REAPERS AND BINDERS

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

REAPERS AND BINDERS

If there is one thing more than another calculated to create a feeling of surprise in these piesent times, it must be the extraordinary facility with which the demands of trade upon the inventive genius of our lace are responded 10. In all departments in life this will he found to be the case, and in none more bo than in that which concerns us as an agricultural community. In agricultural implements* of all kinds the last 20 ye?rs or so has seen a vast improvement, and we see no reason why the improvement should not continue to operate in thesamedegree of progress in the future. In ploughs, harrows, seed-drills, hoes, rollers, and all other necessary farm implements — what an advance the present generation has seen ! Threshing, machinery is comparatively a recent introduction, and machinery by which the employment of hand labor in the reaping of our crops can be reduced to the minimum, more recent still. The application of steam power to threshing machines and to ploughs has apparently, for the present, at any rate, stopped any extended further researches in the direction of an improvement upon them, except in minor details ; but it is not so with our ieapers. 'I he application of the latest in vontion — the binding apparatus — seems only to have given an impetus to the ingenuity of that now large cass of workers, ag> icultur.il mechanics ; aad one improvement lends to another, until wh>it at first was but ;in insignificant addition, lesolves its>eU' into a distiuct alteration of principle. "We know that at first many causes operated against the successful work of the lenpers and binders, which have since beeu overcome. Chief among theso causes was the difficulty in securely tieing the wire ; another that the sheaves could not be compactly put together j nnd another, and one which perhaps is accountable for more trouble than any of the others, was that it. was found necessary to make tho machine of such light materials that it was extremely liable to get out of older ou rough ground, or in thick crops. With moie or less success these objections, as we have stated, have been met, and we are now pirsented with a machine strongly constructed, yet of light draught, capable of reading and binding successfully the heaviest crop, and ot do n>i a large amount of work per day. These are valuable qualities ; but there is one other matter which mu^t be settled satisfactorily before the pr -julice formerly existing in great foicw against these machines, is entiiely swept away. The wire bands must be effectually got rid of, so that they shall not, by mixing with the straw, injure the *tock. The machine manufacturers have this sen son introduced a kind of she us, which not only cuts the band, but retains a hold of it so that it may be drawn out and thrown behiud the cutter, off the thresher. This season will demonstrate j how far this principle will answer the purpose, as no mere experiments on a •how grovjnd can with certainty prove j anything. We observe with satisfaction that the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association has decided again to hold a trial of reapers and binders this year, at which no doubt the farmers of the district will be able to judge between tbe respective merits of the improvements in the vaiious machines already introduced into the district, as well as of the advantages of one or two, that as yet, are strangers to tie. Let us hope in conclusion that the committee will adopt some plan of judging, that will with some certainty decide upon their relative good qualities.