What most surprised many of those who saw one of
the Clayton combine harvester threshers operating in South Lincolnshire the other day was the economy of labour. In spite of the size and complication of the machine only three men were needed, though, I imagine, one of them at least ought to be an expert engineer. One of the drawbacks to the use of the machine in England, as contrasted, say, with Canada, is the dampness of the grain which has needed, according to established principle, a certain amount of drying in the stook. But those who raise this objection forget that the omission of the stacking stage largely does away with the need of drying, though the use of the harvester-thresher has given and will give an added importance to the new artificial drying machines, which have been improved and cheapened for the drying of hay and straw as well as grain. Interesting accounts and pictures of the new harvesting have been appearing in local papers, especially the Free Press of Boston and Spalding.
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