190 APPENDIX 



threaded all right, then the trouble must be at 

 the knotter. Now it is no use looking at the knot- 

 ter because unless it is badly out of tune, it looks 

 the same whether it is in perfect working order 

 or not. Then what are we to do? We must 

 look at the twine, when the binder misses, and 

 ascertain what it is doing. If the twine is cut 

 off square with the curl at the end, we may be 

 certain that the disk or twine holder is not tight 

 enough. By tightening this up very little at a 

 time, we will eventually remedy the trouble. 

 If, on the other hand, the twine is pulled off to a 

 point, the disk is too tight and is cutting the twine. 

 By slacking the disk, this can be corrected. To 

 ascertain if there is anything wrong with the bill- 

 book, examine a sheaf that it tied. If the knot 

 is pulled very tight and the ends of the twine 

 frayed away, the billhook is too tight. If the 

 knot is very slack and near the ends of the twine, 

 the billhook is too slack. When oiling the ma- 

 chine, examine the needle to find if any foreign 

 leaves or other matter has gathered in the eye; 

 sometimes obstructions become wedged in so 

 tightly that the twine will not run through, caus- 

 ing the knotter to miss sheaves. 



Always run the binder as nearly level as possible. 

 Never have it tilted back, as this will make it 

 hard to pull; have it tilted forward enough to 

 make it balance a little down in front. If it is 

 thrown too much forward, it causes too much 

 weight on the horses' necks, or, if there is a truck, 

 too much weight on the little wheels, thus taking 

 the driving power off the main wheel. 



