Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/238

210&#93; zio] THR Z, (Fig. 1 )> is a wooden corer- ing at a small distance above the drum, for the purpose of keeping the sheaves close to the scutchers. Mr. Meikle's thrashiug-mar chine may be worked with equal effeSt by horses, by water, or by the wind. If the first of these me- chanical powers be employed, the •whole, we understand, costs about 70 1.} in the second case, it amounts to about 80I,, on account of the additional expence of the water- wheel; and, if the thrashing-ma- chine is to be turned by the wind. It cannot be ereded for a less sum than from 200I. to 3001. sterling. Although such disbmseraent be, at first, very considerable, yet nume- rous machines on this principle have lately been creded in Scot- land ; because they are eventually cheap, by saving the labour of men, and the keeping of hoises. Six persons are required to attend the thrashing-mill; and, though a similar number be em- ployed with the flail, and for clear- ing an equal quantity of corn from cbaff, yetby the former mettoJ* the work is more cleanly, and ex* peditiously, performed. The advantages that may ber- derived from Mr. Meikle's inge- nious contrivance, are too obvious to require an enumeration : we shall therefore only observe, that the drum makes 300 revolutions ia one minute, and the four scutcher* give 12(X) strokes in the same space of time : consequently, much work 'teust be executed from such velo- city; and, if tlic horses walk at the rate of 2f miles every hour, from 3 to 6 bolls (or from 12 to 24 Eutjlish bushels) will be tlirashed every hour. Thus, the grain is not only separated in a more per- frft manner than is praiSticable by the flail, but a saving of 30 or 4a per cent, is also obtained in the ex- pence of thrashing. Another machine was invented, a few years since, by Mr. James Wardrop, of Ampthill, Virginia; for the purpose of separating cora from straw; and of which we hav« procured tlic following Cut : Descripi