202 THE WHEAT INDUSTRY 



did no better. The modern machine catches practi- 

 cally all of the grain. A cleansing device was an 

 early addition to the thresher by which all straw 

 and chaff was removed in the one process. Other 

 improvements reduced the noise and lessened the 

 power necessary to run them. Then came the 

 self-feeder, the band cutter, and the straw stacker. 

 These attachments not only reduced the number 



FIG. 87. The new method of threshing the combine. 



of men needed but saved time and added to the 

 efficiency of the work. Threshing machines began 

 to come into common use in England about 1820 

 and were widely used in the United States in 1835. 

 At first the threshers were run by water power or 

 by wind. Later horse power became common. 

 It was not until about 1876, however, that steam 

 began to come into use. Practically all the 



