Cultivation of Arable Land. Cutting and Harvefting Grain Crops. 285 



woman and boy, the latter of whom prepares the bands, while the former, with a 

 long-toothed wooden rake having a fhort handle, collects the cut grain into parcels 

 about the fize of {heaves, depoiiting them in a quick eafy manner in the bands, 

 without flooping or touching them with her hands. The mower having proceeded 

 to the end of the fwathe, binds them up as he returns, placing them either upon 

 their root ends, or fetting them intoftooks; and in the mean time the ftubble is raked 

 over by the woman in fo clean a manner that fcarcely a flem is left ; this is per 

 formed with much eafe and expedition where the land has been well harrowed over 

 and rolled at the time the crop was put in. 



A reaping fork is fometimes made ulp of for collecting it into {heaves. This is 

 conflructed with two prongs below, fomewhat in the manner of the common hay 

 fork, to which are added at the upper part two upright prongs, by means of which 

 the grain is removed from the fwathe and collected into fheaves, the lower prongs 

 railing it up, while the upper ones prevent its falling backwards, and determine the 

 quantity which is proper for the fheaf. By this fimple contrivance the grain may 

 be gathered more regularly and much more expeditioufly into fheaves than by mere 

 hand labour* After the grain is become perfectly dry by expoling it to the fun 

 and wind in the manner defcribed above, it is put into the flack. 



This method of cutting and harvefling grain would appear to be better than that 

 of reaping, as being much more expeditious, and confequently reducing the num 

 ber of labourers that would otherwife be necefTary, and which in many fituations 

 are difficult to be procured. 



The neateft harveit work is, however, made by the fickle, and it is probably the 

 beft method where a fufficient number of hands can be procured. The fickle with 

 teeth fhould be employed in preference to the reaping-hook with a cutting blade 

 which is ufcd in fome places, as it is a much more expeditious and convenient 

 tool, and performs the bufinefs in a much better manner. 



Where the corn crops are cut by the fcyihe, and fecured without being bound up 

 into fheaves, the fwathes are in fome cafes repeatedly turned over till they become 

 fufficiendy dry to be put into the (lack ; but in others, after being a little dried in 

 the fwathes, they are formed into a fort of heaps, or cocks, in which they remain till 

 they are ready to be carried into the barn or the flack-yard. As foon as they have 

 attained this Hate, they are conveyed as quickly as poffible to the barn, or flack, a 

 number of labourers being employed to rake over the ground. The method of 

 harvefting grain crops in this cafe has much fimilarity to that purfued in the hay 

 harvefl. It is, however, a fljovenly wafleful practice, which does not by any means 

 deferve encouragement, as there mufl conflamly be great hazard of fecuring the 

 produce when the feafon is not favourable.. Beans are always either reaped or pulled, 



