The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1907-08-30
The Combined Harvester.

OF the 400 acres comprising his es
tate 500 acres is planted to wheat, $50
to oats and $50 to barley. To cut and
house all this is big job. This season
he bought combined harvester, which
is now engaged in cutting the wheat. As
stated above at one operation it cuts,
threshes and sacks the grain, only 1--WE
men being required to run the machine,
although p horses are needed to pull it
over the uneven surface. The driver,
separator tender, header man, sack Zig"
and sack sewer are the quintet operating
it. The duty of the man who runs the
header is to see that the machine runs
level and that the grain is properly
caught by the cycles. This is done by a
pilot wheel and a lever. With the first
the knives or cycles are raised or lowered
at will and at any angle desired, and
with the second the machine is kept per
fectly level, no matter how steep q hill
side may be. Last Saturday the ma
chine cut wheat in several places where
the declivity rose at an angle of 40 or 45
degrees, the sensation being as though
riding on level ground, the horses being
driven, Of course, around such places, not
up or down them. This does away with
the idea prevalent in some quarters that
they are only tit for use in a compare
lively level country. The separator ten
der runs the thresher, sees that the grain
is properly cleaned and keeps the ma
chine in order. The wheat comes out at
two places. One man fills or Gigs" the
sacks and another does the sewing,
which, when the grain is heavy, keeps
them particularly busy. The sacks are
rolled onto q dump board, capable of
holding seven sacks, which, when filed, is
emptied by pulling string fastened to
board at the bottom, letting them fall to
the ground in windrows, where they are
picked up by wagons. And last, but by
no means least in Importance, is the
driver, who sits on an elevated seat over
the "wheel' horses, and with two lines
hUIdCbCd " LIC lnIC6 lcdUtTS RulupS anu
controls the whole team. With care
full and competent driver, such as Mr..
Hamilton has in his employ, the horses
soon learn what is expected OF them, and
it is no more Effort to guide and turn the
sharp corners in the field than to direct
the movements of one or two animals.
At first they had several mixups, but the
animals were untangled without beating
or loud noise, until now they swing as
gracefully and evenly as though march
ing in merry go round.
A Novel Experience
The scribe was invited to ride, which
he lost no time in accepting. AS he
mounted the hurricane deck and saw the
whole machine in motion, the wheat COM
ing out sack after sack, and the action
OF 27 horses all working in unison and
with a will, it was scene to inspire en-
thuslasm as we'll as an occasion to un
derstand the great improvements in
vogue in harvesting the premier cereal.
For three hours he rode and watched
every movement connected with this
wonderful machine, and when an timer
ant photographer came along and asked
to take a picture of the whole concern
and addressed him as captain" the i'm
portance of the occasion and the great
ness of the Palouse farmer suddenly
flashed across his vision.
Some of Mr.. Hamilton's wheat will
easily 60 40 bushels to the acre, but a
safe average has been struck at 80
bushels. This means Is, 900 bushels of
wheat, or $40, 500 if sold at 20 cents per
bushel. 1t may bring more He hauls
his wheat to Albion, three miles distant,
the nearest railway station
This is but glance at a wonderful
| mechanical contrivance and of rich
and beautiful section of country in which
| we live.