ON THE THRASHING-MACHINE. 67 



first "U'innowing'-macliine employed in AlDerdeensliire was 

 imported from Leith in 1783, and tliat^ so liiglily was its 

 usefidness estimated even at that period, that not many- 

 years elapsed till there was scarcely a farm of any note in 

 the county improvided with one. A fanner is almost inva- 

 riably connected with the thrashing-machine (motion being 

 communicated to both by the same impelHng- power), the 

 function of which is to separate the grain from the chatf, 

 &c., previous to its appearance in the corn-barn. A second 

 fanner, of a somewhat diflerent form, though essentially 

 similar in the main features of its construction, is employed 

 for dressing or finally preparing the grain for market and 

 other purposes. This is also not unfrecpiently driven by 

 the same power that propels the thrashing-machine, espe- 

 cially where an abundant supply of water is available, mo- 

 tion being communicated to it in the usual manner by means 

 of a leathern belt extending from some part of the ma- 

 chinery. Within the last few years various alterations, and, 

 no doubt, some improvements, have been effected in the 

 construction of the winnowing machine; bi;t no deviation 

 from the general principles has been made ; and therefore it 

 is presumed any further notice would be superfluous. 



The H^anmeUer. — Every corn-barn is furnished with a 

 hummeller, for remoAang the awns from the grains of barley 

 and bear. This instrument is of various sorts. On the 

 smaller class of farms, hand-hummellers are commonly em- 

 ployed, which are either of a square or circular form, and 

 consist of a number of parallel bars of iron fixed to a frame 

 of the same material. The barley to be hummelledis placed 

 upon the barn-floor, and is freed from its awns by repeated 

 strokes of the instrument. Another description of hum- 

 meller, which is very commonly employed in this county,' 

 consists of a fluted drum-cover, the diameter of which is 

 half-an-inch greater than that of the drum. The number 

 of flutes varies from thirteen to sixteen, and they are placed 

 at intervals of li^ inch. Their length is the same as that of 

 the drum. A space of about six inches in width, adjoining 

 the feeding-rollers of the thrashing-machine, is necessarily 

 unfluted, and, by means of a simple contrivance, it can be 

 elevated or depressed as may be found necessary. This 

 sort of hummeller has been in use in this district from a 

 remote period. It costs very little, and is sufficiently efiec- 

 tive for ordinary purposes, but occasions some additional 

 work. It is moi-e generally employed in this county than 



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