132 ENGLISH STRAW PLAT. [No. 



at the end of seven days from time of scalding 

 and laying out. June is a fine month. The grass 

 was, as it happened, cut on the longest day in the 

 year ; and the weather was remarkably fine 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 rain. Began cutting grass. 

 3d. Beautiful day. 

 4th. Fine day. 



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

 6th. Cloudy greater part of the day. 

 7th. Fame weather. 



8th. Cloudy and rather misty. Finished cutting grass. 

 9th. Dry but cloudy. 



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

 llth, 12th, 13th, and 14th. Same weajher. 

 15th. Hot and clear. Finished pac/cing the grass. 



K. The grass cut in Sussex was as well bleached 

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

 we never can have a summer that will not Afford sun 

 sufficient for this business. 



L. The part of the straw used for platting 'it 

 part of the stalk which is above the upper joint, ; ,t 

 part which is between the upper joint and the seed- 

 branches, This part is taken out, and the rest of 

 the straw thrown away. But the whole plant must 

 be cut and bleached; because, if you were to take 

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

 would wither up next to nothing. This part must 

 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 cut, ge- 

 nerally in bloom; Justin bloom. The wheat was in 

 full bloom ; so that a good time for getting grass may 

 be considered to be that when the wheat is in bloom. 

 When I cut the grass in Sussex, the wheat was ripe. 

 for reaping had begun j but that grass is of a very 



