Kecskés Péter (szerk.): Upper Tisza region (Regional Units of Open Air Museum. Szentendre, Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, 1980)

3. THE MUSEUM VILLAGE

method of threshing wheat — namely, having horses tread it out, and winnowing it with a hand-driven machine — the time needed for threshing was reduced, and the former important role of the barn decreased. From this time on, the side compartments of the barn were emptied more quickly and could be used for storing fodder. The next step in the threshing was the introduction of the threshing-machine; but even after that, certain products continued to be threshed by beating with a flail — such as beans, peas, and corn from which the hay was kept for thatching. If there were several carts and wagons on the farm, some could be kept in the barn

; the baskets of chaff could be stowed in the side compartments; even the oaken beams of the loft were used for keeping such implements as hatchets, ploughs and harrows. There was a change in pig-keeping after the great forests of oak-trees had decreased; pigs were fed mainly on maze, more intensive stock-raising thus leading to increased production of maize. Maize was also favored as human food. The necessity of making larger bins for maize („góré") arose. The maize-bin on this plot comes from the village of sonkád and was made around 1890, the construction being of oak with boards of pine. The well was also brought from Sonkád, and must have been made at the same time (3—4). There is a „star" („csillag") at the end of the decorated wooden well post; on the sweep, hangs a wooden bucket which fits into the rim of the well, whose frame is of wood. There is a wooden pipe leading from the through, in which the water is led into a larger trough big enough for many animals to drink from. A replica of a sheep-pen („juhhodály") from Botpalád completes the farmbuildings of the site. The original building was erected by Lajos Tasnády, around 1900, when sheep-rearing increased and his flock expanded to 200 (111. 42.). This building represents that type of architecture in which there are no walls, the large being supported by a wooden construction resting on enourmous logs as a base, the roof being covered with trodden hay. Straw or hay litter was placed on the ground. The simple board-gate was usually left open and boards were used to keep the sheep in their place. 57