156 SKETCHES OP RURAL AFFAIRS. 



the other. The middle portion revolves in a hollow tube 

 of wood, which the binder holds in his left hand while 



TWIDDLE, OR TWINER. 



turning the handle with his right. The size of the portion 

 of hay cut from the stack is decided by that required for 

 the trusses. Each truss is, as near as may be, three 

 feet by two and a half, and thick in proportion to the 

 fineness of the hay the best being always the thinnest. 

 When the rick has been cut through to the necessary 

 depth, the binder thrusts in an iron- spike, so as to lift 

 up the quantity of hay required for one truss. This he 

 places in a weighing machine, furnished with a fifty-six 

 pounds weight, the hay-bands having been previously 

 laid across in readiness to receive it. The bands are 

 then fastened round the truss, and the binder proceeds 

 to separate another quantity of hay, by means of the 

 iron spike, and to weigh and truss it as before. In this 

 manner, a ready workman can manage to truss two loads 

 of hay in the course of a day ; while so accurate is his 

 eye as to the quantity wanted for each truss, that he 

 takes from the rick almost the precise weight on each 

 occasion. 



So likewise does long experience enable him to judge 

 of the total quantity of hay contained in the rick. Ten 

 solid yards of good and well-settled meadow hay are 

 reckoned to weigh one ton ; therefore by taking the 

 length, breadth, and height of the stack, and multi- 

 plying them into each other, you can ascertain the 

 weight of the whole. But the farmer's labourer judges 

 more by his eye than by any other guide, and, by con- 

 stant observation, he is able to guess very nearly at the 

 truth. 



Thus have we briefly sketched the operations of the 

 hay-field and of the rick-yard ; operations which are 



