at the Lewes Meeting, 1852. 



309 



the corn forward instead of cutting it, were it not for their serrated 

 edges, the teeth of which are so shaped as to retain good hokl of 

 whatever is presented to them. Hence these cutters work well 

 ^t a moderate rate of vibration ; and the additional gear required 

 to get up a high speed being unnecessary, the draught is pro- 

 portionably easier. In Bell's machine the cutting knives con- 

 sist of shears formed by a certain number of fixed blades, betw^een 

 every two of which a moveable one vibrates, cutting both ways. 

 From the length of cut of these blades (12 inches) it is not 

 necessary that they should vibrate rapidly ; and when the adjust- 

 ment of the knives is sufficiently good to enable them to cut 

 without missing any straws, the work is satisfactorily done. 



The objections to the M'Cormick reapers are — 



1st. Difficulty of delivery when the crop is heavy. 



2nd. Form of the sheaves or bundles, which are not thrown off 

 in as good a state for binding as those from the machines which 

 deliver behind. 



3rd. Too great width for ordinary field-gates. 



4th. High price. 



Where the crop is heavy it is difficult for the raker to deliver it 

 fast enough to prevent the sheaves being too large. This objec- 

 tion, as well as the 3rd, and to some extent the 4th, would be 

 obviated by making the machines of rather less width ; and the 

 writer is disposed to think that the work would proceed with 

 greater regularity and steadiness, and therefore in the long run 

 with as much rapidity, if this suggestion were adopted. Even at 

 their present width, however, it is difficult to see why they should 

 cost 30 or 40 per cent, more than those on the Hussey principle, 

 and it is hoped that the system of small profits and quick returns 

 will find more favour with the makers of these machines than 

 it has hitherto done. The objection to the form of the sheaf is 

 one which it would not be easy to remove, as in a side delivery 

 the bundle of cut corn receives somewhat of a swing or twist, 

 which prevents its lying so straight as when pushed off behind 

 just as it falls on the platform. The question, which is the best 

 mode of delivery, is a material one. The method adopted by 

 Hussey makes it necessary that the corn should be immediately 

 bound up, so that the reaper cannot be used till the dew is off, and 

 might frequently be idle for some hours in a day. It is also open 

 to the no less serious objection, that when any stoppage occurs to 

 the machine the whole force of the harvest-field is brought to a 

 stand. The side delivery of M'Cormick's, though free from the 

 objection just named, is by no means all that could be wished. 

 If corn is cut with the dew on, it would be decidedly prejudicial 

 to leave it in bundles, and equally so in the case of oats or barley 

 intended to remain for a day or two unbound. Lastly, it is clear 

 that any mode of manual delivery, however good in itself, must 



