THRESHING. 



forts of labourer*. By the ufc of it, the farmer is enabled 

 to get the advantage of markets, as he has thereby the 

 power of felling and delivering almoft any quantity within 

 a little time ; and by thrertiing out and placing the corn in 

 a fccure llore room or granary, the great lofs often occa- 

 fioned by vermin may be wholly prevented and removed. 

 Numerous other beneficial confequences may likewife rcrult 

 from the prartice of threfhing by means of machinery, but 

 particularly that of faving the heavy expence of railing 

 and upholding many different large buildings of the barn 

 kind, on exlenlive farms of the arable defcription. 



It may be dated, that the writer of the Account of the 

 State of Agriculture in the County of Kent, found, on 

 having different parcels of wheat-llraw, of thirty-fix pounds 

 each, thrcllied out clean by the flail, by different fiu-mers, 

 ai.d the fame weight of llraw threfhed after it came from the 

 machine, the average produce of corn left in the ftraw by the 

 common mode of thiefhing was half a pint in every thirty- 

 fix pounds of draw, more than that left in by the machine 

 method. And that, befides, fufficient fupplies of both corn 

 and ftraw may at any time be almoft immediately provided, 

 cither for the purpofcs of feed, the market, or the feed- 

 ing of animals, without the other operations of the farm 

 being in any degree interrupted. It is likewife obtained 

 w-ith much lefs wafte of the grain, and with lefs danger 

 of its being injured by being bruifed. Likewife, that from 

 the then increafing fcarcity of labourers, the great advance 

 in the price of labour in all the well-cultivated diftrifts, 

 and the impoflibility of having this fort of work performed 

 in a clean and exaft manner by the flail, the necefllty as well 

 as utility of the machine are eltablifhed. And it is further 

 contended, that the principal obflacles to machines of this 

 nature being more generally made ufe of, are thofe of ex- 

 pence in their conftruftion and ereftion, and the littering 

 flovenly praftice which prevails in fome of the more fouth- 

 ern diftrifts of harvefting or fecuring tlie grain crops in a 

 loofe uneven manner. But the firft of thefe objeftions 

 may probably, it is fuppofed, be obviated by the conftruc- 

 tion and introduftion of hand, or one-horfe, or ox-threfti- 

 ing machines ; and the latter by the daily difcoveries that 

 arc making in the improvement of this fort of machinery. 



It is conceived, that the oppofition that has been railed 

 againft this praftice, on the ground of its baing calculated 

 to deprive and prevent the labourers of employment during 

 the winter feafon, is fcarcely deferving of notice, as expe- 

 rience has fully ftiewn that no injurious confequences can 

 rcfult from it, as there muft always be work enough of 

 other kinds at fuch periods, where fanns are under a judi- 

 cious mode of cultivation. 



It is on the whole fuppofed, however, that the faving of 

 cxpence in this mode of threftiing over that of the flail, 

 muft differ much according to the nature and manner of 

 conftriifting the machinery, the power by which it is 

 wrought, and alfo on the ftate and condition of the grain 

 at the time of performing the operation, as well as the 

 full manner and regularity with which it is fupplied and 

 managed. By fome farmers it is confidered as nearly, if not 

 quite, one half, while others make it much lefs than that 

 proportion. But with the beft conttrufted machinery, there 

 can be little doubt but that it will be performed on an 

 average of different forts of grain, and different ftates of 

 them, at lefs than one-third the expence of the flail method, 

 without taking into the account any thing for the vaft 

 faving in grain, in which fome reckon a profit of at leaft^ 

 5 per ctnt. ; others, as equal to the feed and prices of 

 thrWhing, which is fomewhat more than half the price in 

 the flail method ; or cither of the other operations that may 



be performed at the fame time with the fame machinery, 

 fuch as thofe of winnowing or cleaning the corn, cuttujg 

 ftraw into chaff, bruifing and grinding the grain for cattle 

 food, breaking bones for manure, and various other purpofes 

 and works. 



In addition to the advantages that have been chiefly con- 

 fidered in refpeft to thefe machines, there is another 

 which, in the then fcarcity of procuring labourers, and in- 

 deed at all feafons and times, muft be of great importance 

 to the fitfmer, which is that of their enabling him to per- 

 form his work with greater certainty and convenience, 

 and at much lefs expence of labour. It has indeed been 

 ftated by a writer, in a late periodical work on farming, 

 that with a machine, two labourers on a farm will be equal 

 to four without it ; as they are left at liberty, during the 

 winter months, for performing various other forte of farm 

 labour. 



It has already been noticed, that the charge of this fort 

 of work with thefe machines will vary confiderably, accord- 

 ing to the manner in which they are conftrufted. In the 

 Agricultural Survey of the County of Kent, the expences and 

 produce of threfliing per day, in different forts of corn, 

 with an engine of the common conftruftion, without the 

 late improvements, are ftated in the manner following : 



F.Jlimate of ThreJInng Expences, l^c, by the Machine. 

 For Wheat. 



Eight men, at jj-. ^J. each 

 Four boys, at \s. each 

 Four horfes, at 2s. 6d. each 

 Cleaning and meafuring 24 qrs 



at 31/. each - 



£ 



o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



J. 



4 

 o 



o 



o 



^3 4 



This is aboiit is. ^. 

 of the flail method. 



per quarter, or nearly half the price 



For Barley. 



Cleaning and meafuring 3 2 qrs. at 3,/. eacli - 

 Other expences, as above ... 



This is fomewhat more than half the price of the flail 

 method, this fort of grain having of late been ufually 

 thre/hed at about is. 6d. the quarter. 



For Oats. 



Cleaning and meafuring 40 qrs. at id. each 

 Other expences, as before 



This is a little more than half the price of that by the flail ; 

 this fort of grain being commonly threflicd at about is. id- 

 per quarter. 



The expences are here, however, calculated confiderably 

 too low for the fucceeding times, as the men would fince 

 require 2s. or 2s. 6d. and the horfes p. or 6j-. each at leaft 

 for the day. 



But in the improved machinery of this kind fewer hands 

 arc required, and a number of other operations arc per- 

 formed 



