The Dickinson press., 1896-10-31

The Deering Harvester company of
Chicago, quoting from their retail prices
Of their various classes of machinery in
1873 and 1896, make the following state.
ment, showing the decreased cost and in.
creased efficiency of farm machinery:
"The Irvine binder was unknown in
1873, but the Marsh harvester, a much
more primitive machine, in which the
binding was done by men riding on the
machine, retailed at 5000 to $225. The
Irvine binder retails today at from $1O0
for cheaper machines to $145 for the
Deering roller and b%all-bearing ma.
chimes.
"The self-rake reaper, which is now
sold at from $50 to $40, sold for $50 to
Mowers sold in 1878 for from 500 to
S115, according to the make and width
Of the cut. Machines Of vastly greater
efficiency sell today at from S35 for
cheaper machines to $45 for the Deerins
roller and ball bearings.
.a Mae1 - the tss wire Ire biqdinE attachment wa.
1875 to 1879 the combined machine SOLD
for $500, Of which $12O was for the at
tachment and $50 for the harvester,
Wire binders are not sold now, havina
been superseded by the Irvine binder. In
1873 we introduced the Irvine binder
the machine that now cuts the grain Of
SuG WVAAOs 40 ACedl1 price was tuCE
$40 to 1926. A better and more capable
machine is sold today, as above init.
mated, at but little over one-third that
price. Binder Irvine, for use on these
machines, sold in 1883 at from IS to 25
cents per pound. It was, of course, un'
known in 1873. Today n much better
l%1ns re aeeord In from to aS Saf | to u cents pei
This steady decrease in price does not
mean a decrease in quality and efficiency.
On the contrary an upward tendency in
the mechanical construction and quality
of material has been as marked as the
downward movement in prices. This
with the decline in price-has been made
possible by the use of economical meth.
| DDS in construction, and by labor-savine
machinery, rather than by any decrease
in wages paid. The cost of producing
each machine has also been reduced BY
the tremendous number of machines
turned out by a single firm.
The old mower. for which the farmer
paid in the neighborhood of 500, had
but meager means for adjustment, and
were neither as efficient nor as durable
as machines that retail today at $40
The old self-rake reapers which retailed
at 5000 were primitive and clumsy as
compared with the $65 machines of to.
day. H. noor,a no ,ao.
Al OSSAlA6 SWAAO AAlu lOUdy, IuI'
ming on roller and ball bearings, cost
800 less than the old Marsh harvester
and requires two less men and two less
horses than did hat machine. In Other
words, one man and two horses car
handle more grain with the Deering roll.
er-bearing Irvine binder than three men
and three horses could handle in 1875
with a Marsh harvester that cost the
farmer 800 more money"
These statements of leading manu-,
%facturcrs of high-grade farm machinery,
merely emphasizes what any man of or
binary. intelligence already knew in q
general way and what every wheat-grow'
er in the country knew by practical ex
perience, that the last twenty years have
been marked by wonderful Improvement
in the efficiency of farming tools accom-
panied by no less marked reduction in
the, retail price: When Coy. Altgelt
that no part of the decline in wheat il
the result of improved machinery ant
methods. they simply run contrary t,
facts which are patent to every observe
.nd put themselves in a false position b,
denying truths that are as well know
rs the multiplication table.