MILLS ; MILL WORK. The name of mill is employed rather indefinitely in machinery, A cotton factory is called a mill ; a windmill is a mill; a coffee-grinder is a mill ; and many agricultural implements are called mills. Without extending the application too widely, we will notice a few of the mills connected with agricultural pursuits.
All the machines for grinding corn and seeds are mills, whatever may be their parti cular application. At the Smithfield Cattle Show, and similar agricultural exhibitions, such mills are numerous. One prevalent form is that of an iron machine supported on four legs, having a winch handle on one side, a fly wheel on another, a hopper at the top, and a crushing apparatus in the centre. The grain or seed is put into the hopper, the winch handle is turned, the grain becomes crushed to powder, and falls out at the bottom of the apparatus. Sometimes the mill is made
chiefly of wood, but with iron wheel and crushing apparatus. Lloyd's wheat mill, in addition to the usual mill apparatus, has a chest which acts as a flour dressing machine. Some mills are adapted for crushing beans rather than seeds.
Crosskill's patent mill has a somewhat higher class of action, since it is adapted either for hand, horse, or steam power. In addition to the grinding of corn and seed, it will hull rice, coffee, and olives ; crush bones and metallic ores ; and grind colours, drugs, charcoal and various other substances.
The crushing apparatus in mills is of two kinds, either one stone working round in contact with another ; or two metallic surfaces between which the substance is forced, but between which it cannot pass except in a fine state.