The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-09-23
FARM MACHINERY.
Its Value to the Farmer Has Become
Beyond Computation.

Iake the very beginning of the grain
production, the ploughiug. There
has come into use plough that is
radically different from those of the
old days, says the Tribune Farmer.
1t is composed of rolling cutters, like
great steel saucers, that turn and pull.
verize the ground and provide better
tillage than the old forms of making o
regulation furrow. It is especially of
use in the sandy soils of the prairies.
"he sulky ploughs Of the West are of
newer construction than those of
old, being lighter of draft and with
many added improvements of levers
and other appliances that make it easy
for boys to manage them.
Many farmers are now putting in
their corn without a plough. They
utilize the lister, an implement that
digs q great furrow and plants the corn
at the same time in the bottom of she
deep ditchlike stretch. The corn
comes up later on with great earth
ridges between the rows, but as the
season advances the heaped up ridge
is pulled down until, when the corn is
ready for "laying BY" the field is lev
ell. This method makes only one
operation of corn planting, and hence
satisfies the Western farmers idea of
economy of effort.
The sowing Of small grains has also
advanced .e better SYSTEMS. From
the measured step of the sower as he
walked up and down the field, casting
in fine shower the seed grain, to the
dispersion Of the seed from scatter
er, mounted on wagon and operated
by belt attached to the wagon wheel,
was one step. Now the drill does the
work. But it is not the drill Of other
deys-there are scores Of improve
ments. Some have deep-running tiny
ploughs that put the grain we'll under
ground; others have rollers following
tbs seed dropper to press the soil
above; others seek to leave che ground
thoroughly pulverised. All sorts of
grain, except corn, are now sowr 18th
the drill, and even some variet. q Of
corn, when planted for fodder, are
thus placed in the ground. AS the
listed corn is in rowe cnl; one way it
is frequently the case that farmer
has nowhere on his place field show
ing the familiar checkerboard patterns
Of old.
In tending mis- crops the modern
farmer has bewildering array Of i'm
plements offered to him. Dozens Of
cultivators, weed cutters, Jewellers
and pulverizers promise to do every
thing that the growing plants need.
On each Of them is seat eor the driv-
er, and the manipulation Of levers is
so simple that the farm lad can do q
mans work. IF the fields are not
kept as smooth as a garden is no fault
Of the implement dealer.
While the conveniences and time
savers for planting and tending crops
are many, those fer the gathering Pc
riod are yet more perfect and embrace
wider range OF improvement. It is
patent that he who saves the larger
portion Of che crop is the winner
this it is that crowns the year.
Two general olasses Of machines are
used in the modern wheat harvest
the binder and the header. The self
binder is familiar as the modern type
Of harvesting machine. Drawn By
three. fonr or five horsea. according &c
the condition Of the straw, and soil, Il
cuts the grain, ties each bundle firmly
with twine, knots che twine, clips the
cord and throws the bundle to one
side, out Of the way Of the next course
of the horses. high grain OF low
grain, level sand or side hills, it doas
its work we'll. The header is dis
tinotly Western implemens, practioa-
BILE where each field has hundreds Of
acres and where there is no desire to
preserve the sti';w-only to gather the
grain as rapidly as possible. It's
swift moving Knives are lifted high,
cutting the straw only little below
the head and SO saving the grain.
Oats and other small grains that can
be handled with binder and header ere
also gathered in this manner. Larger
growtha must be harvested other.
wise. III
Then comes the thrashing: On
many Western farms it Is !sirnultane-
ous with the harvest, the grain being
hauled directly to the thrashing ma
chine as It comes from the field. In
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