422 



SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part II. 



2732. The first attempt at a reaping machine, so far as we have learned, was made by Boyce, who 

 obtained a patent for a reaping machine early in the present century. This machine was placed in a two- 

 wheeled carriage, somewhat resembling a common cart, but the wheels were fixed upon the axle, so that 

 it revolved along with them. A cog-wheel, within the carriage, turned a smaller one at the upper end of 

 an inclined axis, and at the lower end of this was a larger wheel, which gave a rapid motion to a pinion 

 fixed upon a vertical axis in the forepart of the carriage, and rather on one side, so tliat it went before 

 one of the wheels of the carriage. The vertical spindle descended to within a few inches of the surface 

 of the ground, and had there a number of scythes tixed upon it horizontally. This machine, when wheeled 

 along, would, by the rapid revolution of its scythes, cut down a ])ortion of the corn growing upon the 

 ground over which it passed ; but having no provision for gathering up the corn in parcels and laying it in 

 proper heaps, it was wholly unsuited to the purpose. 



2733. An improvement on this attempt was made by Plucknet, an agricultural impiement-maker of 

 London, some years afterwards. The principal alteration he made was in substituting for the scythes a 

 circular steel plate, made very sharp at the edge, and notched at the upper side like a sickle. This plate 

 acted in the same manner as a very fine toothed saw, and was found to cut the corn much better than the 

 scythes of the original machine. 



"273k A machine, invented by Gladstone of Castle Douglas, in the stewartry of Kircudbright, operated 

 upon nearly the same principles with Plucknet's ; but Gladstone made his work much better by 

 introducing a circular table, with strong wooden teeth notched below, all around, which was fixed 

 immediately over the cutter and parallel to it. The use of these teeth was to collect the corn, and retain 

 it till it was operated on by the circular cutter. The corn, when cut, was received upon this table ; and, 

 when a sufficient quantity was collected, taken away by a rake or sweeper, and laid upon the ground 

 beneath the machine, in separate parcels. To this machine was added a small circular wheel of wood, 

 covered with emery, which, being always kept in contact with the great cutter at the back part, or 

 opposite side to that where the cutting was performed, kept it constantly ground to a sharp edge. 



2735. Salmon of Woburn made the next attempt and his invention, it is said, promised better than those 

 we have mentioned. It was constructed upon a totally diffferent principle, as it cut the corn by means of 

 shears ; and it was provided with a very complete apparatus for laying it down in parcels as it was cut. 



2736. The next machine (fig. 375.), and one of great ingenuity and promise, is that constructed by 







^^^ 



"ev^r 



Smith, of the Deanston Cotton Works, Perthshire. Smith's perseverance, his successive improvements, 

 and ingenious yet simple contrivances for remedying defects, afforded strong grounds to hope that he 

 would ultimately succeed in rendering his machine a most valuable acquisition to agriculturists; but 

 various circumstances have prevented Mr. Smith from perfecting his invention. He made the first trial 

 of his machine upon a small scale, during the harvest of 1811. It was then wrought by two men. In 

 1812 he constructed one upon a larger scale, to be wrought by a horse ; but, though he cut down several 

 acres of oats and barley with considerable ease, it was found that when met by an acclivity the horse could 

 not move the machine with proi)er effect. In 1813 he made a more successful attempt, with an improved 

 machine, worked by one man and two horses; and (1814) it was still farther improved by an additional 

 apparatus, tending to regulate the application of the cutter when working on an uneven surface. This 

 ingenious machine has been again tried, in September 1815, and with much success. A Scotch acre (1^ 

 acre English) of beans was cut down with ease in an hour and a quarter. The trials made with it on 

 wheat, though not extensive, were satisfactory ; and in reaping oats, the corn was laid down in the 

 most regular manner. The cutter of this machine is circular, and operates horizontally ; it is appended 

 to a drum connected with the forepart of the machine, its blade projecting some inches beyond the peri- 

 phery of the lower end of the drum ; and the machine is so constructed as to communicate, in moving 

 forward, a rapid rotatory motion to this drum and cutter, by which the stalks are cut, and, falling upon 

 the drum, are carried round and thrown off" in regular rows. This most ingenious piece of machinery 

 will cut about an English acre per hour, during which time the cutter requires to be four times sharpened 

 with a common scythe stone. The expense of this machine is estimated at from thirty to thirty-five 

 pounds. If properly managed it may last for many years ; only requiring a new cutter every two or 

 three years, a repair which cannot cost much. This promising invention, which attracted a good deal 

 of notice a few years ago, remains, it is believed, as it was then, in a state not calculated for extensive 

 use. Mr. Smith's large concerns in the cotton manufacture m.ay have prevented him from continuing his 

 experiments ; and it is understood that the time he has already devoted to it has been without sufficient 

 remuneration or encouragement 



2737. Bell's reaping machine {figs 376. and 377.) is the most recent as well as the most perfect inven- 

 tion of this description. The frame-work of this machine (a a) may be made lighter or stronger accord- 

 ing to circumstances ; b b and c c are four wheels upon which it is mounted, of whatever form it is 

 made ; b b have their spokes at right angles to their naves, and are 3| feet diameter. For neatness' 

 sake the naves are made of cast-iron ; the wheels are from five to six inches broad at the rims, and 

 arc surrounded with a slight hoop of iron. Were they made narrower in the rims, when the ground 

 was soft they would both cut it, and drag, without giving motion to the connected parts of the ma- 

 chinery. The small wheels (c c), which support the front of the frame, are (like the large ones b b) 

 made of wood : they are fourteen inches in diameter, and six inches broad at the rims, with a very slight 

 hoop of iron round them. Their axles, which are of iron, are screwed to the frame, and arc about Ij 



