Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-05
Moving Machine Trial at Athens.

Moving Machine Trial at Athens.
Understanding that misrepresentation con-
cerning the trials at Moving, held at this
place on the fore and afternoon OF Monday,
July 10Th between the Manny's Combined
Machine, (Clark & Murry Agents and the
Kirby American Harvester, manufactured by
us, are in circulation coming from the friends
of the Nanny Machine, we have thought it
due to the public, as we'll as to ourselves, that
the facts should be more widely known.
The first trial was had in the forenoon in the
meadow belonging to Judge Herrick, on good
smooth bottom, covered with an ordinary crop
of straight standing grass. Here both ma
chimes did good work, and cut sufficiently close
with the exception only, that the stubble, left
by the Kirby mower, since being raked off
presents an eyener appearance than that of
the Nanny machine There was, as was evil
dent to every behoder all an immense disparity
in the draft of the two machines. The hor-
ses on the Nanny machine, driven by MIR,
Clark, did severe work and were every mo-
meut urged by their driver to keep up fast
walk On the other hand the team on the
Kirby machine took its own gait and worked
very easily, as it did all day. without fret
ting or sweating in the least.
This first trial was in grass where some fif-
teen or twenty Of the best kinds Of mowers
known, will do good work. We knew from
the first cutting such grass presented no real
test of the quality of the competing machines;
we, therefore unbeknown to Mr. Clark, had
engaged beforehand, piece of heavy lodged
clover and timothy grass belonging to l.. II.
Sherman Esq, on the west side of the Che
mung to cut in the afternoon into which
with good deal of urging we succeeded in
getting Nessrs Clark & Murray with their
Combined Nanny Machine.
AFTERNOON TRIAL.
In the heavy lodged grass at this trial. the
Kirby machine worked just as easily and sue
ceSsfully as in the morning, without any clog
ging or choking whatever. On the other
hand the Nanny machine loaded and clOgged
badly, heaped the cut grass and ran over much
standing, and required frequent cleaning, and
his team worked harder even than in the morn
ming. Mr. Clark tried his team at a trot,
hoping by so doing to get rid of the pesky tong
grass ; put it was no go-gettlng desperate,
he took off the outer part Of the frame and
the wheel thereby destroying the bOasted por-
liability of his machine, weakening and leaving
unprotected the wood finger bar; in which or
der 1t is almost sure to break, should the ma
chine run against any serious obstruction
After this change in hismachine its draft was
lighter and it did better work still he had oc
casona difficulty in clogging and none of the
time did as good work as the Kirby ma
chine.
During the whole day Mr.. Clark claimed
that the reason why his machine drew harder
than the Kirby was thatit cut some six inches
wider At the close of the trial to settle the
question of actual width of cut the Kirby ma
chine was driven into standing grass, and the
clean and even cut was carefully taken by
reliable gentlemen Mr. Clark was then urg-
ed to test his machine in the same way =
after throwing many obstacles in the way lie
was compelled by surrounding circumstances
to yield.
The same individuals took a careful and fair
measurement of the width of the cut.
The following is their statement of the cut
of each machine, and also certifying to the cor
rectness of our report:
WIDTH OF CUT OF TIE KIRBY AND MANNY's
COMBINED MACHINES.
This is to certify that we carefully took the
clean and even cut in standing grass of the two
chine cut a clean, even and square swath The
finger bar of the Mannay machine was some
what longer than that of the Kirby but un-
expectedly on careful measurement we found
the even, clean Nanny cut, TO be Just the same
as that Of tie Kirby Hqchjne. All the width
cut more than the Kirby, it "lopped in, re-
quiring to be recut or leave bad ridge We
attended the trial throughout and believe the
foregoing report to be strictly cortect,
GEO. b. PERKINS, l.. II. SIBERIAN
=. w. MEEKER, JOHN DRAKE.
E. A. MURRAY.
Mr.. Murray merely certifes to the correct
| ness of the report.
POINTS OF EXCELLENCE OF THE KIRBY MACHINE.
| We do not claim for our for our combined
Mower and Reaper all the good qualities pos
sessed by any other machine but we do claim
that it eXcels the Nanny machine in the follow
ing points in nearly every one Of which we be-
eve also, that it excelS all other machines
now known. lSt. 1t is the best combined ma
chine, being a complete mower and complete
reaper 2nd. 1t is the Iightest in weight. Sd
Easiest draft whether moving or reaping-
4th. Strength and durability. 5th Simplici
ty. 9th Ability to work on rough ground and
IN wet lodged ana tangled grass. Itn. Super
ior quality of work does, either as a mower or
reaper. Sth. Less weight on horses necks, and
9th. Cheapest.
We admit that as mower, the Nanny ma
chine, when not stripped for cutting bad grass,
is more conveniently portable than the Kirby
as now made. If any farmer buys the Nanny
machine on account of its portability as now
er, he pays too dear for his whistle"
ReE- 1t is well known fact to all those
who have often seen the Nanny machine now
ing, that it is a very common thing to see a
man besides the driver following the machine
with a fork to keep it from clogging, partcu-
larly should the grass be wet, heavy, lodged or
troubled by vines. This we consider very
| Serinns nhiactinn we shnnld be rnnch asha med