76 
Report on the Trials of Sheaf- Binders 
out. The Litest improvements, which were matle bj Mr. Cyrus 
H. McCormick himself, have adapted the machine to the require- 
ments of English crops. In the year 18G6 this machine, then in 
an experimental condition, was exhibited at the Philadelphia 
Centennial Exhibition, and even during that meeting, a new 
machine with several important improvements was substituted 
for the one which was first sent. During that summer much 
time was devoted to field trials, with such beneficial results that 
the firm were enabled to sell over a thousand machines for use 
in the harvest of 1877, fifty of them being sold in New 
Zealand. So successful was the work done by those machines 
that 800 machines have been sold in New Zealand for the last 
harvest (1878). Up to the period of Mr. McCormick's corres- 
pondence with me, the end of August, he estimates that over 
6000 of the automatic binders have been sold by his firm in 
the United States, and that they have given satisfaction. 
Before describing the machines which were shown at Bristol, 
a word or two as to the relative advantages of string or wire. 
Formerly there was, and to some extent there is even now, a strong 
feeling in England against wire, under an impression that it 
would be difficult, if not impossible, to prevent portions of wire 
passing through the threshing-machine, and eventually reaching 
an animal's stomach, where they would undoubtedly cause very 
disastrous effects. Mr. Wood's experience — who assures me 
that he has never had a single complaint under this head — 
might be deemed a sufficient answer that this alarm is ground- 
less ; but straw in the States, especially in the prairies and 
Western districts, is not much used for food. 
Mr. Scotson, the intelligent tenant at Aigburth, near Liver- 
pool, where the trials were held last year, reported that with two 
sets of nippers there would be no difficulty as to threshing ; 
and he now assures me that no portions of wire remained with 
the straw, and consequently no injury resulted to his stock. 
It is evident, however, that great care must be exercised by those 
who are employed to use the nippers ; and when no such pre- 
cautions are taken, portions of wire will not only pass through 
with the straw and eventually cause serious injury to farm-stock, 
but it has been found in America, that the grain contains por- 
tions of wire, and this to an extent which seriously injures the 
miller's machinery, and reduces the value of the bran. The 
following is from 'The St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press ' 
of November 14, 1878. 
At a meeting of the Minneapolis ilillcrs' Association, held yesterday morn- 
ing, the damage resulting to mill macliinery from tlic use of wiic binders ip 
the harvest fields, was brou;j;ht up by the following report of a sjicciiil com- 
mittee to whom tlio ninttcr had been referred : 
