i8oo. cf a Late Crop ofOais. 36-^ 



the gates that had been bound, were not heated, but mufty 

 and moulded in the heart ; but thofe that had been made of 

 the loofe or unbound gates, continued in the fame, or were 

 rather in a drier (late than when put up ; and I am confident, . 

 that, if the whole crop had been managed in this laft manner, 

 immediately or foon after being cut, a great deal of trouble 

 and expence v/ould have been faved, and a much lefs quantity 

 of grain loft, by being fo long and often tofled about in ths 

 field. 



One great inconveniency attending thefe rive ricks is, xtheir 

 being fo liable to be blown over by the wind j and I am of 

 opinion, that a preferable practice would be, to ridge up a 

 piece of dry ground with the plough, in a dire£lion from 

 louth to north, in the form of a high turnip-drill, and to place 

 the gates upon it in rows, v/ith their heads overloping one 

 another, and as high as a man on each fide, (landing upon 

 the ground, could eafily build them, and then cover them 

 with a row of fheafs, doping a little from the centre to each 

 end ; and, to prevent them from being blown over, a few 

 {takes or props may be placed at proper didances, on each 

 fide of the rows : this, I am ptrfuaded, is the befl polTible 

 method of preferving a late crop in fuch a wet and unfavour- 

 able feafon as the lall ; but, not having made the experiment, 

 I only (late this as matter of opinion. 



It may not be unfatisfaclory to mention, that the draw pro- 

 duced from the above crop, although wet, and part of it much 

 heated, had fuch a quantity cf green corn in it, that it was 

 eaten greedily by a flock of Highland cattle, and kept them in 

 better condition than they ufually are upon dry (Iraw. The 

 corn was fo wet and light, that I confidered it not worth 

 grindnig: I therefore converted a lime into a corn kihi, on 

 which it was dried, dighted, and then laid up for my work- 

 horfes ; and by which, without any other corn, they were 

 kept, through the feafon, in perfed^ good order. 



I am, &c. 



A Farmer. 



June 1800. 



P. S. — Since writing the above, part of the (lubble of the 

 field had been accidentally fet on tire j and when burnt, I 

 difcovered a very confiderable quantity 01 corn, equal at ieaft 

 to two feeds, fcattered upon the ground j a proof how much 

 had been lod by the above management. 



I i 2 70 



