Wawanesa: A Prairie Heritage - Agricultural History III

The threshing machine appeared on the south-western Manitoba scene during the late 1880’s. At first the threshing machine was much sought after but quite rare. Only a few farmers owned the machines and others would sometimes pay them to come and thresh their grain. Some threshing machine owners could make a lot of money doing custom threshing.

Threshing machines were fairly stationary. Farmers would haul grain to the machines in wagons. Workers pitched sheaves of grain onto the conveyor belt which moved them into the thresher where the grain was separated from the chaff. The grain was collected and the chaff was blown out to form a pile of straw.

Steam-powered engines were used to run the machine and the straw processed by the thresher was shovelled into the engine and used as fuel. This kept the cost of fuel down but major fires were far too common. This risky practice ceased when kerosene and oil powered tractors took over from the steam engine. The number of men needed to operate the threshing outfit decreased but fuel expenses increased.

After the turn of the century, threshing machines became more common as most farmers could afford at least a small outfit. Threshing machines still required between ten and twenty men for operation so a farmer would often hire men from the city. The men would come out to work during the summer and fall and would return to the city during the winter.

Once grain was threshed, it was put in a wagon and hauled to storage. Some grain was taken to the mill to be turned into flour to be used at home or sold locally. The surplus grain was taken to the elevator and loaded onto trains to be shipped to distant markets.

A flour mill

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The threshing machine appeared on the south-western Manitoba scene during the late 1880’s. At first the threshing machine was much sought after but quite rare. Only a few farmers owned the machines and others would sometimes pay them to come and thresh their grain. Some threshing machine owners could make a lot of money doing custom threshing.








Threshing machines were fairly stationary. Farmers would haul grain to the machines in wagons. Workers pitched sheaves of grain onto the conveyor belt which moved them into the thresher where the grain was separated from the chaff. The grain was collected and the chaff was blown out to form a pile of straw.
Steam-powered engines were used to run the machine and the straw processed by the thresher was shovelled into the engine and used as fuel. This kept the cost of fuel down but major fires were far too common. This risky practice ceased when kerosene and oil powered tractors took over from the steam engine. The number of men needed to operate the threshing outfit decreased but fuel expenses increased.
After the turn of the century, threshing machines became more common as most farmers could afford at least a small outfit. Threshing machines still required between ten and twenty men for operation so a farmer would often hire men from the city. The men would come out to work during the summer and fall and would return to the city during the winter.

Once grain was threshed, it was put in a wagon and hauled to storage. Some grain was taken to the mill to be turned into flour to be used at home or sold locally. The surplus grain was taken to the elevator and loaded onto trains to be shipped to distant markets.
		A flour mill

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