Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-09-29
From the Charlon,se.lis :i.e,ys.n'an Republican,


MIR EDITOR: We have observed that you have
ticed in your paper, the employment OF McCormick's
Keeper upon our farms in the late harvest 1t is due
TO the merits of this invention, that We should attest
our experience in the use of il.
II has now been operating under our immediate OBJ
servaon for the space Of nine ten days During thas
tim though worked by hands unskled IN its hat
suffered only slight injury, which was repaired with
as much ease and in short time as few fingers
could be supplied in cradle. The blade has required
no sharpening, though it has moved many actes of
strong weeds and sassa!as, where the wheat was thin,
and overgrown by them II has cut upon fiat and IN
dulang surfaces; and upon declivrles whose ascent
could not have been less than six or eight degrees.
Leaving, at its lowest cut, stubble OF only nine
inches height; of course requires land so free of
stones and stumps not inconvenienty TO impede its
the stones few, the driver may be
relied TO discern them as TO have them thrown out
OF the way stumps may also be avoided by passing
around them;-but the time and inconvenience of re-
moving the and avoiding the other, are OF course,
for the consideration Of the employer in determining
pon such nnds For greatest success free
dom from such obstacles, are obviously essential
Hence lis ntroducton may consplre with other causes,
to ne rsuade to the removal of distractions
culture and judlcous husbandry.
With these opportunities to judge Gifts operation,
feel no hesitation pronouncing it's performance most
admirable in oil whea, of tolerable growth. In wheat
under three feet high The control Of the reel is,
instances lost, and the work clearly done;-
but whenever II exceeds that height, matter how
tangled or iumbed, how smothered with weeds, or
overcrown with the spring shoots of sassaas sweeps
all before it, aud leaves not solitary stalk standing
ITS track Nothing but the sickle can oil all RIVAL the
completeness of lis WORK. Without intending TO esti-
mate its savings, others may be left to form their
judgement of this matter from the admission OF a who
have witnessed It's work, that if the binders do their
part, there literally nothing left for cleaning.
II works we'll upon hills, if too steep for the
passage of CARTS provided it pass around them
ascend them oblque ly;-but when working above the
whea, on grea, descent, there is some Inconvenience
from it's tendency 10 slip too far into the wheat Nor
is Ills operation materially obsruc'sd by the ordinary
beds and water burrows al bottom land 1t nccommo
dates itself 10 such inequalities Of surface.
In heavy wheat it will give full occupation to six
seven BINDERS and delivers the wheat q, intervals
derabiy facilitated Al first, doubt entertained os to
the practlcaby Of delivering the wheat in good order
for bindings but after short trial that doubt gave way TO
settled convection that in good wheat, Cradle could
deliver it as we'll expert Raker draws it from this
machine
As TO the rate OF its execution consider it safe TO
saw that it would reap about fifteen day under
the control Of d,gent and experienced hands
We cannot close our testimony in favor OF this
valuable mschine, without acknowledging the great
credit due 10 MIR. Mccormick for its invention; and
for the prudent reserve. with which he has left it
wthout any exavogant pretensions his part, or
mature forts impose upon the creduous, untred
pa,enD-to establish its own claims to public favor.
Most respectfully, your obd,t serv,t.,
ALEX RlvES,
CHASE. MERIWETHER.