Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-10-06

days was done by hXe or six binders
Is now done by the reaping machine
itself. The self binder is now everf
where, brt there was no break III 't
evolution The old reaper which csrs
along in tAe forties, did well ene08t
for about 80 years. but in the seyen
ties it was found wanting ana went
down before a machine called the har-
yester. This was essentially a reaper
on which two men rode to do the
binding up of the sheaves, the time
they saved in not having To walk from
gayel to gavel enabling tile two 20 dc
the work Of the former five. The
grain was brought III to them ON an
endless apron, and there was CANOPY
over them for shade. Altogether il
was a considerable advance, and cut
down the number OF men needed, but
it did not last long; the automatic ma
chine was In sight; ia a few Years the
self binder came in aud the men went
out altogether
The first binders tied up the sheaf
with wire, but this was not very salts
factory, and the kind which ties IL with
manila Irvine was soon brought out
and is still used. The Irvine is a little
larger than large round shoestring
and comes in balls as big as ones head
The mechanism of the self binder
though simple, is as ingenious as it
well can be. Place the two ends OF a
string side by side for two or three
inches, consider the. two us one, and
tie them In one common, plain, school
boy knot, and you have the knot made
by the self binder. 1t is simple. but
there is no firmer knot, as you will dis
cover il you pull on your experimental
effort In the binder as in the old
harvester. the grain Is brought up on
an endless apron, When enough has
accumulated for a sheaf curved iron
arm comes over. bringing one end of
the Irvine. This arm presses the grain
down and draws the cord tightly. \
little thingumbob. like ones thumb
and forefinger. seizes both ends of the
Irvine, turns around with I'M impulsiye
motion, and in so doing ties the knot
lets go suddenly, a knife cuts the
Irvine, the sheaf is swept off, and the
binder calmly waits for enough grain
for another 1t seldom gets out Of
order, and the work it does is better
than hand work.
The thrashing. which is practically
completed hereabout, is an interesting
process in the transit of the grain from
field to market. Steam power has been
substituted almost wholly for the old
horse power, in which the horses. ten
of them. went round and round, each
pair dragging a long sweep behind 1t.
The thrashing machine, or separator
as it is called, a great, red. carlike
structure, stands perhaps 70 feet from
the engine, with which it is connected
by long belt, and is a great skele-
ton cylinder of iron, covered with
steel teeth three or four inches long,
which revolye rapidly among forest
of stationary teeth. The grain is fed
evenly to this rushing cylinder, and as
1t is torn through the wilderness of
teeth and kernels are loosened from
their outside covering-the pericarp-
and pass on to the rest of the ma
chinery mixed with the broken and
shredded straw and the scattered chaff.
This machinery finally separates 1t
with the aid of fans, sleeves, shakers
and other devices, and 1t runs out at
the side in a clean, steady stream,
while the straw and chaff are thrown
out behind, making a mountainous,
pale yellow pile.
Something like 20 men are required
to operate a thrashing outfit, so that
more men are needed in the thrashing
than in the harvest proper, though it
takes only a day or two to thrash the
average farmers grain, so but few
machines are needed in a neighbour
hood These are usually owned and
operated by contractors, who 90
through the country with their ma
chine and men and do the thrashing
at so much per bushel The price paid
in this section is cents a bushel il the
thrasher and his men are boarded by
the farmer and cents n bushel If
board is not supplied. Most of the
outfits board themselves, taking along