Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-09-04

when the grain is cut the Kansas
Farmers show great differences in the
handling OF the crop. Some stack the
whezt. allowing it 10 thoroughly sweat
i'm rhe stack before threshinE. Many
Others, equally well informed, allow
the grain TO stand i'm the stack uutil
perfectly dry, and then thresh from the
shock. $tiT others rhresh from the
heads az the weather be favorable. The
millsrs prefer grain that has been
swea1ed In the straw, claiming that the
wheat has got TO 20 through this pro-
cesS either in the straw, in the bin or
i'm the four; and they prefer to have
IL xwe4f before they grind ii. The
word sweat is used TO denote Il pecul-
iAr process The straw on the stack
becomes daml and the wheat that was
s>of color" or bleached before stack
ing. has its colcr restored. Shriveled
wheat becomes plumper. In about
foRr weeks after stacking, the wheat Is
through the Sweat" and is ready for
fhreshing. lift sweats in the bin, the
grain feels damp, and in untavorable
weather heats. A job Of threshing IN
the summer is dreaded by all men; but
the work has 10 be done. The cheap
esH Way 10 do it is with a separator,
driven oy ten or twelve horses. These
machines viii thres and clean from 400
20 500 bushels Of wheat per day. The
horses march around in n circle. The
driver standing on top Of the power
With R long whipin his hand, keeps up
= constant yelling at the teams. The
circle the horses march on becomes
hard and susty. The dust rises In vast
clouds, and Is swept by the strong
winds. that blow constantly in Kansas,
10 the machine and stacks. The feed
ers. two in number, alternate in feed
ing the unthreshed straw into the sep
arzror. The man who is of work, oils
the machine and keeps it i'm running
order The other, sanding on a plat
form i'm frOnt OF the cylinder, grasps a
bundle. and with a deft movement
shakes liz up and starts il into the iron
BOOShed cylinder. 4 steady stream of
unfhreshed straw is kept going into the
machine. At the other end Of the sep
Erar0r IN loose mass Of chopped straw is
climbing up the straw carrier, to be
dropped on the straw stack. Men
pitch the bundles to the machine. They
are warm. The air il dense with dust.
The heat OF the sun is terrific. Rap
idly the men become black with dust.
They speak only to demand water.
They work silently, steadily, until the
machine stops for some trifling repairs.
Then they throw themselves down to
rest, buI i'm an instant the voice of the
driver is heard, Get up! get up!" The
horses strain, the cylinder turns, huns
sOftiy as it gets speed, then roars loud
w as az catches the full motion. Again
the air Is thick with dust; again the
straw Is being rapidly fed into the
hungry irOnclad mouth of the sepa-
rHTor. A man is seen to stagger.
Dropping his fork he clasps his head
with his hands and falls-melted with
the heat he is instantly grssped and
carried 10 the shade; his head is cooled
OF, his shirt opened, and the work is
resumed. As night comes on the men
are tired out. Their skins are on fire,
sOdreadfully have they been irritated
oy the dust and chaff of the grain.
Their eyes are bloojshot; they are hum
gry. Soon after supper they all 60 to
sleeP-some in the barn; others on the
nOOr Of the house; still others, careless
ofany comfort, as they smoke out their
pipes lie down on the ground and sleep
there.