The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-11-02

II Is most interesting to watch the
quick working of the threshing ma
chine, which is driven by steam. The
women never seem to cease-sheaf af
ter sheaf is dropped In from above,
and on one side you see the chan and
straw coming out, and on the other the
wheat dropping right into the SACKS
awaiting 1t below. These again are
tied up by the men. | watched the
grain being separated from the chaff
for 40 minutes, ana during that tine
IL big sacks were tied up, labeled and
ready to put away in the granary,
While this is going on, hundreds Of
black and gray crows (the real Rus
sian crow, come flying around to pick
up what wheat they can, and In some
parts the ground is just n patch Of
black and looks most strange.
The only Russian crow | have seen
in captivity was II miserable specimen
in Dresden. They are much more sin.
lister looking than their British broth.
ers, and even their "caw" is different
Their behavior in the wheattield Is eX
tremely entertaining. The old birds
hop about uttering weird little noises
and gingerly picking up grains OF
wheat with which they feed their prac-
tically full-grown offspring If the
young bird has had enough 1t drops the
| grain in front of another crow, which
generally snaps at 1t promptly.
The peasants receive pay according
to the proprietor's wealth or generos-
| ity-sOmetimes 30 kopeks day
(25 cents), at other times one rouble
4 $50 cents) but this varies greatly. as
some estates are so much richer than
others. In all and every case, how
| ever, the peasants receive collectively
One-tenth of the wheat OF every field
! they cut.
Won't Work on Feast Days.
Sundays and feast days (and there
| are over Il hundred of the latter) they
will not work, but lie nbogt II the
| fields and drink tea, etc. But they love
music. and to the tune of the balalaika
| Ga kind of mandolin) and the con-
certina they will sing and dance at any
moment of the day. Many of the peas
ants are much richer than they look,
and they still put their money in their
stockings and bury 1t as of old.
But to return to the harvest. To.
wards sunset, when work is at its high
est pitch in the vicinity of the thresh
ing machine (Which, by the way, the
peasants greatly reverence, as II means
| food TO them in the coming year), life
! is indeed worth living. The thrObbing
of the engines, the buzz of many voices,
| the lowing of the cattle, the glorious
sunset, and, above all, that lovely gold
en- haze (cnused by the dust of the
chafD which rises ever so lightly, and
which seems to put veil over every
thing, just makes you long for your
brush and palette.
But, the wheat cut, threshed and
housed, the machine must be put away
| till next year. This Is quite cere.
mony and always takes place in the
moonlight. First It is thoroughly over
hauled and cleaned, then decorated
with flowers, small sheaves and
| branches of trees. Between twelve
and twenty pairs of oxen draw the
machine, moving as slowly as possible,
All those who have taken part in the
harvest work walk beside and behind
| it-generally between one hundred and
two hundred. Behind these come the
villagers, everyone dressed Id his best,
and the girls with garlands of flowers
on their heads, singing folk songs. This
huge cavalcade moves at foot pace un-
til 1t arrives at its destination, when
the squire and all his family and
guests come out to see the ceremonial
housing. The peasants then receive
something extra" and return to their
houses, generally having rolltcking
time, playing and dancing far into the
! night