Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1891-12-09
PROGRESS IN HARVESTING.
oId-Tims Methods OF Gathering Grail

oid-Tims Methods OF Gathering Grain
Crops.
You may still find old men who will
tell you that they can remember when
farmers In this country had nothing but
the sickle with which TO harvest their
wheat and rye. A dozen men worked
In single file. and cut the grain with
one hand and gathered IL on the other
arm. stopping every round TO drink
earnestly out of big jug of New Eng.
land rum or Pennsylvania whisky.
Then came the cradie-a scythe with
fingers on (which made the grain
lie straight. Many farmers have a
cradle yet for corners and odd hooks
With IL one man cut down the grain
and another bound IL into sheayes.
Then arose direct descendant OF the
paieozoic genius, and invented reaper
drawn by horses This was in the sos.
say. man drove and n small boy sat
ON alow seat and rsked off the grain In
Raveis. He was practically the same
small boy who used TO pull the strings
that worked the cutoff valve in the
first steam engine. He soon lost his
occupation in both instances-~in the
ease Of the reaper they invented a me-
chanieal rake. IL took five men TO fol.
low on foot and bind up what the reaper
cut down. Still the farmer wasn't sat,
isfed. So they made him the harvester.
Two men besides the driver rode on
this. and bound the grain as IL was
brought up on an endless apron u
where they stood. They had an avn
ing over them. and were very comfort
ably situated This was In the '7Os.
still the agriculturist fretted Then
he got the self-binder. which ne has YET
though he is beginning 20 find fault
with II and talks about electricity.
At first they tried 20 tie mp the grain
with wire, but IL did not work very
well, and the machines were abandon
ed. and others nsing MANILA or hemp
twine were tried With better results.
The binder invented by a man named
Appieby has perhaps been the most
successful The Irvine or cord is very
strong. and IS n little larger than a
round shoe-strinR. IL seldom breaks.
and the sheaves are tied up firmer and
better than by hand The self binder
Is somewhat complicated. but IL seems
simple when we consider what IL does
IL Is the most intelligent machine used
on the farm, II J fney so express IL. Il
would make the paieozoic man dizzy 20
watch H. All IL asks Is that the hired
man shall keep his fingers out OF Il and
furnish IL plenty Of grain 70 bind up II
does net tie square or hard knot.
nor yet bow-lSnot Bring the two
ends Of a string together for two or
three inches from their ends; then. con.
sidering the two strings as one. sie one
single plain school boy knot in IL, and
You have the knot made by self
bisdcr ~ IL the hardest knot In the
world 20 unite, and Il never "gives' n
particle In the machine II Is made by a
funny. crafty little thingumbob which
turns around half way, opens lie month
and seizes the cord. turns on around
and lets go sulleniy. az II IL had half n
mind not 20 A knife cuts the cord.
another thingumbob holds the eads.
two arms sweep the shcaf of on 70 the
ground, and the binder waits for
enough grain 20 Accommodate for another
sheaf, when IL starts itself and repeats
The operation. IL works with the pre-
rision Of q hBe stzam eagine, N the
hired man wiz only let u alone --Har
per's Weslrly.