■> shoe, tailings auger, gram auger, rotary air screen, and discharge beater. If any shaft slows to less than 70 per cent of its designed speed, an audible alarm sounds and a digital display indicates the affected func tion. Richardson explains and demonstrates that both the steering column and ar mrests are adjustable. Should th? sight of golden fields of gram winding around the York County hills become boring, there’s an FM radio and tape deck built in. A CB radio keeps Richardson in touch with the family and hired assistants. For a moment my mind spins back to 25 years ago when horse-drawn reapers and binders were in style. These machines, and especially the thresher, used to fascinate me from dusk to dark when I was a boy. Now, surrounded by glass and an artificial climate, I miss the heat, sweat, dust, and distinctive smell of straw. But it isn’t long before I get at least a little taste of that. The gram head, which follows the contour of the field automatically, picked up a stone. It gets stuck in the throat of the combine. We descend from our cool, loft and say hello to the penetrating heat. Richard son and his fieldman, Ken Zimmerman, remove the stone and we’re on our way again. The 15-foot wide reel paddles its way across the sea of rye, and the cutterbar cuts swift and clean. The crop is augered into the throat at a seemingly fan tastic rate of speed. “It’s going to clog up any second,” I think to myself, but I’m wrong. The crop contiues to be stuffed into the metal giant and it keeps right on digesting it. Ac cording to Richardson, he can cut up to 4Vz acres of grain per hour, which is good for the relatively small and sometimes hilly fields of southcentral Pennsylvania. “The most wonderful thing I’ve found in a combine is this hydrostatic drive,” Richardson comments as we drive along. With power -assisted controls, the machine responds swift and sure. Turns at the end of the field looked easy “What the farmer needs today is simplifiction.” the York County farmer con tinued, explaining that he believed his new $70,000 rig offered just that. “But I wonder how we’re going to dry and store a crop fast enough which could come in ■ Zjf- ' .V tV A < v' V< w* t * Men, a tractor, bin wagon, and pick-up truck are dwarfed by the huge combine. The tires alone attest to the fact that it is a giant. at a rate of 5000 to 6000 bushels per day, with just this machine alone,” he said. Showing me the “belly” of the combine, Richardson snaps a couple of clamps to the side and removes large panels. We’re looking at a longitudinal rotor which is reponsible for the threshing action. Its speed is ad justable on the go by means of an electric switch on the console. There are also grates, augers, and sieves. But no straw walkers. It’s a digestive tract which looks awesome. Considering the task combines of all brands and colors and sizes per form, they need an awesome “digestive system.” These machines swallow the crop whole, remove and store the grain in a matter of seconds and discharge the straw from the rear. No matter how often I see these giants in action, I’m always fascinated by them. It’s a beautiful part of Summer and life on the farm. Richardson’s harvesting machine is one of the bigger ones to be found in this area. Measuring 15 feet wide at the reel, and 12 feet across from outside edge to outside edge Three and a half year old Kelly Morris found a shady spot during an afternoon which saw the mercury soar to 96 degrees. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morris, New Park. , * * v* A *- v * <k i*< * > - 4 * *. * \ 2 i of the front tires, the com bine is a true king of the farm machinery kingdom. It stands 12 feet tall and is nearly 30 feet long. The front tires, size 24.5 by 32 inches, are mountd on 27-mch rims. The rear tires are also im pressive, being bigger than large truck tires. The engine of Richard son’s combine is mouted high m the rear of the machine. It is easily ac cessible by way of a fold down ladder and spacious upper deck. Richardson says he likes it because the location offers good balance, cool, operation, and con venient servicing. The rye field on the Robert Morris farm was reduced to a carpet of stubble with just a few trips around the field. “About the only thing some folks don’t like about the performance of this machine is the way it chops up the straw,” Richardson' ob served as we looked across the sun-bathed fields. It was a beautiful day and an enjoyable experience for anyone who relishes life on the farm. The sun burned down on our backs as we stood around to chat. Sweat i 'U'"} \ i \ Twice as high as a man, and 15 feet wide, the combine is undoQbtedly the mechanical giant on the farm. rolled down our faces, and we managed to get dirty even though we spent most of the time isolated in the cab. Then before we parted, someone came up with the best idea of the weekend. Ice tea served under the hot sun in the middle of a field. Man, that stuff hasn’t tasted that good in at least four years! * v * * ♦ N f so 4 % " ****** <■ » "•«: 'n. * <1 The task completed, it's time to discuss yields, conditions, and who will go for the ice tea. Left to right are Robert Morris, Charles Richardson, and Ken Zimmerman, all of Fawn Grove. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 29,1978 i * *♦ "' r ' \ .. -<*' - /: , - ; - A '/v 0, t "' 5- ’****'" ■& -*> * . V* * vv ■'-* - - 'it " ** <4 >' ' ?* 't. ■*’ * T?*r‘ ' 'KyC, *■ s«w.*r V s The new combines offer the operator a controlled, dust-free environment, electronic monitors , and easy handling ability. !t? 1 ' - >A t '< . * """*** tidk * %- A •>-• * H V% * '•« If 'f', 121 * 9 IS * *, v & f* V * v C/* * 5* **», i Jpr*sv i* *&) W:>
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers