THE NEW- HARVESTERS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Each week I read with pleasure, which might be joined with profit were I not nearly on the point of becoming a nonagenarian, Sir W. Beach Thomas' notes on country life. I was interested in the note on new harvesters in the Spectator of September 21st. I do not, however, share the belief that these new implements are likely to be of any great assistance to farmers, as only occasionally do we have in this country a season when the wheat is in a condition suitable for threshing at the time of cutting. I am unable to call to mind but few years when the wheat has been so dry as to be fit for threshing when cut.
The year 1868 was one of such seasons, and I cut, carted, and stacked a portion of a field of wheat on the same day, but I have never repeated the operation, as the quality of the Wheat when threshed was affected.
The loss from giving field room to newly cut wheat is not so great as some people imagine if care be taken in shocking it and keeping it well shocked. This I proved in the year 1894, when some of my wheat remained in the fields for nearly five weeks without much loss. When at last we were able to cart it I was driving a customer from Australia to the station and on the way drove into the wheat field just as the man who was pitching the wheat picked a bird's nest with five eggs out of a sheaf of wheat. I cannot be mistaken in the date, as the name and address of the visitor and the date are given in the visitors' book. There is a further difficulty- in cutting and threshing barley at the same time. It is the necessity for barley to be exposed to a little rain or dew after it is cut to
mellow the corn or to render it of greater value to the maltster. I fear that these new harvesters will not greatly help the lifting of the heavy depression under which agriculture is suffering at the present time.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Holylvell, St. Ives, Hunts. SANDERS SPENCER.
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