Chap. XII. Of St. Foin. 181 



dry, much of the Seed will be loft in feparatlng them, 

 the Ears being entangled together. When moid, the 

 Seed flicks fails to the Ear ; but, when dry, will drop 

 out with the lead Touch or Shaking. 



There are Two ways of threfhing it, the one in 

 the Field, the other in the Barn: The ftrft cannot 

 be done but in very fine Weather, and whilft zhQ 

 Sun mines in the Heat of the Day : The bed Man- 

 ner of this is, to have a large Sheet pegg'd down 

 to the Ground, for Two Men with their Flails to 

 threfh on : Two Perfons carry a fmall Sheet by its 

 Corners, and lay it down clofe to a large Cock, and, 

 with Two Sticks thruft under the Bottom of it, 

 gently turn it over, or lift it up upon the Sheet, 

 and carry and throw it on the great Sheet to ,the 

 Threfhers ; but when the Cocks are fmall, they car- 

 ry feveral at once, thrown upon the lit:le Sheet care- 

 fully with Forks ; thofe which are near, they carry to 

 the Threfhers with the Forks only. As fail as it is 

 threhYd, one Perfon (lands to take away the Hay, 

 and lay it into an Heap: And fometimes a Boy 

 ftands upon it, to make it into a fmall Rick of 

 about a Load. As often as the great Sheet is full, 

 they riddle it thro' a large Sieve to feparate the 

 Seed and Chaff from the broken Stalks, and put it 

 into Sacks to be carried into the Barn to be win- 

 riow'd. 



Twp Threfhers will employ Two of thefe little 

 Sheets, and Four Perfons in bringing to them ; and 

 when the Cocks are threfh'd, which Hand at a con- 

 fiderable Diftance all round them, they remove the 

 Threfhing- meet to another Place. There belong to a 

 Set for one Threfhing- meet Seven or Eight Perfons ; 

 but the Number of Sheets mould be according to the 



the Dew of the Morning dividing them into Parts of about 

 Two Feet in -.-rich Part. By this means the St. Foin is former 

 ^ry'd, than when it lies thicker, as it mull do, if made into Cocks. 



N 3 Ouan- 



