338 OF THE CULTURE Part III: 



feeding horfes, as three bufliels of oats ; sjid cattle in general, as 

 well as poultry, are extremely fond of it. 



Even the fainfoin that has yielded its feed, may be cut down and 

 dried, and, in times of fcarcity of fodder, will be better food for 

 horfes and large cattle, than the coarfe hay of water-meadows, or 

 any kind of ftraw. 



The manner of making fainfoin hay, is as follows. 



In a day or two after the fainfoin has been mowed, it will be dry 

 on the upper fide, if the weather is good. The fwarths, or mowed 

 rows, fhould then be turned, not fingly, but two and two together : 

 for by thus turning them in pairs, there is a double fpace of 2;round 

 betwixt pair and pair, which needs but once raking : whereas, if 

 the fwarths were turned fingly, that is, all the fame way, the ground 

 would require as much raking again. 



As foon as both fides of the fwarths are a little dry, they fliould 

 be made up into fmall cocks, the fame day they are turned, if pof- 

 fible : for when it is in cock, a lefs part of it will be expofed to the 

 injuries of the night, than when it lies fcattered upon the field. 

 The fun and dew would exhaufi: almoft all its juices, in this laft cafe, 

 in lefs than a week's time. 



Thefe little cocks of fainfoin may be fafely made into larger ones^ 

 without waiting for its being fo thoroughly dry as common hay is 

 required to be : becaufe common hay, by finking down clofer, ex- 

 cludes the air neceflary for keeping it fweet ; fo that if the weather 

 prevents its being frequently mov'd and open'd, it will heat, turn 

 yellow, and be fpoil'd ; whereas fainfoin, by the lefs fiexibility of 

 its ftalks, admitting the air more freely, will remain much longer 

 without any danger of fermenting. 



Sainfoin hay is never better than when it has been dried by the 

 wind alone, without the afilftance of the fun. A little rain, or a 

 mift, which will turn common hay, clover, and even lucerne black, 

 will do no hurt to fainfoin, which is not really fpoil'd, till it rots 

 upon the field. 



If the weather threatens rain, and the fainfoin is not yet dry, it 

 may be laid up in cocks, without fear of its heating, provided a large 

 bailcet, or bufhy faggot be fet up in the middle of each cock, where 

 it will ferve for a vent hole, through which the fuperfluous raoifture 

 of the hay will tranfpire. 



As foon as all danger of its heating is over, thefe cocks iliould 

 be made into ricks, and thatched. That which is laid up quite 



dry, 



