SCY 



SEA 



steel, and they are so soft that the 

 edge can be hauiiuerod to sharpen it 

 and keep it thin. In England the 

 scythes are forged thin and well tern- , 

 pered, and to prevent tlieir bending 

 they have a rim of iron along tlie 

 back to within a few inclics of the 

 point. Tliis saves mucli time in 

 sharpening, and they very seldom re- 

 quire the grindstone. 



'•Most scythes iiave two projecting 

 handles fixed to tSe principal handle, 

 by which they are held, and these are 

 variously put on, according to the 

 fashion of the district. The real line 

 of the handle is that which passes 

 through both the hands and ends at 

 the head of the blade. Tiiis may be 

 a straight line or a crooked one, gen- 

 erally the latter, and by moving tiiese 

 handles up or down the main liandle, ' 

 each mower can place them so as 

 best suits the natural size and posi- 

 tion of his body. Hence it is that one 

 man can seldom mow well with an- ^ 

 other man's scythe. 



" In mowing grain when ripe, which I 

 is the best mode of reaping, the scythe 

 need not have so great a sweep, nor ! 

 is it necessary to cut the straw so 

 near to the ground. The great difh- \ 

 culty here is to lay the cut grain even- 

 ly, so that the binders can readily 

 collect it and tie it into sheaves. 

 When the grain is only slightly bent 

 down, a scythe with an addition of a 

 cradle collects the slanting straw 

 more easily. The cradle is a species 

 of comb, with three or four long teeth 

 parallel to the back of the blade, and 

 fixed in the handle. This inserts it- 

 self behind the straw to be cut, raises 

 it up, and, by a peculiar twist of the 

 scythe after the stroke, it is left so 

 as to be easily collected. Those who 

 are accustomed to use the cradle- 

 scythe do the work rapidly and well. 

 "When the grain is much laid and 

 entangled, it is impossible to use the 

 common scythe, even with a cradle. 

 This has probably suggested a scythe 

 to be used with one hand, while a 

 hook in the other gathers the strag- 

 gling grain. The most perfect of 

 these scythes is called the Hamault 

 scythe, from a province of that name 



in Belgium, where it was first no- 

 ticed. It is conimoiily used in dif- 

 ferent parts of the Continent. The 

 Hainault scytlie is swung by the pow- 

 er of the wrist principally. It does 

 not cut the straw by so oblique a 

 stroke as the common scytiic, but 

 rather as a bill-hook or axe would do, 

 meeting the straw nearly at right 

 angles. I'he hook collects a small 

 bundle, which is severed at a stroke, 

 and the left foot assists in holding 

 what is cut and rolled together with 

 the hook, in the hollow of the blade. 

 It is thus laid aside, and fit to be tied 

 up. This instrument is a great im- 

 provement on the English fagging- 

 hook, which is used in the same man- 

 ner, the left arm of the reaper acting 

 the part of the hook ; but as the han- 

 dle is inserted in the plane of the 

 blade, it causes the reaper to stoop 

 low, which is fatiguing to the loins, 

 especially of elderly people, who can 

 more readily reap with the Hainault 

 scythe. 



"The scythe is an instrument 

 which should be more generally in- 

 troduced in harvest, and experience 

 has proved that it has many advanta- 

 ges over the sickle or reaping-hook." 

 See Harvest. 



SEA-KALE. See Kale, Sea. 



SEAM. In geology, a thin layer 

 of a given rock between large masses. 

 Also, a measure of eight bushels, or 

 a horse-load of wood. 



SEA MUD. The muck, or mire, of 

 salt marshes. 



SEA WARE. See Weeds. 



SEA WATER. This has been 

 used as a manure near the shore, oc- 

 casionally with good effect. It is 

 useful to apply it over compost heaps 

 containing lime, as the whole is much 

 improved in fertilizing power. 



SE.\- WEEDS. They are used as 

 manure in the fresh state, being turn- 

 ed into the soil as soon as spread. As 

 they contain nearly ninety per cent, 

 water, the quantity to be applied is 

 very great. Some farmers waste 

 them by allowing the weeds to dry. 



It is more common and better to 

 put them into composts and farm-yard 

 manure ; the pig-pen is a favourite 



687 



