the expert (Mr Germ) drove out to Mr Cass' farm. The drive down was a most pleasant one, and going past the farms of Messrs Chalmers Brothers.Mr McGirr, Mr Rose, Mrs Brankin, MrE. Thomas, Mr T. Clepbane, Mr Leatham, Mr John Cochrane, and others, the party had. an opportunity of seeing some magnificent crops Of standing and fast ripening corn.. The wheat and oats were in most instances standing beautifully even all through the paddocks, and splendidly, headed. -With a continuance of fine weather some very heavy yields will be harvested off these farms, and it ie no exaggeration to say that some of the cxops seen will go as high as 45 bushels or more to the acre. In one paddock the machine was at work threshing out a fine sample of last year's corn, while all over the same paddock was growing another magnificent crop, some 01 which had to be cut ■ away green to allow the threshing mill to get up to the stacks. The " Baby" Wood Single Apron Twine Binder, Che machine shown, was used on a crop of oats, about 25 bushels to the acre, the straw varying in length from 3ft in height to 18in in some places. The ground had not: been rolled, and it was consequently pretty rough and uneven going. There was a little undergrowth in places, but generally the crop was a clean one. Witb Mr £. Hack on the driver's seat, and drawn by a team of two horses, the machine cut in, and rouad after round of the paddock continued to do work with which the most critical could not find fault. A good clean even stubble was left, the grain was cleanly elevated, and delived in tightly bound, well shaped, square butted sheaves, and with a very marked absence of loose straws. In order to show that there was no side draught, or weight on the horses' necks, the neck yoke was detached, and the machine run for several chains without the neck yoke. After the machine had been running some time in the light crop it was taken to another paddock and started in a very much heavier piece. It opened out through some oats standing about 4ft high, with a good deal of undergrowth. Here again the result was in every respect satisfactory. Following round behind the single apron was one of Wood's ordinary elevating machines, perfectly new. and one that had never been run a yard before that morning. Mr J. Hunt and his brother Tom were in charge of her, and with a grand two-horse team of their own they made capital work.

The Whitstable Oyster Company has just put in force a by-law providing that any member who is found purloining oysters belonging to the Company, shall be fined £1 for every oyster taken, and on one of the members coming ashore after dredging the other day a few oysters were found in bis pockets, and seventy in bis boots. He was fined £70, which wtUt paid.