IMPROVED REAPER. 583 



IMPROVED REAPER. 



MCCORMICK'S PATENT VIROINIA REAPER, IMPROVED. 

 •' Whatfivcr n man shall sow, that shall he reap." 



The vast disproportion between land and labor, and the dcarncss of the latter, 

 lead to a constant stretch of ingenuity to contrive, in every department, labor- 

 saving implements. Our limits, too, seem to be extending yet faster than the 

 increase of laborer?, great as that is, by immigration and natural increase. 



While this state of things continues, as it must do yet for half a century at 

 least, we shall go on skinning district after district, and State after State, of their 

 virgin fertility, just as the dairy woman passes along, skimming olT the cream 

 from pan after pan. Of most crops it is easy to, and too many do make more 

 than they can harvest and take care of. It was, we may suppose, in view of 

 this greedy and improvident disposition, that it was ordained, "Whatever a man 

 sow, that shall he reap." 



Some labor-saving implement has long been a desideratum for harvesting 

 wheat and grass crops, particularly on the western prairies, where laud is at 

 once so cheap and so fertile. To meet this demand, Mr. Obed Hussey, of Balti- 

 more, and Mr. McCormick, of Virginia, have been, we believe, most successful. 

 In what consists the difference between their Reapers we are not exactly advised, 

 and therefore not prepared to pronounce upon their comparative merits. We 

 happen to know on good authority that Mr. Hussey's is in high repute among 

 the working, and what is better, if better need be, the thinking farmers of brave 

 *' Little Delaware," and we shall be ready to make known its particular excel- 

 lence, in any authentic way that he or his friends may enable us to do. 



In the mean time, we have had placed within our reach the illustrations which 

 follow, in proof of the availability and efficiency of McCormick's machine, which 

 appear to commend it very strongly to all — of whom there are not a few — who 

 find it much easier to sow than to reap. What is here given is taken at random 

 from a variety of testiiDonials, equally particular and conclusive, contained in 

 Mr. McCormick's hand-bill ; and to these, thus selected from many, we append 

 the statement of Mr. IBatemax, of the Ohio Cultivator: 



Frankfort, Clinton Co., la., Aug. 3, 1846. 



Dear Sir : I have u.seil your Reaper ahout oiio-lialf the last harvest. I cut about 90 acres. The 

 machine did not arrive until we were halt' done. My wheat was lodu-ed, the s^rouiid roush and 

 uneven. I have never before seen as much straw on the same quantity of ground. 1 can hardlv 

 conceive of more unfavorable circumstances than the " Reaper" was placed under, tur a trial, 

 yet the machine sustained its previous hiijh rejiutalion as a grain cutter. It performs well ia 

 standing grain, or in grain that is loilged. Two haud.s, one to drive and one to rake, will perform 

 with the " Reaper ' as mueli as eiirlu hands could do with cradles, besides saving from a bushel 

 to a bushel and a half \>ev acre, that any cradler wouhl leave on tlie ground. Tlie machine is 

 simple in its construction, and not liable, when pro])erly made, to get out of order. If it should 

 hap[)en. any part except the sickle, to get out of order, there is no more difficult}- in repairing it 

 than a cradle or mowing-scythe. Yours, L. D. GRIGGcj. 



Cyrus H. Mct'ou.MicK, Ksq. 



Dupage, Will Co., .July 02, 1846. 

 Dear Sir : T take pleasure in communicating to you the result of my operations with your 

 Reaper to the present time, which, I am proud to say, has been of the most satisfactory charac- 

 ter. I cut, in nine days, with the Reaper, l.'iO acres of heavy wheat, since which I have cut 50 

 acres, and can say that the work was done perfectly, saving, 1 am satisfied, not less than a bushel 

 (1153J 



