368 OP HARVESTING GKAIN. 



Mr Blaikie has sent me the following detailed account, of 

 the mode of harvesting in Roxburghshire, and part of Ber- 

 wick and Selkirk shires. The reapers are mostly bespoke, 

 or hired in the public markets, for that purpose, in the 

 month of August. They are engaged for the harvest, which, 

 at an average, continues about four weeks, but they are 

 still paid for every day according to the above wages. The 

 now common wages are, women, 12 s. 6d. per week, men 

 15 s. with victuals. Two men and four women, with a 

 bindster, make what is technically called, a Band-wind. 

 These, upon a field where the corn is not strong, and lying 

 fair to the sickle, will cut two English acres, and sometimes 

 two Scotch acres per day. But where the corn is cross- 

 lodged, and very strong, they will not do more than one 

 acre and a half English. Two English acres, however, per 

 day, may be an average when the work is properly per- 

 formed. I understand, however, that corn in Roxburgh- 

 shire is not always cut so near the ground as in some other 

 districts. 



may be charged only 4 d. and 3 d. in another. On this subject, Mr Joh 

 Shirreff remarks, that it is not material to the reaper, unless in re'gard 

 to the time required for making the bands and the additional sheaves, 

 what the circumference of these sheaves are, provided the same number 

 of sheaves is reckoned to a threave, and the price paid in the ratio of the 

 squares of their diameters. As to the sums paid, circles being to each 

 other as the squares of their diameters, if 900, the square of thirty inches 

 costs 4d. ; so 1296, the square of thirty-six, should cost 5.648, &c. &c. 

 Where 6 d. therefore is paid, a threave costs more in proportion than it 

 ought to do. 



