. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. CARRYING IN AND STACKING CORN. 397 8wer for laying on the covering of stacks. To give the thatch-straw a smoothness, it should be stroked dowoa v\dth a long, supple rod of willow; and to give the ropes a firm hold, they should receive a tap here and there with the fork, while the assistant is pulhng the last end tight. The thatch- er is obliged to throw down the rope at first coiled, and to coil up again the second end before it is thrown down,
. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. CARRYING IN AND STACKING CORN. 397 8wer for laying on the covering of stacks. To give the thatch-straw a smoothness, it should be stroked dowoa v\dth a long, supple rod of willow; and to give the ropes a firm hold, they should receive a tap here and there with the fork, while the assistant is pulhng the last end tight. The thatch- er is obliged to throw down the rope at first coiled, and to coil up again the second end before it is thrown down, because the loose ends of straw- ropes would not descend within reach of the assistant. The ends of the ropes are fastened to the stack by pulling a handful of straw from a sheaf a little out of the stack, and winding the rope round it; and the knot thus formed is pushed between the rope and stack, and keeps the rope tight.— On such a stack, which is 15 feet diameter at the base, 17 feet diameter at the eaves, 12 feet high in the leg, and 6^ feet high in the top, 10 ropes on each side are quite sufficient to rope it. (2260.) It is seldom that the covering of a stack is finished when the straw and ropes are first put on—the stack being placed beyond danger, others are covered to the same state, and the finishing is left till more leis- ure is found ; and, indeed, all the stacks to be early threshed seldom re- ceive the finishing work at all. Many farmers only finish the outside rows of stacks. However, as I am speaking of the subject just now, I shall de- scribe the finishing process at once. An eaves-rope, k I, fig. 422, is spun long and strong enough to go round the stack. Wherever 2 ropes from opposite directions cross at the eaves-rope, they are passed round it, and, being cut short with a knife, are fastened to the stack, immediately below the projecting part of the thatch over the eaves. Thus the 2 ends of all the 20 ropes are fastened to the stack, and the thatch is c
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
