Illustration: (‡ DRAY) REAPING MACHINE.
Illustration: SICKLE.
Machines have lately been produced to effect more rapidly, what has
hitherto been done by hand, with the sickle, namely, the reaping of
corn. These machines are of various kinds, but the one that seems
most perfect has been patented by Messrs. Dray & Co.; it consists of
a heavy wooden frame drawn by a horse, and having wheels attached,
which on turning round set in motion a line of spear-headed knives;
these knives are made sharp at each side, to cut both ways. The
motion communicated to them is very rapid, and from side to side, so
as to cause the knives to pass through long narrow openings made to
fit them in a series of iron points which are placed one between each
knife. This action causes the point and knife to act like the blades
of a pair of scissors, only that the points are fixed and the blades
move through them, cutting off the corn at any distance from the
ground that may be required; at the side furthest from the horse is
a point of iron, having two diverging pieces prolonged from it, and
which pierces the corn and separates the portion to be cut from what
is to be cut at the next return of the machine; for it is drawn up
and down, cutting at each time a belt about four or five feet wide;
when cut, the corn falls on a platform balanced on its centre, and
capable of being turned so as to incline forwards or backwards. A
man sits on the machine with a rake, and as the platform fills with
cut corn, he pushes it with the rake, tilting the platform back and
delivering the corn behind, where women attend to bind it up. These
machines can reap ten or eleven acres in a day.