THRESHING CORN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15924, 9 May 1912, Page 2

THRESHING CORN.

Farmers, as a rule, soldom neglect to seo that their threshing tackle is properly set for working, and that the machine is kept in a thoroughly clean condition. Still, some begrudge the time which must necessarily he occupied in c l o aning out a machine after vetches or any other green crop has been threshed; the result is that a sample of good corn is spoilt in the threshing, amT can never be sold as seed. *ln travelling the country one cannot fail to notice that many farmers'are seeing the wisdom of purchasing their own 5 tackle. Of course, it means that a considerable expense must be incurred, but often sets of a comparatively old type can be-acquired. Tackle of this kind may well be worked by a portable engine, and the wholo apparatus may be drawn bv a pair of horses. It is undoubtedly a handy means of dealing with one's own produce. Not only does the engine provide power for the threshing tackle, but it also serves numerous other purposes on the farm—chaffcutting, root pulping, pumping water, grinding, etc. WEATHER INFLUENCES. The condition of corn is influenced to some • considerable extent by the state of the atmosphere. Farmers who have threshed when the ricks wero wet, and before they have been properly dried, have had to accept lower prices for their corn than when it is marketed in a sweet and dry condition. Similarly much care has to be exercised when the harvest has been a catchy one, and the crop taken up ns the weather allowed; corn stacks arc then far from being; as uniform in condition, as they would be where the harvest lias been a good one, and the weather fine. • Further, after heavy drenching rains, the best of thatch is likely to let through the watei, and this, of course, quickly injures the . grain below. Modern thresh in" machines work on a rubbing and striking principle. The beaters of the drum strike the corn, and the rubbing action forces the grain to separate from the glumes or chaff which surround it. If the concave is not adjusted closely enough to the drum, corn will be left in the straw; but if it is adjusted too closely tho corn will be cracked. An important point to bear in mind is even and re-1 gular feeding, the sheaves being ivell I broken up and ,ed as regularly as pos- j siblc: this is especially important when the sheaves are wet or matted together. THRESHING BARLEY. Barley is especially influenced by careless threshing. When the drum and concave are too closely adjusted, many of the grains are chipped ami broken; and, of course, the latter spoil the whole sample, oarticularly from a maltster’s point rf view. The damaged •' grains do not germinate, and very quickly develop mould, which .leads to unsoundness in the malt and bad. results in the brewery. Of course, little harm is done when the awns are knocked off in the machine; it is when the close setting of tho drum injures the skin of the kernel that the mischief is done. This is particularly noticeable in the case of grain that has been constantly wetted nrevious to harvest, for the skins are then in a very weak condition, and it is also impossible to thresh the grains without skinning them. If it is observed that the grain is-being damaged in this way, the ma-i chine should be stormed and the drum I opened slightly. Similar cam is neces-j sary in adjusting the barley-awner, for if the beaters are set too closely, the grains will be “nibbed” or overrun. Apart from these precautions, those in charge of the machine must see that tlie engine runs smoothly and at a uniform speed, and also that the sheaves are well broken and fed. regularly. Machines that have been in uso for some little time are necessarily badly adjusted in the wearing parts; the

I drum and concave will bo worn most j in the centre, on account of the reeding being more at that part than at the ends. Hence, if they are set to thresh together, the grain will he chipped and broken in consequence. ORDER OF SEPARATIONS. When the corn, together with chaff dust, cavings, etc., are rid of straw, f they are passed to the middle of the ' machine and shaken on to the caving ' riddle. This should be frequently examined, in order to detect any corn being carried out with the chan or cavings. When threshing oats, especially if they are at all dull m i condition, this must be carefully attended to, for the oat grains and the •remaining material which fall. on_ the riddles vary only slightly in weight, and when the latter are damp, they are all the more difficult to got rid of. The riddles very often become choked, and before they will act freely frequent rubbing is necessary. Subsequently the com passes over sieves which remove the earthy or heavy dust and heavy small seed, and when it reaches the elevator, it only remains to separate it into head and tailing corn. The hummeller or awner removes the awns from barley and the chaff from white beads amongst wheat grains. The latter then fall on another sieve, where they receive, a blast of air and aro freed from lighter impurities. Separation of the head and tailing corn is effected by means of a rotary screen, which has helical bars running through it, so that the corn is carried from end to end. The thinner grains pass through the divisions between the wire bars or the screen first, then a second and-third separation is effected by means of divisions which are fixed in the hopper underneath. The corn which _ passes out of the inside of the screen is the heart or dressed com, while that which has passed through the divisions of the wire bars of the screen is known as j “ tailings.” „