Flail

Threshing (also known as thrashing), refers to the method of separating grain from its outer hull, called chaff. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the farmer usually threshed by hand, swinging a flail against the grain on the barn floor to open the grain. The introduction of steam and animal-powered machinery in the mid to late nineteenth century, brought convenience to the process.

Bibliographic Information:

Flail,1860, wood, rope, wire, L: 86 2/4 x W: 1 in.The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, New York, Gift of Ivan and Marilyn Karp, F0079.1987.