HANDLING HAY AND CORN FODDER. 139 



engravings), is attached to the large piece by means of 

 long wooden pins, and stands three inches from it, the 

 holes in the two exactly corresponding. A shaft of hard 

 wood, b, figure 169, is square at the end, where the crank 

 c, is attached, and round where it passes through the 

 two holes. This shaft is held in place by the pins, d, d, 

 which should be so set as to allow it to turn freely. An- 

 other wooden pin, e, passes through the shaft and pro- 

 jects an inch and a half on each side. In making the 

 rope, two men are required. The straw having been 

 slightly moistened by sprinkling from a watering can, 

 one takes a bunch and fastens it to the pin e. The other 

 operator takes the machine with his left hand, at b, fig- 

 ure 168, and with the lower end against his foot, turns 

 the crank; he gradually moves away from the other, 

 pushing the machine along with his foot, while keeping 

 the crank in motion, and the other supplies straw as re- 

 quired. The latter sits upon a low stool, and his right 

 hand should be protected by a stout leather glove or a 

 piece of leather. When the rope is about a hundred feet 

 long, or it becomes difficult to turn the crank, it is rolled 

 into a ball, and a new one begun. The rope is finally 

 made into balls of convenient size. 



STANDARD FOR CORN SHOCKS. 



The best standard is made by bending four hills to- 

 gether two diagonal hills being lapped and twisted to- 

 gether. But to such a standard it can be objected, that 

 a knife must be carried along to cut the stalks loose when 

 the fodder is brought in from the fields, and that these 

 stalks cannot be stood straight in the rick. Some prefer 

 a movable wooden standard, of which a very good sort is 

 shown in figure 170. A light pole, twelve or fifteen feet 

 long, is provided with two upright supports j holes are 



