THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



413 



freely, and, of course, occasion a loss in the crop 

 to second cutting^. I am entirely averse to believ- 

 ing it the most injurious and unj)rofitable method 

 of treatint^ meadow land. The third part of my 

 subject, viz., the best and cheapest method of 

 makinjT hay, is one which demands our attention, 

 for I do not think there is anything grown on a 

 farm which for its value costs so much in point of 

 labour, &c. I for one do not hold with the old- 

 fashioned system of windrowing, grass-cocking, 

 &c. My plan is to let the grass be mown some 

 time — say three hours -in order that the ground 

 between may get dry, for I think a great deal in 

 making hay is to have the ground hot and dry. 1 

 then put the horse-machine, or hay-making ma- 

 chine, as it is called, across the rows ; and when it 

 has been over it once, begin again the reverse way 

 of the field, or the same way it was mown, by this 

 means you thoroughly shake it out. I then have 

 the horse-rake, and rake it into as large rows as 

 possible. I then have them turned over and shaken 

 out by hand, and before evening again have them 

 raked into rows by tlie horse-rake, and, if the 

 weather is unsettled, have them put into large 

 cocks. I think it a great advantage to keep your 

 ground as well cleared up of a night as possible, as 

 the heavy dews not only make the hay damper 

 when lying all over the field, but likewise the ground 

 cannot get dry so soon. I generally find that by 

 twice shaking out with the machine, andbyraklng 

 and turning as I have stated, the hay is made in at 

 least half the time that it would take by the old 

 method. Many people object to the frequent use 

 of the horse machine ; they say, " If you do the hay 

 over more than once, you lose so much weight in 

 the seeds." Granted, so you do ; but at the same 

 time you yearly sow your meadows with seeds, 

 which you would otherwise have to buy (Hear, 

 hear) ; and it is a question whether you lose so 

 much in solid weight of hay as the expense of seeds 

 would be. You cannot sow an acre of meadow 

 ground with seeds under 10s. ; well, then, reckon- 

 ing hay at £4 per load, that is the value of 4^ 

 trusses of hay, you will not make me believe 

 that you lose in weight l6'2lbs. of hay per acre by 

 those seeds : and again, look at the advantage to 

 the hay by lying upon the ground ; the sun has so 

 much power upon it that it makes so much faster 

 and better than any other way. It is, therefore, 

 my opinion that where, by the old system, hay cost 

 £1 in labour, it does not, by the plan I adopt, cost 

 more than ten shillings ; and surely this is a great 

 saving, and particularly when your hay is in every 

 respect equal in quality to the other. Now, gen- 

 tlemen, in conclusion, let me invite your discussion 

 upoii this subject. There is a wide field open for 

 you, and I trust this has not been uninteresting to 

 you ; if it has, it has been my fault, and not that of 

 the subject. But 1 have tried to the best of my 

 ability to be instructive; and this you may rely 

 upon, that I have not propounded to you theories 

 which have not been reduced to jjractice, but I have 

 laid before you practical experience, aided by che- 

 mical investigation, and I trust I have not been 

 wholly uninstructive to you. If by my remarks 

 any one of you will be benefited, I shall feel my- 

 self amply rewarded for my trouble, and have the 



satisfaction of feeling that, however humble our 

 abilities may be, yet, if we make the best use of 

 them, we may be of some service to our fellow- 

 men, and feel that we have not lived in vain (Hear, 

 hear). As it has been remarked that he who makes 

 two blades of grass to grow where only one grew 

 before is a benefactor to mankind, I think I have 

 shown to you that it is in the power of every one 

 of you to be, not only benefactors to mankind, but 

 also to your own selves (Hear). 



Dr. SiiORTHOUSE alluded to the extraordinary 

 amount of unblushing imposition practised amongst 

 professional and other classes in the present day ; 

 and in proof of this assertion instanced the case of 

 an illiterate and half- educated man attempting, by 

 giving specious and high-sounding titles to things 

 of comparative insignificance, to set up an educa- 

 tional establishment, and, determined to carry it 

 out on a scale of magnificence, immediately turns 

 it into a " college," and calls his pupils " profes- 

 sors," and so lays claim to the su«|)port of the public 

 from the " exalted" position of his academy. In 

 this, as well as in many other things, there was 

 a great amount of imposture exhibited; and, he 

 might observe, that since he had paid attention to 

 agriculture, there was no class of men more gulled 

 by, or more open to the gullibility of, chimerical 

 schemes than were the agriculturists (Hear, and a 

 laugh). There were those who puffed their poisons 

 down the bucolic throat with an amount of impu- 

 dence wholly amazing. But to-night they had a 

 very remarkable exception ; and he was glad to 

 hear Mr. Hunt bring forward his subject in such 

 an unassuming manner, and at the same time dis- 

 playing such a considerable amount of knowledge 

 as to the physical structure and development of 

 plants. It was quite refreshing to him (Dr. Short- 

 house), and he was very delighted to learn that one 

 who had thus got so excellent a knowledge of the 

 theoretical had the opportunity of becoming also 

 acquainted with the practical. Mr. Hunt thus 

 possessed all the elements of success, and, as his 

 land was within an easy distance of London, 

 where an inexhaustible supply of manure was 

 always procurable, he was in a very favourable po- 

 sition, and no doubt knew what it was to be a pro- 

 fitable farmer. With reference to the subject im- 

 mediately before the meeting. Dr. Shorthouse first 

 gave his opinion upon the use of gypsum as a ma- 

 nure, and stated that without question it was an 

 excellent and highly appropriate manure for that 

 class of plants generally, on account of the large 

 portion of sulphur it contained. He then descanted 

 upon the advantages that a farmer would enjoy 

 whose land was situated within a short distance of 

 London, so as to enable him to get a ready sale for 

 his green meadow crops, which might be mown a 

 second time. Dr. Shorthouse having touched 

 upon one or two other points, without differing in 

 any particular instance with the facts and opinions 

 embodied in Mr. Hunt's paper, concluded by again 

 eulogising that gentleman for the abiUty he had 

 displayed in its production, and begged to tender 

 him his hearty thanks. 



The Chairman observed that the views embo- 

 died in Mr. Hunt's observations were such that he 

 apprehended the members quite agreed with him, 



