Object number
51/3
Description
The barley fork was commonly used during harvesting for making sheaves of barley ('pooking'), and also used in malting to separate the grains on the floor of a kiln ('furling'). Barley forks were known as 'bavin forks' in Kent, and 'pooking forks' in Hampshire.
Physical description
1 barley fork; wood and metal [iron]; good condition
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Fork (Barley) // DATE ACQUIRED: January 1951// GROUP: Harvesting cereals // NEGATIVE: 35/195 slide no 34 // PERIOD: unknown // PLACE OF ORIGIN: The Agricultural Machinery Department, Reading University // NUMBER: 51/3 // DESCRIPTION: The barley fork was commonly used for two purposes. In harvesting it was pushed along the ground through a swathe of cut barley until the triangle, made by three prongs, was full. The barley was then released and the process repeated. This was called POOKING. A woman would follow and tie up the sheaves. // In malting it was used to separate the grains as they lay sprouting on the kiln floor. The tendency is for the grains to mat as they sprout, and to prevent this, the barley fork was pushed up and down through the grain in straight lines. This operation was known as FURLING. // Barley forks were either entirely made of wood, except for the metal tips on the prongs, or of iron with wooden handles. They were known as BAVIN FORKS in Kent and POOKING FORKS in Hampshire. // The origin of this fork is unknown. It is made of wood, the two main prongs being formed by a natural fork of the branch, and the third nailed onto the main stem, 2 inches below the fork. The two main prongs are sheathed with 10 inches of iron. // The fork measures 5 feet 10 inches in length, the main prongs being 2 feet 3 inches in length and the third 1 foot. // 4" of wood replaced at the top of prong‘
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External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_195.tif - High resolution image
