0^9 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



Sept. 



of the clay, and we did not examine the work, 

 but learn that it was similar to the others, though 

 cutting a much narrower swarth. Throughout 

 the day, the great center of attraction was — 



burson's gbain binder. 



This was attached to a six foot J. H. Manny 

 machine, made by Messrs. Emerson & Co., 

 Rockford. The inventor, W. W. Burson, of 

 Muscatine, Iowa, and his brother, had it in 

 charge. We belieye that all present pronounced 

 it a success, doing the work rapidly, cheaply, 

 and effectively in the most workmanlike manner. 

 From what we have seen of several binders dur- 

 ing the past three or four years, we had little 

 faith in them, but this point we now most cheer- 

 fully yield on the present occasion. Those that 

 we had seen, either lacked capacity or efficiency, 

 but this is now so perfected that it is capable of 

 binding at least twelve acres a day of ten hours. 

 To do this, one man to tend the machine, one 

 to drive, and one to rake off, with two to set up 

 in shocks, will do the work. Thus, four 

 iren will harvest twelve acres with the use 

 of this binder, with an additional cost of some 

 fifteen cents an acre, making a saving of cost 

 equal to three hands. Thus — 



Two teams and a driver one day $ 3 00 



Four hands 6 00 



Wire 1 50 



raker can be attached to any reaper now in use, 

 except the Excelsior, which has no platform, and 

 the same may be said of the binder ; the plat- 

 forms can all be so changed that the binder can 

 be attached ; but the platform of the J. H. 

 Manny is already precisely fitted for it. 



We cannot but believe that this binder will 

 have the effect to materially change the aspect 

 of the harvest field. With its use, a farmer hav- 

 ing a hundred acres of wheat, can put it in shock 

 in from eight to ten days, and that with the aid 

 of one man to drive, one to bind, and two to 

 shock up, this will save the labor and board of 

 several hands. 



THE J. H. MANNY REAPER. 



The manufacturers of this valuable machine, 

 Messrs. Emerson & Co., have made it a rule for 

 several years, to donafe to the State Agricultural 

 Society a machine to be awarded to the best 

 forty acres of wheat, and they did not therefore 

 feel at liberty to enter the present contest, but it 

 was gratifying to its friends to see it bear to the 

 field the last great improvement that is designed 

 to rob the harvest field of much of its hand 

 labor, and all that it needs for its crowning glory 

 is Wood's rake, and Sheldon's leJger plate for the 

 guard. 



WHO FOOTED THE BILLS ? 



OLD WAY. 



Two teams and a driver one day $ 2 00 



Eight hands 12 00 



$15 00 



Making a saving of §4 50 per day. Add to 

 this the waste of grain, is much less, the saving 

 of which will more than pay for the wire. We 

 would put the saving by the use of this binder 

 in average grain, at not less than fifty cents an 

 acre, with labor and board at one dollar and fifty 

 cents a day. In this connection we have a word 

 to say in regard to Wood's self-raker: 



This rake is attached to an endless chain that 

 runs in a groove in the platform, and in passing 

 around, presses the bundle against the shield 

 board and compresses it together, nearly in the 

 manner that is done by the ingenous fork used by 

 Mr. Burson. We see no reason why this self- 

 raker cannot do the work for this binder, and 

 thus save tKe raker and lessoning the cost of the 

 work another dollar and a half a day. The self- 



To enable the society to make a thorough test 



§10 50 I of the machines, the cost of which should in 



part come out of the parties directly interested, 



the Board collected the following sums of the 



exhibitors, to wit: 



Am't Rec'd. Prem 



6 Reapers $300 $50 00 



14 " and mowers 



combined 525 75 OO 



14 Mowers, two hours. 350 50 00 



1 " one " . 10 no competition. 

 3 Heading Machines. 150 50 00 



1 Grain Binder Medal. 



$1185 



$225 00 



An excess of entree fees over preniium of 

 $9 60. The expenses of the trial cannot well 

 exceed %1 60, leaving to go into the coffers of 

 the State Society §800, a very pretty sum to be 

 taken from the manufacturers on the plea that a 

 thorough trial should be had, instead of which 

 the Board act as committe, with dynamometer 

 tape line and watch in hand, with which to 

 measure the relative value of the several forms 

 of harvesting machines, and the material of 

 whiob they are constructed. Whatever may be 



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