54 



THE WHEAT INDUSTRY 



the power of four or six horses applied at the rear 

 of the machine. The back part of the machine, 

 where the driver stands, is supported by a wheel 

 which can be turned by him at will. Thus he 

 steers the course of the header through the field 

 much as a pilot steers a boat by means of the 



rudder. The 

 grain is cut to 

 leave a high stub- 

 ble in order that 

 there will be no 

 more straw than 

 is necessary to 

 handle. This 

 tendency to clip 

 the heads of the 

 wheat has given 

 the name to the 

 machine. 



When cut, the 

 grain falls upon 



a moving platform canvas which conveys it to 

 the spout where it is caught between the upper 

 and lower elevator canvases. By these it is de- 

 livered to a specially prepared rack. This rack, 

 unlike a hayrack, is usually boarded solid, with 

 one side much lower than the other. This is 

 known as a header box. The header box drawn 

 by a team is kept even with the header ; and 



FIG. 32. Boys sometimes assist in shocking 

 wheat. 



