THE FIRST REAPING MACHINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 90, 15 April 1908, Page 3

THE FIRST REAPING MACHINE.

Writing to the Lyttelton Times, Mr W..Ohesnall, of Binds, says: — I - have in my: possession a diary kept by my late father, and in it I notice that on Monday, November 23rd,. 1857; he had landed on his farm at Fendalton, amongst other goods from England, one reaping machine. This implement was a heavy, ungainly affair, and' put the grain off in a continuous row by means of canVas aprons; It was impelled in front of the team, which was hitched mid-, way to the long pole, which was at the rear of the machine; the horses walking towards it as it worked. The pole thai the team, pulled by extended behind them about seven > feet, and-at the end of this was a crossbar with two handles. One man walked ■fend steered .this implement, while another, also walking, flogged the team, which had to go just where the man controlling /the. handles \vi shed. No other men were required, 'as the machine did all other work when in going order, which was seldom. '-'.'-• . . . ; . ■

" Extract from diary,- February 1, 1858: —Started Joe and Dobs wit a new reapingl machine to cut oats: After working for a short time, broke it down.' -Men found it killing work steering. Pv.t men on to hand-cut oats. , . ■~•■. f '

"f find no other record of this machine working to finish the oatcutting, but on February 13 the same men. started it in a wheat crop, and till >February 18 seem to have got on somehow. -On that day, however, Joe seems to have been tired out, for he pulled off the canvas and stood on the platform with a fork and pitched the grain off as best he could. This he continued "doing till February 7, on which date the cutting was finished. I can myself remember seeing this machine lying on the waste heap. It was never a success. I can also remember the big heavy Burgess and Key which came in later."