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This is a blade from a chaff cutter, which is a device for cutting straw or hay into small pieces before being mixed together with other forage and fed to horses and cattle. This item came to the museum as part of the Reeves collection.

1 chaff cutter: metal

MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 10 March 2014 – The Reeves Collection was donated by R. & J. Reeves and Son Ltd. of Bratton Iron Works near Westbury, Wiltshire. The firm, which manufactured agricultural machinery, was well-established by 1849, and went into final receivership in 1970, when the Collection was donated to MERL. Bratton Iron Works was demolished in 1973. A detailed list of all of the objects in the Collection can be found in the accession file for 70/235. Records relating to the firm can be found in the MERL Archives, reference TR REE., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Chaff cutter blade // livestock // gift Reeves, Bratton // Description: curved steel blade with three holes for fixing. Inscription: Reeves 2. Dimensions: 41cmx 12cm // part of collection from the reeves workshop’