The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-10-30
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
Evolution of the Harvester" from Ava
Back to the Present Time.

Evolution of the Harvester" from AwaY
Back to the Present Time.
The original cave dweller-dear child OF
the working scientist-harvested his wheat
crop by going out to his field and gnawing
off the heads of the grain with his active
laws. The plan had its advantages and
also its disadvantages-on the whole, our
able projenitor longed for something bet
ter. Then there arose thoughtful pale
ozoic inventor who pointed 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 ances-
tor. and matters ran along thus for few
hundred years; indeed, claim the work
ing scientists privilege to be vague as 10
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 ana rye.
A dozen men worked in single file, and cut
the grain with one hand and gathered 1t on
the other arm, stopping every round" to
drink earnestly out of big jug OF New
England rum or Pennsylvania whisky
Then came the cradle-a scythe with lin
gers" on it-which made the grain lie
straight. Many farmers have cradle YET
for corners and odd hooks. With 1t one
man cut down the grain and another bound
it into sheaves. Then arose direct de
scendant of the paleozoic genius, and In
vented a reaper drawn by horses. This was
in the '30's, say.
A man drove and a 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
cutoff valve in the first steam engine. Ht
soon lost his occupation in both instance:
, in the case of the reaper they invented {
mechanical rake. 1t took five men to fol
low on foot and bind up what the reaper
cut down. Still the farmer wasn't salts
| fed. So they made him the harvester
| Two men besides the driver rode on this
and bound the grain as it was brought VI
on an endless apron to where they stood
! They had an awning over them, and wer
very comfortably situated. This was II
the 70's. Still the agriculturist fretted
| Then he got the self binder, which he ha
yet-though be is beginning to find faul
! with it and talks about electricity.
At first they tried to tie up the grail
with wire, but it did not work very well
and the machines were abandoned, an
| others using MANILA or hemp Irvine wer
/ tried with better results. The Irvine O
cord is very strong, and is little large
than a round shoestring. Itseldom breaks
and the sheaves are tied up firmer and bel
| l>1rA no IG
what complicated, but it seems simpl
when we consider what it does. 1t is th
most intelligent machine used on the farm
if may so express it. 1t would make I'll
paleozoic man dizzy to watch 1t. All
asks is that the hired man shall keep h
fingers out of it and furnish it plenty {
grain to bind up. 1t does not tie "A squal
or "hard" knot, nor yet bowknot. Brin
the two ends of string together for tw
or three inches from their ends; then, col
sidering the two strings as one, tie OF
single plain schoolboy knot in it, and yo
have the knot made by self binder.
: 1t is the hardest knot in the world to u
tie, and it never "gives" a particle. In Il
machine it is made by funny, crafty Ii
tie thingumbob which turns around ha
way, opens its mouth and seizes the cor
r turns on around and lets go sulleuly, as
j it had half a mind not to. A knife cuts Il
5 cord, another thingumbob holds the END
1 two arms sweep the sheaf off onto t.
ground, and the binder waits for enous
. grain to accumulate for another she;
when it starts itself and repeats the oper
: ton. 1t works with the precision of fl
t steam engine, if the hired man will on
~ 1T alone-Harper' Weekly.