586 
Report  on  Implements  at  York. 
Motion  is  obtained  from  the  shaker  spindle  by  means  of  chain- 
gear  and  sproggle-wheels.  The  threshed  straw,  on  leaving  the 
shakers,  passes  between  the  aprons  or  conductors  to  the  col- 
lectors, w hich  receive  and  compress  it  against  w eighted  levers, 
and  when  the  required  quantity  of  straw  is  collected,  to  balance 
and  move  the  weighted  levers  ; the  binding  mechanism  is 
thereby  started,  the  pair  of  binding  arms  from  below  the 
collected  straw*  rise  up,  enclose  and  bind  it  with  two  bands, 
whilst  the  truss  is  under  compression.  In  other  words,  the 
mechanism  is  almost  exactly  similar  to  that  of  the  Applebv 
knotter,  which  is  now  so  frequently  adopted  for  corn-binding 
machinery  ; only  the  parts  are  stronger,  and  the  straw  is  bound 
with  two  strings  instead  of  one.  The  compressors  are  also 
more  powerful ; but  as  the  straw  is  fed  loose,  and  more  or  less 
twisted,  it  is  not  compressed  to  any  great  extent.  The  size  of 
the  trusses  can  of  course  be  regulated  by  adjusting  the  weighted 
levers  ; but  it  is  found  that  trusses  of  about  18  lbs.  weight  are 
the  most  convenient  for  general  purposes.  Messrs.  Howard 
state  that  the  average  cost  of  tw  ine  to  bind  a ton  of  straw  is 
a shilling.  I should  have  thought  that  it  would  have  been 
more,  calculating  the  average  cost  of  tying  sheaves  of  corn  as 
w orked  out  at  the  trial  at  Derby  ; for  though  probably  each 
acre  of  corn  would  yield  1^  ton  of  straw,  yet  inasmuch  as  there 
are  here  two  strings  to  each  truss,  and,  owing  to  the  straw 
being  more  or  less  twisted,  the  straw  cannot  be  bound  so  tightly 
as  the  sheaves,  I should  have  expected  a cost  of  not  less  than 
Is.  6<f.  an  acre ; but  I quite  agree  wTith  them  that  the  cost  of 
string  would  not  exceed  the  labour  of  making  bands,  whilst  the 
whole  of  the  labour  for  trussing  is  saved  ; and  this  labour, 
including  making  bands,  was  generally  estimated  by  practical 
men  at  from  five  to  six  hands.  I do  not  consider  there  would  be 
much,  if  any,  saving  in  money  by  using  this  machine,  as  the 
following  figures  will  show  : — 
String  for  tying  12  tons  of  straw  (wThich  equals  s.  d. 
a good  day’s  work)  of  oats  or  wheat  . . . 12  0 
Interest  and  depreciation  on  45 1.  at  15  percent. 
per  annum,  spread  over  30  days’  work  ..46 
16  6 
Cost  of  wages  for  5 men,  extra  hands,  hired 
by  the  day  at  3s.  6d. 17  6 
If  machinery  were  kept  for  hire,  and  more  frequently  used, 
there  would  be  a considerable  gain  in  money,  and  the  hirer 
would  probably  gladly  pay  from  5s.  to  7s.  6 d.  a day  extra  hire, 
besides  the  cost  of  the  string,  for  the  use  of  such  a labour- 
