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FARMERS' REGISTER— HARVEST LABORS IN BRITAIN. 



ty of attending to the diflerence of the chamfers 

 on tlie ujjper and under edges ol the blade, and 

 through this ignorance, they move the hone or the 

 whetstone both up and down the blade, thereby 

 counteracting with one stroke the good eflects ol 

 the previous one. The hone, if kept dry, will al- 

 waj's preserv'e a keen edge on the scythe, with the 

 assistance of the whetstone once or twice a-day. 

 It is great Avork to cut constantly a width ol' 

 seven feet and a-hallj and from ten inches to one 

 foot in breadth at every stroke. We have often 

 observed a particular man, however, cut eight 

 lest in width and fifteen inches broad at every 

 stroke with apparent ease, and this without any 

 stimulus, and without even knowing that we were 

 watching his labors. He Avas by no means a 

 powerlul man at anj', but very dexterous at every 

 kind of ficld-lalwr, and he was a striking example 

 of the superiority of science over physical strength. 

 He was desirous of working with a scythe, at least 

 four and a half feet in length. 



The rake attached to the scythe requires a posi- 

 tion diii'ering with the nature of the crop. When 

 the crop is an average one, it should be placed in 

 a line with the back of the blade of the scythe; 

 when a strong one it should be kept within the 

 blade, and when a thin one it should be projected 

 a little beyond the blade. These necessary 

 changes in the position of the rake for collecting 

 the severed corn in a proper manner, will explain 

 the reason why its stem should not be fastened 

 with a nail into its socket. The momentum ac- 

 quired by the scythe carries round the dissevered 

 corn, and the cord which stretches from the rake 

 to the sncd directs the fall of the corn into the 

 swath. The straws of the corn should be parallel 

 to one another in the swath, and the direction oJ' 

 the swath should be at right angles to the line of 

 motion of the mowers. 



The corn from the swath must be carefully 

 placed into the bands, and if any of the straw is 

 by accident disarranged by the scythe, it should 

 be adjusted. The taker-up must also be careful 

 in placing the bundles of corn sijuare u])on the 

 bands, so that the sheaves would be balanced 

 when lied. Inattention to this necessary arrange- 

 ment may not only cause much hinderance to the 

 bandster in its adjustment, but trouble to the j)er- 

 son who forks the sheaves into the carts which 

 convey them to the stack-yard. In the act of 

 lifting a sheaf with the fork, the most advanta- 

 geous hold Ls obtained of it at the band or tyino-, 

 and if that is not so placed as to balance the sheaf 

 when lilted, the forker has little command over 

 his object. Each taker-up may make bands to 

 herself from the loose corn as they are required 

 for the bundles; but as this oj)erpition would be 

 rather too tedious at that time, it is advisable for 

 the takers-up and the bandsters together to make 

 a sufficient number of bands from the loose corn 

 when the mowers are sharpening their scythes, 

 and lay them down regidarly near the side of 

 the standing corn to be next cut, within reach 

 of the foremost taker-up, who can easily hand 

 over every other band to the taker-up behind 

 her. With a good crop the mowers will keep the 

 takers-up and bandsters hard at work, with their 

 best exertions and happiest expedients. 



When reaped with the scythe, corn cannot be 

 put mto too large sheaves, provided they are not 

 larger than they can be melded without much 



difficulty. The largest sheaves of oats reaped 

 with the scythe will, in general, be ready for the 

 stack in eight days. Large sheaves clear a field 

 with tf-w liliings, and the}- advance the construc- 

 tion of a slack at a rapid pace. We are quite 

 aware that large sheaves of corn reaped with the 

 sickle are very detrimental to the progress of gath- 

 ering in the fVuits of the earth, and, of course, we 

 would not recommend the same practice in regard 

 to them as we can safely do in regard to corn 

 reaj-cd with the scythe. 



The bandsters ought to bind the sheaves very 

 tiglitly, the large sheaves shrinking considerably 

 in the drying. The bottoms of the sheaves should 

 be trimmed of all superfluous straws. The stooks 

 should be set exactly in the direction of north and 

 south. In that position they derive the greatest 

 advantage of sun and air combined, to dry them 

 in the shortest time. Twelve sheaves of oats and 

 barley, and fourteen of Avheat, form a stook, with 

 hood-sheaves. In drj^ weather wheat is seldom 

 hooded. A little space left between the sheaves 

 will greatly facilitate the drying of the stook, by 

 the free admission of air. 



The raking process cannot be expeditiously 

 enough performed by a common hay-rake. The 

 head of the corn-rake should be made of fine ash, 

 as light as possible, but strong enough to bear the 

 driving in of a number of iron teeth; and it should 

 be at least five feet in length, and feruled Avith 

 iron at both ends. The teeth should be seven 

 inches in length, and four inches apart, and so 

 curved at their points as that the Aveight of the 

 rake may rest u])on the curve, Avith their points 

 free from the ground, Avhen the rake is held in a 

 Avorking position. I'he points of the teeth should 

 be thin and broad. The shank of the rake may be 

 of light fir, and fully six feet in length. An iron rod 

 passing from the shank on each side to the head, 

 Avill prevent the latter being tAvisted out of its po- 

 sition. A short handle, like the left-handle of the 

 scythe, and fastened at a convenient spot on the 

 shank Avith an iron Avedge, will facilitate the pas- 

 sage of the rake OA'er the ground. The principal 

 duty of the raker is to clear the ground passed 

 OA'er by the bandsters, and to bring the rakings 

 quickly up to them. The rakings are most easily 

 got rid of by pushing the rake Avith both hands 

 baclcAvards, in a nearly horizontal position. The 

 labor of raking depends altogether on the state of 

 the crop. The straAV of a good croj) adheres to- 

 gether, and of course little of it straggles aAA'ay 

 to be raked together; but a scanty crop produces 

 abundance of rakings. Barley generally leaves 

 more rakings than any other kind of crop. It is 

 more difficult to rake upon neAV grass, such as in 

 reaping Avheat .and barley, than on a clean stub- 

 ble, as of oats. * * # * » 



Although it is impossible to lay oA'er very laid 

 corn in a regular sAvath Avith the scythe, the corn 

 can be cut AAath it fully more perfectly in regard to 

 leaving a neat stubble than Avith the sickle. In such 

 a case, the taker-up has the most difficult task to 

 perform. Rank groAvn laid corn, AA'ith its supple 

 straAV, presents a formidable difficulty to the band- 

 sters in the setting the uuAvieldy stooks. The ad- 

 ditional quantity of straAV obtained by reaping 

 Avith the scythe is A^ery considerable. 



All sorts of grain may be reaped Avith the scythe. 

 Oats make the most ])erfect Avork, A\'ith the great- 

 est case to all the laborers. Barley Avith nevy 



