270 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER 



Sept. 



COMBINED MACHINES, 



No. 1, Walter A. Wood, self-raker. 



No. 2, D, M. Osborn, Kirby's h\nd raker; 



No. 3, Seymour, Morgan & Allen, self-raker. 



No, 4, Cline, Seiberling & Howes, Excelsior 

 eelf-raker. 



No. 5, W. A. Wood, hand-raker. 



No. 6, T. H, Medill, Cogswell's patent hand- 

 raker. 



No. 7, John P. Manny, hand-raker. 



No. 8, C. II. McCormick, handraker. 



No, 9, E, Ball, hand-raker. 



No. 10, G. H. Curtis, (cam.) hand-raker. 



No. 11, H. H. Taylor, Buckeye hand-raker. 



No. 12, Geo. Esterly, hand-raker. 



No. 13, S. 17. Rugg, hand Raker, 



No. 14, Sheldon & Co., Cayuga Chief, hand- 

 raker. 



THE WOHK. 



No. 1 drew the worst lot in the field, being 

 badly lodged, yet the work was as well done as 

 it would appear possible to do it. Of this self- 

 raker we shall speak in another connnction. 



No. 2 contained a part of the lodged grain ; it 

 was very well cut, and with few exceptions well 

 laid. 



No. 3. This machine had mostly standing 

 grain, and done its work in most admirable 

 order. The stubble was left clean and the bun- 

 dles laid square, though spread out nearly the 

 widtth of the cut, the rake taking it from the 

 cutter, and in a graceful sweep placing it beside 

 the reaper and outside of its track; could the 

 guards be slightly compressed, it would be all 

 that could be desired. The machine is strong 

 and durable, and being the oldest successful 

 self-raker has become justly popular at the 

 west. Taking in connection its good qualities as 

 a mower, there is no wonder that the farmers 

 present purchased several of them of the agent 

 during the trial. 



No, 4. The Excelsior is a novelty i a its way ; 

 cuts good and lays the grain very square, but 

 unfortunately in the track of the ^^reaper, thus 

 compelling the binders to keep up. This, In 

 green oats, damp grain, or when binders are not 

 at hand, is a serious drawback ; otherwise the 

 machine is valuable. The platform is composed 

 of a series of slats, and when a bundle is ready 

 the driver by touching a pedal, down it goes, 

 and the stubble passing up through the slats 

 draws off the bundle in most admirable order, 

 though of the full width of the cut. While the 



platform is down, a light fender holds the grain 

 from falling. It was much admired, notwith- 

 standing the drawbacks mentioned. 



No. 5 was well cut, but the team was driven 

 too fast and the raking was badly done. 



No. 6 would have been a credit to its maker a 

 dozen years since, but lacks too many modern 

 improvements to attract attention. All pronoun- 

 it a perfect horse killer. 



No. 7, John P. Many, The cut of this ma- 

 chine was six feet, and it cut the let in thirty- 

 nine minutes, doing it in good order. On this 

 machine, the driver can do his own raking. 

 This was not done on the lot above, but was on 

 the piece attached to it as an independent reaper. 

 How far this can be done day after day in the 

 harvest field, we have no means of knowing, but 

 from the easy manner of raking off the width of 

 cut, which allows of a slower motion forward, 

 with a steady team, we can see no reason why 

 it cannot be done. The machine runs easy, con- 

 sidering the width of cut, and as a hand reaper, 

 must stand at least second in the list. Mr, 

 Manny is a brother of the lamented J. H, Manny 

 whose world wide fame will go down to the latest 

 posterity. 



No. 8 came next, drawn by two horses, but 

 evidently a heavy draft for them ; it cut six 

 feet. The self-raker is attached to the reel and 

 revolves with it. The size of the bundles are 

 therefore dependent on the grain, as a bundle is 

 made at every revolution of the reel. It has a 

 decided awkward look, yet the grain was very 

 well laid, similar to that of No. 3, in fact, it has 

 the same delivery, McCormick using the Sey- 

 mour & Morgan platform or circular shield 

 board. The time employed wss forty-three min- 

 utes. In this machine the seratures of the 

 sickle are larger than usual, and the angle of 

 the section quite obtuse. In this respect, Mc- 

 Cormick has made little if any chonge in the last 

 ten years, nor does he use a smooth edge for 

 grass, but adhers to the sickle edge. The ma- 

 chine is made unusually strong and durable, and 

 probably no machine is so well qualified to stand 

 the abuse of rough work and exposure, as this. 

 Farmers care less about the draft than for 

 strength and durability ; an extra horse being of 

 little account to them at that season, when they 

 have little other team work to do. 



No, 9, E, Balls, Ohio Mower. This machine 

 cut its lot on forty-four minutes. The cutting 

 bar was set too high, and the machine passed 



