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From my limited experience with harvesting grains, I would say that oats have got to be one of the easiest grains to mow with a scythe, but one of the hardest to mow neatly. It practically jumps out of the way of the scythe blade, but the grain heads fall to the right, or every which way, unless you use a grain cradle. "Where can I get a grain cradle?", you ask. If I could get them, believe me, I would carry them. Unfortunately, I don't know of anybody that still manufactures a grain-cradle. It's on my list of products to develop for 1SR, but until then you will have to make your own. Or.... you could try this simple technique. In the video below, these people are implementing a brilliant idea that I have not seen, or heard of before. An assistant to the scyther, holds a light pole against the standing grain, for the scyther's next stroke, which keeps it from falling over, and apparently has the effect of guiding the stalks to move over to the left, just like it would with a grain cradle! I can't wait to try this myself! If any of you get to it before I do, let me know how it works out.
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 I just found a great video on YouTube of a traditional wheat harvest demonstration in Germany. It shows the sophisticated German bow cradle in use, and how the scythe is swung into the standing grain. The cradle presses the cut grain stems up against the standing stems, to compresses the fallen grain stems into alignment, to make it easier to gather them into sheaves. See the link below. For more info, also check out my grain Harvesting workshop page. Harvesting Grains
Here I am mowing mature goldenrods, grass, and young bushes, to gain more pleasant access to a wild apple tree. I am using a brand new, 50cm Fux Light Bush Blade, and a shaved down 160cm adjustable Swiss snath. I am periodically honing the blade with a Black-blue Bregenzer whetstone. Highly versatile, this bush blade can be used for full-out field mowing strokes, dexterous trimming strokes, and the kurt bush blade chop. It cuts through woody stems a up to a half inch in diameter. When mowing with a bush blade, I make sure the stubble is left as short as possible.
Of interest to Natural Farmers, and the "to prune or not to prune" debate, is that this apple tree is a wild apple tree grown from a naturally dropped seed, and one of many in the area. It has never been pruned. It just grew that way completely in the wild. It produces a great tasting crop of apples every other year. It's only pest is the coddling moth. We are afraid to mess it up with our good intentions, so it is left the way it is, and never prune it. Looks like a good beginner's scythe workshop. I am often asked if one can mow a lawn with a scythe. Sure you can! Most people scythe a lawn by pressing down on the blade and taking a full scythe stroke, and often end up scalping the lawn. Whenever possible, I prefer to lift my blade slightly, and leave a higher stubble. It's better for the lawn. With a super sharp blade and the lush juicy grass, like the lawn in the video below, I can keep the blade an inch or two above the ground. This requires more of a short, trimming stroke, so this technique is better for small areas. For larger areas, I would use a long hook-nosed blade, and add a wedge between the tang and the snath, in order to raise the cutting edge, above the ground more. See my blog post on wedges. For more tips on scything a lawn see: https://onescytherevolution.com/blog/any-tips-for-using-a-scythe-to-mow-a-lawn The personal matter that absorbed Levin during his conversation with his brother was this. Once in a previous year he had gone to look at the mowing, and being made very angry by the bailiff he had recourse to his favorite means for regaining his temper,--he took a scythe from a peasant and began mowing. The farm where my ducks are at, needed me to come over and mow the duck pens. A perfect opportunity for me to field test the first prototype of the new 1SR snath, that I am having developed . I'm mowing with a brand new 65cm "Gartensense" grass blade, triple-peened and sharp right out of the box. I forgot my hay rake, so at 1:45 I am spreading out the windrows with my scythe. Test results? Excellent strength, balance, control, dexterity, and direct transfer of power! |
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