120 Implements of Husbandry. 



be preserved, and rendered fit for use. 9. The thrashing- 

 mill lessens the injury from smutty grain, the balls of smut, 

 not being broken, as when beaten by the flail ; and, 10. By 

 the same machine, the grain may be separated from the chaff 

 and small seeds, as well as from the straw. Before the in- 

 vention of thrashing-mills, farm-servants and labourers en- 

 dured much drudgery ; the large corn farmer sustained 

 much damage from bad thrashing, and had much trouble, 

 vexation, and loss, from careless and wicked servants ; but 

 now, since the introduction of this valuable machine, all his 

 difficulties in these respects, are. obviated. 



Mr Brown of Markle, in his Treatise on Rural Affairs, 

 has presented the following estimate of the profit that might 

 be derived by the public, were thrashing-mills used in every 

 case, in this country, for separating corn from the straw. 

 He calculates, 



1. The number of acres producing grain in Great Britain, at 8,000,000 



2. The average produce in quarters, at 5 qrs. per acre, at 24,000,000 



3. The increased quantity of grain produced by thrashing- ^ 



mills, instead of using the flail, at one-twentieth part of V 1,200,000 

 the produce, or in quarters, at ) 



4. The value of that increased quantity at 40s. per quarter ...... .2,400,000 



5. The saving in the expense of labour, at Is. per quarter .1,200,000 



6. The total profiteer annum, to be obtained, at .3,600,000 



7. The actual profit per annum, on the supposition that only 7 . j goo 000 



half of the grain produced were thrashed by machines, $ 



It is not then to be wondered at, that he should pronounce 

 the thrashing-mill, to be the most valuable implement in the 

 farmer's possession ; contending, that it adds more to the 

 produce of the country, than any invention has hitherto 

 done ; and that it ought to be accounted the greatest im- 

 provement that has been introduced into Great Britain, 

 during the present age ( I9a ). 



But the principal objection to a thrashing-mill is, the great 

 diminution which it occasions, in the means of employment 

 furnished to the agricultural labourer, whose chief occupa- 

 tion, in the winter season was, the thrashing of corn. To 

 obviate that objection, it has been suggested to adopt the 

 plan practised in some parts of that celebrated agricultural dis- 

 trict Somerset, where wheat is seldom thrashed with the straw, 

 but the ears are cut off, and the grain separated by manual 

 labour ( I93 ). This is a plan strongly to be recommended to 

 the attention of farmers, in every district, where any difficul- 

 ty is found in providing employment for labourers, and where 

 thrashing-mills are therefore so obnoxious. This plan may 



