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place either for putting corn in the ftraw till threfhod out, 

 or for keeping ftraw or hay, or as a granary. But in either 

 cafe the floor muft be fo conftrudted as to fupport the weight 

 upon it without finking in the middle. A communication 

 with the barn may be made near the thrcfliing machine aty, 

 Jig. J, which will afford an eafy accefs to the machine in 

 cafe grain be depofited there to be threflicd. In this barn, 

 the machine is erefted on a floor raifed feven or eight feet 

 above the ground-floor, in order that there may be fufficient 

 room for the fanner or winnowing machine below. I'his 

 floor may be extended the whole breadth of the barn and 

 fifteen feet or more towards i, from the back part of the 

 machine at f, by which, and being properly partitioned be- 

 low, a very neceffaiy and ufeful divifioii fg h i, will be ob- 

 tained for containing the grain till hoifled up to the granarj-. 

 The doors of this place may be locked by the farmer", if 

 thought neceffary, during the time of threihing. The fpace 

 i will contain the chaff blown by the fanners. There is a 

 door through at g to render the communication more eafy 

 and expeditious from the part /, where the unthrefhed grain 

 is depofited ; as it may be proper to look often below 

 while the machine is at work : there might likewife be a 

 door in the partition at -A; but this is not fo very neceflary, 

 as the farmer can eafily fe;e what his fervants are about at m 

 where the ftraw goes, by ftanding on the tlirefliing floor, to 

 which there fhould be fteps up at n. This machine may 

 alfo be fo conftrufted as to rake away the ftraw, and throw 

 it down to m ; which faves the labour of a perfon in raking 

 from the machine. 



The expence of a machine on this plan, when made to 

 clean the grain and rake away the ftraw only, will amount 

 to about fifty pounds exclufive of flooring, &c. ; and when 

 made fo as to hoift up the grain, fplit peas or beans, and 

 cut ftraw, from fix to ten pounds in addition for each. 



Other more powerful machines of this kind will be de- 

 fcribed under the article Threshing Machine. 



Barn Floor, in Rural Economy, the fpace or floor on 

 which the grain is threfhed out by the flail. It is for the 

 moft part made in the middle of the barn, and fliould be fo 

 formed as to be perfetlly clofe, firm, and ftrong. It is 

 fometimes termed threfliing-floor. In conftrufting thefe 

 floors, various forts of materials are employed ; fuch as com- 

 pofitions of earthy kinds, ftones, bricks, and wood. Tlie 

 laft, when properly laid and put together, is probably the 

 beft and moft fecure from fuch caufes as are liable to injure 

 grain. The floors of barns, when made of wood, are 

 fometimes fo contrived as to be moveable at pleafure, which 

 is a great convenience in many cafes. Barn floors are 

 made of different dimenfions, but from twelve to four- 

 teen by eighteen or twenty feet may be confidered as good 

 fizes. 



As the floor, or thre(hi;]g-place, is the principal part of 

 every barn, the greateft care ought to be taken in making 

 it. In order to this, in fome places the furface of the in- 

 tended threfhing-place is dug away to the depth of about 

 fix inches ; and the earth tli.ii taken out, when of a proper 

 kind, after being well cleared of ftones, is mixed with the 

 ftrongeft clay that can be procured, and with the dung of 

 cattle. This mixture is then worked together with water 

 till it is of the confiftence of ftiff mortar, and the conipoft 

 thus made is fpread as fmooth and even as polTible with a 

 trowel upon the fpot from v.'hence the earth was taken. As 

 lit cracks in drying, it muil frequently be beaten down with 

 great force, or rolled with a heavy roller, until all the 

 crevices arc filled up ; aiid this muft he continued till it is 

 quite folid, hard, and firm. Earthen floors are not how- 

 ever to be recommended, except where the materials are ex- 



VOL. Ill, 



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tremely good, and the method of forming them well tinder, 

 ilood, which is but fcldom the cafe. 



The beft barn floor, both for threfliing upon and for 

 keeping corn, is that which is the drieft, fmootheft, moft 

 completely folid, and confequently the moft free from cracks 

 and holes in which infefts and vermin may ftielter themfelves 

 and breed. The ancients were remarkably careful in this 

 lad rrfpeft, as is evident from the writings of Cato, Varro, 

 and Columella. The laft of thefe relates particularly the 

 great pains they took, firft to dig up the ground to fome 

 depth, in order to moiften it with frefli lees of oil, but not 

 with any that had faline matters in them ; then to mix it 

 thoroughly with chaff, and rain it down as clofe as poffiblc ; 

 aftei-wards, as it dried, to flop all the cracks and crevicei 

 that appeared; to continue beating it down with great force 

 to render it quite level ; and, laftly, to ftrew it again with 

 chaff, v.hich they trod in, and then left it to be completely- 

 dried by the fun. All of them agree, that the lees of oil 

 thus iifed prevent the growth of weeds in the floors, and 

 contribute to prcferve the corn from being plundered by the 

 mice and ants. In this they were, hov/ever, probably mif- 

 taken. Their barns were always feated higli, and as dry ai 

 poffible. A floor made in the above manner, though noc 

 good, was probably preferable to either ftone or the earthen 

 floors foi-merly common in many parts of this country, frora 

 wliicii fuch dampnefs has been communicated to the corn, 

 as has rendered wheat, for example, fixpence or a ftiUing a 

 buflicl worfe either for keeping or exportation. Bricks, 

 when hard and well laid, may form a tolerable floor for 

 many purpofes ; but, from their attracting moifture, are not 

 by any means to be recommended where grain is to remain 

 much upon them. And moft forts of ftone are Lable to the 

 fame objeftion. 



Wood is by much the beft for this ufe. Boarded threfti- 

 ing floors, made of found, thick, well-feafoned planks of oak, 

 are excellent for thrcftiing upon, will laft a long time, and 

 maybe converted into good floorings for rooms, by planing 

 them down after they are become too uneven for the pur- 

 pofe originally intended. 



There are various ways of laying and conftrufting bar« 

 floors, when made of wood. The moft common method i» 

 that of nailing the planks, after their edges have been ftiot 

 true and well joined, down to wooden fleepers firmly placed 

 on the ground. But in the midland counties another method 

 is followed, which, Mr. Marfliall fays, is that of firft having 

 the floors laid with bricks, and then covering them over 

 with the planks, without any other confinement than that 

 of their being doweled together, or ploughed and tongued, 

 and their ends let into fills or walls placed in the ufual man- 

 ner on each fide of the floors. The advantages of this me- 

 thod of making the floors are, that when the brick work is 

 well executed and made perfectly level, vermin cannot be 

 concealed underneath them, nor damp air be communicated; 

 befidcs, floors formed in this way are found to wear better 

 than thofe laid fimply upon flecpcrs. The planks employed 

 in this way ftiouid, however, always be well feafoncd. It i* 

 evident, notwithflanding, that where barn floors can be made 

 hollow, they muft be much belter for the purpofe of threfti- 

 ing upon than fuch as are either placed on brick work or 

 the ground, from their greater elafticitv ; the grain is of 

 courfe threflled out with more eafe and certainty. But in 

 whatever manner thefe floors are conftrufted, they become 

 expenfive, and do not laft any great length of time. Such 

 as are laid on the common ground, upon three fills, witk 

 two-inch oak planks, will in general ccfl from eighteen to 

 twenty pounds, and only laft fifteen or twenty years ; aiid 

 fuch as are made hollow, and placed wholly on brick work, 

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