We Combine our oat crop when the grain is hard and the straw all yellow however in 1940 it would have been harvested about 2 weeks before we would call it ready.

Alan starts at the edge of the field and as the cutter seen here is at the front of the Combine he starts straight away.

In 1940 the first job was to “cut a route” round the field.

This was done by hand using a scythe shown here.

A path about 2m wide would need to be cut.

 

Then the Reaper and Binder could be used.

Pictured here this machine cut the corn and tied it in bundles or “Sheaves” as they were called.

Next these were stood on end with the grain heads on top as shown here.

 

 

After about a week weather permitting they were carted in and stacked in the barn as shown here.

Alan’s Combine harvester cuts and separates the grain leaving the straw on the field ready for baling as shown here.

Next month we will look at how the grain was separated in 1940 together with how they baled their straw.

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