362 



THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



his body, his rake is where he can take hold of it, with- 

 out stooping to pick it off the ground. 



A beginner may experience a little difficulty in keep- 

 ing the rake-handle against his shoulder, while he is 

 binding a gavel ; but, by exercising a little patience and 

 perseverance, a laborer will be able to work all day, and 

 not be required to stoop down and pick up his rake a 

 single time. When we have devised every possible 

 means to lighten the labor of raking and binding grain, 

 we find there is a great deal of hard work still to be 

 performed. 



When gavels are neatly made, and bound tight with 

 the band in the middle of the sheaf, as represented by 



the accompanying figure of 

 a sheaf of wheat, every 

 sheaf will stand alone, and 

 it will require the force of a 

 strong wind to blow sheaves 

 over. But when the band 

 is placed near the butts of 

 the straw, sheaves will often 

 need rebinding, before they 

 can be stored. Beginners 

 who are slack, poor binders, 

 can imitate this illustration 

 of a sheaf, until they are 

 able to make handsome 

 sheaves which will stand 

 erect without a boy to hold them when no wind blows. 

 The tuck of the band is shown, in this figure of a sheaf, 

 as well as it can be represented on paper. Beginners 

 should see that the ends of the band are thrust under 

 the band, so as to hold well. 





Fig. 



-A Sheaf neatly Bound. 



