The reaper-binder was the most innovative machine to come to farming before the tractor 🚜 This complex machine, which both cut and tied the sheaves of corn, was invented in 1872 by a jeweller named Charles Baxter Withington. His design tied the sheaves with wire, which farmers did not appreciate.👨‍🌾 The name most associated with the binder is Cyrus McCormick. McCormick invented the mechanical reaper in 1834. His reaper cut the grain stalks but did not tie them. The name McCormick is synonymou