[supermatt]

It’s quite common to use a scythe with a “cradle” when cutting grain.

Scythes are amazing for cutting on an incline. You need to work along the incline, not down the incline, and will take shorter strokes.

[crabbone]

Pretty sure the farmer who spooked us knew how to do that too. It's just an example of how someone who, even though had some experience with the tool, still didn't know how to use it in a novel context.