182 Dairy Management. 



formerly procured peat soil to mix with it to neutralise the smell ; 

 but am at present usins^ for that purpose scrapings which are 

 carted on, free of charge, by the conservators of the roads. Both for 

 soiling and as aftermath the grass thus dressed is eaten with 

 relish. 



I find little difficulty in getting manure of this kind into the 

 ground. During warm, moist weather, when the absorbent 

 powers of the soil are in full activity, the whole dressing soon 

 disappears. I have known the cocksfoot-grass, the property of 

 which for quick growth as aftermath is Avell known, attain a 

 height of 3 feet in five or six weeks after mowing. 



In addition to this yearly dressing with excrement, I apply 

 guano at the rate of 2 cwt. to each acre, I do this usually in 

 the spring. I have, however, thought tliat I derived equal, if 

 not greater, benefit from its application in very wet weather in 

 November. The growth during Marcli was sensibly greater than 

 on adjacent land on which the guano was not applied till April ; 

 and tlie main crop of hay was certainly not less than on that 

 dressed in April. 



Mode of Haymaliivfj. — -As the process of hay-making differs so 

 much,, and is in some districts so inefficiently performed, I ven- 

 ture to describe the method I am using, and to which I give 

 my personal attention. No farm operation requires greater care 

 than securing the hay crop. 



Till lately I deferred mowing the grass till it was in flower. 

 In the year 1856 I cut it before the flowering time. Though 

 this early cut grass shrinks more in the stack, yet I find it weigh 

 proportionately heavier. It is not unusual for a square yard cut 

 from the solid part of one of my stacks to Aveigh 30 stone 

 imperial : I have known it exceed this. The solid part of a 

 small stack of aftermath hay from seven acres of this season's 

 growth weighed 26 stones imperial. 1 find it of advantage to 

 employ a full complement of haymakers. In travelling through 

 the country I have seen but one haymaker employed where I 

 should have half a dozen. I find six haymakers, if fully em- 

 ployed, earn their 12s. or 14.v. for one day far better than a single 

 man would earn the same sum in six days. 



The liaymaking or tedding machine has in my practice super- 

 seded the expensive operation of spreading by hand. When the 

 grass has been spread a sufficient time, the haymakers turn it with 

 their hand-rakes from the sun or wind. At the close of the day the 

 grass or hay is raked together in rows ; the space between each 

 row is left quite bare. In this state it remains overnight, to 

 prevent the bleaching effects of the falling dew and the moisture 

 from the ground. Early in the morning, as soon as the bare 

 ground between the rows is dry, the haymakers turn over the 



