The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1897-12-23
CALIFORNIA;
Manmtoh Wheat Fields and How
the Golden Grain Is
Gathered,
THOSE JUMBO HARvEsTERs
Written for The Pioneer. |

MIA flashed before my eyes, and 1 was
again on tho immense machine atStock-
ton, Cal, cutting its tremendous swath
of grain-threshing and sacking it at
the rate of 900 to 1.5OO bushels a day
l had for years had a great desire to
see these largo combined machines; these
leviathans-whose home is California,
and when came across the following
item in a recent San Francisco Examin,
er, determined to visit Stockton:
Stockton, July l9-The largest com.
bined harvester in the world commenced
operation today on Woods Brothers
ranch, on Roberts Island, eight miles
from this city. 1t cuts swath tifty.two
feet wide, thresLes, separates and sacks
the grain ready for market all in the
twinkling of an eye. The bags come out
of tho hugo machine at the rate of three
minute, which would make 1900
sacks in days run of ten hours. On
upland grain, 100 acres can be harvested
in a day, but it will probably not run
moro than 15C0 bags.
The harvester is something entirely
new, and was built by local firm from
a design furnished by Marshall N.
Laufcnberg, who was connected with
Baker & Hamilton of San Francisco for
aoou' ,, in.sen soa1s lhree sickics are
plaeou on.' w Inu ~ leaP t.le gram. ana
one t;11 = separate; Lan.les al OF inc wheat
.li' - passes % an!G ..lic ,aGo sacks. Inc Dlg
lnach'ne .Il 10 ~ Wi Mo,n1ns n sooo acres on the
laucn o. "1oo nl,.he!s, VINE own the
eatves.ei Gs.,s IL. iele.o'ore !. mas taken ABOUT
MY MY, VI shy oa?s ~ cohlFlete INC work.
VIII, Win .neso o'g , haryesters the time
MGuIu th;u., e 10 ou' ~ ~ pooaoy twenty-five or
'l1I.y oass az .no ,nost' ,oo
c.nt uoie auu ,islo; aon uo,il ivo mlles ABOVE
Sacrd.nen.o Sac Ina; ~ & ~ mlIes oelow' IN the
oan vou!u'i ssa.cS, oao may SEQ inc
Gouiolneu m ., naIvesers nv ~ ana threshcrs
orawh ny u 70 ~ norses' cutting a
s"asu i;.: 10 W - lec,' Dut at STOCKTON
JGHoe,s ;monent ats eatss ""teh p mace necessary
u'n .'ne., ~. thono1 no.oI Nooel:s islahu mas
na1 naany nt;o% tnJusanu aefes ot rlch deep loose
gu s'.. n.In 1T :. ecAI uu.ins summer 30
aeop'y tliat ~ ~ ~ - a,1losl lmposslole 10 use
ii4.s0s n;ts so ~ , " no,neise power engines
WIN VIII url'e wleeiS ~ ieeI hlsh ana 40 teet
oh MlJe r1;ndar arG "soa fai sepapa.or 80 TO -
men cyLihaer' loilows aefectiy ochlnd,
on 'ne Iisht hahu sloe-puiiea NOT push
edIas tho header we use IN North Da.
kota; ana as arc tnose OF the great
M; macnlne oeScrioeo IN inc Examiner.
luz plg h'acnlhe - not success YET
tney nave g. takeh ltapart and are going
TO put % leet pulea heaoer IN place
lhe tMo wv, 10 anu o:;e..so 1901 puencd mead.
els, whicn ppureu en s'lelr greas stream OF
"he'.. ..i.o me 1,s SyAInool ot Tue
separator; lhe Noou oros' expect TO
nave the ia.ge hlachlne at WORK next
year, put ~ loot cugnt 10 satl1y any
9raanary no = llaoitai nnn as ~ mas capaclty OF
loov 10 1'o.o o9shels day. One 2o-foot
cet s' mas sEcotu o, I last year or l'ivo sacks
OF oarley' "a oushcls TO the SACK Tor
ten hour run.
was lortuha!e IN making me ac-
qualntahce on inc traln OF mr.. Steven
son, VINO mas tarm on Roberts island,
ana VINO very klnuly aroVo around with
me 70 dll1ereht machlnes on tho Island
ana LOOK care OF my rig while rode to
my ncarls content on tho monster
Inachihe; td co OK men 40 all the work, and
as ~ 10 w acres Gay are cut threshcd
ana sacked, tne cost Is SMALL compared
20 our SYSTEM EN- ol olnoing ana shock
Inresnlhs. inc price pala Is Sl.2o an
acre lor putting Tue & gram IN SACKS; lhls
WIN crop ol iro1l' oo 10 ~ pushels per
acre as on hooe1ts island, Tor several
years PAS, IS Wouia COST Us s4 or 80 per
acre. Inc crop IN tne southern San
yoaIu1h vaney Is usually poor! TO Id
ousnels 70 l1e acre. Inc SOL Is alkaline
anu neeus @ d treatment similar 10 that
useu IN 9yl5i W9yas5niihs!on--Washlng m out the
surplus alhall oy lrtigation ana drainage.
spen' some t.Ihe IN lhe mahutacter-
inS cstap!lshments Where these wonder
lui .;n,,ni 'uac,i'''es iiaHe pi1'u. was very
cou'tlous,y conuuc.e.t ~ thrcugh mem. IN
toId me interesting history or their
e'olu!lon' ahu they certainly are a
sufVl'al OIL me Httest; Inc horse
power ma harvester COST Sl'2oo to 81 900
each; Inc steam N, ontn1s :o'ooO; but
tnls IaIee ol,G ot "oods pros. VIII cost
al lGsst oouplc tlat. AZ nfst many OF
tne morse power n'acnlhes were brought
oach 10 the sn1p M patly demorallzed @ by
luna"ays' , Wno'i ~ 10 ~ horses IN one
tean' ana oriveh oy one man; get IN a
tahele ot panic; ~ tah;s gooa man to
manage them; put Win the new brake
attachments' ihese accidents are rare.
One tnlng 'nat amazes you is to see
inc great nci!s OF wheat which
were ripe the middle OF June, and are
yet standlhg up well; the gram not
sheiled at all. ana WhIch may not all be
cut I'll some tune IN September; though
the great oulk OF me work IS done be
tween June 10, ana Aug lo' No irriga
tlon ION, is used for gram.
Inc roads are ankle deep with dust
the deep ailuvlai SOIL Is cut up by the
heavy wagons,tnree IN train drawn
, by eight or len horses or mules-hand!et
by one man. ana taking 30O to 400 bush
els to market where 1t is put directly
aboard steamers thus giving very cheaI