AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY. 433 



maciiines; all he has to do is to furnisli half the team, which is two span of 

 horses ; a haud to tlirow the bundles from the stack ; one to cut the bands and 

 place them on the thresher-table ; one to look after the chaff and straw, and 

 osie to haul off the grain to the bin. The owner of the machine furnishes the 

 driver, feeder, and one man to attend to the bagging and measuring. 



Farmers Avho have large barns generally OAvn a different style of machhie. 

 Tliese are called railway or tread powers, and are adapted to one, two, or tlii-ee 

 horses. Some of these have only separators attached, so as to separate the 

 f-traw from the chaff and grain. In this case the threshing progresses accord- 

 ing to the demand of the stock for the straw and chaff. Usually the machine 

 is run a fourth or half a day at a time, according to the capacity of the floor to 

 hold the straw. This mode of threshing, taking into view the value of the 

 straw and chaff for feed, is, perhaps, one of the most economical that Ave have. 

 The machine is cheap, and being always housed, will last a long time. We 

 know of one that has been in use fifteen years, and which has cost little more 

 tlian an occasional set of wooden treads or "lags," as they are called, and to 

 all appearance is not half worn out. Two hands will do very good work Avith 

 such a machine ; but to work it to its full capacity requires four hands. In 

 addition, the grain must be cleaned with a hand fanning mill. With this there 

 are two or three advantages : the Avork is done at a leisure time of the ye.ar, 

 and the stock have the full benefit of the straw and chaff; the aggregate cost 

 of threshing is below every other mode. 



To these horse-poAvers and threshers a winnoAver and straw-earner is sonie- 

 tlmes attached, to do field or out-door Avork ; aud some large farmers use them 

 for barn work. The farmer of two hundred acres, half of which he has in 

 small grain, and Avho has a barn, Avill find this kind of thresher very profitable. 

 I'he objection that formerly applied to these poAvers, in regard to the danger 

 of injuring the team Avhen the band runs off the driving pulley, is noAv obviated 

 by the iise of a patent brake that instantly stops the machine in such an CA'ent. 

 The machines are portable, and can be taken out to the Avood-shed or any 

 part of the farm, and are the most commonly used to saAv Avood for railroads 

 aud for domestic use. They are also used for runnisig hay or straAV cutters, 

 for threshing and cleaning cloA^er seed, grinding corn, and other farm uses. 

 They are among the most A'aluable and durable of farm machines ; but let no 

 man own one unless he has a barn or other convenient place to house it. This 

 remark also holds good for all farm machines and implements. The annual 

 loss on farm Avagons, machines, and implements by exposure to the Aveather, 

 would nearly pay the Avhole tax levied on the farms, both personal and real, in 

 the State. Three hundred dollar threshing machines, one hundred and fifty 

 dollar reapers, and ploughs innumerable, stand out to the sun, Avind, and rain. 

 As the wood of most of theise is of ash and pine, the deterioration is rapid. To 

 these add sleighs, wagons, and other farm implements, and the list Avill be 

 found enormous. In most cases the damage by rust and rotting is much 

 greater than by use. 



THE THRESHING OF CLOVER. 



The labor of threshing and cleaning clover is no small part of the cost of 

 this noAV indi,^pensable seed. In the first place, the heads are threshed from 

 the StraAV generally by treading Avith horses or oxen, aud then are put through 

 a clover-huller to clean the seed from the chaff. So tenacious is the chaff that 

 seven to ten bushels of clean seed a day is good work. This requires tAvo 

 horses and one man. Machines are noAV being used to thresh and clean the 

 w>ed at one operation, similar to that of other grain, by Avliich about one-half 

 the cost is saved. These machines cost about three hundred dollars. It is 

 probable that the same result will folloAv their introduction that has follo\v<;d 



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