and Was time ved. heat

Implements of Hufbandry—Thrafhing-Machines. 29

‘ron roof moveable, and the wheel fixed; and the iron is placed fo near to the beaters that the grain is rubbed, as well as ftricken out of the ear*. In fome machines of this fort, the beaters are a little rounded; but it is probably a better practice to have: them of the common flat form.

In fome large mills of this kind the rollers take in about three hundred inches of erain in a minute.‘Fhe medium length of the ftraw being eftimated at about thirty inches, and fuppofing half a fheaf to be introduced into the machine at a time, the whole fheaf will be equal to fixty inches, and the machine when fupplied with a mid- dling quantity of water will thrafh. five fheaves ina minute. But in refpect to the performance of thefe mills much muft depend on the attention with which they are fed, as a fmall negle& in this point will make a very confiderable difference in the quantity of work done.

An excellent defcription of a mill of this nature is given in a[ate publication, in which it is remarked, that in fuch mills five people are commonly neceflary to keep the work going on without embarraflment; but that this depends greatly on the conftru€tion of the machine, fome of them being fo contrived, that the work can be performed with much fewer hands. The manner in which thefe people are employed’ is this: One finds conftant work in carrying the fheaves to the man who feeds or puts the unthrafhed corn into the machine, and in loofing the bands; another is required to feed the machine; a third to carry off the ftraw; the fourth to attend the fanners, and lay afide the cleaned grain; and a fifth, where horfes are made ufe of, to take care that they go regularly; and that by means of five men and four horfes they will thrafh at the rate of five quarters in the hour on a medium, and when the crop is rich, and eafily thrafhed, confiderably more: confequently if a thrafhing-mill was to be employed for a whole day, or nine hours, it would thrath forty-five quarters; but in that cafe it would be neceflary to employ two fets of horfes, The expence is calculated in this manner:.

YO ae et

Hire of eight horfes, at 2s. 6d. each per day,.:: 1“O30 Five men’s wages, at Is. 6d. each, get a; os@: 2-7-6 La

In this account the hire of the men and horfes are, it 1s conceived, charged at the higheft rate, and that the expence of thrafhing forty-five quarters of grain would coft 11. 7s, 6d. or about 7d. each quarter. But that taking the average expence of

* Yaoung’s View of the Agriculture of’the County of Lincoln.

4

|'} \q ‘| Hi ie ie Hit i)