94 On tbe Threfhing-Mill.[Ausg.

hands, for other and moſt important labour, in a time ſhort beyond conception. How frange then is it, that in this opulent Torn county, the moſt fruitful ſurely in England, and abſolutely ſkirting the metropolis, the natural centre of all improvements, that the ¿hreſhing mill is really unknown; that numbers of our farmers have never even heard tell of ſuch an animal! I am not, however, going to write a ſatire on. my countrymen, many of whom are fine fellows, and give as god port as W eſtminiter itſelf can produce, and play as ſhrewd a hand at whiſt, as the moſt grave, dignified, and religious, upon a certain bench.

Pride, prejudice, a dread of treading a ſtep out of the beaten path, or of being at the pains of learning any thing new, are, as they even hav: been, the gran. impediments. What a pity and a ſcandal, that a man wich a well repleni(hed purſe, ſhould be put to any other fatigues, whether of body or mind, than thoſe of good eating and drinking, play, church-going, ſleeping, and exerciſe on horſeback; or that the finger-joints of his children ſhould be rendered crooked, by over laborious writing. But no great conjuration is required, in attending the threſhing-mill, provided the dire¿ions of the artificer are clearly underſtood at firſt, and an aQive and ingenious fellow who can keep himſelf awake, be employed to feed.

Certain neceflary‘repairs and alterations in my home-ſtead, which were delayed in conſequence of a diſpute with the agent to the eſtate, now of late amicably ſettled, were the occaſion of my being later by two or three years, than I ought, or ſhould really have been, in the erection of a threſhing-machine. I have at length inſpe&ed one in a neighbouring county, which, with certain improvements ſuggeſted to me by an ingenious mill- wright, I propoſe as my model. The expence, I am affured, is not to exceed one hundred and fifty pounds, every thing complete, and thémill at work; however, I hall not be over rigid, or diflatiſ- fed, granting it to extend ſomewhat farther. It will reguire four horſes to a wheel of twelve feet diameter, and is warranted, with the afliſtance of eight men, with two or three women and boys, for all purpoſes of moving the corn and fraw, feeding, ſtack- ing,&c. to threſh and dreſs three quarters of wheat per hour, and’a proportionally larger quantity of other grain, beſides work- ing a chaff-cutting engine. I afterwards purpoſe to add a pair of ímall ſtones for grinding malt; and not improbably, may make the farther addition of others, for a little mealing, at leaſt for my own family, and for the uſe of the cattle ſtalls. I ſhall conclude‘this too long-ſpun, as well as home-ſpun epiftle, with an item which will be ſure to pleaſe your numcrous readers, and, I truſt, will not deceive them. There are, thus Var, throughout all South Britain, very ſtrong indications manifeſted by the crops on the ground, that the year 1800 will be a yielding vear for wheat. Accept this, in teſtimony of real reſpect, from, úr, your very humble ſervant,:

Fuly 21, 1800,:(Gf, 9,