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THRESHING BEE - Threshing in the old days was a lot of work, but also an opportunity to get together. The
picture above was taken at a threshing bee at Louis Day's in 1908, It is believed that several men went
together to purchase this machine. Standing on the top left is Joe Bawden; standing on the very top, William
Sweet; at far right is Louis Day; to the left of him and blurred is Art Davis, The two men in suits were travell-
ing salesmen and the boy at front could not be identified.
Threshing in early days
was most arduous task
Section 3, Page 13 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973
JOTTINGS BY J.M.S.
October 7, 1954
A few weeks ago we referred to
harvesting in the pioneer days.
Since then we have received
more details from Mr. Dan
Weber, of Dashwood.
Mr. Weber describes the
"Cradle" as an implement with a
very short handle with an upright
adjustable grip a long knife and
three or fbur "fingers" to catch
the grain after it was cut.
With,careful swings a neat row
was made to be handraked into
bundles. They were bound with a
handful of grain parted near the
heads, given a skilful twist and
placed against the far side of the
bundle, The left hand reached in
under grabbed the other end,
twisted them together and turned
them under the band.
If a firm grip had been kept at
each operation the sheaf would
stand the oft repeated handling
that was to follow. They had to be
stooked, pitched and loaded to
wagons, thrown off again, often
over a beam, passed from one to
another until all bundles were
evenly placed in the barn.
At threshing the process was
reversed and the far sheaves had
to pass three or four forkers to
the fabler then to the band-cutter
who shoved them to the feeder.
Usually two men took turns to
regulate the flow of the grain to
the separator.
The Reaper
The first reaper had a platform
behind the cutbar. When enough
grain had gathered on the plat-
form the driver could release the
hold and a neat heap would drop.
The grain was dropped where the
horses would have to walk on the
next round thus the sheaves
would have to be bound before the
reaper could proceed.
"In our case" says Mr. Weber,
grandfather drove the team,
mother and father bound. When
the grain got too ripe and dry the
children were asked to place
longer and greener bands besides
the sheaves. Later when rakers
were added to the machine the
grain was shoved over the
quarter-round platform out of the
way of the next round. It was then
the father's turn to drive and the
mother and son to bind."
"Before taking the horses into
a field, a round was made with
the cradle, the sheaves raked,
bound and placed to one side in
order to save the grain the
machine and horses would
waste."
Cradled Ten Acres One Day
On one occasion a challenge
was made and accepted to cradle
ten acres from sun up to sun
down. The terms were that one
assistant was to sharpen a cradle •
with each round ready to be
exchanged at the next. The feat
was accomplished.
TPeshing
The first implement used by
the pioneers for threshing was a
flail, made of a handle somewhat,
longer than a fork, fastened with
a swivel with a hardwood stick
about two feet long. Both sides of
the bundles were flailed till all
the kernels were loosened. The
chaff and grain were raised to the
wind to separate them.
The next improvement was a
cylinder run by horse-power. The
sheaf was held to the spiked
running cylinder till all the grain
was removed. The straw was
shaken out and thrown to one
side. The chaff and grain was
then separated as when a flail
was used.
Later a longer machine was
made with shakers to treat the
straw. Soon there was added a
fanning mill, straw blowers and
cutters, grain blowers, or
elevators, self feeders, dust
collectors and even water
sprinklers to make it more
comfortable in the hay mow.
The first steam engine had a
vertical boiler, followed by a
horizontal boiler fired by wood,
coal or straw, On the prairies
firemen at times had to get up at
3 a.m, walk to his engine, poke in
straw to get up steam enough to
start work at daylight. Quite a
difference now to starting the
machine with gas which requires
only a few seconds.
T-A April 27, 1933
Exeter merchant left
Estate worth $17,183
Application for probate of the
will of the late John W, Taylor,
for many years president of Ross-
Taylor Company Limited,
lumber merchants, of Exeter is
being made by the Canada Trust
Company, R.N. Taylor, Capon,
Alta., and Mrs. Emma Agnew,
Winnipeg, executors. Mr. Taylor
died January 24.
The estate, valued at $17,183, is
made up of real estate, bonds and
debentures of mortgage cor-
poration and under the terms of
the will,the widow and children
6 are the beneficaries.
Carling & Morley, solicitors,
Exeter, are acting for the estate.
Exeter Times Advocate,
January 31, 1953
Over 5,000 people visited South
Huron Hospital on Thursday and
Friday when it was opened for
inspection.
ii