Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-01
RISE OF THE " HARyESTER.' -
A Great Advance in the Methods of
Gathering Grain.

The original cave dweller-dear child
of the Working Scientst-harvested his
wheat crop by going out to his field and
gnawing off the heads of the grain with
his active jaws. The plan had its ad-
vantages and disadvantages-on the
whole our able progenitor longed for
something better. Then there arose a
thoughtful paleozoic inventor who point
ed out that the grain could be pulled up
by the roots and the heads thrashed out in
the palm of the hand. This satisfied
our esteemed ancestor, and matters ran
along thus for few hundred thousand
years. Indeed. | claim the Working
Scientists privilege TO be vague as to
years. Let us throw overheard the cave
dweller, for that matter, and come along
down to modern times. Let us begin
with the sickle, for instance
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 it on the other arm,
stopping every 'round" to drink earn
estly out of big jug of New England
rum or Pennsylvania whiskey. Then
came the cradle-a scythe with ''fngers"
ON it-whch made the grain lie straight
Many farmers have Il cradle yet for
corners and odd hooks. With it one
man cut down the grain and another
bound it into sheaves. Then arose u
direct descendant of the paleozoic genius,
and invented reaper drawn by horses.
This was in the '30's, say. A man drove
and small boy sat ON low seat and
raked off the grain in gavels. He was
practically the same small boy who used
to pull the strings that worked the cut
off valve in the first steam engine. He
soon lost his occupation in both instances
in the case of the reaper they invented
a mechanical rake. 1t took five men to
follow on foot and bind up what the
reaper cut down. Still the farmer
wasn't satisfied. 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 tc
where they stood. They had an awning
over them and were very comfortably
situated. This was in the '70's. Still
the agriculturist fretted. Then he got
the self-bisder, which he has yet-thougf
he is beginning to find fault with it and
talk about electricity.
At first they tried to tie up the grain
with wire, but it did not work very well
and the machines were abandoned, and
others using manila or hemp twine were
tried with better results. The binder
invented by a man named Appleby has
perhaps been the most successful. The
twine or cord is very strong, and is a
little larger than round shoe-string. 1t
seldom breaks, and the sheaves are tied
up firmer and better than by hand. The
self-binder is somewhat complicated, but
it seems simple when we consider what
it does. 1t is the most intelligent ma
chine used on the farm, if may so ex-
press it. 1t would make the paleozoic
man dizzy to watch it. All it asks is
that the hired man shall keep his fingers
out of it and furnish it plenty of grain to
bind up. 1t does not tie a square or
"hard" knot, nor yet bow-knot. Bring
the two ends of a string together for two
or three inches from their ends; then
considering the two strings as one, tie
one single plain school-boy knot in it,,
and you have the knot made by self
binder. 1t is the hardest knot in the
world to unite, and it never gives" a
particle. In the machine it is made by a
funny, crafty little thingumbob which
turns around half way, opens its mouth
and seizes the cord, turns on around, and
lets go sullenly, as if it had half Il mind
not to. A knife cuts the cord, another
thingumbob holds the ends, two arms
sweep the sheaf off on to the ground, and
the binder waits for enough grain to
accumulate for another sheaf, when it
starts itself and repeats the operation
1t works with the precision of a fine
steam-engine, if the hired man will only
let it alone.-[ Harper's Weekly.