The threshing of cereals is the operation of separating the grains from the ears. It took place after the July harvest and could be done outdoors or indoors, often in the farmyard or in spaces adjacent to the rural house. The sheaves, once they had fully ripened, were arranged in strips or square formations with the ears facing each other and left to dry in the sun. The cereals were then beaten with tools such as a stick or flail, to then be turned over, left to dry further and threshed again. This activity was a onerous job that involved many people and required a sustained and constant work rhythm that could last for weeks. Manual threshing remained in use in the Mendrisiotto area until the 1930s and the introduction of mechanical threshers significantly simplified and reduced the times of this process.