Last month we saw Alan and his combine harvester which cuts and separates the grain in one operation.

However as we showed in last month’s then and now their job was only half finished and the grain needed to be threshed and the straw baled.

This machine is a traction engine these were steam engines powered by coal and water.

This machine was made by a company called Burrell.

Threshing was a contractors job just like we use Alan contracting today.

The machine was owned by John Moreton grandfather to William of Moreton contractors who are still in business today.

 

Once in position by the stack the straw was fed into the threshing machine as shown in the left picture and when separated the grain was bagged as shown here.

The straw was baled into these bales which were nearly twice the size of today’s small bales.

The grain bag probably weighed about 90kgs and the straw bale 55kgs.

Heavy by today’s standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given the plentiful supply of food in the stack rats were forever a problem and the farm terrier, like Smidge today was ever present.

Shown here by Mr Carter it had at least one victim that day.

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