, 1863-11-18


We ha7e observed, fo- some time p.st, Al
ioter:stiog discussion between the editor Of
the North British dgrtcMf,.rftf, on behAn OF
Mr Bell tx,sus Mr. G. q. Mccormick, Of
America, the i1yerto- OF the 1e1ping machine
which GRATED such sensation whea 1t ap,
ptAsd in or first Great National Exhibition
u E5de Pa.k, in 1851. .....
| Tie correspondence originated aboat tae
| aw.ri Of the gold medal 60 Mr.. Mccormick
| By tbs implement jury at the late Hamburg
| international Exhibition, which Was in-eEted
in the 1a:k Lane Express of August 3rd. It
B,fti,h dgric1ltzrist, by some person, that the
7rscd OF the gold medal was merely an homo
1ss7 thing, having no connection with tho
t.Is1 Of tho ue1i!s Of tho reapicg machines;
ru: LITTER fto2 the American juror. pub.
sisbed In, the cou.e OF the correspcadence,
seems to condsm the fact, not only that the
anad vas made Is given in the Nark Lane
Express, "fo7 the practical Introduction and
Improvement Tor pezfectirg} Of the reaping
machine" }" bat that it "nesos exactly what it
says"
IL the con1se Of the correspondence, the
!eaping mschtne;' snd, while the editor Of
the NORTH Briti&n Ag:4cuNurist aho rs much
zeal for his country mau's (Mr. BeWs) ma
chimes, We muat say that ne think that the
facts and arguments Of Mr. Mccormick are
presented with cleA1aess and to-ce which
eeem unans rerable in establishing he
was the first to invent tho leading features Of
tho successful reaping machine Of the present
day; that he continued regularly the i'm
prcveuent audprosecuttoa ofthe same to the
perfection Of the machine; and that rhis-in
the slightly varied language Of the differ
ent scientific juries Of the various great edu-
cationa! exhibition Of the world-coastitute
fact before the Great National Exhibition Of
1851. II reaping machines were invented, they
we're unknown to the English farmers.
We eIt.act some Paragraphs from Mr. Nc
cormfcks letter, which appearedfc the North
British dgs1ctRtu1i,t Of Oct. Is, which seems
us to settle the questions
"What, then, are theae original textures Of
the fucceesfn1 7eaptng machine Of the pres
ent timer They nro-frst, the application Of
the dlaught forward and 1T one side OF the
machine, called the side -draught machine,
chic Of 1881. as shown In my patent; the
application OF the power nt the rear, as refer
led to By the New York RemonstrAnts, only
having been eKper1mented With In a machtne
const1ueted Immediately preceding my appu-
cation for the patent, but which vas not
been used with single horse Ia shafss, when
1t was thought wider machine might be pro
PEELED to advantage from Tho rear; hence the
experiment. -.
-JeCIAut tAE EttttN4 0p1}N fHtH&. Will q 6EfT4
ted reciproc4.lng blade operating In foge7s or
supports to The cutting. over the edge Of the
sickle. This WAS also done by me SUCCESS
fully In 1881, with the aing1e bearing or sup.
port on ODE hide of the sickle, and with the
oouble bearing ION both eldes) In 1889, as
ibis machine cut 50 acres Of grain.
"Thizd, the d1ed p9aUorns Of boards for
receiving and retaining the corn as cut and
deposited thereon by the gathering reel, uutil
collected in sufficient Quantity Or size for
sheaf-
On to the ground ir shsayes at the side Of the
machine, out OF the track Of the horses In
their next pa*sage round.
fifth, ! diefder, separating, III connection.
otfh theTttt, the corn 10 Be cut from that to
be 1tftstandlug "a further Improvement upon
Thtcb, with otner improvements in detail,
having become the subject Of patent in 1915;
While the arrangement of a suitable seat On
The machine 60 rs to enable the attendant the
more easily and completely to deliver the
patent, in 1877.
sand no*, while in law, he who falls to
rcsch the point ofpractica1 and palud1le SUCCESS
does not hirg, and he who continuously aud
vigorously pIosecntes his invention and i'm
pIovemente to that point is allowed to prove
back to his first experim ents-with theae
foundation principles claimed In ny machine,
Aom uSSo III. peil 5lanu un Tue EGltof6 1de3
Of tho great similarity Of tho general princi-
pelllpg them from Tie rear was the method
adopted In nearly all the experiments m1de
from the time Of the Gau1s to the time Of Bell's
connection with the reaping machine The
Editor has shown that Salny,l's machine cut
By hear* in 1900 and Smiths hid the corn
In ewathc, In 18l1-wbIsh nes also done By
my fathers machine, In lS16-whtle l must
again be permitted to repeat that Bells ma
chine, while lost to the public at least in 1851,
ne.yr saonld have been practically and conu,ssr.
ciaNy valuable with his cutting shears, and his
gathering reel OF two and a hslf feet in diam
eter,' instead Of six to eight feet, aa subse-
quently used In connection with ny cutting