Flail

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Before threshing machines, flails were used to separate seeds of grain from their chaff or coverings. Grain plants such as wheat, rye, barley, or oats were cut off above the ground, allowed to dry thoroughly, and brought to barn where they were laid on the wooden threshing floor. Once the two were separate, the grain was collected in a further process called winnowing, which removed dirt and chaff. The leftover stalks, or straw, were used as bedding in stalls.

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Details

Item typeTools & Equipment
Agricultural
Date1850–1900
TopicAgriculture, Farming
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
Revolutionary America, 1763–1783
National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialWood
Dimension detailsLength: 47.75 in
Catalog #1985.0011.01
View this item in our curatorial database →
Flail. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1985-0011-01/. Accessed on December 8, 2024.

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