THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 353 



rake, feet, legs, and hands aid him in his labor. He 

 must not make any false motions, nor work like a man 

 beating the air. Every motion must be easy and effect- 

 ive. Why will a small, light man frequently rake and 

 bind as fast as two large, heavy men ? Because he knows 

 how to do it ; while the others alluded to are awkward, 

 and labor to a disadvantage. It used to be a common 

 occurrence to see a small man raking and binding in 

 heavy wheat, and keeping up close to a good cradler. 

 I have frequently heard my father tell of his ambition 

 and skill in raking and binding wheat after a good 

 cradler, when the country was new, and the wheat was 

 as high as their heads over the entire fields ; and that 

 often, when on a strife — as cradlers were accustomed to 

 " race it " in those days — he said he has raked and 

 bound the swath alone, and took the last clip off the 

 cradle, as he closed up every sheaf. And it is not in- 

 credible ; for, when I was a lad, it was an unusual 

 occurrence for two hands to follow one cradler. Some- 

 times a boy would be employed to rake the swath into 

 gavels,, for another boy or man to bind. 



I well remember, when I was fourteen years old, as it 

 was considered too hard work for a boy like me to rake 

 and bind, and keep up with a man who cradled wheat, 

 that another boy was hired to assist me. He was to 

 rake the gavels and I to bind. But he was so unac- 

 countably awkward, and made such miserable work at 

 raking, that I refused to have his assistance, as both of 

 us could not keep up with the cradler. He made such 

 ill-shapen gavels, that I was required to spend more 

 time in straightening up the gavels than I would occupy 

 in raking them myself. Therefore, I performed the 

 task alone, in good wheat ; have often done it since ; 



