350 THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



GRINDING CRADLE SCYTHES. 



" Now, -while he brushes the dew from the clover, 

 Lay the dull scythe to the steel-gnawing atone ; 

 Turn with a will, boys, over and over; 

 Now the edge wires and the grinding ia done." 



BURLEIGII. 



In my Young Farmer's Manual, the reader will find 

 a diagram of a scythe, with more extended remarks 

 about putting a scythe in order, than I shall pen in this 

 place. There, the philosophical reasons are given for 

 grinding a scythe, as directed. But I will simply cau- 

 tion beginners, as well as some old heads, who think 

 what they don't know is not worth the trouble of learn- 

 ing, not to spoil an excellent cradle scythe by grinding 

 the blade too thin. A large proportion of the cradle 

 scythes that are condemned as poor stuff, or as having 

 a poor temper, were ruined by grinding them too thin. 

 Scythes are often ground and ground to death, by men 

 who don't know how to put a jack-knife in order. 

 Then, because the cutting edge fails, after the blade has 

 .been ground so thin that there is not steel enough to 

 give proper stiffness to the basil of the scythe, the tool 

 is condemned. Do not spoil scythes by grinding. 



How TO CRADLE GRAIN. 



" All strike as one, with a symphonant cadence ; 



All step at once, with a measured advance ; 

 Bowing together the brawny arm's aidance, 

 In the slow awing of the shoulders' expanse." 



BTTBLEIGH. 



A gang of skilful cradlers, rakers, and binders, such 

 as we used to see before the horse-harvesters took the 

 place of the cradle, is a pleasant and cheering sight. 



