Twice A Week Plain Dealer

AMERICAN THRASHERS IN INDIA.
May Supersede Antiquated Oxen Method of Separating Wheat.
Washington. -Wheat from India, which is shipped to England in large quantities, in competition with American wheat, is still thrashed by the primeval method of letting oxen tread upon it on the floor; and conditions of the grain and implement of trade in the Indian empire have recently been made the subject of interesting investigations by American consuls and agents of the state department.
It is claimed that the greater part --in fact, almost all--of the crop of 311,900,000 bushels harvested in India last year was thrashed by this ungainly, expensive and dirty method. The result is a quality of grain which is the cause of great complaint among millers of other countries, and extraordinary efforts are being made at the present time to induce the use of thrashing machines in India.
It is believed that American thrashing machines will ultimately handle most of the crop of India. Experiments have been made during the last year, and, although working under adverse conditions, a thrasher built particularly for use in India and costing $1,500 laid down at Calcutta demonstrated that a great saving could be effected by mechanical thrashing of the grain.
This thrasher turned out 87,760 pounds of grain, while three pairs of bullocks treaded out only 3,000 pounds. The average cost per 80 pounds, by thrashed method, was less than five cents; while the cost per 80 pounds when thrashed by the oxen was 11 cents.
Consul General W. H. Michael of Calcutta declared that the horsepower thrasher built in America is the one which will ultimately capture the Indian market, as the steam thrasher is not adapted to conditions in India.