. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. 398 THE BOOK OF THE FARM AUTUMN. to put a strong eaves-rope round the stack, below the projecting row of slieaves from a to b. The straw is then put on much the same way as be- fore described, but rather thicker, and it projects farther beyond the eaves. The tops of the finishing sheaves of the stack are pressed down, ^^^- ^~*- and a rather hirge, hard bundle of short straw is placed upon them, to serve as a cushion for the ropes to rest upon, a
. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. 398 THE BOOK OF THE FARM AUTUMN. to put a strong eaves-rope round the stack, below the projecting row of slieaves from a to b. The straw is then put on much the same way as be- fore described, but rather thicker, and it projects farther beyond the eaves. The tops of the finishing sheaves of the stack are pressed down, ^^^- ^~*- and a rather hirge, hard bundle of short straw is placed upon them, to serve as a cushion for the ropes to rest upon, and which is put on after most of the cover- ing has been laid on. The thatch- er then perches himself upon the top of the hard bundle, where he receives the ropes as they are wanted, and, on being thrown to him, he catches them readily on the point of a long fork. Some the border method of covering and roping dexterity is required to throw a ^ corn-stack. coil of straw-rope to the top of a stack. The best position to do it is to stand as far from the stack as to see the thatcher fully in the face, and clear of the head of the stack; then, lo take the coil by the small end, pitch it upward with a full swing of the arm toward the thatcher's feet, and he will catch it firmly on the prongs of the fork; if aimed to a higher level, the fork will be almost certain of missing it—the critical position of the thatcher not allowing him to turn his body, but only to move his arms. Uncoiling the half of a rope, the thatcher throws it past the eaves to his assistant, who fastens that end, and while this is doing he throws the other half of the coil down in the opposite di- rection, across the top of the stack, to another assistant, who fastens it to the stack at ihe opposite side : 1 assistant may suffice, by tying first one end of the rope, and then the other; but, with 2 assistants, this mode of roping is conducted with great celerity. Thus, rope after rope is thrown, to the number of 30
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
