132 ENGLISH STRAW PLAT. [No. 



at the end of seven days from time of scalding 

 and laying out. June is a fine month. Th 

 was, as it happened, cut on thf lonL r t*f fin// 

 year; and the weather was remarkably line and 

 clear. But the grass which I afterwards cut in Sus- 

 sex, was cut in the first week in August; and as to 

 the weather my journal speaks thus: 



August, 1822. 



2d. Thunder and run. Began cutting grass. 



i:.-;uitiful day. 

 4th 



5th. Cloudy day. Began scalding graft, and laying it out. 

 6th. Cloudy greater jiart of the day. 

 7th. Same weather. 



8th. Clou.ly antl rather misty. Finished cutting grass. 

 Oth. Dry but cloudy. 



10th. Very close and hot. Packed up part of the grass. 

 llth .e weajher. 



15th. Hot and clear. Fin ished packing the grass. 



K. The grass cut in Sussex was as well He 

 as that cut in Hertfordshire; so that it is evident that 

 we never can have a summer that will not ^flV> 

 sufficient for this business. 



L. The part of the straw used for plat 

 part of the stalk which is above ttie / 

 part which is between the upper jo; < seed- 



branches. This part is taken out, and 

 the straw thrown away. But the / 



a ml hlt'dchril ; because, if you were t 

 off, when green, the part above described, that parr 

 would wither up next to nothing. This pan 

 die in company with the whole plants, and be sepa- 

 rated from the other parts after the bleaching has 

 been performed. 



M. The time of cutting must vary with the sea- 

 sons, the situation, and the sort of grass. The grass 

 which I got in Hertfordshire, than which nothing 

 can, I think, be more beautiful, was, when ci. 

 nerally in bloom; just in bloom. The wheat was in 

 full bloom ; so that a good time for jrettinir ^rass may 

 be considered to be that when the ir 

 When 1 cut the grass in ^i. 

 for reaping had begun ; but that grass is of a 



