Cradle scythe
A scythe with an attached light wooden frame parallel with and rising perhaps two feet above the blade. The Cradle’s purpose was to collect the grain stalks into bundles as they were cut, and thus make it easier and quicker to Shock the stalks. The concept of a cradle attached to a scythe dates back many centuries, and its versatility in small rough fields is demonstrated by the fact that it continued to be used in a small way in some parts of the U.S. until World War II.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan