IMPROYED REAPINGH^OKi' |yj 



«ase than £he sickle, whicb perhaps deed ti tits fdr \U now 

 being so ^^neral, nothing else being used for cutting vrhedt 

 in the following counties:— Cornwall, D^von* Dorset, So- 

 merset, Monmouth, South- Wales, Hereford/Wilts, Hant^ 

 B^rksihire, and part of the adjoining counties; it is also 

 much used in Norfolk and Lincolnshire, also Northumber* 

 lapd, Westmoreland, and South of Scotland. It has lately 

 been introduced into the North of Ireland by Irishmen who _^ 



have laboured in Scotland, likewise into the Indies for ^ 



cutting rice. 



The badging-hook is used about London, and in the Use of ihe 

 A\^e8t of England, its work is performed by the man holding badgin^hook, 

 the hook in his right-hand, and while, with the left, he re- 

 clines the stems intended, to be cut upon the standing corn, 

 which supports it when cut, he repeats hid cutting from his 

 right to his left hand, and collects it from his left to his right, 

 which is almost a sheaf. 



Badging is an expeditious mode of reaping; the corn is This prefeni* 

 cut very lov/ as if mown, Snd answers where straw is vala- ^^^ ^® ^^ 

 abl^. It may be said, that badging produces more manure, 

 from the greater quantity of straw collected ; but in stiff 

 clay lands a longer stubble is perhaps necessary to be left, 

 to render the land lighter for the following crop. The 

 badging-hook is ald(^ used for cutting oats in Lincolnshire * 

 and Statibrdshire, aild where labourers can be procured, is 

 preferable to the sithe, being expeditious in its work, and 

 less loss attending its use, the corn is gathered in straight 

 regular order, which i^ not the case with the sithe ; for the 

 sithe requires at least two persons to follow it to bind the 

 corn in sheaves, besides raking theJ stubble. The corn 

 after the sithe lies in very irregular orSer, and holds more 

 moisture in wet weather j Ibesides, the sithe is^destructive to 

 the ripe corn, for its heavy stroke strips from the entangled 

 stems the best and ripest grain. 



The labourer seldom considers the interest of his employer, 

 but generally uses such a tool as will do the work with most 

 eas^ to himself. 



I oflfer my improved reap-hook to the public, with a view improTed 

 to prevent the loss of ^ain, and at the same time to be u^ed reapingho»k. 

 with ease by the laboured It has a ^mooffi edge like the 



r^ap-hook 



