the county of Rockbridge, State of Virginia,
United States. He made an experiment in cutting grain in the year 1816,
by a number of cylinders standing perpendicularly. Another experiment of
the same kind was made by my father in the harvest of 1831, which
satisfied my father to abandon it. Thereupon my attention was directed
to the subject, and the same harvest I invented and put in operation in
cutting late oats on the farm of John Steele, adjoining my father's,
those parts of my present Reaper called the platform, for receiving the
corn, a straight blade taking effect on the corn, supported by
stationary fingers over the edge, and a reel to gather the corn; which
last, however, I found had been used before, though not in the same
combination.

"Although these parts constituted the foundation of the present machine,
I found in practice innumerable difficulties, being limited also to a
few weeks each year, during the harvest, for experimenting, so that my
first patent for the Reaper was granted in June, 1834.

"During this interval, _I was often advised by my father and family to
abandon it, and pursue my regular business, as likely to be more
profitable, he having given me a farm_. [Italicised by C. H. McC.]

"No machines were sold until 1840, and I may say that they were not of
much practical value until the improvements of my second patent in 1845.

"These improvements consist in reversing the angle of the sickle teeth
alternately--the improved form of the fingers to hold up the corn,
etc.--an iron case to preserve the sickles from clogging--and a better
mode of separating the standing corn to be cut. Up to this period
nothing but loss of time and money resulted from my efforts. The sale
has since steadily increased, and is now more than a thousand
yearly."[2]

[2] "The sale has since steadily increased, and is now more than a
thousand yearly." This was written in 1851, and by a little
calculation, we can readily estimate the "yearly" profits. In the
Circuit Court of the United States, at Albany, in the suit brought
by C. H. McCormick against Seymour & Morgan, in 1850, for an
alleged infringement of patent, it was proved on the oath of O. H.
Dormon, his partner, and also on the oath of H. A. Blakesley,
their clerk, that these Reapers only cost $36 to $37 to
manufacture. By the same evidence, the sales averaged from $110 to
$120 each machine; leaving a