WHEAT CULTURE. 



297 



Now build three more layers of the roof. Before placing the first row in 

 position, press the heads of the thatching sheaves down upon the stack and 

 bind them in. (See Fig. 7.) When these three layers have been built, put 

 on another row of roofing or thatching sheaves, butts downwards, just 

 covering the bands of the first layer, and resting the heads over the stack 

 as before. Proceed in this way, working both sides together, until the ridge 

 i« reached. It will be seen that only the butts of the thatching sheaves are 

 exposed. 



Always use well-bound sheaves for covering, the stack in this way, as these 



are the ones which have to stand the 

 weather. It is well to ask the carter 

 for a good load to top the stack. 



Fig. 8.— 



Binding the second 



top rows of the 



root. 



the top from spreading. 



The ridge requires binding together, 

 and the method of doing this is shown in 

 Fig. 8. The second top layer will consist 

 of two rows of sheaves lying side by side, 

 as A and B. Take a handful of straws 

 from both sides of the band of sheaf A 

 and stick it into the band of sheaf B. 

 Repeat this right along the top. It keeps 

 Then the ridge C, the last row of sheaves, is put 



Fig. 9.— Capping the ridge. 



on, and the stack is capped 



The last two rows of roofing 

 sheaves, coming up the roof one 

 on each side, are placed butts 

 downwards like the rest, so that 

 the heads meet on the top over 

 the ridge. These are shown as 

 A and B in Fig. 9. On top of 

 these place two more sheaves, C 

 and D, butts upwards, to act as 

 a cap. Take a handful of straw 

 from each side of the band of 

 each sheaf, roll them tightly, and 

 twist the two together, turn the 

 twist underneath, and push it hard into the end of the stack. 



The capping sheaves, butts upwards, are carried along 

 the ridge on both sides. To bind the capping sheaves along 

 the ridge, take a handful from sheaf B (Fig. 10), break it 

 back at the band, and stick it into the band of sheaf A 

 from the top. Continue this along the ridge on both sides ; 

 it pulls the sheaves together and makes the cap fast. 



As a further precaution to protect the stack from the 

 wind, stick a peg into the second capping sheaf from the 

 end in a direction sloping in towards the stack. Draw a 

 string from this peg over the first sheaf, and tie it to a 

 peg stuck in the end of the stack. 



Fig. 10.— Binding 



the capping 



sheaves. 



