THE BRANDFORD BINDER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5632, 29 November 1889, Page 3

T HE BRAN DFORD BINDER.

A number of gentlemen interested in harvesting machinery met at Mr J. Clark's paddock, adjoining Mr King's saw mill, yesterday to witness a, test made of the Brandford Binder, which has lately been introduced into this district. The machine arrived from Canada last week, and was erected in Messrs Common, Shelton &■ Go's store by Mr Ranger, who has had considerable experience with binders in Canterbury. Although this was the first machine of its make that Mr Ranger has erected, no difficulty was experienced in putting it together. The binder was taken out to the paddock on Tuesday afternoon, with the intention of being worked to clear itself of paint <tc, from the working parts, during the morning, so as to be ready for exhibition at the time appointed, namely two o'clock. Unfortunately during Tuesday night and until eleven o'clock yesterday morning rain fell to such an extent as to make anything like a trial appear out of the question, but Messrs Common, Shelton & Co. decided that as many gentlemen had intimated their desire to see the machine at work, it would be better to keep the appointment, and make the best of the difficulties supplied by the wet. After about one hour spent in shifting the machine from its transport carriage, counectingthe pole and oiling, the machine was driven direct into a standing crop of rye-grass. The grass being wet, themachine perfectly new, its bearings being oiled for the first time, a lot of its working gear being full of paint instead of oil, it was not expected that the machinery would work straight away, but, contrary to expectation, the binder went off, making a clean cut of six feet, and surprising the onlookers with the neatness of the cut and the ease with which the horses took the machine along. The binding gear was running rather stiff, but at the end of an hour was discharging itself very well.

Those present expressed themselves satisfied that the Brandford Binder is ;i first-class machine, of very light draught, and will work a width of cut that has not been attained by any machine imported into this district. The machine was sold to Mr John Wall, of Matawhero, who, after seeingit at work yesterday, expressed himself thoroughly satisfied with his bar-

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This machine must be a big saving to those using it over those of other makers, as the Brandford will cut six and seven feet wide with the same draught required for other machines to do five feet.

The Brandford was first introduced into Canterbury and Otago last year, when fourteen machines were sold, resulting in orders for several hundred for this season, every machine wherever used having given entire satisfaction. Another of the machines is on its way and may be seen at Messrs Common, Shelton and Co.'s for a few days prior to delivery to purchaser. Amongst those who iuspected the machine at work were Messrs J. Clark, P. W. Dormer, W. R. Chambers, J. W. Johnston, W. King, A. McPhail, A. Knight, E. Cameron, J. K Espie, W. Bailie, J. W. Bright, Ceo. Scott, F. J. Shelton, and J. Wall.

The New York correspondent of the Manchester Examiner lately gave an interesting account of the centripetal forces at work in the great American trades and industries. " Trusts" and "Combines," which are fast developing into exclusive monopolies, are springing upon every side. There are now six great Railway Trusts which, it is believed, will sooner or later unite into one. There is a Telegraph and Telephone monopoly, and a Tramway Combination. Then there is the Standard Oil Company, whicli possesses a practical monopoly of the petroleum wells of America, and owns property worth L30,00(>, 000. As exclusive is the Whisky Trust. There were once seventy-two distilleries of highproof spirit in the States. Now there are but three, i'or seventy out of the total, have combined and form a single concern. Next comes the Sugar Trust, formed from sixteen consolidated businesses, and th*j Rope and Twine and the Nail Trust, organised on an equally gigantic scale. Besides, there are minor Trusts dealing with pianos, agricultural machines, oranges, and chemicals. To raise prices is the object of all these combinations. | {As a result of mining by electricity, it has been proved that ten men can accomplish with the electric drill what it required 100 men to do with the older methods.

Over ioOO gallons of milk p'ii* day --mbeing received at the Wyndham Dairy Fnetuy, Otago, and there is every prospect of the supply inoi casing steadily. Ihe Eiffel tower at D.uiedm will he 130 feet in height, and 110 l ; eet up will be a platform capable of containing about 40 passengers. Visitors will not be able to ascend any higher. The tower is a speculation of the Otis Lift Company, who are introducing their celebrated lifts into New Zealand. The first of the kind was opened at the Grand Hotel last week. The lifts of the tower will be worked by a special steam engine imported for the purpose. It is calculated hydraulic machinery would be too expensive f>r so temporary an affair ; usually, of cour-e, water -power is employed. The follow ii .; p-.ragraph from the San Francisco News Letter may throw some light on the cable messages recently received regarding the revolution in Brazil : —"There is startling news from Brazil. The Princess Isabella, who, in the absence of the Emperor in Europe, ruled the country, and was instrumental in securing the emancipation of some three million slaves, now finds that she aroused the fierce anger of the whites, who cannot get on with former slaves. There is, in fact, a serious danger of a war of races. ThePriucess isdistinctly threatened violence if any blood is shed by the black " guards she has organised. Same of the American organs strongly espouse the cause of the whites." From a copy of the Cape Times Weekly Edition, dated October 24, we learn that Johannesburg has been suffering from prolonged drought, causing great scarcity of food. A correspondent, writing from Johannesburg on Oct. IS, says :— Things here are at famine prices. Three thousand white men to bo discharged to-mor-row ; 10,000 natives from the mines. The loaf of bread costing 4d in London, 6s here ; everything else in proportion. Coach fares raised ; water and food for man and beast getting scarcer every day. Eggs are quoted at 4s ; firewood, L sto LlO ; potatoes, L 4 to L 5 ; flour. L 5 5s ; paraffin L 6 per case ; butter, 3s 6d to 5s (sd. So serious had the situation become that on October 22 the Government of the South African Republic announced a bonus of L2O each to the first 250 waggons with provisions reaching Johanncsburgh. An Auckland solicitor claims L 1250 damages for slander from a pawnbroker and money lender. Washington and Napoleon were two great men who never made a speech. Each tried it a few times and regretted his inability. Altogether 2,778,304 men enlisted for the Union during the your years of hostility. Of these 110,070 were killed.