UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION CIRCULAR No. 261 April, 1923 SEWING GRAIN SACKS 1 By JAMES KOEBEK Frontispiece. — Sacked grain in a California field. The farmer or farmer's boy in any of the general farming or grain growing districts of the Pacific Coast States who can not sew sacks is exceptional. It is a question however whether he can do the job easily, quickly, and efficiently. It is believed that the directions given here, if followed carefully will enable even an inexperienced person to sew grain sacks. It is important for a beginner to go slowly and carefully at first and then work faster as the operations require less thought. Considerable practice is necessary before one can expect to sew rapidly. iMany persons have made a critical study of rope work, knots, splices, and the like, as is evident from the literature on the subject. We believe that no one thus far has attempted by means of the printed page to teach the beginner to sew sacks well or the experienced man to sew a little better than he may be accustomed to do, although for most ranchers this is fully as important as a knowledge of rope work perhaps, even more so, Z UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION It is certain that some persons who have sewed many sacks can profit by following the directions outlined although they may find considerable difficulty in changing to a new method from an old one that has practically become a habit. If the new one bids fair to be more efficient, however, the necessary effort may be well worth while. SELECTING AND PREPAKING EQUIPMENT 1. Needle. — Use what is commonly called a spring eye sack needle, that is, one with a broad flat double edged blade, a spring eye, and the part of the eye nearest to the point sharpened to cut the string when pushed forcibly backward against a loop of the fastened string (Fig, 1, left). The needle should be of a length sufficient for the point to project about three-quar- ters of an inch beyond the fingers when held as in figure 2, with the sides of the blade between the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand and the eye end of the needle against the lower part of the palm. Needles may be secured in four-inch to five-inch lengths and should be selected to fit the hand of the user. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 1. — Tools needed for sewing sacks. Left, needle; middle, needle file; right, whetstone. Fig. 2. — Showing manner of holding needle to judge of the proper size and for using. Circular 261] SEWING GRAIN SACKS 2. Needle file. — Secure a sack needle file for sharpening the cutting part of the eye (Fig. 1, middle). 3. Whetstone. — A good whetstone of small size (Fig. 1, right) for sharpening the edges of the blade is essential. If these edges are not very sharp, when a thick portion of the sack is encountered time will be lost in pushing the needle through. Fig. 3. — Material needed for sewing sacks. Left, skein of twine; right, skein opened out, cut and braided loosely 4. Twine. — Sack twine comes in skeins as shown in figure 3, left, and should be of good quality. When the skein has been opened out, cut at one end and braided loosely, it should appear as in figure 3, right. The strings thus cut are of the proper length, about 3 feet 9 inches when doubled, and may be pulled out with little or no tangling. 4 • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 5. Seat. — Usually the first two sacks sewed are piled, forming a seat about sixteen inches high. Place the braided twine over the seat with the loop ends to the right and hang the needle on a bight or loop of one string where it can be readily reached by the sack sewer's right hand (Fig. 4). The sack sewer should sit lightly on the braided twine, which will be kept in better shape if one or two empty sacks are thrown over it to hold it in place. Fig. 4. — Showing manner of placing the twine, sack, and shaping the top for sewing. STEPS IN SEWING 1. Shaping the top. — Place a well filled sack on the floor or ground between the knees with the seam in the side of the sack away from the sewer. Bring the edges of the sack nearly together by flatten- ing the sides near the top with the hands, taking care to crowd the grain well into the corners and to have the left edge slightly higher than the right (Fig. 4). 2. Forming the loop for the first ear; first motion. — Take the threaded needle in the right hand, as shown in figure 2. With the left hand well toward the right side, palm upward, draw the string across it (Fig. 5). 3. Forming the loop for the first ear; second motion. — Roll the left hand toward the body, taking care to pass the fingers over the string, then under it, giving the string a complete wrap around the hand as shown in figure 6. Circular 261] SEWING GRAIN SACKS Fig. 5. — First motion in forming the loop for the first ear. Fig. 6. — Second motion in forming the loop for the first ear. b UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 4. Placing the loops for the first ear. — With the right hand, place the string around the farther ear of the sack by making a quick turn around it in a counter-clockwise direction. 2 Then grasp the ear with the left hand and allow the string to slide off the hand and make a turn around the ear, thus completing a loose clove hitch (Figs. 7 and 8). 5. Tightening the loops. — Twist the ear firmly in a counter-clock- wise direction with the left hand and draw the string up tight with the right (Fig. 9). If properly done from four to five inches of the Fig. 7. — Placing the loops or hitch for the first ear. cut end of the string will be unused and the left edge of the sack will overlap the right. Numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 should be done as a con- tinuous series of motions and the more quickly the better. 6. The first stitch. — Take the first stitch close to ear just finished. Do this by sticking the point of the needle that projects beyond the fingers of the right hand through both edges of the sack just below the finished part or hem. Let go of the blade of the needle with the fingers. Push the needle nearly through with the palm of the hand (Fig. 10). Then roll the hand toward the left and over the seam. Grasp the needle again with the fingers of the right hand and finish pulling it through (Fig. 11). (Figures 10 and 11 show the fourth or fifth stitch in the series and not the first. This was done to better show the method.) sClockwise is the direction in which the hands of a clock are seen to move normally as the observer looks at them. Counter-clockwise is the opposite direction. Circular 261 SEWING GRAIN SACKS 7. Lapping the sack edges. — As subsequent stitches are being taken, grasp the edges of the sack with the left hand, pull them close to- gether and tuck the right edge under with the left thumb, keeping just ahead of the needle (Figs. 10, 11, and 12). 8. Tightening the stitches. — Take three stitches in rapid succession. They should appear about as in figure 12, top view. Then tighten the string by pulling it up with the right hand, assisted by the left if necessary. Fig. 8. — A loose clove hitch on a piece of wood. 9. Spacing stitches. — Space stitches evenly, from one inch to one and one-half inches apart, or so as to have from eight to thirteen stitches in the seam, depending on the fineness of the grain or other material in the sack. 10. Forming the second ear; first motion. — With the needle and right hand to the right of the sack, place the left hand, palm upward, under the string. Roll it toward the body, the fingers passing over, then under the string, thus forming a wrap around the hand. Grasp the ear with the fingers of the left hand and permit the string to slide off the fingers (Fig. 13). Twist the ear firmly in a clockwise direction as the string is being tightened. 11. Forming the second ear; second motion. — Repeat number 10, thus forming a clove hitch around this ear also. As the string is being tightened around the ear the last time, hold the needle so as to allow the string to pull against the sharp part of the eye. With a quick backward swing of the right hand cut the string (Fig. 14) and at once hang the needle on a loop of unused twine. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION GRASPING THE SACK TO 'BUCK' IT AWAY After completing the sewing, the left leg is extended, thns lower- ing the left knee. The sack is tipped onto this knee, then onto both knees, after which it is grasped and carried away by the sewer or an assistant. Fig. 9. — Tightening the loops or hitch on the first ear. 32r^ ' ;/l PP^. '* ^Ml t^k^M ^&Jl Fig. 10. — Pushing the needle through the seam with the palm. Circular 261] SEWING GRAIN SACKS Fig. 11 — Grasping the blade of the needle with the fingers to pull it through the seam. Fig. 12. — Three stitches made and ready to be tightened. Top view. 10 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION Fig. 13. — Placing the first loop around the latter ear. Fig. 14. — Tightening the hitch on the latter ear and cutting the string. Circular 261] SEWING GRAIN SACKS 11 SUMMARY The method of sewing grain sacks as herein described eliminates unnecessary motions, saves time, and increases efficiency because : 1. Making the first ear as outlined requires fewer motions and less time than other methods commonly used. 2. Twisting the ears as directed tends to make them tight and firm. It also helps to lap the edges of the sack in the proper way. 3. Taking the first stitch close to the first ear keeps the ear from pulling out of shape and the seam from opening. 4. Tucking the right edge or hem of the sack under the left as the stitches are being taken tends to make a close, tight seam, and prevents the seam gaping and grain losing out. 5. Omitting the taking of a stitch before making the first ear and backstitching after completing the latter one, both of which are of no real value, saves time and makes it possible to readily remove the string from both ears and seam without the aid of a knife. 6. Cutting the string with a quick back stroke of the right hand puts the needle near the unused twine where it can be readily hung for safe keeping and for using again. 7. Keeping the blade of the needle sharp makes it possible to use it for cutting tangled strings and releasing the needle in case the cutting part of the eye should fail to work properly. 8. While it is not claimed that this is an entirely original method, yet it is believed that it is equal to any and superior to many. With a little practice the amateur should be able to sew a sack in one-half minute or sew and pile sixty an hour under favorable conditions. Experienced men can, of course, handle many more.