REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST AT SPRINGFIELD FARM.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 570, 28 February 1878, Page 2

REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST AT SPRINGFIELD FARM.

There was a large attendance of farmers and business men to-day at Mr. Peter Orr's farm to witness a compeiitive trial of the American reaping and binding machines known as "The 'M 'Oormiek " and ''The Walter A. \\'o>y ; "' and the | machine manufactured by Messrs. ReiU and Gray. Very great interest was manifested in' the trial, and each machine had its admirers. The crop to he operated upon was not a very heavy one. and little difficulty was experienced in getting the respective machines fairly started. The Wood machine and that of Messrs. Re-id and Gray continued the work uninterruptedly until about 3 o'clock, the hour at which our reporter lefc the ground, and the former machine had at that time completed the best part of its allotted three acres, while the latter had still a good deal of work to get through. Messrs. M'Cormiek's machine was not so fortunate, however, tor. shortly after it bad begun operations, the eonnecling rod unfortunately broke, and a delay of fully an hour and a half occurred before a new one could be fitted on to the machine. Another start was made about 3 o'clock, and the machine was set to its work in such a manner as to give fair promise of the three acres allotted to it being finished about (j o'clock. The voting on the merits of the three machines will then be taken. We shall give a full report of this interesting contest in our next issue.