Two Threshers will employ Two of these little Sheets, and Four Persons in bringing to them; and when the Cocks are thresh’d, which stand at a considerable Distance all round them, they remove the Threshing-sheet to another Place. There belong to a Set for one Threshing-sheet Seven or Eight Persons; but the Number of Sheets should be according to the Quantity to be thus thresh’d: The sooner these thresh’d Cocks are remov’d, and made into bigger Ricks, the better; and unless they be thatch’d, the Rain will run a great Way into them, and spoil the Hay; but they may be thatch’d with the Hay itself, if there be not Straw convenient for it. But the chiefest Care yet remains; and that is, to cure the Seed: If that be neglected, it will be of little or no Value[187]; and the better it has escap’d the Wet in the Field, the sooner its own Spirits will spoil it in the Barn or Granary. I have known it lie a Fortnight in Swarth, till the wet Weather has turn’d the Husks quite black: This was thresh’d in the Field, and immediately put into large Vessels, holding about Twenty Bushels each. It had by being often wet, and often dry, been so exhausted of its fiery Spirits, that it remain’d cool in the Vessels, without ever fermenting in the least, till the next Spring; and then it grew as well as ever any did that was planted. [187] But there is yet another Care to be taken of St. Foin Seed, besides the curing it; and that is, to keep it from Rats and Mice after ’tis cured; or else, if their Number be large, they will in a Winter eat up all the Seed of a considerable Quantity, leaving only empty Husks, which to the Eye appear the same as when the Seeds are in them. A Man cannot without Difficulty take a Seed out of its Husk; but the Vermin are so dextrous at it, that they will eat the Seed almost as fast out of the Husks, as if they were pulled out for them. I saw a Rat killed as he was running from an Heap of it, that had Seven peeled Seeds in his Mouth not swallowed; which is a Sign, that he was not long in taking them out. They take them out so cleverly, that the Hole in the Husk shuts itself up when the Seed is out of it. But, if you feel the Husk between your Finger and Thumb, you will find it empty. Also a Sackful of them is very light; yet there have been some so ignorant and incurious as to sow such empty Husks for several Years successively; and none coming up, they concluded their Land to be improper for St. Foin. But of Seed thresh’d in the Field, without ever being wetted, if it be immediately winnow’d, and a single Bushel laid in an Heap, or put into a Sack, it will in few Days ferment to such a Degree, that the greatest Part of it will lose its vegetative Quality: The larger the Heap, the worse: During the Fermentation it will be very hot, and smell sour.