Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-11-17

wheat are to be hewed down, cast into the
thresher, and sacked for market before sun
down.
Then the separator, and engine and all
the teams move forward up the lane, and
into the circle. The first comes to halt in
the CENTRE the second takes up its position
in the rear, and the headers at once attack
the wheat tho first taking the first swath
of the encircling grain the next the Second,
q little in the rear, and SO on.
The betting between the engine and separ-
ator is adjusted, and the engineer starts his
fires. The shoots that are to convey the
grain from the canvas on the ground upon
which it is pitched from the header-wagons
are attached, and the bag-flIers bring up
their sacks. All the lids that cover the
inner works of the great machine are drawn
over, aud all is made fast The wheels are
locked, as are those Of the engine. Great
care is taken to keep all things on as per-
fectly level as may be, to insure the proper
economy of force.
The scene even at this time is one of great
animation The men are all fresh, and are
working with ardor the stimulus Of the
noise, the movement, and the bright sun, is
great. 1t is impossible not to feel the pulse
quicken even a 'his early stage Of the play,
aud one recalls his old-time ideal of har-
vest field, with its beribboned reapers, and
their long, curved sickles, with little doubt
Of its superior grace.
They try the engine 1t is all right.
The separator clatters in tune, and nothing
is amiss. Now, for the grain In a
moment the wagons begin to unload. Huge
forkiuls are pitched upon the ground, from
which it is borne into the recesses of the
separator. Then there ensues a strange
combination of tremen lous nose-a sound
of grinding, sound of brushing, sound of
humping, and a sound Of roaring The en-
tire fabric shivers from top to bottom, and
from out every crevice there pours thin
sheet of dust. The upper part beches out
the waste hundreds Of pounds and tons of
chaf and a sitting cloud follows it, In Il
second everything is on springs. The men
who fill the bags hang them at the edges Of
the troughs. The brown food comes pour
ing down-a stream Of clean kerncls Of
wheat-and the days work fairly begins.
! From the largest separator in the field there
run out six sacks, or eight hundred pounds
of grain, fit for market, each minute. This
machine one day in August, 1874, thrashed
five thousand seven hundred and seventy
nine bushels. Its owner calls it the Moni.
tor. All the engines have names as we'll
Gladiator, Phoenix, Mars, and the like. No
one would ever be mad enough to call one Of
these Ceres, for instance. There is no sug-
gestion Of gentleness, or grace, or poetry, in
the whole field. All is ingenuity, precision,
order, force. A cry Of admiration rises to
ones lips time and again, but the sensation
is the same that one feels upon witnessing a
string of ten-strikes in a bowing.alley, only
a thousand times extended.
1t is great to see the headers keep their
circles Of destruction, hewing down the fair
expause Of bowing golden heads as a shiT
hews down the crested waves, and to heal
the smooth, uncndiug clck-clack Of thci
glistening sicklcs. Even the movements o
the uugainly red wagons that wait upol
them have an unfailing order that has ;
strange power to please.
Most Of the men are dressed in brown
canvas jumpers and overalls, and wear broat
brmmed hats of straw or felt Not one o
them is idle, nor seems to wish to be. Mos
Of them are driving. Some are pitching,
few are feeding the separator, Il few NOR
are filling, sewing and carrying away th
bags, and some are brushing away the heap
of chaf Early in the day there is plenty
of talk and laughter, but later on, as tn
work tells and the sun grows hot, tn
tongues become silent, and the hubbub of tn
machines alone fills the air.
At noon huge van is driven upon tn
field, laden down with dinner of meat, veg
etabes, and pies, all well cooked, and very
palatable. Farm hands, like fishermen
nowadays are epicures. This van is $,
constructed that its sides form broad tables
The cooks who serve stand in the body O
the wagon, and the diners range themselvc
around the outside. All are sheltered by
screen Of wood or canvas overhead.