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It's hot today. Not as hot as it has been but still, end-of-July temperatures. And 76% humidity.
The sheep are drowsing in the shade under a tree.
Two visitors wade through the ford near the foot bridge.
But farm workers cannot be idle. Needs must, when there is work to be done.
Earlier this morning they fired up the boiler of the Case steam traction engine.
It takes a couple of hours to develop sufficient steam to have it working.
See the large green wheel on this side? It's what I would call the PTO take-off.
PTO is an acronym for Power Take Off. The men are
fitting on a belt that will power the threshing machine.
Here's a shock of wheat. The bundle is tied with baler twine. It has to be pitched over to the thresher. Cut the twine and shove the wheat into the machine, which will separate the grain from the straw. The wheat falls into the body of the thresher and the straw is blown up into the mow.
Up the ladder, onto the wagon, and start pitchforking wheat sheaves over to the thresher.
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Today is hot and humid. Consider what it is like up on the steam traction engine.
One man on the tractor. One man cutting the twine on each bundle as it is fed into the hopper. Two women forking the bundles over to him. And the wheat has yet to be bagged, then brought to the mill to be ground. Consider all of this when next you eat a piece of bread. It once was earned by the sweat of one's brow.
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