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Samuelson's Eclipse Reaper and Binder
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A trial of Samuelson and Co., Eclipse reaper and binder took place on Spylaw in April 1884. Several local farmers turned up to see the machine in action, which worked in the morning and afternoon on an irregular crop. Those present were impressed by the strong construction and yet light draught with excellent workmanship of the machine, especially the ease at which maintenance could be carried out such as access for oiling and repairing if necessary. The stubble could be regulated to a length of two inches with the knife having two speeds and the demonstration showed regular sheaves in size, shape and well separated. The operator controlled everything from the drivers seat and like other reapers the sickle was driven from a disc in the front with the knife bar being easily removed without removal of adjacent parts.
Bernhard Samuelson attended the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London between May and October 1851 where Cyrus McCormick and Obed Hussey displayed two American reaping machines. That year Samuelson, with a license, commenced manufacturing McCormack reapers. The machines, whilst gaining popularity were not widely used until after 1860. Bell reapers were a better machine for cutting and cost �40, whereas McCormack and Hussey's were only �20 each and had lighter draught.
James Gardner, inventor of the Banbury Turnip Cutter passed away and in 1849 with the help of banker, Timothy Cobb, Samuelson purchased the Britannia Works, Banbury, Oxfordshire. The McCormack reaper and Banbury Turnip Cutter were the machines to assist growth and expansion for the company employing 27 in 1849 to 400 by 1865. Over 18,000 machines were produced per annum in 1861, of which 5,000 were cutters. The reapers and sowers won prizes at exhibitions all over the world including New Zealand in 1877.
The above notes are part of my book West Otago - 150 Years, Farming and Families. If you would like to read more about Spylaw or agricultural implements, the book will be available towards the end of 2008. You can contribute and have your family included in the book if they lived or worked in West Otago.
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