First Harvest of Saskatchewan Grain by Combine - Saskatchewan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

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First Harvest of Saskatchewan Grain by Combine

In 1910, the first harvest of Saskatchewan grain by combine was completed near this spot using a Holt Combine Harvester and Thresher imported from California by the enterprising partnership of Harry Edmonds and Colin Shand. Although far different from modern harvesting practices, that event represented a significant step towards mechanization of Western farming.

The first combines, built in the United States during the 1850's, were basically reaper, thresher and fanning mill in one. Used on standing ripened crops, they completed the entire harvesting process in one coverage of the field. In the 1870's combines were successfully introduced into the warm dry climate of California. That state became the headquarters for their production and distribution during the 1880's, and with improvements the combines gradually made its way into the more variable climate of the mid-West.

Measuring 30 ft x 42 ft and capable of cutting a 20 foot swath, the Standard Level Land Machine used by Edmonds and Shand was pulled by a 30-60 hp Hart-Parr gasoline tractor. A wagon hitched to the rear collected the grain as it was threshed. Power to the drive the combine was supplied through huge ground wheels and, as in many other giants of the day, the bulk of the implement was made up of gears and chains necessary to transmit power to other moving parts. Considering the size and complexity of the machine, it is not surprising that a full day was required to make the the first round of the field.

One shortcoming of machine was its failure to eliminate weed seeds. In their last year of farming, Edmonds and Shand lost 4 carloads of grain that had been heated and spoiled by green seeds.

Acceptance of the combine was slow on the prairies. Its advantages were savings in time and labour, but moist unpredictable climate posed a serious problem. Since wheat seldom ripened evenly, the early harvested crops usually contained green seeds and late harvested crops usually had already begun to shell out in the field. However, during the First World War, the manpower shortages necessitated greater dependence on machines, a trend which continued after the war when farmers, faced with increased wages and lower prices for grain, turned towards increased use of the combine.

In 1924 there were 6 combines in the province. By 1928 the number had jumped to 4,341. With the development of the swather and pick-up attachment during the 1930's, the combine became for the first time, truly practical. Today, there are tens of thousands of these machines employed in the annual harvest of Saskatchewan's bountiful grain crops.

Marker type: Print on Boards Marker placement date: Not listed

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