278 



THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



improved machines at work in the field, showing the facility and ease with which the grain 

 is cut and bound. The dropper, which is a machine that combines both mower and reaper, 

 is adapted to the wants of those farmers who raise considerable grass, and small crops of 

 grain, and who do not need separate machines for each kind of cutting. These machines are 

 manufactured by the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, Chicago, Illinois. 



The self-binding har 

 vester and New Buckeye 

 table rake represent ma 

 chines manufactured by 

 Aultman, Miller & Co., 

 Akron, Ohio. The small 

 surface of straw covered 

 by the twine in binding 

 does not prevent the air 

 from passing through 

 the sheaf readily, hence 

 it will dry much sooner 

 than the straw-bound 

 bundle. 



Twine is preferred to 

 wire in binding, since 

 the wire in the thresh 

 ing-machine is injurious 

 to the straw, and only 

 straw that is to be 

 burned should have 

 pieces of wire scattered 

 through it ; besides it 

 requires considerable 

 time and labor to re 

 move the wire bands 

 fast enough for the 

 thresher, difficulties 

 which are all obviated 

 by the use of twine. 



The Table Rake does 

 valuable service as a 

 harvester, both in stand 

 ing and in lodged or 

 tangled grain. 



In California a ma 

 chine called the header 

 is used in harvesting 

 wheat, which cuts off 

 merely the heads of the 

 grain, leaving the straw 

 standing in the field. 

 It is admirably adapted 

 to that locality as will 

 be seen by the follow 

 ing from the pen of 



