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he will in all probability find it more satisfactory than if he has to 

 do it himself with one of the primitive machines driven by hand or 

 horse power. Illustrations of a chaff-cutter and horse works are 

 given herewith. 



The modern and highly improved steam chaff-cutter will cut 

 hay to J inch guage, but I do not think that this very fine chaff is 

 as good for ordinary working horses as the longer cut. It looks 

 nice, but the animals have a tendency to bolt it. 



GRAIN HARVESTING. 



The harvesting of the grain crop, that is, of wheat, can be done 

 either by the stripper or the reaper and binder, the latter machine 

 or a mower being generally only employed in the harvesting of 

 other cereals. M'Kay, in his Australian Agriculture, makes the 

 following observations on the use of the reaper and binder and the 

 stripper : 



The rapidity with which harvesting machines have come 

 into use in Australia proves that, when suitable, our farmers are not 

 slow to see the advantages of good things. The change which has 

 taken place in the system of harvesting in the principal wheat- 

 growing districts is very marked in its character. For a long series 

 of years the Adelaide stripper has been steadily but surely gaining 

 ground. The reapers and wire binders were introduced suddenly, 

 and owing to the action of Australians, who saw them at the 

 Philadelphia Kxliibitioii, and afterwards string binders replaced the 

 wire machines. Then, by a system of sowing only clean seed, it was 

 seen that the land could be kept comparatively iree from wild oats 

 formany years, and in clean crops both machines did excellent 

 work. Straw was of little value when grass was abundant, and 

 markets distant and difficult of access ; while in regard to the effect 

 on the system on the fertility of the soil, burning the straw upon the 

 wheat fields proved to be better than cutting it off by the reaper and 





