Kalm's account of his visit to England : on his way to America in 1748 / translated by Joseph Lucas ; with two maps and several illustrations.

  • Pehr Kalm
Date:
1892
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Kalm's account of his visit to England : on his way to America in 1748 / translated by Joseph Lucas ; with two maps and several illustrations. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    like a house with a span-roof, they begin to thatch it with wheat-straw, which is effected thus : A little above the thatch-foot of the hay-stack, a hole is stuck here and there horizontally all the way along the roof of the stack with a käpp or “ rick-peg; ” thereupon long wheat-straw is taken, at one end of which is made a fold or twist, VGCk, and the straw is twisted tightly together by the twist. The highest part of the straw, or the twist, is then stuffed into the holes which have been made in the hay, with the rick-peg, by which means it is fastened. [Here is a figure.] When the straw has thus been stuffed into the hay, a whole row along the roof, hela raden långs öfver taket, they begin a foot or more higher up, to do likewise along the whole roof, taking care that this row is parallel [T. I. p. 213] with the former or lower, when this stuffed-in straw covers over the upper ends of the lower rows. They continue thus to stuff in the straw into the hay as far up as the ridge or the highest top of the roof, when in every case the upper straw covers the ends of the lower. Along the ridge, which resembles a roof-ridge, kroppås, there are first laid brackens, Ormbunkar, and then straw on those, which is fastened at the summit, thus : Two long split-sticks or “ rods,” långa spjälkor eller språtor, are laid over the straw along and on opposite sides of the roof or thatch, which are fastened with many rick-pegs, as the accompanying Figure shows. The rick-pegs are knocked down into the hay, so that the crook at the top presses down the “ rods,” spjälken, and holds the straw fast. [It is not necessary to reproduce the figure. J. L.] On both sides, at the gables from the highest ridge down the edge of the thatch there are laid long rods which are in the same way fastened with similar “ rick-pegs ” which hold fast the straw and prevent the wind from carrying it away at the edges. p 2
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