Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Merga

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

MER'GA (καρφαμάτιον. Hesych.). An implement employed at harvest work; but whether for reaping the corn, or collecting it after it was cut, and of what precise nature, is not clear. Festus (s. v.) says that it was a pitchfork (furcula), with which the labourer loaded or carried off the sheaves (manipulos) from the field; but Plautus (Poen. v. 2. 58.) and Palladius (ii. 20. 3.) evidently speak of it as an instrument which was used for reaping the corn; and Pliny (H. N. xviii. 72.) indicates that two of these were used together, between which the ears of corn were nicked off.