Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1881-09-01
VALUE OF THE sELF-B1ND1Ne RrAppps

George Geddes, of Onondaga county, N.
T., gives the following on this subject in a
recent number of the Country Gentleman ::
''W.J. F., in your paper of july 2sth. ex-
presses some views in regard to selt-bind-
ing harvesting machines which led me to
give something OF my experience Last
harvest we used an Osborne harvesting ma
chine which bound the grain with wire
Ihls harvest we have cut our so acres of
wheat with the same machine. using twine
instead OF Wire to bind. Our wheat last
year was, some OF it, very heavy this year
our crop is thin on the ground and com
paratively light. The two years experience
on light and heavy wheat, using wire and
heavy twine, justies me in having decid
ed opinion as to the value of the binding
machine. ! will give my views to the pub
lie and sign my full name under what
write, as very much wish your excellent
correspondents would do, that we might
know whose facts and opinions we are read
ing:
Last year we used three horses working
abreast, This team cut at the rate of 20
acres in day of IL hours. The wire cost
ABOUT n cents per acre. This year we used
four horses, (giving surplus of power, but
not two much in a hot day., two men driv-
ing and managing the machine, at the rate
OF 70 acres in day. An S-acre field. the
heaviest wheat we had, was cut in three
hours. The cost Of twine has been about
81 cents an acre. We own and use two felf-
rak'ng reapers, the best Of BradLey's make.
and, as we suppose, as good as are made.
Two men and tour horses, with these reap-
ers, will cut over Just about the same sur
lace III given time as the self binder. So
the comparison is really between the cost of
twlne, which on 20 acres IAN average days
work) would be &c. and the hire of ten men.
At the rate of wages named by w. j. 4.
($2 per day. it makes $40, But wages are
not so high here. | estimate the cost of
binding to be Is cent an acre, which would
make for the 20 acres $l5, the machine re-
dncing the cost of binding 45 cents an acre
1t is true that the self-binder costs large
sum, and it is too wide tor most farm gates
to pass from field to field easily, and being
80 wide in the cut is not easily managed on
sde-hills, and it takes up much more room
tor storage. These several objections are
more than balanced in the superior work
done, and i'll the facility of drying the
sheaycs after soaking rain. The twine
band is tied IN a good knot, and may be
quite loose and not give out. The small
surface of the straw covered by the twine
loes not prevent the air passing through
The sheaf, and it will dry in much less time
han straw bound buddle. Another ad-
vantage is ability to d. the work Of har-
vest with fewer men. Every wheat-raiser
will understand this point and make his
)wn estimate of it.
'AMost farmers will prefer the string to
he wire band, because the straw is worth
omething to feed stock or to sell. In case
wire Is used it must be kept out of the
hreshing machine or its pieces will very
much injure the straw, and only straw that
5 to be burned should have these pieces
catered all through it. Ingenious pincers
nd cutters combined CAME with the ma
hine, but it was too much for all the extra
elp we could put on the table to remove
hese wire bands fast enough for the thresh-
r, and the threshing thereby was made
low and of course costly. We do not ex-
ect any trouble OF this kind from the strino.n
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