the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 
7 
fully ripe, the machine is put into the field, and the wheat is 
reaped and threshed with amazing rapidity, and at a very small 
expenditure." The machine had a fair trial. The grain was so 
ripe that the heads hung down and became somewhat entangled ; 
a fact that partly accounted for the frequent chokings and ulti- 
mate stoppage of the trial. It is impossible to say how it 
might answer in South Australia, but a ripe crop and perfectly 
fine weather ought to have been favourable conditions. 
The drawing does not illustrate the heading apparatus. This 
consists of a fine comb with a number of sharp teeth. These 
teeth, catching the grain just below the heads, causes the fracture 
of the already brittle straw, and the suction produced by the 
revolution of the beaters causes the heads to be drawn into the 
drum — a cylindrical box, of which the front lid in the picture is 
raised in order to show the beaters, &c. As the corn is threshed 
it is blown through a concave by the force of the wind, and grain 
and chaff accumulate in the van-like carriage ; a wire screen in 
the back allows of the escape of dust, dirt, &c. By a recent 
addition, which was not shown at Philadelphia, a winnowing 
apparatus is attached, and the process is completed. The ordi- 
nary method of working the machine is to empty out the products 
at the land's-end into a tarpaulin, where the winnowing and 
sacking take place. Three or four horses are used to draw the 
machine yoked abreast, in which position it would be impossible 
to avoid trampling on the corn. I do not pronounce against this 
machine, which appears so highly esteemed at home, but I cannot 
see why a reciprocating knife and small reel arrangement should 
not be substituted for the comb, which is at best a very clumsy 
contrivance. This would ensure good cutting, and as a great 
deal of power is expended in the threshing operation, it is a ques- 
tion whether a good form of header would not be more econo- 
mical, for the work in the field would be more expeditious. To 
return to what is : — the drum is driven from gearing on the near- 
side driving-wheel, and the frame can be raised or lowered by a rack 
and screw to suit the height of the crop. The idea is to separate 
the ear with as little straw as possible, and it stands to reason that 
the machine will answer best in crops of uniform length. If they 
are uneven or beaten down, it must prove a failure. If it can be 
made to work as described, although there must be great waste, 
yet the expedition of the process would render it desirable in a 
country where labour has hitherto been the great difficulty. 
Table-Rakes. — The next description of reapers I have to notice 
are known as Table-Rakes, which are similar in delivery to 
self-raking reapers, only the revolving rakes, &c, are replaced by 
a single rake which travels on the table itself. Two of such 
machines require notice : viz. the Buckeye Table-Rake, of Ault- 
