ON THE THRASHING-MACHINE. 65 



liorses, raid the flail, on an arable farm of "2Q0 acres, culti- 

 vated according- to the six-conrse rotation of cropping-, and 

 producing' annually about 440 qrs. of g'rain. In the sub- 

 joined calculations, we take the wag-es at the usual winter 

 rates in Aberdeensliire, viz., a man at 1.<j. 6d., a woman at 

 10^/., and a pair of horses at 8.9. per day. We shall suppose 

 the thrashing-, <S:c. to be executed during- the ordinary hours 

 of form-labour in each of the cases referred to. It has fre- 

 quently been found that it requires eleven days, of four men 

 and two horses, to cart the unthrashed corn from the stack- 

 yard to the barn. On these data we shall now proceed with 

 our calculations. 



1. Water-jwn'cr. — The first cost of the thrashing--machine 

 and its appendag-es is assumed at 90/., and interest is allowed 

 on this sum at four per cent, per annum. The winnowing-- 

 machine, also, is driven by water, which saves the work of 

 one man. The wdiole cost of thrashing- and dressing- 440 

 qrs. of oats by water-power may be stated as follows, 

 viz. — 



To two horses, eleven clays carting corn to barn, at -is. £ s. d. 



each per day -1 8 



To four men, eleven days attending do. at Is. Gd. each ' 



per day 3 G 



To four men, eleven days attending thrashing-machine, 



at Is. 6d. each per day 3 6 



To two men, eleven days dressing 440 qrs. of grain, 



at Is. G^Z. per day 1 13 



To one woman, eleven days assisting at do. at \0d. 



per day 2 



To interest on cost of thrashing-machine, &c 3 12 



To annual wear and tear of machineiy 3 3 



To oil and repairs 1 5 



Cost of thrashing and dressing 440 qrs £'21 2 2 



1 qr Hi 



2. Hor-'ic-pon'er. — The thrashing--machine is a six-horse 

 power, and is worked ten hours per da}', during- which forty 

 quarters are thrashed. Four men are required in the barn 

 — one to unbind the sheaves, one to supply them to the ma- 

 chine, one to remove the straw, and one to riddle and re- 

 move the grain as it comes from the first fonners. The ori- 

 g-inal cost of the machine and its appendag-es is assumed at 

 90/. as before. 



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