Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-03
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WESTERN WHEAT HARVEST.

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WESTERN WHEAT HARVEST.
Modern Methods That Would Have
Astonfshed Our Grandfather.
The great harvest that is being gath
cred on the prairies Of the Middle West
Is not only handled in manner that
would have astonished our grandfath-
ers; but In the harvesting and atten-
dant proceedings are features of recent
origin that are a revelation to those
who have not kept in close touch with
the advancement Of agricultural meth
ods in the past half-dozen years.
OF course, the days Of the cradle and
hand binding of the sheaves are far in
the past; but it Is not so long ago that
the self-binder was a dubious sort Of a
machine with some uncertainty as to
whether or not the band would hold
the wheat together. The modern self
binder Is not only lighter Of weight
and draught, but its action Is marvel
lously accurate. No matter whether
the wheat growth is tall or short,
whether sunf1owers are mixed with the
grain or jimson weeds wander among
the rows, the driver, with pressure
Of lever regulates the tension Of the
binding-twine and every bundle when
it is thrown from the platform Is as
perfect as can be wished. The use Of
binding-twine Is so general that the in
dustry Of manufacturing 1t has become
one Of magnitude. The states Of Kan
sas and Minnesota have state binding
twine plants where the convicts Of the
penitentiary prepare the twine for far
mers at cost. The state Of Kansas will
this year use about $4,000, 900 pounds Of
twine at cost of about ten cents
pound, Of which the state plant will
furnish one-fourth.
The use Of the header Is growing in
Of the straw Is not taken into consid
Grafton. This machine has but one OBJ
ject-to take as little straw and as
much wheat as possible. It Is push
ed ahead Of four horses. the driver
guiding the whole by a tiller behind
the team. At one side is a carrier
leading from the platform on which the
heads Of grain fall, and this swiftly
transports the grain upward and emp
ties it into a wagon driven alongside.
The header-box on the wagon becoming
full, the wagon Is driven to a stack
where 1t Is unloaded by machinery Git
the farmer is fully up-to-date), and an
other takes its place. In this way.
with the long swath Of the header. a
large amount Of grain can be cut In
a day. Sometimes the header-boxes
empty their fulness directly into the
thresher, and by night the wheat that
at daylight stood in the field Is In the
elevator ready for shipment to market
by the first train.
More improvement has been made In
threshing machinery than in harvest
ing improvements. The past five years
have seen almost revolution in meth
DDS Of taking the grain out Of the
straw. 1t was not so long ago that the
coming Of the threshers meant extra
work for every member Of the family.
The housewife had to provide for the
horde Of laborers. and the boys waited
without enthusiasm for the long hot
days at the business end Of straw
carrier. There were sweaty teams to
drive in the endless circles Of the horse
power, the rattling Of the tumbling
rods. and the struggling feeders at the
hungry mouth Of the machine, forcing
the dusty grain into the whirring teeth
below.
Only for a little while could the
youth at the end Of the straw-carrier or
the feeder at the other end Of the ma
chine endure his task; then others filled
the positions for a short period, only
to give way when exhausted. The far
mer himself watched closely the little
stream Of wheat that poured from the
spout, and assisted in lifting the full
measures to the wagons, meanwhile
keeping tally" on the production.
The modern threshing-time is alto
gather different. The threshing crew
comes in sense on the wings Of steam
or gasoline. The traction-engine
with the separator, cook-wagon, and
water-tank in tow, takes its deliberate
way across country from farm to farm.
one team of horses being needed to ac-
company 1t. The engine Is covered by
an awning that forms a cool cab for
the engineer, and is easily guided by
the man In charge. 1t Is in effect the
automobile Of the plains. From the
coal-burning engine to the straw-burn-
er was a transition, and now there is
coming In vogue the gasoline-engine
that Is an improvement on either. For
the former there are necessary hauler
Of water and engineer, as we'll as long
Journeys from the railway station with
coal, or an extra man to buck the
straw. The new engine takes its power
in a small tank Of gasoline; one man
runs it-team and helper are not need
ed. Then there Is less danger from fire
an ever present threat Of the thresh-
ing season.
The new separator is a marvel among
farm implements. No other acts with
such seeming intelligence, except it be,
perhaps, the self-binder. At the very
beginning Of the grains journey
through its we'll adjusted machinery
there is a saving Of two men. The
modern thresher has a self-feeder that
cuts the bands and allows the straw
gentle progress into the cylinders. The