326 HEIGHT OF CUTTING GRASS. 



feet manner. A large proportion of the accidents which 

 occur arise from the breaking of bolts and fingers. 

 These, though apparently trifles, cause not a little an- 

 noyance and interruption. Accidents will happen, it is 

 true, even with the common scythe ; but those referred 

 to are, for the most part, such as a more careful con- 

 struction would prevent. 



The manufacturer, who, for the sake of a trifling 

 saving, slights his work on a machine newly intro- 

 duced, so as thereby to retard its introduction, and 

 create a want of confidence in the machine itself, must 

 indeed be blind to his own interest, while he both strikes 

 a blow at his reputation, and, what is of infinitely greater 

 consequence, delays and retards the whole progress of 

 agriculture. 



With respect to the height from the ground at which 

 it is best to cut grass, the practice and the opinions of 

 farmers differ widely ; for, while the answers from about 

 half of the towns say that farmers generally cut as close 

 as possible, the replies from others vary from four inches 

 to one-half inch. Thus, forty-four farmers return, " as 

 close as possible ; " fourteen others, " close, or very 

 close ; " sixteen others, " from two and a half to three 

 inches high;" ten say "two inches high;" twenty- 

 three say " from one to two inches ; " and one says 

 " four inches ; " while some say, " it might be cut too 

 close," or " close cutting is injurious," or " most people 

 cut too low," and many say, " close as convenient," and 

 this is the most common practice. 



It would be difficult to deduce any general rule from 

 the replies to the question, " At what height from the 

 ground do you prefer to have your grass cut, and 

 why ? " One farmer, of great experience and close 

 observation, says : " I should prefer to have my grass 

 cut high enough to protect the roots from the hot sun. 



