Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-14
An Italian Harvest.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Bulletin gives L graphic description Of an
Italian harvest which will interes. our
readers. He says:
The threshing hoor was q large uncovered
space of ground lying to the north Of the
villa and between it and the farm house.
The ground Or earth of this space is beat
en- 50 hard that it is almost like stone
floor; on it lay the golden sheaves of grain,
and the nine men and one woman-five
on each side-were swinging their old
fashioned fails with strong, regular beats,
and the woman thrcshed rs well us the
men. At one end of the hedge border of Il
prato or field, overlooking the threshing
ground, were grain ears tied on the ends of
tall sticks, forming three large rustic cross
es at the arms Of the rude crosses were
bundles Of wheat ears. This was the bene-
dction Of the threshing ground and Of
the grain.
During the threshing the laborers laugh
ed and talked and sung The PerugIu
rural song is very curious and solemn. 1t
is 4 sort Of chanting lament ending in Il
wall. One laborer improvises line,
which he sings in a high key with no tune
"A sort Of Gregorias movement and inter-
yals; when he is half through the line
another begins-not in unison, nor in
harmony, nor in actual discord, and in
the same ecclesiated style, third singer
strikes in ut the lust note of the first sing
er, which is always higher than the begin
ming; then all join and fall on this one
note-they hold it through Il long, long
breath, and make i creScendO, then let it
die gradually away.
Seven times in day these work people
stopped their labor and ate the meals the
pHdrgHe's servants prepared for them. The
dinner ut mid-day was a very heavy one,
/ and they took their time at it. Whenever
! the pGGrOne or his wife made their ap-
/ pearance the threshers cried out ut the top
Of their lungs, IjCG il padr0He ~ The
wine was served all around generously,
and again they cried, " rtuG u padrone ~
/ adding u JACD ril0S,' lengthening out
/ the yowels in the same lamenting wall,
sliding up and down the half tones.
Near sunset the grain was all threshed,
I the ptglG straw was made into great
/ stack, and one OF the men began TO win
now the grain that was gathered into Il
/ great heap at the corner Of the threshing
door. lie had large wooden shovel, and
with it he tossed the grain high into the
air, The strong west wind carried the
1 pHls (chatf) into one heap, the toss Of the
shovel threw the grain into another long,
symi-circular pile Two men with brush
es walked over the grain from time to
time and swept of chaf or husks lightly
that flew on the surface of the grain. The
/ tossing of the grain in the air was the
most interesting part Of the labor to me
| the fine curve the wheat made when tossed
| up in the air was beautiful, and the rain of
grain and chaif was very brilliant as they
fell, with the rich colored sky in the back
ground.
The yellow grain looked like gold, and
the gray chaff like golddust. After the
winnowing was over, I was surprised to
see how completely it was separated the
pttie was all husk, the grain all wheat.
1 The pule was carried in baskets to the
baru and stables TO make litter or beds for
the farm beasts, the grain was put into
bags Every two bagfuls was carried up
to the padr0He's store-room, and every
other two bagfuls was given to the farm
er. The farmer has the farm rent free,
but he must supply seed, labor and beasts.
and receive one-half of all he raises. Dur
ing the filling of the bags shame-faced,
stout young contadiHa came siding in
with a small bag in her hands. This was
the eurat0, or priests servant, who came
for her masters share of the harvest. Her
bag was filled, but not until one Of the
saucy threshers had battle with her fol
Il kiss.