clap. r. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 131 



and greater ease to the horses, which, in a dou- 

 ble cart, without great attention in the driver, 

 can scarcely ever be made to draw equally : and 

 one man can easily manage two carts of this 

 kind. It is to be observed, however, that if sin- 

 gle horse carts are employed in carrying hay or 

 corn in the straw, each cart should have a driv- 

 er, especially where the roads are not very good, 

 as such high and bulky carriages are more easily 

 overturned. 



Fanners^ for cleaning grain, have been used in 

 this county for many years. This is surely a 

 great acquisition to husbandry. Formerly the 

 farmer was subjected to all the inconvenience of 

 delay in calm weather ; and when there was a. 

 sufficiency of wind, he was obliged either to car- 

 ry his corn to the fields, or wait till it should 

 blow directly into his barn-door ; which often, 

 occasioned much loss of time, much extraordi^ 

 nary labour, and much waste of grain. And 

 the same or greater inconveniences were felt at 

 the mills. But now, by the use of fanners, all 

 these hardships are removed. This machine is 

 of various construction, and of various powers. 

 Some are made only to separatq the chaff and 

 light grain, and others perform the business of 

 riddling and sifting also. They cost from al, 

 to 3!. or 4!., according to the workmanship and 

 complication of the machinery ; and, if properly 

 taken care of, will last many years. 



Thrashing Mills, a late, but most important 

 invention, are now very common in Fife, and 

 their number is encreasing every year. In al- 

 most every parish they have been erected, and 

 in several single parishes not less than 7 or 8. 

 R 2 



