tion and Improve Farm patents being simply these: McCormick's Introducmachine was mounted on two wheels, main wheel which supported the greater ment of part of the weight of the machine, gave Machinmotion to the crank, reciprocating the knife, ery and revolved the wheel, and a grain wheel at the outer end of the platform. Hussey's machine according to the patent had three wheels at the stubble side, all of which rested upon the ground. In case a wide platform was to be used the machine should have four wheels, the extra one at outer end of platform. With all the untiring efforts of these early inventors, their reaping-machines did not reach a very high degree of success, because they were not practical. However, many were very enthusiastic and sanguine in their hopes. One editor in describing one of these early machines, says: "The Hussey reaper cuts a swath five feet, but it is intended, when perfect, to cut from fifteen to eighteen feet. There is no agitation of grain. It falls to the ground where it stood in an opposite direction. Requires two horses to propel it, a boy to drive, and a man to lay the grain tion and Farm ery Introduc-in bundles for binding. The man and boy both ride. The horses may walk or trot. Improvement of Will perform better work in fast than slow motion.” But it required many years to reach the time for a reasonably perfect reaper. And the day is still in the distance for drawing the mowing-machine with the horses in a trot. These reaping-machines at first were not practical; but with constant efforts they became better and wider known when, in 1855, they were used generally and successfully throughout the state. The two machines that were most popular and generally in use at the time of the universal introduction in the state, 1854-'55, were the Ketchem's and Maury's patent combined and adjustible reapers and mowers. But with the success of these, improvements did not stop. There was still too much labor required to bind the bundles. Eighteen hundred and fifty-eight marks the century with an invention that has revolutionized harvest methods. Charles W. and Wallace W. Marsh of Illinois con 1838 1862 ceived the idea of so constructing a machine` 1 Farmer's Record, 1833. 2 Ohio Agricultural Report, 1856, page 173. tion and Machin that it would deliver a swath of grain to a Introducreceptacle in the machine where two men Improvestanding could bind it as fast as cut. Atment of first failure resulted because of improper Farm financial help and faulty mechanical work ery on the primitive machines. But with continual perseverence 1862 found a fairly perfect machine that was practical in every respect, and to which every successful grain and corn harvester owes its ideas and success. In 1864 twenty-four practi cal machines were built in a little sash factory. In 1865 twenty-six were built. In 1866 the number grew to a hundred, and ten years later the Marsh harvester was as1876 being improved and built by nearly all our reaper manufacturers. Still the harvester was not complete. There was needed an automatic binder attachment. Eighteen hundred and seventy-five brought it, but it was the objectionable wire-binder. So every effort was made to find a suitable substitute for wire. Thousands of dollars were spent in efforts to get a straw bandbinder, and then attention was turned toward possibilities of a twine-binder. To Mr. William Deering belongs the credit of |