FANNERS, a machine employed to winnow grain. In passing through the machine, the grain is rapidly agitated in a sieve, and falling through a strong current of wind, created by a rotatory fan, the chaff is blown out at one end, and the cleansed particles fall out at an orifice beneath. The apparatus is composed chiefly of wood, and though ordinarily moved by the hand, it is sometimes connected with the driving power of a thrashing-mill. The F. superseded the old and slow process of winnowing. which con sisted in throwing up the rain by means of sieves or shovels, while a current of wind, blowing across the thrashing-floor, carried away the chaff. " A machine for the win nowing'of corn was, as far as can be ascertained, for the first time made in this island by Andrew Rodger, a farmer on the estate of Cavers in Roxburglishire, in the year 1737. It was after retiring from his farm to indulge a bent for mechanics, that he entered on this remarkable invention, and began circulating what were called fanners throughout the country, which his descendants continued to do for many Annals of Scotland, by R. Chambers, vol. iii. Strangely enough, there was a strong opposition to the use of this useful instrument; the objectors being certain rigid sectaries in Scot land, who saw in it an impious evasion of the division will. To create an artificial
wind, was a distinct flying in the face of the text, "He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind."—Amos iv. 13. Apart from the folly of the objectors, who car ried their fancies to the extent of petty persecution, we are amazed at their apparent neglect of the fact, that the winnowing of corn by artificial means, in which fans per formed a conspicuous part, is mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament. See FAN. The advantages in using the F. soon overcame all prejudices on the subject, and the objections to the use of the machine are now remembered only by tradition, and by a passage in one of the imperishable fictions of Scott. In the tale of Old Mortality, Manse Headrigg is made anachronously to speak to her mistress about " a newfangled machine for dighting the corn frae the chaff, thus impiously thwarting the will o' Di vine Provi dence, by raising wind for your leddyship's use by human art, instead of soliciting it by prayer, or patiently waiting for whatever dispensation of wind Providence was pleased to send upon the shieling-hill."