THORN. 



THRASHING-MACHINE. 



durable and effective hedge than the Washing- 

 ton thorn (C. cordata), which is now generally 

 used in Chester county. It is a more rugged 

 plant, and seems to be less liable to disease, or 

 to be injured by insects, than the Washington 

 thorn. (Flora Cestrica.) 



2. The small-leaved thorn (C. parvifolia), a 

 rugged little bush abundant in New Jersey. 



3. Thorn-bush or dotted cratoegus (C. punc- 

 tata), a red-fruited variety. The fruit is large, 

 half to two-thirds of an inch in diameter, mostly 

 three-seeded, red, sometimes yellow when ma- 

 ture, dotted and esculent, 



4. Black-thorn (C.flava), yellow crataegus, 

 an apparent misnomer. The fruit is pear- 

 shaped, large (about half an inch in diameter), 

 three or four-seeded, greenish-yellow, with a 

 tinge of dark red when mature, esculent, but 

 rather insipid. 



5. White-thorn or crimson cratoegus (C. 

 coccinea). This is the most common species in 

 Chester county, Pennsylvania. The thorns 

 have more resemblance to the cock-spur, than 

 those of the real cms galli or Newcastle thorn. 

 The fruit is one-third to half an inch in diameter, 

 and bright purple when mature. 



6. The Washington thorn (C. cordata). This 

 species, says Dr. Darlington, was introduced 

 into Chester county from the neighbourhood 

 of Washington city, and is now extensively 

 used in hedging. It grows fast in favourable 

 situations, under good management, and will 

 make a handsome hedge in about 10 years 

 from the time of planting. It does not succeed 

 well on dry, rocky banks, and especially in the 

 red shale districts. The young branches are 

 also subject to disease from the puncture of 

 insects. "I have used this thorn," says Dr. 

 Darlington, " to a considerable extent, and have 

 succeeded in obtaining some pretty fair hedges ; 

 but I am now strongly inclined to the opinion 

 that the C. crus galli, or cock-spur thorn, is en- 

 titled to the preference, for that object. One 

 important fact, however, applies to every sort 

 of thorn, and should be remembered by all 

 persons who may undertake hedging, which is, 

 that if they are not carefully attended to, and 

 skilfully managed, the hedges will become a 

 nuisance and a source of vexation, rather than 

 a benefit, and had better never be attempted. 

 With due care and skill, they make a valuable 

 and ornamental enclosure. 



7. Hawthorn or English thorn (C. o.ryaran- 

 Ma),sharp-thorned crataegus. This species (of 

 which there are several varieties in Europe) 

 was introduced many years ago, and is appa- 

 rently naturalized in a few localities ; but does 

 not seem to extend itself much. It is said to 

 be the favourite thorn for hedging in England ; 

 but is rarely applied to that use here. Some 

 10 or 12 additional species have been enume- 

 rated in the United States ; but the genus stands 

 greatly in need of a careful revision. (Flora 

 Cestrica.) 



Many species of the thorn genus are highly 

 ornamental. Of these the most beautiful of 

 all thorns when in bloom, is the C. oxyacantha 

 rosea supei-ba, with deep crimson flowers and 

 small red fruit. The sweet-scented thorn (C. 

 odoratissima") has very large, pale red fruit. 

 The large tansy-leaved thorn (C. Leeana), has 

 1036 



large pale red fruit. The small black-fruited 

 thorn (C. Olioeriana), bears very profusely, but 

 matures late. The new double-scarlet is a 

 most beautiful variety of the C. oxyacantha 

 rosea superba, just mentioned. 



THORN-APPLE (Datura'). An ornamental 

 genus, but chiefly composed of plants possess- 

 ing very deleterious qualities. One species 

 indigenous to England, is the common thorn- 

 apple (D. stramonium), an annual, which grows 

 in waste grounds and dung-hills. It is a bushy, 

 fetid herb, 2 or 3 feet high, of a narcotic quality, 

 and greatly in repute as a remedy for the 

 asthma, being smoked like tobacco. The leaves 

 are ovate, smooth, sinuated. The flowers are 

 axillary, erect, white, sweet-scented, especially 

 at night, about 3 inches long. Fruit as big as 

 a walnut in its outer coat, very prickly. Seeds 

 black. In the United States it goes by the name 

 of Jamestown weed, doubtless from the place 

 where it was first naturalized, in Virginia. 



THRASHING, or THRESHING. The act 

 of beating out the corn from grain or other 

 crops. The flail was the implement formerly 

 used for thrashing corn, and which separated 

 the grain from the straw and husks very effect- 

 ually and expeditiously; but as it is now be- 

 come expensive, and always bruises a great 

 many seeds, it has been attempted to avoid 

 these inconveniences by proper machines pro- 

 vided, with a number of flails, or other parts 

 answering the same purpose, made to move by 

 the power of water, wind, or horses. By this 

 means the business of thrashing is.found to be 

 performed cheaper, more expeditiously, and 

 with less damage to the health of the thrasher, 

 which is frequently thought to be injured by 

 the dust, &c., which arises in the common way 

 of thrashing, as well as by the extreme labo- 

 riousness of the work. Various machines for 

 effecting the purpose of thrashing have been 

 lately invented. See FLAIL, and THRASHING- 

 MACHINE. 



THRASHING-MACHINE. To the farmer 

 on an extensive scale, the thrashing-machine 

 is absolutely necessary. He cannot wait for 

 the tedious operation of the flail to prepare a 

 delivery of corn for a given day, or pressing 

 purpose ; nor can he, without the risk of pil- 

 fering and imposition, keep his barn constantly 

 open for thrashers. The flail, however, is still 

 the implement in general use among all who 

 farm on a scale not sufficiently extensive to 

 require any of the complex machinery which 

 modern skill has invented. The advantages 

 of the flail are, its simplicity, the power of 

 giving employment to the labourers in the 

 barn during wet days, and the convenience of 

 having fresh straw for fodder every day. 



The following description of the thrashing- 

 machine is chiefly derived from the valuable 

 essay On Aricultural Implements, by Mr. J. Allen 

 Ransome, of Ipswich, England. 



In ancient times various modes of thrashing 

 out grain were resorted to, and we read of 

 " the bruising with the cart-wheel," " the sharp 

 thrashing instrument having teeth," " the 

 trampling under the feet of the unmuzzled ox," 

 or " the rollers plain or fluted" mentioned ia 

 the later practice of continental agriculture. 

 But of all these the flail alone remains in use 



