Object number
55/218
Description
This small winnowing machine was used to separate wheat from chaff. It was purchased by the donor in the 1920s and used at Lavells Farm, Stratfield Saye. It was last used in 1954 to clean some wheat.
Physical description
winnowing machine
Label Text
Winnowing machine. This is a winnowing machine, used to separate wheat from chaff. It was used on a farm in Stratfield Saye between the 1920s and 1950s. Winnowing is the stage of the harvesting process after reaping and threshing; when the grain has been cut and removed from the straw. Before mechanisation, a basket known as a winnowing fan was used for the process. The grain would the thrown into the air and the chaff blown away. Early winnowing machines, which used a hand crank to produce an artificial airstream, were first invented in Ancient China but were not seen in Europe until the 18th century.
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