164 
Steam Power and Thrashing Machines. 
thrashed in 20 days, was only 20 quarters. The cost of labour, 
when thrashing by a moveable machine for several days together, 
was as follows : — 
£. s. d. 
1 engineer, Loard, beer, and lodging 0 2 3 
1 feeder, ditto 0 2 3 
2 men on stacls, wages 2s., beer 3r^., at 2s. Zd, .. .. 0 4 G 
2 men untying or forking loose corn, at 2s. Zd 0 4- G 
1 man removing thrashed corn 0 2 3 
5 men stacking straw, at 2s. Zd Oil 3 
3 boys (1 carrying water for engine, 1 for cliaff, 1 for 
cavings), wages 9cZ., beer Zd 0 30 
15 £1 10 0 
Where elevators are used for the straw, three men may be dis- 
pensed with. • A further saving of three hands — one on the stack, 
another untying, and a lad employed with chaff and cavings — 
might possibly be effected ; but practically, if the work is to be 
finished in proper style, as many as fifteen hands are required, 
and it is quite as usual to find that more, rather than fewer, are 
employed. 
Cost of Hired Machine per Day and per Quarter. 
£. s. d. 
Hire of machine for 20 quarters, at Is 10 0 
15 men and boys, at an average of 2s. per day, including beer 1 10 0 
Coal and carriage 0 10 0 ; 
£3 0 0 
This is just 3s. per quarter, leaving out of account the cost of 
horses and men in bringing the machine an average distance of 
four miles, for four days' work or so at a time. The usual calcu- 
lation, indeed, is that a hired machine costs about 3/. 10s., when 
every expense is included. I shall, however, abide by 3Z. as 
nearest to my experience. The cost of thrashing 500 quarters of 
corn, at 3s. per quarter, amounts to 751. In addition to this cost, 
there was a great deal of extra horse and manual labour incurred 
by bringing in the straw and cavings to the yard throughout the 
winter. Thatching was necessary to pi-eserve the straw from 
getting wet, and with every precaution, there was always much 
litter and waste in the stackyard which could not be estimated. 
To clear up the debris of the various thrashings, the services of a 
man with a horse and cart were always necessary for some days, 
which I have estimated at 51. a-year to the debit of thrashing out 
of doors. The comparative waste of thrashing in and out of doors 
cannot be exactly ascertained ; but my opinion is that more corn 
is wasted and spoiled by outdoor than indoor thrashing. If you 
are caught by rain when taking in to the barn, the stack can be 
more quickly covered up than when not only that but the machine 
and some space around it require protection. When a great 
