Header Harvesters

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 7, 10 April 1944, Page 10

Header Harvesters

The modern period ushers in the header harvesters. Though not much seen in the North Island, they are literally fast gaining ground in New Zealand’s granary of the South.

A header does away with the reaper and binder —in theory. The cut stalks are not bound into sheaves, but carried up a canvas belt to the drum fitted with beaters (something like a set of lawn mower blades and revolving at high speed —1,200 r.p.m.). The grain passes through the usual series of shakers, riddles, &c., until it finally flows through a hopper into a bag. A man stands on a platform beside this bagging part, detaches a bag when full, and sews it up. Meanwhile another bag is filling. A tractor pulls the header along, but the machine itself is a self-contained unit run at constant speed by its own engine. You may not be able to “ head ” the crop outright. It may be cut and then gathered in “ windrows ” with a siderake. Perhaps weather prevents these drying. The side-rake is again used to turn the windrows over and it must do this very gently so that the grain—e.g., —does not fall ■ out. This time the weather is fine and the dry windrows can be threshed. The header is fitted with a “ pick-up ” in place of its cutting blade and rolls along picking up every stalk, and threshing and bagging as it goes.