Daily Republican., 1883-06-08
4 REAPER TEST.
,,IE sGIsEY BLt h" AND THE
.JEERING" HAVE
CONTEST.

.s>
Ti,. t. Jersey Blue and the Deer.
,a " reapers and binders, both western
n,nductions Of mechanical skill, had a
neudy contest for merit and general
ntility Yesterday afternoon, on one OF
u. nuP Pont farms, in Christiana Hun
,red a field of tall green rye being cho-
ssn for the test. Mr.. W. #. Seigman,
General agent for the peninsula for ihe
s,rerjng invited trial of other reapers
md binders, but only the "Jersey
Rlue " the Eliason Brothers, Of New
f,a,tle, general agents, accepted the in
CITATION for il test About .o'cl0k in
the afternoon both machines, which
we're new, ware on the grounds each
having probably more than fifty back
:, OF rather fritnd-.
some Of lne friends OF the "Jersey
Rue" came all the way from Middle
to,i., while quite number came from
N,y Castle. The farmer, around abou:
home turned ont III large numbers and
as a general thing were partial to the
D.priny, it having been taken for granted
tbat if was to be left on the DUPONT
faru-that Is if did the work it prom
i,ed to do it would be purchased at
nur. for the use of William Mayne, one
If the Messrs. DuPont's pushing and
tru,,.d farmers. The Dsering was
drawn by two large heavy horses
weighing At least 1880 pounds, and the
Jersey Blue by one horse and two
mules, the whole three not weighing
more than the Deering pair Of horses.
The Blue was the heavier machine of
the two by probably hundred or more
mounds. II was agreed th2t each party
Should choose an impartial Judge, and
the Judges thus chosen should choose IA
third. This beard of Judges was to
decide and report upon the merits and
the work of the machines. In accord
auce with this arrangement, the friends
Of the Jersey Blue selected Robert Il.
Morrison AS a Judge and the friends of
the Decring selected William Coming,
and the two thus chosen selected Henry
Moore, residing on the old Hocomb
farm, New Castle Hundred for the third
Jadge.
Everything being ready, the Deering
entered the tall green rye and started
across the field, cleanly cutting width
of six feet, and AZ 1t proceeded threw
the sEeaves, bound with strong twine,to
one SIDE, out Of the way of the next
reaper, or of itself If it came next. A
large crowd followed the machine
around the field and closely noted the
manner in which the work was done.
The Jersey Blue followed, and every
movement was closely watched by an
Enthusiastic crowd Of admirers as well
as critics. After round or two more,
and after the first lot Of rye blocked
out was cut off, the work, as well as the
machines, were well scanned and vari-
Ous were the comments passed upon the
merits of each machine, but the genera!
express on was that they both did their
work well.
The friends of the "Jersey Blue at
tins poin, look off the horse and agreed
to run on y the two mules, and both
parties agreed to run right through |
Straight standing grain to mSke an
opening. The ".JcrSey Blue mules
Stopped two, if not three times, before
| they got through, while the heavy Deer
| ing horses pAlsd thri machine through
without stopping. The Deering claim.
|e,l an advantage by this tes, but the
Blue thought that point was i'll its favor
because Of the weight Of the machine,
THE 'ightntss of the mules, and their
disposition to stop and snan at the heads
|of rye that dashed around their mouths.
The Blue also claimed disadvantage
because it only used a tifty-inch eleva-
|tOr, which was only calculated for
wheat, being shorter in straw, while
the 'Decring had sixty inch elevator,
and was therefore, better adapted to
rye 1t was also contcnded that the
Blue bound its sheaveS tighter and more
even y at the buls than her competitor.
'rheDcerlng claimed that it cut cleaner,
did not choke like the Blue, could bind
the sncayeo either large or small, and
tie them either tight or loose, and the
macliue w:ls less complicated in its
mechauirai construction. After the
contest was over, the Judges got togeth-
Ter and decided that, taking the charac-
ter OF he work performed into consid-
eratlon, he Jersey Blue was entitled to
a verdict al their hands, and awarded a
verdict accordingly.
Mr. Snisman protested against the
decision, on the ground that the Judges
had Rot taken the mechanical constru,-
ton of the machines into consideration,
aud that if the Judges had desired to
have the slleaves bound tighter they
should have made their desire known.
The committee, however, thought they
had performed all the duty required of
them, which was to Judge of the
character Of the work performed and
refused to reverse their decision. A
threatening thunder cloud soon scattered
Judges, agents of machines and spect"-
tors to hunt shelter or home, but not
until Mr.. Seigman found il. Mr.. Du-
Pont willing purchaser Of his machine,
notwithstanding the decision of the
Judges.