232

IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY

In tlic appendix to Sir John Sinclair ’s work on the Hus-bandry of Scotland, (NO. VI.), there is given a description,with figures, of a machine for dressing or hunmelling barleyor bear, constructed by Mr George Mitchell, mill-wright atBishopmill, near Elgin . This useful machine has alreadybeen attached to many threshing-mills, and has been foundto answer the intended purpose so well, as to have been re-commended by those who have used it, as a very great im-provement. There must be some additional stress on thepower by which it is moved ; but this has been found so tri-fling that it may be added to any threshing-machine, whetherdriven by water, by wind, or by horses.

Fanners or Winnowing-machine.

Formerly, the only mode of separating grain from thechaff in Scotland , consisted in its being exposed to the wind,by dropping it from a sieve or basket between the two doorsof a barn ; by that operation the chaff and light refuse wasblown backward, whilst the clean grain dropped on the barn-floor. This process answered the purpose pretty well, witha steady wind and great care; but as the former could: not al-ways be depended on, it must have been found very inconve-nient, when the grain was wanted, either for seed, or for themarket. This disadvantage, however, is completely removedby the winnowing-machine, or fanners ; by which the hus-bandman can clean his corn at any time when necessary. Thisuseful machine was introduced into Scotland about a centuryago, by Mr James Meikle, father of Mr Andrew Meikle, in-ventor of the threshing-machine. It appears that he went toHolland in the year 1710, in consequence of an agreement withMr Fletcher of Salton, a character well known in the historyof Scotland . 1 he object of Mr Meikle’s mission was to learnthe art of making pot-barley, and erecting barley-mills. Henot only accomplished his design in a perfect manner, but,after he returned, constructed the first fanners for winnow-ing grain that were ever seen in Scotland . The use of' this