18 THE PRICKLY PEAS AS FOOD FOS STOCK. 



The machine has never been worked by Mr. Glass to its full capac- 

 ity, but an estimate can be made of its efficiency from the operations 

 during the drought of 1902. At that time an average of seven or 

 eight men was employed, and they cut pear for 1.500 head of cattle. 

 Ten men could be employed to better advantage, and it is estimated 

 that this number could, with pear conveniently at hand, cut a full 

 ration for 2,000 head of cattle. This means that the machine would 

 be operated ten hours a day. and that four horses would be neces- 

 sary to furnish the power. The machine is calculated to be run by 

 two horses, but four operate it to much better advantage, especially 

 if heavy, old pear is used and a large amount of material is to be cut. 



It was the practice here to run the machine only about six hours a 

 day. the entire crew being employed in cutting and feeding and in 

 gathering pear from the field. The cutting occupied the forenoon 

 and a part of the afternoon, while the gathering required only a por- 

 tion of the afternoon of each day. By employing men enough both 

 to run the machine and gather the pear, thereby operating the machine 

 ten hours a day. there is little doubt that ten men could feed 2.000 

 cattle a full ration. Seven men constitute the operating crew, and 

 three can supply them with pear if the haul is not too great. 



The machine -hown in Plate III. figures 1 and 2. is constructed 

 throughout of iron. It has a 36-inch revolving wheel, in which three 

 adjustable knives are set at a narrow angle with the radius of the wheel. 

 Behind each knife are set cast-iron pieces, which, bolted upon the 

 wheel, make a box 21 inches deep opening upon the periphery. The 

 entire wheel is cased in. except the delivery opening, through which 

 the chopped pear is thrown out of the machine. The knives cut 

 against a shear plate, essentially as in the machine first mentioned, and 

 a feed hopper or chute is built of boards, as described for that cutter. 

 No carrier is used with this machine, for the centrifugal force of the 

 revolving wheel throws the cut material 30 or 4<J feet. A back stop 

 10 feet high is usually built to stop the chop, where it can be shoveled 

 up handily. 



If the cutter is run with an engine and fed steadily, the centrifugal 

 force delivers the chop into a wagon, but with a horse power and 

 unsteady feeding the motion is not uniform enough for this, and the 

 chop must be shoveled into the wagon. The wheel makes about 225 

 revolutions a minute when operated by four strong animals. It is 

 claimed that it will chop 20,000 pounds of pear an hour. 



Mr. T. A. Coleman, of Encinal. Tex., operates this cutter with an 

 engine, and all of his hauling is done in the common Mexican ox cart. 

 A cover is constructed of lumber to fit the carts. This is put in place 

 and fastened down, when the cart is backed up to the machine in such 

 a position that the chop is delivered into the rear end. which is left 



