HARVESTING MACHINERY 155 



threshing machine is of the usual type. It is to be men- 

 tioned that this machine can be used only where the 

 grain will cure while standing in the field, and where the 

 climate provides a dry season for the harvest. These 

 machines have an enormous capacity, harvesting and 

 threshing up to 100 acres or to 2,500 bushels of grain a 

 day. The swath varies from 18 to 40 feet. The power 



FIG. 115 THE COMBINED HARVESTER AND THRESHER OPERATED BY STEAM 



POWER 



may be furnished either by horses or a traction engine. 

 From 24 to 36 horses or mules are required to furnish the 

 power. All the horses or mules are under the control of 

 a pair of leaders driven by lines. Following the leaders 

 there are usually two sets of four, and the remainder of 

 the animals are arranged in sets of six or eight. In this 

 way one man is enabled to drive the entire team. At least 

 three other men are required to operate the machine, one 

 to have general supervision, one to tilt the cutter bar, and 

 one to sew and dump the sacks when they accumulate in 

 lots of six or eight. The largest machines are operated 

 by steam power. 



CORN HARVESTING MACHINERY 



219. Development. The . corn binder has become in recent 

 years a very important tool because farmers have begun to 

 realize the true worth of the cornstalk as feed for live stock. 



