134 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



at the foot, it falls, borne by the weight of the cars ; and 

 being bent down by the fly, which give it a proper in- 

 clination for the cutting, it is immediately taken up by 

 three ranges of parallel screws, which conduct it to the 

 ground : there they turn it over perpendicularly to the 

 road traced by the machine, the ears outward, so as to 

 form a perfectly regular swathe. A moving-wheel, 

 placed so as to support the saws under their separator, 

 detaches itself from this in the rounds, and turns on a 

 pivot in such a manner so as to allow the operation of 

 a disperser {ccart''ur), and this remarkably facilitates 

 the progress of the machine, which clears, without stop 

 or hesitation, even the right angles. Before the jury, 

 and on many occasions, the machine cut upon a breadth 

 of Im. 70 (about 5 feet), with an expedition so as to 

 reap more than 60 ares per hour (or nearly I5 acres). 

 It is drawn by two horses, and requires only the driver 

 to conduct it. The price in England is 1,062 f. 50c. 

 (^£■42 10s). The work performed was all excellent, 

 and the jury decreed it the first prize in the class of 

 foreign machines, besides the honorary prize. 



The second prize was awarded — in the same class of fo- 

 reign machines— to Mr. Cranstoun, of London (11, New 

 Broad-street), for a machine invented by W. A. Wood, 

 Hoosick Falls (State of New York). This machine, 

 drawn by two horses, requires two men — a carman and 

 a sheafer. Its price is 875 f. (£35). It is well- 

 constructed, engages and disengages itself with facility, 

 with the help of a lever raises and depresses the saw, 

 &c. Taking a breadth of 4| feet, it cut before the jury 

 a surface ol 40 ares per hour (nearly 1 acre), leaving a 

 stubble four inches high. In other respects the work 

 was perfectly executed. 



The third prize was given to M. Roberts, of Paiis 

 (Rue Neuve des Capucines, No. 4), for a machine of 

 the American system of Manny. This machine, priced 

 at 800 f. (^32), employs two horses and two men — 

 a carman and slieafer. With a gauge of 4 feet it cut 

 before the jury 25 ares per hour (about half an acre) 

 only ; but its speed would have been greater if theie had 

 not been a great number of stoppages, caused by the 

 necessity of turning every instant. The horses went only 

 at the pace of ploughing, and the sheaf was laid in very 

 good order. The stubble was only 3^ inches high, and 

 the work left nothing to be wished for — it is true the 

 machine was managed by two practised hands. 



Three years ago M. Duiand, farmer and Mayor of 

 Bornel (Oise), finding very great difficulty in procuring 

 hands sufficient to get in his harvest, resolved to pur- 

 chase a reaping machine, and be selected one of 

 Manny's, which had very well succeeded in the experi- 

 ments made at Trappes, at the Universal Exposition of 

 1855. The arrival of the machine at Bornel created a 

 great noise, and a great number of farmers of the 

 country came to see it work. It proceeded badly 

 enough, and it would have been a real misfortune if the 

 machine had been in any other hands than those of M, 

 Durand, for the cause of the reaping machines would 

 have remained lost in that country. Convinced of the 

 possibility of success by the opinion he had formed of 

 it at Trappes, M. Durand resolved to learn how to 

 manage it himself, and ordered his farm-labourer (Louis 

 Joseph Chantepie), who had been sixteen years in his 

 service, to attend to the swathe. Tliis workman caught 

 the idea of his master, and was soon competent to exe- 

 cute the task assigned to him ; and he managed to ar- 

 range the machine in a manner to render the work Kss 

 fatiguing ; whilst by other modifications which he sug- 

 gested, it was more perfectly performed. Success 

 crowned the efforts of these two intelligent men — the 

 farmer and carman. The neighbouring agriculturists 

 were invited to have their incredulity conquered, and 

 changed into complete belief in the future use of reaping 

 machines. Since that time M. Durand has made three 



harvests, with a considerable saving of hand-labour and 

 money, and at the most favourable time, without having 

 recourse to strange hands on his farm. 



Wishing to reward such an example, set by a master 

 and workman, and to testify how honourable it is for 

 a simple farm servant to seek the means of employing 

 usefully a new machine, instead of crying it down on 

 account of the difficulties it presents to those who do 

 not know it, the jury requested M.the Minister of Agri- 

 culture to grant a silver medal to M. Durand, and a 

 silver medal and 100 francs to Louis Joseph Chantepie. 



The class of foreign machines included several others 

 worthy of notice, and to which honourable mention 

 have been awarded. 



M. Laurent, of Paris (28, Rue de Chateau d'Eu,) 

 exhibited a machine, price 850 francs (£"34), con- 

 structed on the model of the McCormick machine, be- 

 fore the improvements recently made in it. Drawn by 

 two horses, and employing two men, this machine 

 reaped before the jury 50 ares per hour (nearly 1^ acre) 

 cutting a breadth of Ira. 30 (or nearly 4ft. G in.) The 

 first honourable mention was granted to it. 



Two other honourable mentions were awarded. The 

 first to Messrs. Clubb and Smich, of Paris, (9 Hue de 

 Feuelon) : the second to M. Ganneron, of Paris (56, 

 Quai de Billy), for two machines, constructed on the 

 principle of Hussey, of Baltimore (United States). These 

 machines, priced at 650 francs (£26), performed the 

 cutting well before the jury. They were managed by two 

 horses and two men, the first cutting 35 ares per hour 

 (or nearly 1 acre), the second 30 ares (about | acre), 

 both taking a gauge of 4f. Sin. ; they have both the de- 

 fect of laying the swathe by means of a see-saw platform, 

 behind the machine, upon the very path the horses must 

 take in making a new turn. It thus requires to have 

 five workmen attached to the machine, to clear away 

 the sheaves, and prepare the passage for the horses. It 

 may be said, undoubtedly, that this labour is not lost, 

 since it is necessary in all such cases to collect and form 

 the sheaves before tying them ; but it is not less certain 

 that the additional hands are lequired instantly, at the 

 moment in fact of cutting the corn, and consequently 

 the problem of separatinar hand labour from machinery, 

 leaving the men disposable for other work more press- 

 ing, is not resolved. We grant the utility of Hussey's 

 machine, and even the success which it meets with in 

 certain operations, but it does not effect everything that 

 we have a right to di mand of a reaping machine. 



The jury regretted that the machine exhibited by Mr. 

 James Suttie, of Inchture, county of Perth, Scotland, 

 was not put together in a manner so as to do its work 

 properly. This machine, invented by Lord Kinnaird, is 

 a combination of the McCormick and Bell systems. It 

 lays the corn in very regular swathes, and is deserving of 

 attention. 



The class of French machines was less numerous than 

 that of foreign ; but it was equally deserving of close 

 examination. An essential difference must be made be- 

 tween the two sorts of machines. Whilst the Ameri- 

 can, English, and Scotch machines occupy much room, 

 requiring very wide roads and gateways for their passage, 

 and consist of a complication of accessory movements, 

 the French inventors have directed their attention to put 

 together machines in a small compass, to contract and 

 confine the several parts. They have fitted them to eo 

 in foot-paths, and pass through narrow openings. On 

 the other hand, they aim at making one horse and one 

 man suffice for working it. The foreign inventors ap- 

 pear to have made their machines for large farms, whilst 

 the French machinists have had a special regard to the 

 small-rfarm system. 



In the first rank of French machines the jury has 

 placed that of M. Mazier, of Laigle (Orne), and de- 

 c-eed him the first prize. This machine costs 1,050 fr. 



