A mechanized harvesting machine, particularly suitable for picking or harvesting vegetables such a peppers or tomatoes employs a harvesting member having a rotating shaft aligned transversely to the direction of movement of the machine above the row of plants which are to be harvested. First and second picking members are mounted in spaced relationship on the shaft on opposite sides of a row of plants having a crop to be harvested. The picking members are simultaneously rotated, and each have a plurality of arcuate picking elements on them. The picking elements extend into the space between the two picking members, and operate to strip the crop from the plants while leaving the plants in a relatively undisturbed condition after they have been picked. A flat platform or guide is located beneath the picking members on each side of the row of plants to be picked, and high-pressure air is directed over this platform to move harvested crops from beneath the picking members to a location at the rear of the harvesting member, from which the crops are removed by means of a conveyor.
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