The Donaldsonville chief., 1922-02-04
CANE CUTTING MACHINE.
Napoleonvilie Mans Invention Test.
ed and Endorsed by Planters.

j. G. Corbin, well-knoWn architect
and contractor and builder Of Napo-
1eonyllie, has patented machine for
cutting and trimming sugar cane for
the mill, which is said to be practical
IN every respect. Cane cutting
machines were invented by different
persons in the past, but il seems that
the mechanism of each was too comp
heated and none Of them came into
general use The apparatus Of MIR.
Corbin is said to combine all of the
good and to eliminate all Of the bad
features OF the other machines, and
to offer in compact and easily oper-
ated form a machine which will do
the work.
Mr.. Corbin appeared before the
meeting of the American Cane Grow
ers' Association held in New Orleans
recently and explained the working
Of his invention. The following ac-
tout of Mr.. Corbin's appearance be-
fore the said meeting is taken from
a recent issue Of the New Orleans
Times-Picayune.
The operation of a sugar cane
harvester for cutting and trimming
cane for the mill and windrowing il.
case of emergency was described by
John C. Corbin of Napoleonville, La.
before meeting of members Of the
American Cane Growers aAssocia-
lion here Mr.. Corbin recently se-
cured patent on the machine.
.Ss.The need OF such a machine for
the sugar cane industry has long
been recognized as cane is one Of the
few farm products that is not har-
vested through the use of some la
bor-saving device. The same methods
are muse in cutting cane that existed
almost from the beginning Of the in
dustry in Louisiana two hundred
years ago"
Recognizing the necessity for
more modern methods in cane cul
ture and harvest the planters were
generally interested in the new ma
chine Mr. Corbin has patented and
are giving fim every encouragement
in the perfection Of the apparatus
Twelve years ago Mr., Corbin be-
gan experiments which have led to
the machine he says he is confident
will solve cane cutting and windrow.
ing problems of Louisiana. He took
out his first patent in 1915, on the
cane cutting apparatus followed in
1913 with "A patent on the windrow-
ing machine. The latter machine
was reconstructed in 1919 and since
then additional patents have been
taken ont to protect erarious improve.
men:s.
"Mg. Corbln cIaimsa tol the wind
rowing machine that it will cut and
lay from twenty-five to thirty acres
Ct eane in ten hours ana will savs
from two so three inches on every
stalk over the present method Of
hand cutting. Two men are required
to operate this machine and the cost
q: cutting IS placed a! about tive
cents per ton.
'"The stripper and topper which pre-
pares the cane for the mills is at
tacned to the windrower as a trailer
Instead Of the cane falling into win
droWs it goes through the machine
which removes the top and strips the
stalk clean. MI. Corbin believes the
cutting and stripping process can be
done at che cost of Is cents per ton
and that the machine will have a
|capacity of 600 tons per day.
Experiments so far have been
made with a small tractor, but a
caterpillar machine will be used for
the new apparatus because Of the
Eadaptabiiity Of the broad tractor sur
face to soft ground.
''Mr. Corbin's activities nave bees
watched and have had the endorse
ment of a number of sugar planters
near Napeleonville where all expert
ments have been made. Manufacture
! of the machine, probably in New Or
leans will begin soon
| VALENTINES : All kinds at al