How was the increase of seed material and the maintenance of quality taken care of before the time of variety breeding?
Annika Michelson, Häme University of Applied sciences
Old grain barn in Finland, Seurasaari (Michelson)
Maatiaisviljat
Drying grain at the field
(Museovirasto, 1944)
The rye is threshed, post maturing and drying takes place at the field, insects are able to leave the grain.
The sheafs where gathered into a stack in the field, with either ten or fourteen sheafs. In the ten stack, eight sheafs were placed upright against each other, two sheafs were folded over the upright ones into hats. Their purpose was to tie the stack together and help rainwater drain away from the stack.
(Paulaharju, 1930)
Sheaf are taken to the riihi barn, Ritala, Pirii, Alahärmä.
It was also called "cramming the rihi"
(Kautovaara, 1955a)
Grain sheafs where crammed onto the wooden shelves to dry.
Grain drying in the riihi barn
Kuva: Aaltonen, Esko (1928–1930)
The smoke from the barn not only dried the grain, but also drove away and destroyed any possible pest eggs, larvae and snails from the grain. Smoke and heat were also believed to kill fungal spores. (Vilkuna & Mäkinen, 1976). Smoke has also been used in other parts of the world for the same purpose. In Africa, the sun (grain solarization) is used to control pests from seed grains. (Jacobs, 2019)
After drying, the grain was stored either threshed or unthreshed.
Riihi barn is getting warm (Kautovaara, 1955b)
(Aaltonen, 1929)
Grain was threshed against the wall, these grains germinated best (Rantakaulio, 2022).
Luuva: threshing room or a separate building intended for threshing. (Wikidictionary: Luuva, 2022)
(Kautovaara, 1955c)
Saara Pekkonen asets in Paavo Pekkosen's (b. 1893) riihi barn dried rye sheafs on the floor next to each other, the heads towards each other.
(Nikkilä, 1935)
From rye riihi: the sheafs dropped from the shealves and are hit against the wall, the rye is killed with flails.
Grains where threshed with a flail (oksavarsta). The sheaves placed on the floor of the riihi barn were beaten with flails so that grains were separated. The sheafs were turned around and hit also from the other side. (Seurasaaren Open Air museum collection)
At the photo flails are used (nivelvarsta). In this type of flail a wooden stock is connected with leather to the handle.
(Aaltonen, 1928-30a)
Rye is "killed" with flails, Lunkaa, Tammela.
(Paulaharju, 1910)
Grain is thresehed in the riihi barn luuva (separate room), Kurikka.
After the threshing the straight straws are collected into kuvoksi or large bundles, that were tied with straws together.
The straw left on the floor was raked into a pile of fluff and treshed again. The left overs were also tied to bundles and also these were tied together with straws.
(Kautovaara, 1955d)
Saara Pekkonen kiehittelee or separate with a broom straw and spike parts from the threshed grain. Trash was also swiped away from among the grains.
(Kautovaara, 1955e)
Viskuu or sorting. Threshed grain was cleaned by throwing it with a bailer or by hand towards the wall, and then hevier grains flew longest, bad grains and thrash stayed closer to the man (kielelliset) (Vilkuna & Mäkinen, 1976)
Only those who flew longest was good as seeds. (Vilkuna & Mäkinen, 1976)
(Kautovaara, 1955f)
Piles of different type of grains after the threshing. On the left, rajaisjyvät, or less worth grains, which were the light, low-value grains left between the grains and the hulls when thrown by hand. On the right, top grain. Photographed by Paavo Pekkonen (b. 1893) in rihi.
(Aaltonen, 1928-30b)
The host of Syrjälä cleans grain with a pohdin in Talsoila.
Pohdin: a low-edged, flat, one-sided dish that, by shaking, loosens dust and debris from the grains of grain to be cleaned (Wikidictionary: Pohdin, 2022)
Tuultaminen (Aerating): in a windy place, the grains are poured slowly from a sieve into another or a special windbreak dish (tuuliaiskynä) (Vilkuna & Mäkinen, 1976)
(Kautovaara, 1955g)
Paavo Pekkonen (b. 1893) collects grain left overs on the floor of the barn with a shovel.
After threshing, the left overs are threshed and sieved to separate the grains.
(Rytkönen, 1926)
Taloppi Hyvönen from Maaninga's Kansanmäki sifts with a fine sieve, or riihi sieve. Left overs sieve or "riihirisla", is used for sifting left overs from the threshing.
Among the forest Finns of Norway: Rye grains were thrown against the wall of the riihi barn. Those that fell down were removed to their own pile. After that, the wall of the barn was wiped and those that had stuck to the wall, usually high up, were brushed down and used as seeds.
(Tvengsberg)
Rajaisjyvät or rajaiset: light and low-value grains that fall down between the grains and the trash when throwing by hand.
Latvajyvä:
Trash
Bad grains
Grains
Latva grains
Rajaiset
(Leino, 2017)
Grain has been storaged for a long time
At the beginning of grain storage grain was storaged in such buildings 11.000 years ago in Jordan (Kuijt & Finlayson, 2009)
Grain storaging
The following things were important in grain storaging:
Ancient Origins, Facebook ryhmä
Hórreo, �more photos
Bear cache (niliaitta) (Wikipedia: Niliaitta)
Luhtiaitta, Lapinjärvi (Michelson)
Valkeakoski (Michelson)
How was seeds storaged in old days?
In many countries it is used differenet plants, manure, ash or chole to protect seeds from pests.
Diameter, smallest: 67,0 cm�diameter, biggest: 71,0 cm�height: 97,0 cm
(Suomen kansallismuseo, Finna.fi)
Hemp seed storage container, 57 cm korkea
(Museovirasto, 1920-29)
Grain barn
Indoor photo from a grain barn in Seinäjoki Jouppila village. Open grain bins, bowels, sieves and othere tools needed. (Ala-Könni, 1959)
Open storage
Half open storage
Closed storage
Paavin talo farm grain barn bins, Tyrvää. (Valonen, 1948)
Farmer Hedman sitting with a pipe in his mouth at the threshold of a grain barn in Nopo, Nurmijärvi, 1973. Inside the barn are stacks of full sacks of grain. (Nurmijärven museon kuva-arkisto)
Sources
Photos
Aaltonen, Esko (1928-30a): Ruista tapetaan kepakoilla rohdon päällä, Forssan museo, Finna.fi�Aaltonen, Esko (1928-30b): Syrjälän isäntä puhdistaa viljaa pohtimella Talsoilassa, Forssan museo, Finna.fi
Aaltonen, Esko (1929): Sidos lyödään seinään ja puidaan Talsoilan Paavolassa, Forssan museo�Ala-Könni, Erkki (1959): Sisäkuva vilja-aitan jauhopuorista. Seinäjoen kaupunginkirjasto, Finna.fi
Ancient Origins, Facebook ryhmä
Kautovaara, Tapio (1955a): Viljalyhteitä ahdetaan riihen parsille kuivumaan, minkä jälkeen kuivat lyhteet puidaan, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi
Kautovaara, Tapio (1955b): Saara Pekkonen asettelee Paavo Pekkosen (s. 1893) riihessä kuivuneet, parsilta riihiharavalla pudotetut viljalyhteet lattialle vierekkäin, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi�Kautovaara, Tapio (1955c): Viljan tyvipuinti Paavo Pekkosen (s.1893) riihessä, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi�Kautovaara, Tapio (1955d): Saara Pekkonen kiehittelee eli erottaa varpuluudalla pyyhkien oljet ja tähkät puiduista jyvistä, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi
Kautovaara, Tapio (1955e): Viskuu eli lajittelu, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi�Kautovaara, Tapio (1955f): Puinnin jälkeen riihen nurkkaan koottuja jyväkasoja, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi�Kautovaara, Tapio (1955g): Paavo Pekkonen (s. 1893) kokoaa lapiolla ruumenia riihen lattialle, Varkauden museot, Finna.fi
Michelson, Annika: Seurasaaren tolppa-aitta, Valkeakoski Tuomarlan tilan aitta, Luhtiaitta Lapinjärvi, Vasarankylä, Ollaksen tila.
Museovirasto (1944): Vilja siirretään kuivumaan, Finna.fi
Museovirasto (1920-29): Liinansiemensäiliönä käytetty iso tuohiastia Pitkäahosta, Finna.fi�Nikkilä, Eino (1935): Ruisriiheltä: riihen parsilta pudotetut sitomat lyödään seinään, sitten ne "tapetaan" varstoilla, Museovirasto, Finna.fi�Nurmijärven museon kuva-arkisto (1973): Maanviljelijä Hedman istumassa piippu suussa vilja-aitan kynnyksellä Nurmijärven Nopossa, Finna.fi
Paulaharju, Samuli (1910): Viljan puinti riihen luuvassa, Museovirasto, Finna.fi�Paulaharju, Samuli (1930): Eloja ajetaan riiheen, Ritala, Pirii, Alahärmä, Finna.fi�Rytkönen, Ahti (1926): Taloppi Hyvönen Maaningan Kansanmäestä seuloo pehkuseulalla eli riihirislalla, Museovirasto, Finna.fi�Seurasaaren ulkomuseon kokoelmat: Oksavarsta. Finna.fi�Suomen kansallismuseo. Vilja-pönttö, Finna.fi
Valonen, Niilo (1948): Paavin talon vilja-aitan laareja, Tyrvää, Finna.fi�Wikipedia: Niliaitta 24.11.2022
Possibilities of increasing the resilience of organic cereal crops in local conditions - project (Viljasoppa)