Abstract: A crop harvester includes: a rotatable auger tube having a gathering section; flighting disposed in a spiral pattern on the outer surface of the gathering section so that, when the auger tube is rotated, the flighting moves material within a perimeter of the flighting laterally and creates a neutral zone behind the flighting that is generally free of material; and gathering fingers disposed in the neutral zone that, when the auger tube is rotated, extend beyond the perimeter of the flighting to gather the material, tuck the material toward the auger tube, and then retract within the perimeter of the flighting.