as- 



the wetness of the climate, gathered in, in a whole- 

 some state, either for man or beast ; and often- 

 times a great expense is incurred in removing it to 

 high land, and in turning it over to dry, &c. It 

 is well known that His Grace the Duke of Argyle, 

 erected barns at an expense of L.10,000 in the 

 neighbourhood of Inverary, for the purpose of 

 winnowing the crop. It is with a view to secure 

 to the farmer, at a very trifling expense, his crop 

 of corn, &c. that he may have wholesome food for 

 man and beast, that I beg leave to lay before you 

 a model of a simple machine, by the use of which, 

 corn of every description may be winnowed in a 

 very few days, in place of sometimes taking a great 

 many weeks, and preserve the grain in good order, 

 notwithstanding continued rains. As the model 

 of this machine shows at once, to the most super- 

 ficial observer, the method of drying or winnowing 

 corn, little need be said in explanation of it ; all 

 that is necessary is, that the machine be made of 

 sufficient height and strength to keep the sheaves 

 off the damp ground, so that it may turn round 

 with the wind, the sheaves being put on the forks 

 of the machine ; when placed in such a situation, 

 an hour of dry weather will completely dry the 

 sheaves, after having been drenched with rain. 



OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE UTILITY OF THIS MACHINE. 



I. It will take a very long time to put a sheaf on 

 the machine. ^In reply, — It has been tried re- 

 peatedly, and allowed, at all hands, that it is as soon 

 put on the machine as in the shock. 



