THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



well illustrated are the most carefully rej^arJed. 

 The best hay-makers are confessedly those in the 

 neighbourhood of London and in the southern 

 counties. As we advance towards the north, less 

 care is bestowed ; the moisture of the climate in- 

 creases — the hay-making season is later — the value 

 of the hay is inferior. Whilst June is the great 

 hay-making month of the south, July is more com- 

 monly the season in the midland counties : Sep- 

 tember is the great hay time in the lake districts. 



It will be useful, therefore, if we briefly trace the 

 course pursued by the great hay-makers of the 

 metropolitan district ; this was described some 

 little time since by Mr. R. Smith in his prize essay 

 on the Management of Grass Land (J. R. A. S., 

 vol. ix., p. 20.) "The mowers," he tells us, "are 

 there commonly paid by the acre — the hay-makers 

 by the day." In forming a calculation of the re- 

 quired hands, it is found that an average of five 

 boys, women, and men to each mower is a proper 

 proportion, and that if the weather permits, the 

 work progresses in a corresponding ratio. The 

 course of operations followed in fine weather during 

 the first three or four days, or until the time when 

 the hay is fit for carrying, has been given by Mr. 

 Smith so carefully and so practically, that it is 

 needless to abridge its very useful details. He 

 observes, with regard to the work of the — 



First day, — That the mowers having commenced 

 in the early part of the morning, the grass mown 

 before 9 o'clock is carefully " tedded " out over 

 every portion of the ground ; and if time allow, it is 

 moved again previous to 1 o'clock ; after this it is 

 " hacked " into small rows, the hay-makers follow- 

 ing each other; when this is accomplished, they 

 return to the early part, and place it in small " grass 

 cocks." 



Second day.— The first operation of the morning 

 is the "tedding" of all the grass mown after 

 9 o'clock the first day, and that mown previously to 

 9 on the second day ; after which the next stage is to 

 shake out the " grass cocks " (made the previous 

 day) into small rows, or in some instances, into 

 round patches ; in either case the spare ground is 

 kept raked, and the hay moved once or twice pre- 

 viously to dinner-time, the early process adopted on 

 the first day being also carried on in due succession. 

 After dinner the more forward hay is raked into 

 small double " winrows," then the next stage 

 or portion is advanced as on the first day by 

 "hacking;" after which the hay-makers return to 

 the forward hay, and place it in moderate cocks, 

 again returning to the " hacks," and leaving them 

 as before in small " grass cocks." 



Third day. — The process of "tedding" again 

 takes place in the early part of the morning, and 

 every other order, as practised on the two preceding 



days, follows in proi)cr and due succession ; the 

 hay most forward now requires nice attention, 

 and is managed according to the appearance of the 

 weather ; if fine and warm, it is again shaken out 

 into round patches, or if a heavy crop, is usually 

 strewed into " winrows," and again moved over 

 previous to dinner or 1 o'clock : after this, ar- 

 rangements are made for carrying — a period of 

 much anxiety. As every operation to be performed 

 in due succession is now in full practice, and 

 considerable judgment is required to keep all 

 hands going on at a proper and profitable rate, a 

 man of energy will realize the old adage, and 

 "make hay while the sun shines;" should the 

 weather prove cloudy, or otherwise, the principal 

 attention and time is necessary to secure those 

 portions under the later processes or stages. 



Fourth day. — Nothing fresh occurs on this or the 

 succeeding days beyond the plans carried out 

 on the third day; in fact, at this stage of the 

 proceedings every movement is in accordance with 

 the appearance of the weather. Care is taken 

 to keep the hay in cock, or near together ; the land 

 is well raked, and there should be by no means a 

 preponderance of mowers, for it is very unwise to 

 have more hay down at any one period than can be 

 managed upon the established process. Since the 

 introduction of the hay-maker this implement has 

 partially superseded manual labour, and supplied 

 the place of a considerable number of hands : 

 it expedites the work in a remarkable degree, 

 and at some periods of the hay season is almost 

 invaluable. 



The true objects then of hay-making, which the 

 chemist explains by his elaborate examinations, 

 are precisely those which we find the best hay- 

 makers of the South of England have long since 

 sought to obtain. These may be briefly summed 

 up as consisting in the avoidance of the removal 

 of the soluble portions of the grass by moisture; 

 the even removal of the watery portion of the 

 grass by constant turnings, gatherings into wind- 

 rows, and cocks; and by thus inducing such 

 an even, yet gentle fermentation, as will neither 

 avoid producing, on the one hand, the delightful 

 odour of the best-made meadow hay, or on the 

 other by its excess excite that fulsome richness 

 of scent which is not only alike distasteful to the 

 owner and to his live stock, but is a clear 

 indication that the sugar of the hay has been 

 transformed into other and far less nutritious 

 substances. 



