The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-08-04
1nE OLD AND Tie NEW.



Back to the Present Time. t43
The original cave dweIer---dear child OF
the working scentist--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 advantages and
also its dsadvaDtages--on the whole, our
able projenitor longed for something bet
ter. Then there arose a 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 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 iton
the other arm, stopping every round" to
drink earnestly out Of a big jug of New
England rum or Pennsylvania whisky.
Then came the cradle-a scythe with FIN
gers" on it--which made the grain lie
straight. Many farmers have cradle yet
for corners and odd hooks. With it one
man cut down the grain ndanother bound
1t into sheaves. Then arose direct de-
scendant of the paleozoic genius, and in
vented a reaper drawn by horses. This was
in the '3U'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. He
soon lost his occupation in both instances
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 up
on an endless apron to where they stood.
They had an awning over them, and were
very comfortably situated. This was in
the los. Still the agriculturist fretted,
Then he got the self binder, which he has
yet--though be is beginning to find fault
} with it aud talks about electricity
At first they tried to tie up the grain
r 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 twine or
, cord is very strong, and is little larger
than round shoestring. ltseldom breaks,
4 and the sheaves are tied up firmer and bet
ter than by hand The self binder is some
a what complicated, but it seems simple
h when we consider what it does 1t is the
q most intelligent machine used on the farm
:, If may so express it. 1t would make the
paleozoic man dizzy to watch it. All il
u asks is that the hired man shall keep biz
fingers out Of it and furnish it plenty O
9 grain to bind up. 1t does not tie squar,
l. or hard" knot, nor yet bowknot. Brinl
b the TWO ends of string together for tw,
a or three inches from their ends; then, con
ia sidering the two strings as one, tie on
N single plain schoolboy knot in it, and yol
i, l'have the knot made by self binder
= 1t Is the hardest knot in the world to IN
IL tie, and it never gives" particle. In th
y machine it is made by funny, crafty lii
r tie thingumhob which turns around hal
way, opens its mouth and seizes the cord
turns on around and let's go sullenly, as
it had half mind not to- A knife cuts th
n- cord, another thingumbob holds the endl
le two arms sweep the sheaf off onto th
D. ground and the binder waits for enoug
III grain to accumulate for another shea
ID when it starts itself and repeats the oper,
10 tion. It works with the precision of fin
:. - steam engine, if the hired man will onl
'' let it alone. --Harper's Weekly.