328 THE NURSERY. 



to drop out,~they muft be removed to a dry barn, 

 and fifted, till all the feeds which are loofe fall 

 out, and be taken from among the cones. The 

 cones are afterwards to be thrafhed feverely with 

 flails, and fifted as before, and fo on till the feeds 

 are taken out as completely as poffible. 



It is, however, a fafer method to fplit the Larch 

 cones before putting them into the kiln. This o- 

 peration is performed by a fmall flat triangular 

 fpatula, fharpened at the point and cutting angles, 

 and helved like a moemaker's awl. The cone 

 is held by the fore-finger and thumb of the one 

 hand, upon a flat piece of wood, while with the 

 other, by the fplitter, it is fplit up from the great 

 end ; and thus each half is fplit up the middle, 

 which parts the cone into four divifions. This 

 affords occupation, in wet or flormy weather in 

 the winter feafon, for the hands of a place, or for 

 boys or girls, or old people ; and is by far the 

 beft, and lead deftru&ive to the feeds, of any me- 

 thod we know ; becaufe the cones fo fplit, when 

 expofed to the heat, are fuddenly opened, and rea- 

 dily difcharge the feeds; which, confequently, are 

 lefs injured by the fire heat. 



Befide the above method of fplitting, there are 

 others. Some people ufe a cone- mill, which has 

 large {harp teeth in a concave cylinder, and others 

 fixed in a correfponding roller. The mill is wrought 

 by turning the roller by a handle refembling that 



of 



