Tools

There are various tools that were once commonly used on farms around the County. Many of these have since been replaced by large, power-driven devices.

Axe
The axe was used for cutting down trees and killing animals. The heel of the axe was used to stun the pig before it was bled.

Spade
A spade was made of wood with iron shoes to protect it from wearing out. It was used for preparing the ground, especially on the croft. It was also used for digging ditches when draining land. Before planting seeds it is necessary to break down the earth. Poor farmers who could not borrow or hire a plough had to use a spade for this work.

Scythe
A long-handled scythe enabled the corn to be cut while the worker remained standing. Held with both hands, the crop was reaped by a slicing action. The scythe was mainly used for cutting grass and harvesting barley and oats.

Sickle
A sickle was the main tool used by farmers for cutting corn. The iron blade was angled backwards from the handle to allow a smooth cutting motion. The sickle enabled the corn to be cut without too much strain on the wrist. The blade could either be saw-toothed or smooth-edged.

Rake
Before the introduction of the harrow, a rake was used for spreading and collecting grass during haymaking.

Flail
The flail was two pieces of wood joined together. The handle was attached to a smaller piece called the striker. The flail was used to separate the grain from the harvested sheaves. A winnowing basket was then used to separate the corn kernels from the outer husks or chaff.

Winnowing Basket
After a flail had separated the grain from the harvested sheaves. A winnowing basket was used to separate the corn kernels from the outer husks or chaff. The thrashed corn was thrown up from the basket and the breeze (sometimes created by waving a sheet) blew the chaff from the heavier kernels.

Pitchfork
These were used to pick up, move and stack hay and straw. The long handle was a great help in building stacks and the curved tines made it possible to pick up and hold the crop.

Grain Cradle
This grain cradle is a scythe with four wood fingers which gather the grain while it is being cut by the iron blade.

It was a very popular implement on the farm. Although developed as a result of a labour shortage, it did not save many hours of work as hands were still needed to collect and bind the grain. The grain cradle did have the advantage of being able to pick up and cut grain that had been beaten down by storms. It was made virtually obsolete by the mechanical reaping machine.