754 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



length of the straw, than so thick as to require two lengths to be joined for bands. The 

 sheaves are set up in shocks or stooks, each containing in all twelve, or if the straw be long, 

 fourteen sheaves. In the latter case, two rows of six sheaves are made to stand in such a 

 manner as to be in contact at the top, though in order to admit the circulation of air they 

 are placed at some distance below -. along this line, two sheaves more are placed as a cover- 

 ing, the corn end of both being towards the extremities of the line. In a few days of good 

 weather the crop is ready for the barn or stack-yard. In the stack-yard it is built either 

 in oblong or circular stacks, sometimes on frames supported with pillars to prevent the 

 access of vermin, and to secure the bottom from dampness ; and as soon afterwards as 

 possible the stacks are neatly thatched. When the harvest weather is so wet as to render 

 it difficult to prevent the stacks from heating, it has been the practice to make funnels 

 through them, a large one in a central and perpendicular direction, and small lateral ones 

 to communicate with it. In the best cultivated counties the use of large barns for holding 

 the crop is disapproved of, not only on account of the expense, but because corn keeps 

 better, or is less exposed to damage of any kind in a well-built stack. 



4638. The threshing of wheat, before machines for that purpose were introduced, was 

 an arduous and difficult task. The expense was very considerable, whilst the severity of 

 the labor almost exceeded the power of the strongest man, especially in unfavorable 

 seasons, when the grain adhered pertinaciously to the ear, and could not, without difficul- 

 ty, be completely loosened and removed. In such seasons, expense was the smallest 

 consideration which influenced the husbandman ; it was the quantity of grain unavoid- 

 ably lost which occupied his attention ; and, as it appeared difficult to find out a remedy, 

 most people considered it as an evil which could scarcely be avoided. In short, the loss 

 was great in almost every case, but greater with wheat than any other grain. Every 

 thing of this nature, however, may be prevented, now that threshing machines are 

 introduced, provided the feeder is careful, and proportions the quantity on the board to 

 the strength of the impelling power. "Wheat, in fact, is now the cleanest threshed grain ; 

 because the length of the straw allows it to be properly beat out before it passes the 

 machine, which sometimes is not the case with short oats and barley. If horses are used 

 as the impelling power, thin feeding is necessarjs otherwise the animals may be injured ; 

 but where wind or water is employed, the business of threshing is executed speedily, 

 completely, and economically. (Brown.) 



4639. In performing the operation one man feeds the grain in tlie straw into the machine, and is assisted 

 by two half-grown lads, or young women, one of whom pitches or carries the sheaves from the boy close to 

 the threshing-stage, while the other opens the bands of every sheaf, and lays the sheaves successively on 

 a small table close by the feeder, who spreads them evenly on the feeding stage, that they may be drawn 

 in successively by the fluted rollers, to undergo the operation of threshing. In the opposite end of the 

 barn or straw-house, into which the rakes or shakers deliver the clean threshed straw, one man forks up 

 the straw from the floor to the straw-mow, and two lads, or young women, build it and tread it down. In 

 a threshing-machine, worked by water or wind, this is the whole expense of hand labor in the threshing 

 part of the operation, and as a powerful machine can easily thresh from two to three hundred bushels of 

 grain in a working day of nine hours, the expense is exceedingly small indeed. Assuming two hundred 



and fifty bushels as an average of the work of these people for one day, and their wages to.be nine shillings, 



xpense does not amount to one halfpenny for each 



grain threshed to one hundred and fifty bushels, the easy work of a good machine of inferior size and 



the expense does not amount to one halfpenny for each bushel of grain. Even reducing the quantity of 



power, the expense does not exceed three farthings the bushel. But the whole of this must not be 

 charged against the threshing only, the grain being half dressed at the same time, by passing through one 

 winnowing-machine, which is always attached to a complete threshing-mill ; and where a second can be 

 conveniently connected with it, as is commonly the case if the mill be of considerable power, the corn 

 comes down nearly ready for market. So that the threshing, dressing, and building of the straw, with the 

 use of a powerful water-mill, will scarcely cost more than dressing alone when the flail is employed ; after 

 every reasonable allowance for the interest of money, and the tear and wear of the machine. 



4640. When grain is threshed with a machine worked hy horses, the expense is necessarily and consider- 

 ably enhanced. One capable of effecting the larger quantity of work, already calculated on, will require 

 eight good horses, and a man to drive them, who may perhaps require the aid of a boy. The value of 

 the work of eight horses for a day cannot be less than forty shillings, and the wages of the driver may be 

 called two shillings and sixpence. Hence the total expense of threshing two hundred and fifty bushels 

 will amount to 2/. 2.9. 6d. ; or about two-pence per bushel, when the wages of the attendants are added ; 

 still leaving a considerable difference in favor of threshing by the machine, in preference to the flail. 

 AVere it even ascertained that the expense of threshing by horses and by the flail is nearly the same, 

 horse-mills are to be recommended on other accounts ; such as better threshing, expedition, little risk of 

 pilfering, &c. 



4641. The produce ofioheat must of course vary according to the soil, climate, cul- 

 ture, and kind grown. Professor Thaer says, that in general it gives double the v/eight 

 of straw that it does of grain ; on elevated grounds something less; and on low grounds 

 something more. An acre, therefore, which produces four quarters of wheat, weighing 

 sixty-one pounds per bushel, ought to produce about 177^ cwt. of straw ; two load, or 

 22 cwt., however, is only reckoned a tolerable crop in this country. The yield of grain 

 in some seasons has been under twenty ; while in others it is upwards of thirty bushels 

 the acre, the soil and culture being in every respect the same. The average produce 

 of Britain has been estimated at three, three and a half, and four quarters ; and one of 

 the largest crops ever heard of, at ten quarters, and the least at one and a half quarter. 

 The proportion which the corn bears to the straw, in Middlesex, is eleven and a half 

 bushels to a load of thirty-six truss of thirty-six pounds each, or eleven and a half cwt.. 



