The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-08-16
The Luxury of the Harvest.

sof luxurious farming. The binder cuts
and ties the grain into bundles, car
ries the bundles along to drop them
conveniently in rows and punches for
shocking while the farmer sits in
seat and whistles merrily. Anyhow
that's the way it looks to a man who
has as a boy Carried bundles" to the
shocker, and as youth "bound his
station" behind ''self rake reaper
or taken his half of the grain that
came up to the table over the car
rying apron of a Marsh harvester;
Many, many years ago my children
there were no binders. To begin at
the beginning, which is within the
memory Of men still available for the
home guard, the hand rake reaper
was still in existence. 1t was rath-
4er crude affair compared with the
present machine. One man drove it
and another bestrode a seat behind
with a short handled rake adopted
to the use for which it was intended.
When sufficient of the grain had fall
en- on the platform the raker twisted
-N..ssl kGdy tf-is.sttee4yise and with his rake
It on the ground. "Raking
off, was an accomplishment, an art.
To keep the grain off the platform
leave it in neat punches on the
ground ready for the binders who fol-
lowed required deXterity and to
handle rake through long harvest
day from sun up to sun down requir-
ed muscles and endurance. 1t also
required the same physical strength
and dexterity to bind station be-
five men bound all the reaper could
cut. The binder brought the loose
sheaf together as it lay on the ground
by rake or with hand and foot He
had made his band by twist that
tied the head ends of handful of
grain together as he walked from one
bunch to ANOTHER He straighte sIaa!
his band tight about it, twisted a |
knot and tucked it under with his
thumb Some fast binders scarcely .
seemed to pause SO rapidly they did i
their work. The sooner he finished
his station the longer breathing |
spell he had before the reaper swept |
past again drawn by four straining
horses urged on by the cracking of ,
long whip and the voice Of the driv--
er, to leave another row of unbound |
grain behind it and before him.
Then some genius invented the
.nself rake 1t was simply a won .
derful invention in it's day. 1t say
lever at the drivers seat that great
rake swept over and down upon the
platform and left particularly neat
and handy package of grain ready
for the binders hand. 1t was ac-i
credited as almost human ."Sey--
mour & Morgan" Mccormick and
other manufacturers fought for pre-
cedence and approval. Some vast
fortunes came out OF the self rake
reaper"
4 Then came the Marsh harvester.
1t was a marvel Two Or at most !
three men bound all the grain that it
could cut Elevators brought the
cut grain up from the platform to
tables where the binders stood and
genius, no doubt lazy shocker, dis
covered that bundle carrier could
be rugged and tripped at intervals
thereby bringing the bundles into
winrows. And SO harvesting machin-
cry grew little by little to the climax.
1t taxed agricultural human cred
ng Ihen the f somebo same o Mth ta he
of the new machine, how he had
seen with his own eyes q reaper that
not ouly cut but tied the grain into
bundles with wire bands" In the
first place the fact was doubted.
Then it wouldn't work" But final
" it was accepted as another proof
cattle" 1t was an annoyance all
around. Especially was a long slim
piece of wire out of place in a
'sstraw tick And then because it |
was needed somebody else brought
out twine for binders. And those
who long years ago had cut grain
with hooks and after prided them
selves on the even swath they could |
lay with cradle" and had "rak-
ed on. bound <heir stations ETC.,
through the period of development
rave three hearty cheers and bought
8 binder on time at fierce price
giving therefor a property statement
note and mayhap mortgaging all the
live stock on the place.
@, no, 1t isn't over yet. We still
use horses ON the binders. Next thing
Ve know the binders will 60 popping
across q field with the mumer open.
Times-Republican.
China's boy emperor must be have
p 8 lot of fun Jumping On and o.
~ XDYJ1D -. II