Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-22
A California Wheat Harvest.

A California Wheat Harvest.
Suppose that upon one of the many DAYS
of the harvest season you get out of bed at
an unusually early hour, aud again climb to
the house-top.
Beneath and in front Of YOU will lie. as
before, the pale, golden sea of wheat, girdled
IN the cool distance with the purple noun
tains The air will be soft and delightful to
breathe; the oaks upon the river-banks will
throw shadows across the roadway, and the
rays of the sun will spread over the euor-
nous plain--a smile of greeting for the dav.
You will sweep the horizon with your
glass. Hardly to be seen, even with that,
are some curiously-shaped dots moving
slowly hither and thither. They seem to
crawl like Insects some going north, some
south, some east, and some west. After a
while you will distinguish that nearly every
one of these dots is of deep-red color A
little later you recognize the awkward shape
OF the separators, and the broad-topped fun
nels of the engines. Throngs OF people,
most of them in wagons, yet some afoot fol
low on behind. After a while all of these
now widely-separated groups will come to a
stand.still They have taken up their posi-.
tions for the onslaught upon the grain-6elds
as deliberately and with as much thought as
batteries take mp positions for battle.
When one of these corps approaches its
station, header, with its attendant wagons,
is sent forward to cut clear place in the
centre Of the area to be worked upon that
day. The machine is pressed upon the
wheat, devouring it rs it goes, and then,
having accomplished aproper distance, turns
and works III circle, cutting out bare
spot from three to five acres in extent. This
Is the point from which seventy acres Of
wheat are to be hewed down, cast into
thrasher' and sacked for market before sun
DOWN
mus the separator and engine and all the
Teams move forward up the lane aud into
me circle ne irst comes to a halt III the
rear ana the headers at once attack the
wheat, the hrst taking the first swath of the
eheirehng gram the next the second, little
IN the rear and so on
ne oel'ing between the engine and sep
aiator IS adlusted' aud the engineer starts
MS i'reS' ne SHOOTS that are to convey the
gram from the canvas on the ground upon
"hlch II Is Pltched from the header-Nagons
are attached, and the hag-iillers bring up
their sacks An the lds That cover the IN
her WORKS OF lhe great machine are drawn
over ana all Is made last The wheels are
locked as are those OF the engine. Great
care Is taken 10 Keep all things ON as perfect
leVel as may De- 10 insure the proper econ
omy oil force
ne scene even at thls time IS one OF great
auli,la'loh' ne men are all fresh, and are
"o'hlhg Win aruor' tne stimulus oil the
uolS'' the movement ana the bright sun, Is
great IL Is possible not to ieel the pulse
| quicken even AT TINS early stage OF the play,
ana one recalls his old-tlme ideal OF har-
Nestheld' with IT'S benbboned reaperS, and
thelr long curved slckles, with little doubt
oil lts superior grace
They try the engine tits all right The
separator clatters in tune, and nothing is
anlss' Now, then, Tor the grain In a
moment the wagons begin to unload. Huge
iorklnls are pitched upon the ground, from
Wilch II Is borne INTO the recesSes OF the
separator. Then there ensues strange
combination OF tremendous noises-a sound
OF grinding sound of brushing, sound of
humping and sound OF roaring. The en-
tire fabric shiyers from top to bottom, and
from out every erevlce there pours thin
sheet OF dust The upper part belches out
tne waste hundreds OF pounds and tons OF
chaii and a stiiilng cloud follows it. In
second everything Is on springs. The men
who NIL the bags hang them at the edges OF
49,. "b"N' N' "''"il "oOu NV"le9 l'Oui-
ing down. stream oil clean kernels oil
wheat-and the days work fairly begins.
From the largest separator in the field there
run out SIX sacks, or eight hundred pounds
OF gram, tit tor market, each minute. This
machine one day in August, 1874, threshed
hve thousand seven hundred and seventy
nine bushels Its owner calls 1t the Mont
tor All the engines have names as WE'LL
Gladiator, PhoeniX, Mars, and the like. No
one would ever be mad enough to call one
OF these Ceres, lor instance, There is no
suggestion oil gentleness, or grace, or poetry,
IN the whole held' All Is Ingenuity, precis-
lon' order iorce' cry OF admiration rises
70 one iips Time ana again, but the sensa-
!lon is tne same mat one feels upon witness
iug a Stting OIL .en'strlkes IN 6oWhng'alley,
oh!y thousand unes extended.