Hi, Love reading these Farm adverts. Intrigued by the list of farm implements for sale, but particularly "Stich Harrows". Now I know what harrows are, and I've checked Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_%28tool%29] just in case it mentioned "Stich Harrows" under "obsolete" farm machinery, but haven't found it ... So, can anyone tell me what "Stich Harrows" are? Is "Stich" a manufacturers' name or brand name? <<snip>> Subject: [ENG-WESTMORLAND] Carlisle Patriot, 24 Oct 1818 - Adverts (1) Saturday 24 Oct 1818 (p. 1, col. 3, 5, 6) TO BE SOLD, in PUBLIC SALE, at Mr. FISHER'S, KELL-HOUSE FARM, on MONDAY the 9th of NOVEMBER, -Two seasoned Work Horses; Four Milch Cows, all taken the Bull; Four Galloway Heifers, gone two Years Old, in good condition; One Yearling ditto; Ploughs, Harrows, Gear, &c.; a Horse Turnip Seed Drill and Roller; Cleaning Machine, &c.; Three Carts, Two Pair Eight inch Wheels, new; Stich Harrows, &c.; Cast Iron Roller in Frame; Corn Mill for Horses; Swine, &c. Three Camp Bedsteads, Two Feather Beds, and sundry other Articles. JOHN CHRISTOPHERSON, Auctioneer. <<end>>

The OED online doesn't have it either. However, I wonder whether it has something to do with the word "stitch" in one of these meanings: 1. The act of cutting or dividing the earth with the share in ploughing; the (greater or lesser) depth to which the share is driven in making a furrow. Phr. to take stitch, to drive the share into the soil. 2. a. A ridge or balk of land; esp. a strip of ploughed land between two water-furrows; also, a narrow ridge in which potatoes, etc. are grown. Maybe it was a very narrow harrow to just harrow a "stitch" of land? Petra -----Original Message----- From: eng-westmorland-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:eng-westmorland-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Susan Wilson via Sent: 04 November 2015 23:21 To: Petra Mitchinson <petra.mitchinson@doctors.org.uk>; eng-westmorland@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ENG-WESTMORLAND] Carlisle Patriot, 24 Oct 1818 - Adverts (1) Hi, Love reading these Farm adverts. Intrigued by the list of farm implements for sale, but particularly "Stich Harrows". Now I know what harrows are, and I've checked Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_%28tool%29] just in case it mentioned "Stich Harrows" under "obsolete" farm machinery, but haven't found it ... So, can anyone tell me what "Stich Harrows" are? Is "Stich" a manufacturers' name or brand name? <<snip>> Subject: [ENG-WESTMORLAND] Carlisle Patriot, 24 Oct 1818 - Adverts (1) Saturday 24 Oct 1818 (p. 1, col. 3, 5, 6) TO BE SOLD, in PUBLIC SALE, at Mr. FISHER'S, KELL-HOUSE FARM, on MONDAY the 9th of NOVEMBER, -Two seasoned Work Horses; Four Milch Cows, all taken the Bull; Four Galloway Heifers, gone two Years Old, in good condition; One Yearling ditto; Ploughs, Harrows, Gear, &c.; a Horse Turnip Seed Drill and Roller; Cleaning Machine, &c.; Three Carts, Two Pair Eight inch Wheels, new; Stich Harrows, &c.; Cast Iron Roller in Frame; Corn Mill for Horses; Swine, &c. Three Camp Bedsteads, Two Feather Beds, and sundry other Articles. JOHN CHRISTOPHERSON, Auctioneer. <<end>>

Mentioned in here: http://www.grasslandseeds.co.uk/pages/stiching_in.php Hi, Love reading these Farm adverts. Intrigued by the list of farm implements for sale, but particularly "Stich Harrows". Now I know what harrows are, and I've checked Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_%28tool%29] just in case it mentioned "Stich Harrows" under "obsolete" farm machinery, but haven't found it ... So, can anyone tell me what "Stich Harrows" are? Is "Stich" a manufacturers' name or brand name?

https://books.google.ca/books?id=tqNXAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=Definition+of+a+Stitch+Harrow+used+by+farmers&source=bl&ots=I6bdoOrzDt&sig=fFAZel40tFWF0GF6YH4t85an1Y8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBWoVChMI-N2h1JOKyQIVg3g-Ch1HcQsu#v=onepage&q=Definition%20of%20a%20Stitch%20Harrow%20used%20by%20farmers&f=false Eddie/ Susan. When I worked at Massey Harris in Stretford Lancs in 1949, part of my job was to install flexible aluminum tubes in every seed drill, the number used depended on the width of the drill . It directed the seed along with a mixture of dry fertilizer in to the bottom of the valley created by the normal Harrow. After doing this, the soil covered the seed/fertil1zer which helped the seed germinate. Without this procedure, the valley would soon carry any heavy rainfall and wash out the two products. Hope this helps. Terry Alderson, Toronto > To: susan@kennis.co.nz; eng-westmorland@rootsweb.com > Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2015 16:02:46 +1300 > Subject: Re: [ENG-WESTMORLAND] Carlisle Patriot, 24 Oct 1818 - Adverts (1) > From: eng-westmorland@rootsweb.com > > Mentioned in here: http://www.grasslandseeds.co.uk/pages/stiching_in.php > > > Hi, > > Love reading these Farm adverts. > Intrigued by the list of farm implements for sale, but particularly "Stich Harrows". > Now I know what harrows are, and I've checked Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_%28tool%29] just in case it mentioned "Stich Harrows" under "obsolete" farm machinery, but haven't found it ... > > So, can anyone tell me what "Stich Harrows" are? Is "Stich" a manufacturers' name or brand name? > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-WESTMORLAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message