436 SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. Part II. 



2778. The machine, in its then imperfect state, was seen by the late Sir Francis Kinloch, Bart, of 

 Gilmerton, a gentleman well acquainted with mechanics, and who had paid much attention to country 

 affairs : it occurred to him that the machine might be rendered more perfect by enclosing the drum in a 

 fluted cover, and fixing on the outside of it four fluted pieces of wood, capable of being raised a little from 

 the circumference by springs, in such a way as to press against the fluted cover, and to rub out the grain 

 as the sheaves passed between them ; but, after repeated trials, it was found to bruise the grain nearly as 

 much as the model from which it was copied. In that state it remained for some time, and was afterwards 

 sent by Sir Francis to a very worthy and ingenious character, Meikle of Know Mill, in his neighbourhood, 

 a millwright by profession, who had for a very considerable time employed his thoughts upon the same 

 subject. After much consideration, and several trials, it appeared to Meikle that the purpose of separating 

 the grain from the straw might be accomplished upon a principle different from any that had hitherto 

 been attempted, namely, by skutches acting upon the sheeves by their velocity, and beating out the grain, 

 in place of pressing or rubbing it out ; accordingly a model was constructed at Know Mill, in which the 

 grain was beat out by the drum, to which it was presented through two plain feeding-rollers, which were 

 afterwards altered for fluted ones. The first machine on a large scale, executed upon this principle, was 

 done by a son of Meikles, for Stein of Kilbagie, in the year 1786, which, when finished, performed the 

 work to the satisfaction of all parties, and established Meikle's principle of beating out the corn as superior 

 to all others. This sui)eriority it still maintains, and is likely ever to do so. 



2779. Many improvements have been made on these machines since their introduction. One of the most 

 useful of these, perhaps, is the method of delivering the straw, after it has been separated from the corn 

 by the circular rake, to what is called a travelling-shaker, which carries it to the straw-barn. This shaker, 

 which revolves like the endless web used in cotton and other machinery, is composed of small rods, placed 

 so near as to prevent the straw from falling through, while any thrashed corn that may not have been 

 formerly separated, drops from it in its progress, instead of falling along with it, where it would be trodden 

 down and lost. 



27S0. Improved mode of yoking the horses. It is well known that the work of horses in threshing-mills 

 is unusually severe, if continued for any length of time; that they sometimes draw unequally ; that they, 

 as well as the machine itself, are much injured by sudden jerks and strains, which are almost unavoidable ; 

 and that, from this irregularity in the impelling power, it requires much care in the man who presents 

 the corn to the rollers, to prevent bad threshing. It is therefore highly desirable that the labour should 

 be equalised among the horses, and the movements of the machine rendered as steady as po.ssible. A 

 method of yoking the horses in such a manner as compels each of them to take his proper share of the 

 labour has accordingly been lately introduced, and the necessary apparatus, which is neither complicated 

 nor expensive, can be added to any machine worked by animal power. {Farmer^s Magazine, vol. xiii. 

 p. 279. ; 275+. and 2786. anAfigs. 386. 399. and 400.) 



2781.. Winnowing machines added. All well constructed threshing mills have one winnowing machine, 

 which separates the chaff" from the corn before it reaches the ground ; and a second sometimes receives 

 it from the first, and gives it out ready for market, or nearly so. If the height of the building does not 

 admit of this last addition, a separate winnowing machine, when the mill is of great power, is driven by 

 a belt from it. In either of these ways there is a considerable saving of manual labour. 



2782. Advantages of threshing machines. With a powerful water-mill, the editor of The Farmer's 

 Magrizine observes, it cannot be doubted, that corn is threshed and dressed at no more expense than 

 must be incurred for dressing alone, when thresheti with the flail. Besides, the corn is more completely 

 detached from the straw ; and, by being threshed expeditiously, a good deal of it may be preserved in a 

 bad season which would have spoiled in a stack. The great advantage of transferring forty or fifty 

 quarters of grain in a few hours, and under the eye of the owner, from t\ye yard to the granary or market, 

 is of itself sufficient to recommend this invaluable machine, even though there were no saving of expense. 



2783. The specific advantages resulting from the use of the threshing machine are thus stated in 'J'he 

 Code of Agriculture : 1. From the superiority of this mode, one twentieth part more corn is gained from 

 the same quantity of straw than by the old-fashioned method. 2. The work is done more expeditiously. 

 3. Pilfering is avoided. 4. The grain is less subject to injury. .'5. Seed corn can be procured without 

 diflSculty from the new crops, for those to be sown. 6. The market may be supplied with grain more 

 quickly in times of scarcity. 7. The straw, softened by the mill, is more useful for feeding cattle. 8. If 

 a stack of corn be heated it may be threshed in a day, and the grain, if kiln-dried, will be preserved, and 

 rendered fit for use. 9. The threshing-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 invention of threshing-mills farm- 

 servants and labourers endured much drudgery ; the large corn farmer sustained much damage from bad 

 threshing ; 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. 



2784. The advantage that might be derived by the public, were threshing mills used in every case, for 

 separating corn from the straw, is thus estimated by Brown of Markle : > 



The number of acres producing grain in Great one twentieth part of the produce, or in quarters, 



Britain, at 8,000,000 at - 1,200,000 



The average produce in quarters, at 3 qrs. per acre. The value of that increased quantity, at 40*. per 



at 24,000,000 quarter i2,400,000 



The increased quantity of gr-iin produced by The saving in the expense of labour, at \s. per 



threshing-mills, instead of using the flail, at quarter ... . - . . i 1,200,000 



2785. A variety of threshing machinea have been made in England, both on the 

 rubbing and beating, or scutching, principle, and some combining both modes ; but none 

 have been found to answer tlie purpose of separating the grain from the straw so well as 

 those of Meikle, which is the kind exclusively used in Scotland and the north of 

 England. 



2786. Meikle's two-horse threshing fnachine, ivith the new-invented yoking apparatus 

 (Jig. 399. and 400.), is the smallest size of horse engine which is made. From the 

 liml)ers, or hanging pieces (a), by which the cattle draw when working this machine, 

 proceed the chains or ropes to which the horses are yoked, these chains or ropes being 

 united by an iron frame, placed upon a lever, having liberty to turn on a bolt; one 

 end of each of two single ropes is fixed to this iron frame, and upon their other ends 

 are fixed small blocks ; in each of which is placed a running sheeve, and over these 

 sheeves pass double ropes or chains. ( )ne horse is yoked to these chains at the one arm, 

 and one at the other arm, so that the chains or ropes by which they draw, being con- 

 nected by the blocks, and the sheeves having liberty to move either way, if one of the 

 horses relaxes, immediately the other presses the collar to his shoulders. For instance, 

 tf the horse yoked to the chains at one arm (Jig. 400. o) were to relax, then the one yoked 

 at the other (b) would instantly take up his rope, and pull the collar haid to his shoulders. 



