378 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



effecting the delivery of the cut coru. On the other hand, to 

 do the work neatly and efficiently, requires a man both strong 

 and skilful, especially where the crops are^heavy, and such a 

 man is not always to be obtained. It is. therefore, not sur- 

 prising that this machine is much better liked in America 

 where the crops are generally thin and light than in this 

 country, where on all good farms the weight of the produce is 

 too great to admit of its being readily moved as fast as cut by 

 the unaided strength of a single workman. It will also be 

 observed that the sheaves are deposited on the ground behind 

 the machine, and must therefore be removed out of the way 

 of the horses before they can pass to make the next cut ; aud 

 in practice this is found a great disadvantage in comparison 

 with the work of the machines with self-acting deliveries, 

 which deposit the cut corn on one side, so that its instant re- 

 moval is not necessary. 



M'Cormick's reaper, as first introduced from America in 

 1851, resembled Hussey's in requiring a man to lide on it for 

 the purpose of raking off the cut corn, but the gearing was 

 placed before the platform, so that the sheaves could be raked 

 off to the side of the machine, where they were out of the way of 

 the horses when making the next cut ; but the work of the 

 man was far more laborious than with Hussey's reaper ; and 

 in most of the heavy crops of this country it could not be per- 

 formed. This difficulty with M'Cormick's was overcome by 

 Messrs. Burgess and Key, of London, who constructed and 

 patented for it a self-acting apparatus for delivering, con- 

 sisting of three rollers in the form of endless screws, which 

 carry the cut coru off at the side of the machine, and leave it in 

 a continuous swathe ready for taking up and binding. This 

 engraving of the reaper at work shows the action of the 

 screw delivery, and is a very good representation of the im- 

 plement drawn by two horses and driven by a boy. Since the 

 introduction of Messrs. Burgess and Key's improvements, this 

 machine has been very extensively used ; and when managed 

 with proper care and attention, is capable of doing excellent 

 service. 



In Bell's reaper, as improved and re-constructed at Beverley 

 under the direction of the writer, the delivery is effected by 

 means of a number of endless bauds of vulcanized Indian 

 rubber, fitted with projecting pieces of wood, which carry and 

 deposit it on the ground in a regular and continuous swathe, 

 as shown in the engraving. In the original machine a cloth 

 carried along by pitch chains was employed for this purpose, 

 but the bands are found equally efficient, not so liable to get 

 out of order, and more easily worked by the horses than the 

 cloth and pitch-chains. The large model on the table is fitted 

 with the shears and cloth, as used in the original machine, the 

 small models show the improvements which have been made 

 in it and the form in which it has been practically found to 

 work best. 



It will be observed that both the machines, with self-acting 

 delivery, leave the corn in a continuous swathe, which must 

 be raked together for binding, and a practically useful inter- 

 mittent, or sheaf delivery has not yet been effected by ma- 

 chinery, although several attempts have, from time to time, 

 been made to accomplish it. 



A cursory inspection of the models and engravings shows a 

 striking difference in the general arrangement and construc- 

 tion between Bell's reaper, and that of both the American 

 machines just described. In the latter the horses walk by the 

 aide of the corn to be cut, and draw by means of a pole con- 

 nected to one side or end of the machine, a mode of attach- 

 ment productive of considerable twist or torsion, especially 

 when the work is severe. Bell's machine goes before the 

 horses, and is propelled by means of a long pole passing be- 



tween them, to the end of which they are harnessed, and by 

 means of which the man who follows and drives them steers 

 the reaper in any direction. This mode of attachment is at- 

 tended with the great advantage of enabling the machine 

 to deliver the cut corn on either side, while all the reapers 

 which have the horses in front are confined to one side 

 only for delivery aud cannot go backward and forward 

 along a field, but must either go round the crop, or, 

 when circumstances render this impracticable, must re- 

 turn idle ; on the other hand, machines having the 

 horses in front are somewhat more manageable and easily 

 turned than Bell's, and, in cases of need, a third horse can be 

 yoked in front, which is not practicable when the machine 

 is placed first. For these and other reasons connected with 

 practical convenience, both makers and users of reapers are 

 much divided in opinion as to which is the best way of 

 attaching the horses. Both methods have warm advocates, 

 and it appears probable that until considerably more expe- 

 rience has been gained in the practical use of reaping ma- 

 chinery, and perhaps even after that, on account of the varia- 

 tion in convenience under different circumstances, both methods 

 will continue to be employed. 



It will be observed, also, both the machines with self-acting 

 delivery carry in front of the cutters an apparatus called a fan 

 or reel, which revolves slowly as the machine advances, puts 

 back the corn, and insures its falling in the proper direction; 

 an operation which in Hussey's machine is done, when ne- 

 cessary, by the man with the rake, 



A general description of reaping machinery would not be 

 complete without an allusion to various ingenious contrivances 

 which have been projected from time to time for the purpose of 

 delivering the cut corn. Through the kindness of Messrs. 

 Ransomes and Sims, of Ipswich, I am able to exhibit a work- 

 ing model of one of these, consisting of an exceedingly curious 

 automaton or self-acting rake, invented by a youth in Ame- 

 rica named Atkins, and sent over to England in 1853. It was 

 applied to a machine similar in construction to Hussey's, and 

 was intended to deposit the corn on the ground in sheaves ; 

 but it has not yet been made to do so in a sufficiently perfect 

 manner to justify its general introduction, although its extreme 

 beauty and ingenuity lead to the hope that it will at some 

 time be turned to account. Another machine, with a very 

 clever contrivance for giving a self-acting motion to a rake for 

 performing the work done by the man on Hussey's reaper, has 

 just been sent over from the United States to Mr, Sarauelson, 

 of Banbury, by Messrs. Seymour and Morgan, of Brockport, 

 near New York ; it has been named the "Britannia Reaper," 

 and the Mark Lane Express and other agricultural journals 

 contained last week accounts of various successful trials that 

 have just been made with it in the North of England. Hav- 

 ing seen it for the first time on Monday last, I have been 

 unable to get a model of it for exhibition here, and the me- 

 chanical arrangements are so peculiar, that a description of 

 them would be unintelligible without a model. I may state, 

 however, that there is every probability of its turning out 

 practical and useful as well as ingenious, and in the hands of 

 Mr. Samuelson we may rest assured that its capabilities will 

 be fully developed. 



In making a few observations on the practical use of reaping 

 machinery, it is necessary to direct attention to the ex- 

 tremely variable and uncertain nature of the circumstances 

 under which it has to operate. A week of heavy rain before 

 harvest will sometimes lay the corn in whole districts, so that 

 it cannot even be mown with a scythe, and it is not probable 

 that machinery will ever be made to work imder unfavourable 

 circumstances of this description. It is, however, certain that 



