Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1907 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

FIELD BEAN CROP. Harvsster That Throws Two Rows Into ■ Single Windrow.

By L. C. CORBETT.

For many years the handling of hoe crops, such as field beans, upon an extensive scale was impossible because of the great amount of hand labor necessary to gather the crop. Within recent years, however, labor saving devices have been Invented, so that now the once laborious practice of hand pulling Individual plants can be done away with by the rise of a bean harvester. This Implement is built on the principle,'of a pair of'shears and consists of

two long steel blades mounted upon a strong framework carried upon wheels. The long shears-like blades are set to cut the roots of the plants just beneath the surface of the ground. Above these blades guard rods or guide rods are so arranged as to move from their original positions the -plants whose roots have been severed, and since the implement is designed to cut two rows of beans across the field the plants of two rows are thrown together in a single windrow. This clears a space for the passage of one of the animals ’in the team, so that it is necessary for only one to pass through the standing crop, thus decreasing the amount of loss by shelling which would result from both animals being driven through the standing crop. After the plants are thrown together by the harvester it is customary for men with ordinary pitchforks to follow the harvester] and place the beans in small heaps to cure for several days before storing them in barns or sheds for thrashing. In some instances where the work is done upon a very extensive scale and where the loss from shelling is not considered sufficient to justify the employment of hand labor for bunching the beans with forks an ordinary horse rake is employed for the purpose.

Where the beans are to remain for a longer period and to become more thoroughly cured in the field and where the work of harvesting is done entirely by the crop is frequently placed in shocks which are built about a pole four or five feet in height, both ends of which have been sharpened and one end placed firmly in the ground. A small quantity of straw*, grass or other material is placed around the base of the stake and the beans as they are pulled and are piled

around the pole until a compact miniature stack about four or five feet high is formed. The operation is very similar to the common practice followed by growers of peanuts in stacking and curing. The curing proceqs in any case Is carried far enough to prevent the vines molding aftef storing them in the farm prior to thrashing. If the vines are thoroughly ripened in the field before harvesting they can be stored in from two to three days if the weather is satisfactory. '

Plow Points* Where too large a proportion of the farm is kept under plow the soil soon becomes impoverished and unproductive. All animals thrive best when fed at regular intervals and given each time no more than they will readily con some. Clean, straight fence rows, and fences in good repair, add materially to the appearance and value of the farm. When the cost of keeping a good article is no more than keeping a poor one it is certainly advisable to keep the better. No vegetable accessible to the farmer absorbs so much nitrogen from the air and leaves so rich a storehouse of It as clover.—Jansas Fanner. Some New England Dairymen. Not a few New England dairymen ire so favorably located and have so much skill that they get an advance above the ruling price for an article of extra quality. , r ' ■

BEAN HARVESTER AT WORK.

BEAN HARVESTER.