1803. ihi Thrashing Machines. rOt 



deiu, machines cannot be used with advantage, and seldom 

 will they niike a gresiter return than is gained from the tiuil 

 under the circumstances above alluded to. 



Perhaps upoii every f^rm where six or more horses arc re*, 

 gularly employed in field labour, machines may be advan- 

 tageously used. The quantity of grain raised in such si- 

 tuations becomes an object of importance, suTicient to induce 

 the occupier to erect a machine of considerable powers. In 

 fact, the difference of expence lies all in the original out- 

 lay, wliich in few cases can exceed forty or fifty pouiids, and 

 is soon reimbursed by the after savings. I believe that eve- 

 ry person, really coiu^ersant v.ith thrashing machine work, en- 

 tertains ideas of a sim.ilar kind ; for small machines seem to be 

 sought after only in those districts where machinery has been 

 recently introduced, and are soon given up in favour of more 

 powerful implements : even Cotterel's gigs got footing in 

 East Lothian at an early st?.ge, though it is not consistent 

 with my knowledge that one of them now remains. 



The most useful and thrifty machines are those that require 

 a complete set of hands to work them, where none are idle^ 

 but all properly occupied, and so arranged as to carry on the 

 work regularly. The feeder being the most expensive of the 

 whole, it is a primary object to have the cylinder of sufficient 

 length to match the compass of his atms ; in general cases, 

 feur feet and an half is the size adopted, few men being capa- 

 ble of spreading the unthrashed com over a bdard of greater 

 bounds, especially if the straw is short. The other hands re- 

 quired are two w^omen to riddle the grain, and take charge of 

 the fanners ; two boys to open the sheaves and hand them toi 

 the feeder ; two men to remove the straw, and one to drive 

 the horses : These I call a complete set of hands. If the work 

 is such as to require fewer, a loss is sustained in some shape 

 or other, and seldom is a greater number necessary to manage 

 tlie seyeral departments. 



I must confess I felt surprise at yout correspondent speak- 

 ing so much concerning hand machines, as every attempt of that? 

 nature has altogether failed. One of my friends in England 

 believed tiiat he had hit upon a proper plan for a hand ma- 

 thine, and in 1795 actually took out a patent for the invention. 

 He was, however, soon convinced that he had committed aa 

 act of folly, and after being a round sum out of pccket, fairly 

 acknowledged his error. In truth, no hand machine is ade- 

 quate to the arduous task of separating corn from the straw * 

 If a horse power is substituted, I do not entertain a doubt buC 

 tkat thrashing B^aj be executed ; though, ©n the other hand^ 



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