364 THE WHEAT CULTUKIST. 



and turns the crank with the other. The person who 

 lets the straw and hay out, should be seated on the floor, 

 with a lapful before him. The twister walks backward, 

 away from the layer, as the length of the band increases. 

 The operation is similar to making ropes. The straw 

 or hay should be wetted before it is twisted into bands, 

 as the straws will not be so elastic as when dry. When 

 wet, the straws will be very pliable ; and a very smooth 

 band can be made fifty feet long in two minutes, if a 

 person can lay out the straw skilfully. 



Make each band about fifty feet long ; lay it down on 

 the ground ; let it dry one or two days ; then, with a 

 sharp axe, cut the long bands or ropes into pieces of 

 suitable length for binding sheaves. The pieces may be 

 four, five, six, or more feet in length. The desired size 

 of the bundles must determine the length of the bands. 

 After the long hay ropes have become dry, the bands 

 will not untwist when sheaves are being bound. 



To make such a straw-band maker, procure a piece 

 of half-inch round iron, twenty inches long. Make a 

 -crank on one end and a hook on the other. Any black- 

 smith will do the work for a dime. The circle of the 

 hook should be about two inches in diameter, formed -as 

 herewith illustrated. The length of the crank should 

 not be over six inches. If the crank be too long, the 

 twister will find it far more fatiguing to his arms than 

 if the crank were short. 



For a handle, bore a hole through a piece of straight- 

 grained hard wood, shave it true and smooth, split it in 

 two, through the hole, place it on the shank of the 

 twister, and glue the edges together. Put a handle also 

 on the wrist-pin. Persons who have never made bands 

 with such a device, will be surprised to learn how won- 



