the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 2£> 
Fig. 19. — Bear Elevation of McCormick's Grain Binder. 
pulley s, where it is united to the lower wire. The lower wire passes from 
the spool V, a positive feed being employed. This arrangement is very clever. 
The wire is only fed when a bundle is bound. We will suppose that the two 
wires arc connected, then the binding-carriage is ready to move forward with 
its binding-arm uplifted as is seen in the figure, in readiness to encircle a 
bundle lying upon the platform. In the absence of any grain to be bound, 
the binding mechauism would go through its motions and return to its starting- 
point, but no wire would be fed from the lower spool. This machine was 
tried at Schencks Station on an average crop of wheat, and made very goal 
work. The wire broke once or twice, but such accidents were readily repaired. 
I much regret that I am not able to give a drawing and detailed description 
of the binder shown by F. L. Osborne and Co., inasmuch as this machine 
made decidedly the best work at the trial, cutting a considerable area without 
the wire breaking, or a stop of any kind. The apparatus consists of an 
ordinary harvester frame, with linen travelling-belt, and elevator furnished 
with teeth. The peculiarity consists in the binding-arm being placed on the 
near side instead of the end of the binding-platform, and having a swan-neck 
motion, so that, drawing the wire from the spool, it twists it round the grain, 
and forces the straw together whilst the tying takes place underneath. The 
sheaf is pushed off by the needle as it rises to repeat the motion. The mecha- 
nism by which this elegant movement is obtained is both simple and ingenious. 
Mowing-Machines. 
Before describing some of the peculiarities in mowing-ma- 
chines, it may be as well to explain that the trials which were 
organised, and which included all kinds of harvesting machinery, 
threshers, winnowers, and portable engines, were not, as origin- 
ally intended, of a competitive character. This part of the 
programme was wisely abandoned by the Centennial Commis- 
sion at the request of the leading makers. Competitive trials 
