HARVESTING 49 



Western states, where the fields are large and the 

 topography gentle, very few reapers are in use. 



The Binder. - - By far the greater part of all 

 small grain, including wheat, is harvested by the 

 self-binder. The grain is held against the cutter 

 bar by means of a reel whose motion deposits the 

 cut grain on the platform canvas by which it is 

 conveyed to the elevator. The elevator, consist- 

 ing of two endless canvases, one above the other, 

 carries the grain between them and deposits it on 

 the opposite side of the master wheel, where it is 

 caught by steel-arm packers, made into a trim 

 bundle, and bound with twine. 



The twine used is a coarse twisted cord made 

 from the fiber of hemp, flax, or sisal. The hemp 

 twine is more extensively used than that made 

 from any other material. The cost of the twine 

 is from ten to twelve cents per pound and it takes 

 about one pound of twine for each ten bushels 

 yield although this varies with seasons. The 

 binding apparatus operates as soon as released by 

 the pressure of the bundle against a trip. Hence 

 the size of the bundle may be regulated by increas- 

 ing or decreasing the amount of pressure required 

 to trip the binder. The knotter is one of the most 

 ingenious devices imaginable. It makes a knot 

 which is very difficult to untie. As soon as the 

 bundle is tied, a knife cuts the twine, the bundle 

 is thrown out by a couple of iron arms known as 



