THE REAPER AND BIDDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 30

THE REAPER AND BIDDER.

A great but silent revolution has been effected by this wonderful machine, which is now accepted as beyond question a farmer's greatest friend and requisite. Itis notsurpming that a number of competitors should be in the field to claim the honours for the best form of the machine. The Marsh, the Wood, the Osborne, and other American makers have all claimed a share of public attention at every trial ; while our local manufacturers, Messrs Reid and Gray, have taken up the manufacture in this city, and will, no doubt, eventually succeed in obtaining a hold on the public confidence for reapers and binders as they have for ploughs and ordinary reapers. But a* yet no machine has attained the posi- j tion now occupied by the M'Oormick, Bold by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. At every trial of importance the M'Cormick has asserted and maintained its pre-eminence. In a recent important trial at Fendaltowa (Canterbury) the following results were obtained, as repoited in the Canterbury papers :— " The M'Oormick machine (No. 4) made an opening cut of 5 feet 6 inches, and registered a draughtof 4cwt. , thisbeingthe lighteatwith the exception of the Marsh. The line was a decided curve, but this was soon remedied, and during the whole of the trial the steadiness of work was exquisite. The up-hillcut was not so good as that made by the Osborne, a sprinkling of twisted straws being left, but this notwithstanding, the work was remarkably good, and so tidily finished that, save in r a critical notice, the difference between it and the Osborue would not be worth mention. In the down hill cut the stubble was left of fcvir average length, and, taken as a whole, the result was, really excellent, though in the opinion of not a few competent observers, this particular machine did not run quitb so smoothly as the one shown last year. The tying done, by the M'Cormick was perfect, and it may be questioned ■ if throughout the whole of its work a single faulty sheaf could have been found. Many tried to find one, but failed to do so. It was certain, even, at an early stage of the contest, that either the Osborne or the M'Cormick must obtain the prize, and for a long time the general opinion seemed to be pretty equally divided. Each machine had its enthusiastic champions, and so admirably was the work done on the two lots that neither machine could suffer much by defeat.' The M'Cormick finished in 3 hours 8 minutes, having occupied only three minutes' longer than the Osborne. Before passing on to Nos. 5 and 6, the hand-binding machines, it may be well to state that the decision of the judges, as announced by Mr Murphy, .the Association's secretary, was that the offered prize of £25 had been awarded ■ to the M'Cormick, and that 1 the Osborne had been highly commended. The decision was received with hearty cheering. It will have been' seen from the foregoing remarks that the M'Cormick had one or two prominent points of merit. It was 1 cwt. lighter in draught than the Osborne, and its tying was altogether beyond criticism. Added to this, the simplicity of its mechanism is patent even to the most casual observer, and its gentle drop of the sheaf could not well be improved upon." It would appear from this and other accounts that if the M'Cormick is not the best of all possible machines, it is practically the best yet brought out in New Zealand. The public ■ have endorsed this opinion by purchasing no less than 1200 of them, at 1 a cost of aboat £90,000, while probably all the others put together cannot total up a sale of more than 300 machines. The' farmers of Ofcago will have an' opportunity -to-imorrow (Thursday), the 30fch, of> seeing the machine at work on a farm near Wingatui station, on the Clutha line, and we recommend them fco avail themselves of it. Not only are all these machines sold in guaranteed perfect 'order, but duplicate parts are supplied on 'very moderate terms, so that a breakage, — which, however, rarely occurs — can at once be made good. In Canterbury an average of 'something like an acre an hour has been reaped by these machines, and each machine 'saves about seven men. The c;rain is dropped gently off the platform firmly bound in sheaves of any desired sizd, and in rows, so that two men following the machine can stook the grain with great ease and regularity. The harvest in the northern parts of, Canterbury has consequently been nearly got through already, and the risk of damage to the grain by changes of weather during harvest is reduced to a minimum. Caittvation in New Zealand has thus received an impetus, the result of which must be felt in largely increased produce ' duriag the next two or' three years.