Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-06-16
farmers department.
Moving and Reaping Machines,
To Farmers tcqHfiag Hgcdirrs:

To Formers tc4HftRg -H:chtF's:
As many OF you are hnt little. If at al 10
uuaninted with the Kirby Harvester a'ri not
we'll acquainted with its merits, or with thr
defects Of those machines which you Will be
urged to buy, we have thought It advisable to
offer YOU Il few timely hiutS that you lnay b,
prepared to meet any arguments that may hv
offered in favor Of others and against the kir-
nv. While we would not have you think that
there are no other g0od machines in the mar
ket, we want 10 satisfy you that the Kirby
Harvester is the best combined Mower and
Reaper iu the world. You will hnd that there
are great many machines that will come up
and have q run for year, and perhaps for two
or three years which from some radical defect
In the principles involved in their construction
kill themselves. You will have noticed this is
the case with three machines which have sue
cessvely taken the lead in their day, but are
now evidently fast being laid aside and rcplac-
ed by others in which ncw and more practical
principles are disclosed. We refer 10 Moor
mick's, Ketchum's and Mannys. 1t may he
that the Kirby will be numbered with these
after having its day, but VIC have the faith to
believe that there principles involved in it
which are absolutely essential to the proper
IL
as we have " live men to watch for any i'm
provcmeutS, and, with the capacity and ability
to apply them, we think we shall not be out
stripped in tire march Of invention, and will
keep the KIRBY where it now s,--at tho head
of combined machines.
We wish to impress upon you that the Kir-
by is superior aa a Mower to any that is adap-
ted to molciag only, aud itsurpaSSes as Reap.
er any adapted to redping only thus, the far
mer gets Mower and Reaper combined in
one, at the price Of any other first class single
mower or single reaper. The Mccormick and
Ketchum machines are so nearly out of mar
ket, that it is unnecessary to speak Of them
here, except TO say, that they have rigid finger
bars without any means Of adapting themselves
to uneven surfaces MCormick'S cnm only be
successfully used as Reaper and KetchumS
only as q mower they must soon die natural
death. The Nanny machine has been TO most
popular one ever built, but like the others, it
must also surrender and fall into the rear rank
with the other two. The public now demand
light, strong, durable and easy working com
bined machine. Let us see if any of the priuc-
pal machines come MP to the demand
1t is we'll known the Nanny hangs heavily
on the horses nccks has great side draft
is very hard for the driver in moving, and still
harder for the raker in reapng, and is heavy
and cumbrOus thing to handle Like all ma
chimes that are made principally of wood, it
shrinks and Swc!ls with every exposure to a
dew, shower or hot sun the nuts on the bolts
that hold the gearing have to be frightened
this, with the warping If the timber throws
the gearing out Of place and out of line it
meshes too deep ornot deep enough the fuge.
bar sprngs-that throws the guards out Of uc
creates friction, spoilS the knives, aud after
one seasons work aud one winters storage.
the machine is often used up and has 10 be laid
aside or expensive repairs made These are
some reasons why wooden frame machine,
(and these remarks apply to all wooden frame
machines, as we'll as Manny'S, though, ,%erhap$,
well liked at first, grows worse from The day it
is bought
The Kirby is made entirely of iron, except
the seat, pole and reaping attachment shrink
ing or swelling of these parts does not effect
the working Of the machine. Tie gearing
will be found precisely in the same position
after being run twenty years as when it left the
workman's hands The fnger-bar retains its
shape the guards are in line, and everything
remains without being subject to change by
every shower and every dew.
There is another class Of machines now be-
ing manufactured somewhat extensively, and
urged upon the public as something very su-
peror and new, and to some extent have been
successful as mowers, but not at all successful
as reapers. These are machines with Joints in
the bar the Aultman & Miller or Buckeye
and Hubbards are of this class To the in
experienced and those who do not study the
principles of construction, the folding over the
fGger-bar and having two wheels to carry the
frame, so that you can drive off on a trot, is
very attractive thing, and they make up their
minds at first sight that that is the best thing
forgetting that the primary object Of a mower
and reaper IS to eut gross and gram tosH and
easily and the making it of easy transportation
and buggy in which one can ride to church
but secondary consideration and, forgetting
that the Joints will wear very ouickly-that
the connecting rod is never in line except work
is being done on perfectly level ground and
the two wheels are necessity where joint is
used, and a very serious objection to machine.
You will see that the joint is that part Of
the bar which is subject TO the greatest strain
when striking an obstruction that place will
wear some, and by taking all the strain that
comes on the machine, the outer end ofthe bar
must drop back this, Of course, creates fric
ton, and with the fact that the connecting rod
is seldom in line, causes the machine to work
hard and the longer it is used the less it is
liked and finally it finds its way into the scrap
heap. Besides this, you Will find n good
Reaper has never been made with joint in
the bar The fact that the two wheels require
too much space to travel in, makes it iupossi-
bic to lay the grain far enough off to be clear
of the machine nits succeeding swath. HaY-
ing three and some times more wheels on the
ground, it is impossible drive the reel with !
belt except from the platform wheel and the !