THATCH is a covering of straw, rushes, or reeds, as a substitute for tiles or slates for houses, barns, ricks, stacks, and sheds. We will first describe the mode of thatching hay ricks and corn stacks, as the simplest The rick or stack having been formed into a proper shape, either with a roof slanting from a ridge, or conical, ending in a central point, the straw is prepared by moistening it, that it may more easily bend without break ing. It is then forked up in a loose heap, the straws lying in every direction, and some what matted. Portions are now drawn out from this heap in handfuls, which lays the straws again in a more parallel order: these are placed in a forked stick, which will hold several of these bundles or handfuls, and are thus carried to the thatcher on the top of the rick or stack. He seizes a handful, and bend ing one end into a kind of a noose, he inserts this into the hay or straw near the bottom of the roof, at one end if it be a square roof, or at any convenient part if it be a round one. He presses down the straw which he has thus inserted to about half its length, in order to form the eaves, which extend a little beyond the lower part of the roof. When lie has thus laid several handfuls side by side so as to cover about a yard in width, that is as far as he can conveniently reach without moving his ladder, he begins another row a little above the place where he began, so that the lower end of the straw now inserted may cover the upper part of the first row, as tiles do each other. Thus he proceeds upwards till he comes to the upper ridge of the roof, or to the point of the cone in a round stack. In the latter case the cover ing diminishes to a point so as to form a tri angle. The ladder is now shifted a yard to one side, and the same operation is performed, !are being taken that each fresh handful put 311 shall be interwoven with that which lies beside it, so that no water can possibly pass between them. Thns the work proceeds until he roof is completed, and it only remains to iecure the upper ridge in a square stack, or :he point of the cone in a round one. In the first case the highest layer of straw is made n extend beyond the ridge on both sides, and he ends are brought together and stand np ike the bristles on a hog. A rope of straw
ias been prepared, and many small rods, about two feet long, and cut sharp at the mint : these are inserted just below the ridge, n a line with it, and about a foot apart; one rod of the straw rope is inserted into the ;tack, and twisted firmly round the projecting and of the first rod ; it is then wound once •ound the next rod, and so on the whole ciagth of the ridge : this is done on both ides. The straws which form. the ridge are low cut with shears horizontally, to give it a lest finish, and at each end a kind of ores nent is usually made bywinding a straw rope .ound a handful of the projecting straw, form ng a kind of knot or bow, according to the este of the thatcher. Rods and straw ropes wisted round them are inserted near the edge of the slanting side and all along the which prevent the wind from blowing off the thatch, The only difference in the thatch of a round rick is, that it is brought to one point, where it is tied with straw rope wound round it, and formed into a kind of bow ; the rods are in serted a little below in a circle, and a straw rope twisted round them, and likewise around the circular eaves. Barley is generally put into square stacks, and wheat in round ones. When the outside is neatly trimmed and cut smooth, so that no birds can lodge in it, wheat may be kept for years without danger of in jury or loss, much better than in a barn, or even in a granary.
In thatching sheds and buildings which are to last many years, the straw is prepared in the same manner, but the ends of the hand fuls, as they are put on a lathed roof, are kept down by means of long rods, which are tied to the laths of the roof by means of strong tar twine. A much thicker coat of straw is put on ; and rye-straw, which has a solid stem, is preferred, as more lasting, and less liable to be filled with water than hollow straw. In stead of straw ropes, split willow is used, and the rods which are inserted are much nearer each other and more carefully secured. As this kind of thatching is a peculiar trade, it requires a regular apprenticeship to be master of it.