GRASSES. 35 



whenever the ground is in order; that is^ whenever 

 you seed your wheat, oats, &c. So soon as corn is 

 ripe and fit to take from the ground, the field should 

 be seeded down in clover and timothy. Buckwheat 

 should be sown upon the field, for the purpose of 

 more effectually shielding the land from the sun, 

 and also of protecting the clover and timothy. 



Clover, timothy, and indeed all kinds of grasses 

 which are intended to be cut for hay, should never be 

 scattered out of the swarth ; because in addition to 

 the labour of scattering and again raking it up, the 

 hay is greatly injured. If indeed the weather be fa- 

 vorable, it should not be scattered ; for the action of 

 the sun destroys the sweetness of the hay and grass. 

 The action of the air is all that is necessary when the 

 hay is curing. The less it is exposed, the greater 

 will be its value, and less the labour required. Suf- 

 fer the hay to lie in swarths, until about two-thirds of 

 the upper part be sufficiently cured. This, in good 

 weather, will be accomplished in eight or ten hours ; 

 and if the swarth be light, in a less time. 



When the top is cured, turn the swarth bottom 

 upwards; let it lie until cured like the first, and 

 then throw three swarths together, and place reg- 

 ularly in rows. When carting in, drive between the 

 two rows and load from each. It is hardly necessa- 

 ry to observe, that all these operations must be per- 

 formed after the dews have dried off. It should be 

 recollected that clover will keep with less drying 



