52 CUE FARM CROPS. 



present day and that of the ancient Egyptians, the imple- 

 ment we use now for cutting our corn, is identical with 

 that used by them some 3000 or 4000 years ago. This 

 antiquity is no doubt the secret of its continued existence 

 in civilized countries, where mechanical science is under- 

 stood. The servility of the human mind in the presence of 

 established practices or opinions, will account for even 

 more anomalous practices than the retention of the sickle 

 and the flail in this country in the middle of the nine- 

 teenth century. With the sickle or hook, from one-third 

 to two-thirds of an acre per day may be cut, according to 

 the nature of the crop, and the capability of the labourer. 

 This is invariably piece-work, and probably 12s. per acre, 

 including binding and stocking, may be taken as the 

 average price. Taking a 10-acre field, therefore, as an 

 example, we should require twenty men, at a cost of 6, 

 to cut it and stook it in a day. 



The scythe (cradled) is used for harvest work in several 

 well farmed districts in different parts of the country. In 

 Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk; in Corn wall, the Midland Counties, 

 and in Yorkshire the East and North Ridings especially 

 it is very generally met.with, where it has prepared the way, 

 by its own great superiority over the sickle, for the suc- 

 cessful introduction of a more advanced system of harvest- 

 ing by the reaping machine. In reference to the advan- 

 tages which the scythe offers to the farmer in the harvest 

 field, we cannot do better than reproduce an article which 

 appeared in the Agricultural Gazette for August 31, 1850, 

 giving details of harvest work then in operation : 



u In one of your recent numbers appeared some remarks on the 

 relative advantages of mowing and reaping corn. The writer was 

 evidently a strong advocate for the latter practice, and, as strong 

 advocates frequently do, somewhat exaggerated the data upon which 

 he based his comparison. Now, as harvest operations are pretty 

 generally commenced throughout the kingdom, and as the weather 

 seems to be very unsettled, I venture to ask you to give insertion to 



