CHAP. II. 



RENNIE'S MASTER ANDREW MEIKLE. 



113 



this time he had so perfected his machine as to enable 

 it to be driven by water, wind, or horses. That at Phan- 

 tassie was worked by the latter power. In 1788 Meikle 

 took out a patent for his invention, describing himself 

 in the specification as " engineer and machinist." l 



ANDREW METKLE. [By T. D. Scott, after Ruddock.] 



The thrashing-machine proved to be one of the greatest 

 boons ever conferred upon the husbandman, effecting an 

 immense saving of labour as well as of corn. By its 

 means from seventy to eighty bushels of oats, and from 

 thirty to fifty bushels of wheat, might be thrashed and 

 cleaned in an hour ; and it is calculated to have effected 

 a saving, as compared with the flail, of one-hundredth 

 part of the whole corn thrashed, or equal to a value of 

 not less than two millions sterling in Great Britain alone. 



1 Patent No. 1645 : " Machine for separating Corn from Straw." 

 VOL. IT. I 



