384 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



to cut grain one rod, but would crumble like a thin plate of cast- 

 iron. No good scythe will retain a good edge for any reasonable 

 length of time if it is ground too thin. 



555. If a scythe is ground square across the basil, the serra- 

 ture will stand at a right angle with the cutting edge ; and a 

 workman win be obliged to exert more force when using it to 

 make it cut well. If the scythe is ground so that the scratches 

 on the basil and the serrature are made in the opposite direction 

 from those in the preceding figure, a scythe will not cut grass or 

 grain near as well as if made as shown in the figure. A work 

 man, when grinding a scythe, should avoid rolling and rocking a 

 scythe on the stone, because such a motion will make the surface 

 of the basil circular or convex, and the cutting edge will be very 

 blunt. Avoid also letting the grindstone catch the edge, as it 

 will round it off so much that a rifle or rubstone will not touch 

 the edge. 



556. Whetting scythes requires more judgment and skill than 

 to whet a razor. To whet a scythe correctly, set it up before 

 you on the small end of the snath, and move the rifle from heel 

 to point slowly and alternately on each side of the scythe, draw 

 ing the hand downwards as it is thrust forward, so as to make very 

 fine scratches on the basil, in the same direction of those which 

 are made by the grindstone. Stop the rifle suddenly and see if 

 you do not whet too rounding on one or both sides. No scythe 

 will cut well if it is whet too rounding or blunt. The idea is, to 

 hold the rifle in such a position that it will sharpen the cutting 

 edge, and lie fiat on ike basil when it is on either side of the scythe. 

 If a rifle is not held in a correct position, the more a laborer 

 whets his scythe the worse he makes it. Boys, and some men, 

 too, when whetting their scythes, will thwack away with all their 

 might, sometimes hitting the back of the scythe, and sometimes 

 making a very rounding stroke on the edge, and sometimes the 

 rifle will not touch the edge on either side, and sometimes a care 

 less stroke backwards will remove more good edge than can be 

 restored by whetting half an hour. 



557. More good scythes are spoiled and worn out, and rendered 



