212 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



hauling on to it hundreds of loads of clay and coarse gravel. 

 The whole was made into mortar, and spread some five or 

 six inches deep on a level, well-prepared surface. It was 

 then tamped every day hy a force of men, that went all over 

 it twice a day, until it became too dry and solid for further 

 work. It is now artificial stone. Its inclination from a level 

 is just enough to keep it clear of water. With occasional 

 repairs, it lasts for generations. About three-fourths of this 

 floor is given to threshing, the rest to winnowing. The 

 grain from the field is spread six or eight inches deep over 

 the floor, and then the whole animal force of the village is 

 turned in upon it, — horses, donkeys, mules, horned cattle, 

 with carts and drao^s, or with nothing but the feet." But 

 the most efiective, the finishing-oflT instrument, is doubtless 

 that referred to by the Prophet Isaiah (xli., 15-16), where he 

 says, "Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing 

 instrument having teeth : " And this having teeth is what I 

 desire especially to bring to your attention. In appearance 

 it looks very much on the upper side like a common stone 

 drag or boat. It is of plank, about three inches thick, of 

 the toughest wood, and studded on the underside with sharp 

 flints. The edges of these flints, after having been driven 

 into the socket chiselled out for them, are trimmed sharp, 

 and thus completed it makes a most savage-looking imple- 

 ment. Seated on this, with a long pole to prevent the 

 bundles from riding up over the bow, the driver urges on 

 his bullocks. As it goes round and round the area, it cuts 

 and bruises the straw fine, and this, with the chaflf, takes the 

 place of hay, for cattle feed in the East. The threshing 

 process over, there are two raking operations, — one to clear 

 oflT the coarse straw not good for food. This is piled up as 

 worthless chaflf to be burned. Then follows a skilful raking 

 off* of the finer straw without taking up the wheat. After 

 being passed through sieves, which let the wheat and chafl 

 pass through but retain the coarser stuff", it is ready for 

 the winnowing. This is accomplished by tossing the wheat 

 high into the air, from shovels made of beech, with long, 

 elastic handles, to allow the breeze to carry oflT the lighter 

 particles. Two more siftings, in sieves of diflferent sized 

 meshes, complete the operation. The wheat thus cleaned 



