self, or are carried in the ploughman's pocket. Every sack should be marked with the initials of its owner's name, or with the name of the farm. The letters may either be painted on with a brush, or formed by painting upon open letters cut through a plate of zinc. In either case, red lead is used. The initials are put on, and appear as those on sack f, fig. 172. When sacks become wetted with rain, they should be shaken and hung up in the air to dry; and if they get besmeared with mud, they should be washed and dried. If the air cannot dry them in time to prevent mouldiness, they should be dried before a fire. Where steam is used for thrashing, sacks may be dried in the boiler-house. An airy place to keep sacks is across the granary, over ropes, suspended between the legs of the couples. Holes will break through sacks, by wear, by tear, or by mice, which will almost invariably find their way into sacks of corn that have stood a considerable time on the barn floor. The best thread for darning even canvass sacks, is strong worsted; and if well darned, the mended parts become the strongest parts of the sack. When a considerable accident occurs to a sack, probably the best way of using the torn sack is, to keep it for cutting up to mend others. The person who has the charge of thrashing and cleaning the corn, has the charge of the sacks, and must be accountable for their number.

On standing behind the wheels, in the first case, and on taking a hold of the handle a with the right hand, and the mouth of the sack with the left, and, pushing it off, insert the iron scoop b of the barrow between the sack and the floor; and on pulling the sack towards you, push the wheels forward by the right foot on the axle, and the sack is placed on the scoop, ready for removal. In the other case, push the scoop of the barrow below the sack f, which is lying a little from you; and on pulling the sack towards you, it becomes ready for removal. The iron shields c over the wheels save their rubbing against the sacks. The height of the barrow should be 3 feet, its breadth, over the wheels, 1 foot, and the frame made of ash, and painted. The load is most easily wheeled with the barrow held in a nearly upright position.

1819. A frame of iron, to hold the sack in filling, has lately been introduced into England; but as I consider it better adapted for the potato-field than the cornbarn, I shall defer describing it at present. The objection to using it in a corn-barn is, that the spikes of the legs injure a floor.

1820. The Weighing-machine is an important article of the barn furniture, and various forms of it are resorted to. The common beam and scales is the most correct of all the instruments of the class; but it is defective, as being less convenient for the purposes of the barn than several others that are partially employed. Steelyards of various forms are also used; but in all steelyards there are grounds for doubting their accuracy, in consequence of the operator not seeing the true counterpoise of the substance weighed, but only its representative, bearing an actual weight greatly smaller thau the substance, but in the inverse proportion to it that the longer arm of the steelyard on which it is appended bears to the shorter arm. Many of these steelyards, from their compactness, are, however, greatly to be commended; and, when well constructed, and properly adjusted, will be found to answer the purpose of weighing such bulky articles as grain with sufficient accuracy. Their cheapness also, when compared with some other instruments on the beam and

fig. 174. This machine is constructed chiefly of cast-iron, the framework a is connected by cross-stretcher bolts b, and is supported in front on the wheels cc, while the back parts are supported on the feet d. The folding handles e, one on each side, turn on a joint pin at e, and become levers by which the machine can be moved about like a wheelbarrow. The beam, parts of which are seen at ff, is double, and also formed of cast-iron, with steel centres, the two bars forming the beamstand, and are connected by a diagonal truss. The one end of the double beam

supports a cross-head suspended on the end centres of the beam, and to which is attached the pillar g, to the lower end of which is attached the shelf-plate or scale h, upon which the principal weights ii are placed. The cross-head carries also the top shelf or scale k, upon which the smaller weights are placed, and a dead plate is fixed on the framework on which the small weights stand ready for use. The opposite ends of the beam carry a frame m, only partially seen, to the lower end of which the shelf n is jointed, and upon this shelf the bag o, about to be weighed, is

shown in the figure. To the upper end of the frame m there is also attached, by a strong bracket not seen in the figure, the shelf or scale p, and upon this scale the bag may be placed and weighed with equal accuracy, while it is supported by the light frame 19. The object of the top and bottom weighing shelves is to suit the placement, or the removal of the bag, either from or to a man's back by the top shelf, or from or to the corn-barrow by the lower shelf. When the machine is not in use, the lower shelf n is folded up against the back of the frame, and the light frame or back qq folds down over the folded-up lower shelfn, reducing the machine to a very compact state. In weighing with this machine, from its being on the principle of the balance, the amount of weights required is equal to the absolute weight of the body that is being weighed, and the true weight is determined when the scales or shelves k and p coincide in one level line with the dead-plate 7. In constructing this machine, the bottom of the pillar g, and of the frame m, are provided with a horizontal connecting-rod, which preserves their parallelism, and, consequently, the correct indications of the beam. Weighing-machines are constructed, on the same principle, with wooden frame-work, which renders them lighter and cheaper; but from the changeable nature of the material, as affected by moisture and dryness, they are liable to derangement. The price of the machine, as exhibited in the figure, is £8, 10s. ; and when constructed in wood the price is £5 or £6.

1822. Riddling. The riddling of corn is a complicated and difficult operation. I have never found a person who could describe it in words; and as it is the only species of farm labour I never could perform to my own satisfaction, I feel that I cannot describe it so as to be of service to those who would desire to learn it. I may say, generally, that riddling consists of holding the bottom of the riddle a little inclined from you, and of giving the corn in it a circular motion, always from right to left, accompanied with an upward jerk of the left hand, which seems to loosen and shake the mass of corn, and has the effect of bringing up all the lighter impurities in it to the surface, while the rotatory motion seems to draw these to the centre of the riddle into a heap, and the

same jerk causes, at the same time, the heavy corn to descend equally through the meshes of the riddle. Very few people, who profess to riddle, can do it well. I have never seen a man do it well, though I have several women. A good criterion of the ability to riddle is this:-Place a man's hat with a flat crown in the centre of the riddle, and if you can make the hat start up on any point of the edge of its crown, and by the motion of the riddle cause it to revolve on that point, in the centre of the riddle, as long as you please, and with what velocity you may, you will certainly be able to riddle corn well. The usual way of riddling is to swing the riddle from side to side in an elliptical course. and make the corn fall through the meshes quickly, all which may easily be done by any novice; but such a motion sends much of the impurities along with the corn, instead of collecting them in the centre. Corn passes more quickly through a wire than a wooden riddle, and it requires a skilful hand, with a quick circular motion, to prevent it passing too quickly. withes of the wooden riddle retarding the passage of the corn through the meshes. an indifferent riddler will make better work with a wooden than a wire riddle. Before all the corn has been passed through the riddle, the impurities, collected in the centre, are brought in a heap to the lefthand side of the riddle, the riddle being inclined to that side for the purpose. while the rotatory motion is continued to the last. The impurities are then thrown into any vessel placed for their reception, such as a wecht, and the bushel is so used when the corn is not measuring up.

The

1823. Sifting. Sifting is performed with the sieve, and its object is to separate small heavy objects from corn, while, at the same time, whatever impurities lighter than corn are also brought to the surface. It is performed precisely in the same manner as riddling, when it is well done, but the circular motion is made to revolve much quicker. Corn is only subjected to sifting, after it has been winnowed and riddled as clean as these operations can make it; and yet, with a thorough sifting, it is surprising what impurities may be discovered amongst it, both in the scum of light matter brought to the surface, as well as the heavy stuff,

which descends through the small meshes, leaving the good grains behind on the sieve. All seed-corn should be sifted; and I believe there is no way of doing it so effectually as with the hand. Siftingmachines have been contrived for the purpose, with more or less success, and are now generally adopted in meal mills, and, no doubt, save much manual labour, though I am doubtful of their sifting so well as the hand; for I consider meal-sifting by the hand as the perfection of riddling, and in doing it, the meal is not only moved in precisely the same manner as corn when well riddled, but the sieve itself is made to revolve gently and regularly, with a slight jerk, from the right hand to the left, making the whole process such a complication of motion as would be difficult to imitate with machinery. Reeing-machines have been invented for cleansing corn, but with what success, compared to riddling by the hand, I cannot say. They are successful, however, in cleansing rye-grass seed.

1824. Carts.-The common cart being so intimately connected with the produce of barn-work, this seems a very befitting time to say a few words on its construction and use. Agricultural carriages are either four-wheeled waggons or two-wheeled carts; and as the Scotch practice, which I profess chiefly to follow, admits, with very few exceptions, the two-wheeled cart only, the following observations are chiefly confined to that implement.

1825. Though the cart, in general, is a vehicle very much diversified in structure to suit the numerous purposes to which, in a commercial country, it is applied, yet for the purposes of the farm its varieties lie within narrow limits, and may be classed under two principal kinds, the tilt or coup close-bodied cart, and the closebodied dormant cart; but these, again, vary as to size, forming single and double horse carts, which are merely varieties of the first. A third and less important kind, is the corn or hay cart, used chiefly in the seasons of corn and hay harvest; and there are others not required on every farm, but are important to some, such as the cage cart, for carrying lambs and other live-stock to market, and the water and liquid-manure cart.

1826. The tilt cart is the most important vehicle of transport on the farm, and is employed for nine-tenths of all the purposes of carriage required in the multifarious operations throughout the year. It is employed to convey manure of all kinds; to convey stone and other materials for draining and other operations; leading home turnips and potatoes; and for carrying produce of all kinds to market. For some of these operations the tilt cart is pre-eminently adapted, such as carrying and distributing of manures, or other matters that can be safely discharged by tilting. The dormant cart, on the other hand, is sufficiently commodious when substances have to be carried that require to be discharged from the cart by lifting, such as grain in bags, and many other articles requiring to be conveyed to and from the farm.

1827. Fig. 175 is a view in perspective of the common one-horse tilt or coup cart, of a simple and much approved construction, and consists of the following parts. The wheels a a, which are of the usual height, 4 feet 6 inches, are of the dished construction, with cylindrical tread or sole, and are inclined from the vertical to bring them to the standard gauge below. The axle, which is of the bent order, with 24 inch arms, is only seen as it protrudes through the nave. The body of the cart, bb, with its bolsters, one of which is seen at c, by which it rests upon the axle, and to which the shafts are jointed by means of a joint-rod that passes through the bolsters and the ends of the shafts. shafts d are secured to the body by means of the lock seen in the figure in front; and they are here represented resting upon a tresste to keep the cart upon a level; and, lastly, the top-sides e e, which are fitted to ship and unship as occasion may require.

The

1828. The double-horse agricultural cart differs only from the one-horse tilt, fig. 175, and its details, in being of larger dimensions, but especially in depth; the length is also increased a few inches, while the width remains nearly the same, and the limbers are stronger; but all the dimensions are variable, according to the tastes and objects of the owners. This cart is represented at work in Plate III.

I may name the common saugh or willow, the larch, the common Scots fir, and others of the pine tribe; and the more they abound in sound knots, so much the better are they adapted to the purpose, not only preventing the splitting of the boards, but adding to the durability of the material.

1830. The nails used for fixing the boarding should always be the common cart nail, which is distinguished from other common nails by its diminished length, increased thickness, and being chiselpointed, qualities that adapt it for being driven into hard wood, while its thickness gives it the requisite strength to resist the rough usage that such machines are always liable to.

1831. It is always of importance to husband well the energies of the horse; and in no case is it more necessary than in the cart horse. To facilitate the arrangement of the load in the two-wheeled cart here described, the practice has been to place the cart upon the axle, in a position that places four-sevenths of the body before the axle, and three-sevenths of it behind. Whether this has been deduced from calculation or experiment, cannot now be determined; but one thing is certain, that the above proportion seems to suit all purposes, and what is more, it

yields, by calculation and experiment, a result which loads the horse in the shafts with a fair degree of pressure, and such as he is quite capable of supporting through a moderate journey. The amount of this load on the back of the horse has frequently been very much overrated; and few practical people have a clear conception When the cart is proof its amount. perly loaded, there will be a preponderance of one-seventh of the load before the axle on which the cart body rests.

1832. The method of yoking the horses into the cart may be seen in Plate III., where the horse in the shafts is yoked as it would be in a single-horse cart, and where both the horses are yoked, as in the double-horse cart, with all the necessary harness. In addition to the collar and bridle required for yoking the horse to the plough, as already described in (676,) and (680,) the horses require the following harness in the cart: