January, 1912] 



19 



Fibres. 



battens, or wire-netting to dry. The 

 layers of fibre should not be more than 

 3 in. in depth, and the air should be 

 allowed free circulation from under- 

 neath. In conveying the broom to the 

 shed, the use of large baskets will 

 effect a great saving of time in loading 

 aud unloading. In dry weather, the 

 fibre will cure or dry out in 6 or 7 days ; 

 it can then be bulked with the heads all 

 one way, aud the floor used for a fresh 

 supply. In wet weather it may be 

 necessary to put log fires under the 

 floors to assist in drying out, but this is 

 rarely required. 



The bulk should be examined every 

 few days to ascertain if heating is 

 taking place ; if the temperature is 

 rising, it should be broken down and re- 

 spread for a day or two. If allowed to 

 heat, the fibre will turn black, and in 

 bad cases will rot away. 



Threshing. 

 The seed is threshed by means of a 

 roller — a drum 2 ft. in length and 12 in. 

 in diameter. This drum is studded with 

 spikes which are screwed in 4 in. apart, 

 spirally or diagonally. The spikes 

 should be 3 in, in length from the surface 

 of the drum, and the distance between 

 the rows from 6 to 8 iu. A spindle with 

 a pulley on one end is run through the 

 centre of the drum. 



The roller should be driven by any 

 power available, at the rate of 1,500 

 revolutions per minute. The draught is 

 very light. Hand power may be used, 

 but some motive power will be found 

 best. Where a large quantity is dealt 

 with double rollers are used, the machine 

 being generally home made. A very 

 useful single machine can be bought 

 for £10. 



The method of threshing is very 

 simple. To do the work expeditiously 

 four hands are required. The first gets 

 the fibre down, and passes the stalks to 

 the second man on the roller, four to 

 five stalks at one time. The seed ends 

 are lightly laid by the latter on the 

 revolviug roller, and turned once. By 

 this action, practically all the seed will 

 be taken off. Care must be taken not to 

 thresh too severely, as damage to the 

 brush at the end of the fibre will be 

 caused. It is better to err on the light 

 side, if any. 



When finished, the stalks are thrown 

 on to a table where a third man grades 

 the fibre and ties each sample into 

 bundles, about 5 in. in diameter, with 

 twine, and throws them on to the floor 

 of the shed ready for packing. All the 

 crooked or beat broom should be kept 



separate, and two qualities made of the 

 straight. The best in length and colour 

 is made the first sample, and the shorter 

 and slightly interioi, the second. 



Illustration No. 4* shows a fine sample 

 of first grade millet, known as hurl. 

 The stalks are cut off and the fibre put 

 on the outside of the broom, This is 

 quite 2 ft. of fine straight fibre and of 

 good colour. All of them, however, are 

 of value for working into the centre of 

 blooms or for makiug whisks. As they 

 work in for the same broom they can all 

 be regarded as one sample. Plate No. 6* 

 shows bad samples of fibre ; C has a bad 

 coarse stalk in. the middle, reuderiugit 

 unfit for. a good broom ; B and D can 

 only be used for inferior brooms or 

 whisks ; A. and E cut a g^eat deal of 

 waste ; and t 1 is not worth harvesting, 

 and should have been left in the 

 paddock. 



Care of the Seed. 



After threshing the seed should be 

 dried thoroughly. If found to be heat- 

 ing, turn it with a shovel in order to 

 cool it. It should then be well winnow- 

 ed and bagged. If stored in a dry place, 

 it will keep for years. A 4-bnshel bag 

 of seeds weighs 200 lbs. and over, whilst 

 poor seed will weigh 160 lbs. or less. 



Seed Selection. 

 Seed selection should be carried out in 

 the field as the crop ripens. Choose 

 only those stalks which show healthy 

 growth, with straight, fine, and long 

 fibre. Before cutting, these should be 

 allowed to ripen until the seed is hard. 

 They should then be marked with a 

 piece of red flannel to distinguish them 

 from the general crop. The varieties 

 which give the best results are Italian, 

 Green Missouri, and Dwarf Missouri, 



Baling. 



Though seldom done in Victoria, each 

 sample should be baled separately, the 

 operation is performed in a box specially 

 made for the purpose. It has movable 

 sides and no bottom. The inside mea- 

 surements are 42 in, by 30 in., the sides 

 being 48 in. high. 



The press is placed on level ground, 

 with wires to the number of five placed 

 across the bottom. The fibre is then 

 laid lengthwise in the press, keeping the 

 butt to the outside and as level as possi- 

 ble. A false top, with battens nailed 

 across the top at intervals of 3 in. is 

 put on, battens downwards, and a lever 

 or screw press applied. This can be 

 put down twice or three times, refilling 

 the box until a bale containing 250 lbs. 



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* Not reproduced, 



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