54 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



ket, in a comparatively fliort time, and the opportunity 

 of employing men and horfes under cover in bad wea- 

 ther. The expenfe of one of thefe machines, (fuch as 

 are mentioned above) is nearly ioo/. the intereft of 

 which would pay for the threfliing of one hundred 

 and twenty boles of oats, of ten buftiels each, at one 

 {hilling per bole, which is the ufual price ; to which, 

 if the actual expenfe of the operation by the machine, 

 and the wear and tare of it are added, it will not be 

 found to anfwer, except on larger farms than are to be 

 met with in this country j but I underftand they are 

 now made in Scotland of various dimenfions, and 

 adapted to the fze of every farm. In many fituations 

 a great improvement might be made by having them 

 moved by water, which would fave a great confump- 

 tion of horfes, on whom the labour is very fevere. A 

 convenient ftraw houfe ought always to accompany a 

 threfliing machine, to prevent the fodder from being 

 fpoiled j which even expofure to the air renders lefs 

 gratefultq cattle. 



Fans for winnowing are in general ufe, fome with 

 fmgle, others with dbuble blafts ; but, to clean grain 

 completely, the boards for feparating {he ftrong from 

 the weak grain fhould be moveable on a pivot, to en- 

 large or contract the fpace, through which the grain 

 falls, according to the degree of cleannefs, that is 

 intended ; one at Mr. Chrifty's, on this conjunction, 

 feparates the grain as effectually as the barn floor, or 



winnowing 



