CARRYING AND STORING WHEAT. 189 



floor. It may be easily secured from vermin : and re- 

 quiring only six feet in height, it will not interfere 

 materially with the bays of the barn, especially if they 

 be loaded through the gables. A trap-door in the floor, 

 with a roof and pulley, raises and lowers the load in the 

 most easy manner, besides securing it more effectually 

 from depredators, and strong wired windows at each end 

 ventilate it sufficiently." Very cold, or very hot weather, 

 with a dry state of the atmosphere, is favourable to the 

 preservation of grain ; but moist and close weather is 

 very much the reverse. Frequent turnings of the wheat 

 are recommended to keep it from the attacks of the 

 corn-weevil, and to promote ventilation ; but the prac- 

 tice of farmers differs in this respect. While some are 

 in the habit of shovelling the whole of the wheat from 

 bottom to top every few weeks, others do not turn their 

 wheat at all, but leave it in thick masses reaching from 

 the floor to the ceiling, and keep it, quite in the dark, 

 in order to preserve freshness of colour throughout the 

 mass. 



But to return to the corn-field. As soon as the last 

 load of sheaves has been removed, the field again becomes 

 a busy scene of industry ; for at that time are generally 

 admitted the wives and children of the labourers, eager 

 to glean the scattered ears of corn that have been left. 



"The gleaners spread around, and here and there, 

 Spike after spike, their scanty harvest pick. 

 Be not too narrow, husbandmen ! but fling 

 From the full sheaf, with charitable stealth, 

 The liberal handful. Think, oh grateful think ! 

 How good the God of harvest is to you, 

 Who pours abundance o'er your flowing fields ; 

 While these unhappy partners of your kind 

 Wide-hover round you, like the fowls of heaven, 

 And ask their humble dole. The various turns 

 Of fortune ponder ; that your sons may want 

 What now, with hard reluctance, faint, ye give." 



The practice of gleaning, or, as some call it, leasing, 

 is of great antiquity, having been derived from 



