744 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



BOOK VIII. 



prepared for .live stock. After a few years the binders were adapted 

 for string, which constituted a great improvement. 



It was not until the " eighties " that binders came into extensive use 

 in this country, and since that time they have been vastly improved in 

 efficiency. In figs. 305 and o06, we illustrate two among several ex- 

 cellent machines manufactured by different firms. Since their intro- 

 duction, improvements in the working parts have been constantly made, 

 so that it is difficult to conceive how they can be further improved, 

 unless it be in the direction of enabling them to deal better than they 



Fig. 306. Hornsby's Binder. 



can at present with laid and twisted corn. In some seasons, when the 

 crops have been badly beaten down by heavy and repeated storms of 

 rain, and twisted by strong winds, binders or other reaping machines 

 cannot be used to cut them to advantage. 



The chief advantage derived from the use of binders lies in the quick- 

 ness with which corn can be cut, bound, and set up in shocks, rather 

 than in the saving of expense in harvesting. This, however, is an 

 advantage of very great value, not only because it affords an opportunity 

 of getting crops out of the danger of damage from wet weather more 



