40 RAPE. 7. 



ing, ibmetimes in open view, fometimes par- 

 tially hid among the piles of flraw ; the 

 clothmen bufy and attentive to their various 

 employments; the team drawing off the 

 loaded iced ; the carriers from every hand 

 preifing to the thrafhing-flooi with their teem- 

 ingiy cumbrous loads; and the diftant groups 

 of fillers fcattered on every fide of the fore- 

 ground ; could not fail of affording matter 

 interefling to the painter ; efpecially in a 

 country where a fuitable ofTscape is feldom 

 wanting. 



It were almoft pity that a fcene at once fo 

 picturefque and fo truly ruilic fhould be fuf* 

 fered to fink into oblivion, as in all probabi- 

 lity it will do in a ihort courfe of years. A 

 more economical management is growing into 

 efteem ; and it is highly probable that in a 

 few years public rape-thrafhing will be dif- 

 continued, and of courfe in a few years more 

 xvill be forgotten. 



The feed is cured (that is, takes the heat 

 which is incident to all recent vegetables) in 

 the chaff or pcds provincially, " pulls" ' 

 either on a barn-floor, a granary, &c. or in 

 " FIES" built in the field for this purpofe 



with plaited draw. 



The 



