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Clinton News-Record, 1983-08-31, Page 251 Itres ers IRS in1 pg more then moving apers from was raked in lind by men machine. tae the art of n has been - by the in- roduction of self -binding patents to 3, March 21, 121,290, 871, show a chment for er which a chines were continued in ment of the twine binders. The patent to M.I. Gor- man, No. 158,506, February 9,1875 was probably the first twine binder to operate successfully in the field, and was considered a pioneer invention by the court in a recent case of McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. vs. C. Aultman and Co. Almost all the twine binders built in the United States have been built under one of two patents - one to H.A. and W.M. Holmes, No. 210,533, December 1878, and the other to Appleby No. 212,420, February 1879. io enthusiasts at the Blyth Threshermen's (photo courtesy of Dan Hallahan) VME 'QUAL REUNION loth and llth an r� n on and own pme Cl andviS• ltorS home from collection Norman Cook of Belgrave not only shows his 1951 Ernst Thresher at the Blyth reunion, but has used it to harvest the grain at his farm for the past 30 years. (Rod Hilts photo) By Rod Hilts For Norman Cook, his threshing machine is more than just a show piece at the annual Thresherman's Reunion held September 9, 10 and 11 in Blyth: For the past 30 years, his 1951 Ernst thresher has been harvesting grain at his farm just north of Belgrave. In 1951, Norman's father, the late George Cook, pur- chased the thresher for approximately $2,000. Norman later purchased the machine at an auction sale for $125. "Some threshing machines have went for upwards of $2,000 at auc- tions. They averaged about $300 or $400 at sales. I got a good buy," Norman said. Norman vividly recalls when he was 14 years -old, helping his father thresh the fields near his present Belgrave farm. He said on a good day, his father and a crew 01 about eight men could thresh 30 acres of grain. "In this day and age farmers wouldn't think there was any advantage to threshing machines. They take a lot more manpower and less money to operate," Norman said. The process of threshing usually involved at least 12 men that made up "the gang." There was an engineer, the separator man, the tank man, four or five in the mow and at least two carrying boxes. It was customary ,for neighbors to helped out with the harvest. His threshing machine has harvested an average of 40 acres of grain a year since 1952. For the past 15 years, Norman has been actively involved in the Blyth Thresherman's reunion. He has seen the reunion's membership rise from 13 when it first began in 1961 to over 900 to date. This year marked the first nst ;; t time that his threshing machine didn't harvest 4ais grain crop. Instead he elected to hire a combine firm to come in and do the job. "It's very hard to say whether it (threshing machine) will ever turn a wheel again in the fields. It might and it might not. If I was going to use it again, it would definitely take a lot of work," Norman said. Time has definitely taken its toll on the threshing machine, but it's still m remarkably good condition considering the work its been through. Across his farm yard, Norman points out his "old Massey '44." He says the 1951 tractor, now almost immobilized, "has done a lot of threshing." He figures its days are limited. Wood powered According to Norman, the amount of wood that goes to waste on a farm could easily Page 5 e 1 power a steam thresher that could harvest a farmer's grain crop. Norman estimates that three full cords of wood powered the steam -thresher to do the entire crop. A few years ago, he bought a Red River Sa. tial, a thresher built in 1901, that made his Mount Forest made Ernst, "look like a baby." He says he bought the machine for the angle iron in it. Norman said that fires started by overheated equipment were common while using the threshers. He said on windy days, sparks coming off the machine often started field fires, but no more often than fires that occur with today's equip- ment. Year after year, Norman continues to participate in the Blyth Thresherman's Reunion. "If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't be there. It gets into your blood," Norman said with a smile. Art show depicts agricultural past The Ontario Agricultural Museum is pleased to an- nounce that the Zurbrigg Collection, one of the finest assemblages of folk art in Canada, is now open for public viewing. The Zur- brigg Collection contains more than 59 individual car- vings depicting the horse - powered vehicles and machinery of yesteryear. With an eye for detail and the skill of a craftsman. Knitting !needs Ladies' Wear Fabric Centre Join Us In Welcoming the Threshermen With our... September 9th, 10th and 11th "Check Our In -Store Specials" Our promise capable assistance - no pressure �are�� BLYTH Visa 523-4351 Welcome HOURS: OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK 9 a.m. - 8:15 p.m. Cecil Zurbrigg carved these models by hand from blocks of maple and scraps of leather discarded by a shoe factory. Mr. Zurbrigg, a farmer for many years in the Listowel area, possessed an intimate knowledge of these farm machines and succeed- ed in bringing both detail and local color to his carv- ings. The models include miniatures of a threshing machine, a stump puller, several sleighs, the Union bus, the Zurbrigg Bakery wagon, and a beautifully crafted replica of the McLaughlin Funeral Coach. For more than a decade Mr. Zurbrigg patiently work- ed on his carving hoping that some day they could be used to educate others about the horse -powered era in Canada. In February, 1983, he donated his collection to the Ontario Agricultural Museum. Two weeks later Mr. Zurbrigg passed away. The collection is now per- manently on display in the museum's exhibit hall. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until October 10 and is located eight km west of Milton south of Highway 401 on Townline. Admission is $2.50 for adults, students $1.50, children $1, seniors $1.25 and a family rate of $6. WELCOME THRESHERMEN REUNION VISITORS 1894 BAINTON X983 FACTORY OUTLET Visit the original OLD MILL in downtown Blyth and see why after 89 years Bainton's Old Mill is still famous as a factory outlet for wool and leather products. Store Hours: Monday to Saturday gam -9 pm Sunday I pm -9 pm P Threshermen's Special: "Work Socks"