208 



SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



fraud. A precaution recommended by the same wiiter 

 is, to remove the temptation as soon as possible 



" Cause weekly thy thresher to make up his floor, 

 Though slothful and pilferer thereat do lour ; 

 Take tub for a season, and sack for a shift, 

 Yet garner for grain is the better for thrift." 



The corn has now to be winnowed. This is done by 

 the winnowing machine, a contrivance for separating 

 the chaff from the grain by an artificial current of air. 

 One James Meikle is said to have brought the first 

 idea of this invention from Holland in 1710, though 

 the machine was not much known for many years after. 

 Like most other valuable inventions, this has gradually 

 been improved and added to, until at the present time 

 it performs its work very completely. On the outside, 

 the modern winnowing machine appears as represented 



WINNOWING MACHINE. 



in the wood-cut : on the inside the machinery is simple 

 and easily understood. Four or more boards are fixed 

 at equal distances from each other on an axle, extending 

 through the machine and whirled rapidly round by a 



