836 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



of it as they can, till twelve or one o'clock, at which time they dine. The first thing to be done after 

 dinner, is to rake it into what are called single wind-rows ; and the last operation of this day is to put it 

 into grass-cocks. 



5221. Second day. The business of this day commences with tedding all the grass that was mown 

 the first day after nine o'clock, and all that was mown this day before nine o'clock. Next, the grass- 

 cocks are to be well shaken out into staddles (or separate plats) of five or six yards diameter. If the crop 

 should be so thin and light as to leave the spaces between these staddles rather large, such spaces must 

 be immediately raked clean, and the rakings mixed with the other hay, in order to its all drying of an 

 uniform color. The next business is to turn the staddles, and after that, to turn the grass that was tedded 

 in the first part of the morning, once or twice, in the manner described for the first day. This should 

 all be done before twelve or one o'clock, so that the whole may lie to dry while the work-people are at 

 dinner. After dinner, the first thing to be done, is to rake the staddles into double wind-rows ; next, 

 to rake the grass into single wind-rows ; then the double wind-rows are put into bastard-cocks ; and 

 lastly, the wind-rows are put into grass-cocks. This completes the work of the second day. 



5222. Third day. The grass mown and not spread on the second day, and also that m'own in the early 

 part of this day, is first to be tedded in the morning, and then the grass cocks are to be spread into stad- 

 dles as before, and the bastard.,cocks into staddles of less extent. These lesser staddles, though last spread, 

 are first turned, then those which were in grass-cocks ; and next the grass is turned once pr twice before 

 twelve or one o'clock, when the people go to dinner as usual. If the weather has proved sunny and 

 fine, the hay which was last night in bastard-cocks, will this afternoon be in a proper state to be carried ; 

 but if the weather should, on the contrary, have been cool and cloudy, no part of it probably will be fit 

 to carry. In that case, the first thing set about after dinner, is to' rake that which was in grass-cocks 

 last night into double wind-rows ; then the grass which was this morning spread from the swaths into 

 single wind-rows. After this, the hay which was last night in bastard-cocks, is made up into full-sized 

 cocks, and care taken to rake the hay up clean, and also to put the rakings upon the top of each cock. 

 Next, the double wind-rows are put into bastard-cocks, and the single wind-rows into grass-cocks, as on 

 the preceding days. 



5223. Fourth day. On this day the great cocks, just mentioned, are usually carried before dinner. The 

 other operations of the day are such, and in the same order, as before described, and are continued daily 

 until the hay harvest is completed. 



5224. As general rules, the grass should, as much as possible, be protected both day 

 and night, against rain and deve, by cocking. Care should also be taken to proportion 

 the number of hay-makers to that of the mowers, so that there may not be more grass 

 in hand at any one time, than can be managed according to the foregoing process. This, 

 proportion is about twenty hay-makers (of which number twelve may be women), to 

 four mowers ; the latter are sometimes taken half a day to assist the former. But in 

 hot, windy, or very drying weather, a greater proportion of hay -makers will be required 

 than when the weather is cloudy and cool. It is particularly necessary to guard against 

 spreading more hay, than the number of hands can get into cocks the same day, or be- 

 fore rain. In showery and uncertain weather, the grass may sometimes be suffered to 

 lie three, four, or even five days in swath. But before it has lain long enough for the 

 under side of the swath to become yellow (which, if suffered to lie long, would be the 

 case), particular care should be taken to turn the swaths with the heads of the rakes. 

 In this state, it will cure so much in about two days, as only to require being tedded 

 a few hours when the weather is fine, previous to its being put together and carried. In 

 this manner, hay may be made and put into the stack at a small expense, and of a mode- 

 rately good color ; but the tops and bottoms of the grass are insufficiently separated 

 by it. 



5225. The hay tedding machine has been invented since Middleton described the hand 

 process as above. This machine {Jig. 337.) is found to be a most important saving of ma- 

 nual labor. It is computed that a boy and horse with the machine will tedd as much in 

 an hour as twelve or fifteen women. The hay -rake, which may be added to the same axle 

 when the tedder is removed, is also an equal saving, and a requisite accompaniment to 

 it ; as where few or no women are kept for tedding, there must necessarily be a deficiency 

 of rakers. These machines are coming into general use near London, where the price of 

 manual labor is high and hands sometimes scarce. They are also finding their way 

 am6ng the proprietors of extensive parks in all parts of the country, as saving much 

 labor in making hay from natural pasture. 



5226. There are no hay-stacks more neatly formed, nor better secured, than those made 

 in Middlesex. At every vacant time, while the stack is carrying up, the men are em- 

 ployed in pulling it, with their hands, into a proper shape ; and, about a week after it is 

 finished, the whole roof is properly thatched, and then secured from receiving any 

 damage from the wind, by means of a straw rope, extended along the eaves, up the 

 ends, and on each side of the ridge. The ends of the thatch are afterwards cut evenly 

 below the eaves of the stack, just of sufficient length for the rain-water to drip quite 

 clear of the hay. When the stack happens to be placed in a situation which may be 

 suspected of being too damp in the winter, a trench, of about six or eight inches deep, 

 is dug round, and nearly close to it, which serves to convey all the water from the spot, 

 and renders it perfectly dry and secure, 



5227. During the hay harvest it is of great advantage to the farmer, to give constant 

 personal attendance on every party, directing each operation as it goes on. The man 

 who would cure his hay in the best manner, and at a moderate expense, inust not only 

 urge the persons who make the hay, the men who load the waggons, and those who 

 make the stack, but he should be on the alert, to contrive and point out the manner in 

 which every person may do his labor to the. most advantage. Unless he does this, one 



