1909.] Expenses of Corn Harvesting. 



733 



moving, stops were so frequent that the result of 15 minutes' 

 work was little better than the average of work done by single 

 machines with all adverse conditions thrown in. 



As a matter of fact these two machines, with six horses, 

 cutting a track 11 feet wide, and travelling at the rate of 2*1 

 miles per hour, only cut 1*4 acres per hour, or about the 

 same as the machines given in Table III. 



Number of Sheaves to a Load. — This is a matter which has, 

 as far as I know, never been tested, though it cannot be 

 without some practical importance. If too small a number of 

 sheaves are loaded, time is lost and horses are apt to be over- 

 worked by an unnecessary number of journeys. If, on the 

 other hand, carts are overloaded, horses are liable to strain 

 and even injury, particularly if the road home to the rick- 

 yard is not level, to say nothing of the great delay which may 

 be caused at any moment by a spill. The following figures 

 give the variations in the loads : — 



Table IV. — No. of Sheaves per Load. (Wheat.) 



Number of Loads 

 counted. 



Average number of 

 Sheaves to each 

 Load. 



Weight of 

 Load. 







Lb. 



4 



154 



1,600 



4 



156 



1,800 



1 



164 



Not ascertained. 



2 



200 





3 



177 



1,600 



7 



87 



957 



3 



112 



1,230 



2 



108 



Not ascertained. 



Table V. — No. of Sheaves to Load. (Barley.) 



Number of Loads 

 counted. 



Average number of 

 Sheaves to each 

 Load. 



Weight of 

 Load. 







Lb. 



2 



150* 



1,425 



3 



124 



1,216 



2 



108 



864 



3 



79 t 



77o _ 



2 



96 



Not ascertained. 



2 



122 



768 



2 



200 



Not ascertained. 



3 



142 



923 



4 



196 



1,271 



* Roped. 



t Very loose and badly tied crop ; much laid. 



