On Threshing out Wheat by a Roller. 35 



until the wheat is finished. The roller should run on the 

 inside and outside of the floor, as occasion may require. 

 This can be judged of by a slight examination of the 

 straw. The middle of the floor commonly treads out 

 faster than the other parts, because the horses and roller 

 will unavoidably run more on it. It will be now and then 

 proper that a couple of the hands should lay by their 

 forks, and go along the inside and outside of the floor, 

 and rake up, and throw into the middle of it, the scattered 

 untrodden wheat which lies out of the track of the horses 

 and roller. The expedition of the work will greatly de- 

 pend on the men in turning the wheat. The wheat, 

 through the whole course of treading, must be continued 

 of its original breadth : it will w r ork much lighter, than by 

 suffering it to be gathered up into a deep, narrow, body. 

 Sometimes it will be laid too thick on a particular spot. 

 As that is discovered in treading it ought to be run over to 

 a thinner place. As soon as the grain is all out, let the men 

 throw the straw with their forks, off of the wheat, into a 

 narrow circle, then take the horses from the roller, and let 

 them be trotted round 10 or 15 minutes, and the men 

 continue raising and turning the straw. This will disengage 

 the loose wheat from the straw. The straw is to be re- 

 moved. Some attention will be required in handling it 

 so as not to take off* wheat with it. This will depend 

 on the care of the men using the rakes. When the great 

 body of coarse straw is carried off, the small rakes are to 

 be used in collecting the fine, short, light straw. A 

 smart willing hand, will very soon become expert in this, 

 and indeed in every part of the business. The straw be- 

 ing disposed of, the wheat must be pushed into the centre 

 of the yard, where it will be out of the way of the se. 



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