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The rice-binder does not differ materially from the ordinary 

 grain binders used throughout the United States. The main 

 wheel is somewhat higher and broader and in addition is pro- 

 vided with long lags to secure the necessary traction in soft, 

 yielding soil, and such parts as are directly exposed to the 

 mud and water of the rice fields are galvanized to prevent 

 rusting. 



The harvester used in our trials cuts a swath five feet wide, 

 but machines making six and seven-foot cuts are commonly 

 used in the Southern rice belt. Two to three strong horses 

 are required to draw the smaller machines, while as many as 

 live horses are used to the larger machines, depending upon 

 the stand of grain and condition of the ground. 



One man drives and operates the harvester, which cuts the 

 standing grain at any desired heighth, gathers it into bundles 

 of desired size and ties each securely with a band of manila 

 twine, collects the bundles in a carrier and dumps them in piles 

 of three, four or five. A man or two following shocks the 

 bundles to dry and cure. 



The binding mechanism on the modern self-binder is a mar- 

 vel to all first beholders. As the cut grain falls upon the plat- 

 form canvas, it is delivered to the binding attachment, be- 

 tween the elevator canvases, — the butts of grain are evened as 

 the packers quickly gather the grain into bundles, and the 

 curved needle darts in a half-circle round the tig^htly clasped 



