The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-07-15
WHAT lxINDtO A REAPER Is THE
BEST FOR THE FARMER TO
PURCHASE AS A MATTER OF
4 ECONOMY IN THE SAVING OF LA
EOR Il : -

| DOA x ~
= In answering this question, we are awar
that it will be necessary to combat the pop
ular errors that many farmers have falleg
into in relation to hnrvcsters. The farm
ers Of the whole north west are, almost ex'
clusively engaged in the raising'of grain
With rich soil, and a climate adapted &c
tho production Of grain Of all kinds, they
are almost sure Of IN abundant harvest
The great bulk ofthe grain that is produced
in this vast country is raised from seed
sown in the spring, and hence the wheat,
oats and barley, IRE ready for the sickle
about the Same timo. The harvest time in
tho west is the busy season Of the year, and
requires the utmost exertions Of those en-.
gagged is agricultural pursuits to gather it
even the mechanics and laborers and school
boys Of the towns and cities are called on
to assist in Tho great and glorious work of
gathering the ripened grain. The demand
for labor has been 20 great for few years
past, and the price SO high during harvest,
that it is not strange that farmers are dis
posed to invest in that kind of machine
which they ere told will accomplish the most
with the least amount of labor. The ex.
ccssivo demand for help during harvest of
late years has stimulated the manufacture
ers Of Harvesting Machines to devise some
plan to save labor, and the result thus far
is the application Of self-rakes to Reapcrs
and haud-binders on the Marsh Harvesters.
But oil these improvements thus far have
SO complicated the machinery as to render
them in great measure impracticabla.
Having seen nearly oil these improved
machines in use which are claimed to save
labor in harvesting, We have come to the
conclusion that tho mandrake machine is
far the best and most economical in sccur-
ing harvest, for tho following reasons:
1st. All the self-rakers IN the markets arc
very liable to get out of repair and Cause
much delay in consequence, and nothing
causes more vexation than q break down
in the harvest field, especially when the re-
pairs are difficult, as is generally the. case
with complicated machines. I'd. Tho
grain must stand in good condition to cut
in order to do good execution with self
rakers or with the Marsh Harvester;
The self-raker that does good work one
year, when the grain all stands upright,
may utterly fail the next if the grain be-
comes krinkled or lodged, Sd. But few of
the self.rakers cut over five feet wide,. and
cannot, therefore, do now I or As as much
as hand rake machine cutting six feet,
and tho draft is so much greater that
single team cannot stand it to work them
without stopping t.. rest good portion Of
the time. 18th. It needs man of superior
skill and judgment to drive the team and
manage sclf-raker properly, while any
boy or girl old enough to handle the reins
can do the driving for hand raker. Now,
VIC claim that these objections to selfrakers
IRE we'll founded and are sustained by ]
practical experience. We claim that q ma
chine simple in construction, not liable to
get out Of repair, that can always be de-
pended on for big days work, that will |
10 good execution in every kind or condi-
ion Of grain, that cuts six feet wide, that
is handled with perfect ease with single
cam, cutting from sixteen to twenty acres
per day, is the machine to purchase. All
hose desiring such machine will find
hat the Beloit Reaper and Mower, manu-
actured by Parker & Stone, Of Beloit,
is warranted to fill the bill,