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This was an essay that i wrote for my AG paper on why combines should be saved and not scrapped. Hope this helps. The Combine Tristan D. Swartz
The combine is one of the most remarkable machines invented by man. It cuts, threshes and cleans the grain, all in one operation, while moving, which means it's one of the greatest, if the greatest, milestones in American agriculture. The farmer who spent many a hot hour on the binder, then pitched the bundles into a thresher, greeted this machine with open arms and treasured this machine and all of its glory. He washed, cleaned and kept in a shed, his dream machine to keep it preserved for years to come. Then, when the time came to either go newer, or stop farming, the machine was placed in the far corner of the barn to rest in payment for all the years of reliable service. Some people now take these old machines out of retirement to rebuild, repaint and then show these giants to the younger generations and to also rekindle the memories of a fine machine to the old timers. To this small group of people, I salute you. Now, for every good action, there is one bad; the group of people who take these old wonders and tear them apart, destroying years of dependable service for a few minutes of "fun." To me, this is not only an example of pure ingratitude, but also a slap in the face, to the farmer who worked so hard just to be able ot afford such a fine machine. The true American family farmer, such as the first generation to own combines, is long gone, and sad to say, it will not be back. Instead it is replaced by corporate farms. The only thing to remember these American heroes, is by the memories and the machines they left behind. Combines are more than mere machines. They are standing monuments to the American farmer. I will leave you with one final thought: For those who think it's fun to demolish old combines, then I ask you to harvest for one day, crops with a binder, gather the shocks, then pitch these bundles into a thresher. The next day, go harvest those crops with an old combine. By doing that, I will that your outlooks and definition of "fun" will change. Hopefully, a new respect for old combines will be found. Combines are much more than a complex unit of steel and mechanics. They are a gateway to the struggles and accomplishments of farmers of the later days.
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