126 



haps it is an excellent school to fill the whole corn-field 

 with good reapers or shearers *. 



In order to train up reapers or shearers, an intelligent 

 farmer, Mr Mitchell of Balquhain, puts four or five, ac- 

 cording to their ability, on a separate ridge, and gives 

 them, as an awkward squad, a sum in proportion to three 

 on a common ridge. 



Attentive farmers take special care to cut the crop 

 very low ; for by high cutting, besides the unavoidable 

 waste, a great deal of manure is lost. By attending 

 to this, and converting the straw into dung at a proper 

 season, a sufficient quantity may be procured, to raise 

 good crops of turnips, the greatest part x>f which being 

 eat up on the ground by sheep, ensures a succession of 

 good crops of grain till it falls again to be turnips. 



1. Grain is now uniformly carried in by single horse, 

 or two horse carts, to which limbers, shafts, or frames, 

 are fixed, in order that the cart may convey a greater 

 quantity of grain at a time. Carts in this way will ea- 

 sily carry at once from ten to twenty threaves, according 

 to the siz of the sheaves. In a note will be found the 



* Communication from George Paterson, Esq; of Castle- 

 Hvmtly. Another respectable correspondent from that dis- 

 trict observes, that the growing crops of corn are now cut 

 down by the threave. The wheat-th reave consists of twen- 

 ty-eight sheaves, each sheaf measuring thirty-six inches in 

 girth, at the band ; for cutting and binding of which, is paid 

 in his neighbourhood 6 d. per threare. The barley, oats, 

 and pease, or bean thrcave, consists of twenty-four sheaves, 

 cf thirty inches girth, for cutting and binding of which is 

 paid 4 d. each threave. These dimensions of the sheaves arc 

 varied, according to the fancy of the fanner, and the price is 

 cither more or less, according as the size of the sheaf is in- 

 creased or diminished. Hence what may cost 6d. and 4d. in 

 one part of the district, may be charged only 4 d. and 3 d. in 

 another. 



