SAVING HAY. 25 



unproductive soil; hard and wiry, it possesses no 

 virtue as food, and is useless as a grass : this bromus 

 inclines to the limestone, the lias, or claystone, as 

 if alumine was required, to effect some essential 

 purpose in its nature ; but this is a plant not found 

 universally. 



We have in use generally here a very prudential 

 method of saving our crops in bad and catching 

 seasons, by securing the hay in windcocks, and 

 wheat in pooks. As soon as a portion of our grass 

 becomes sufficiently dry, we do not wait for the 

 whole crop being in the same state, but, collecting 

 together about a good waggon-load of it, we make 

 a large cock in the field, and as soon as a like 

 quantity is ready we stack that likewise, until the 

 whole field is successively finished, and on the first 

 fine day unite the whole in a mow. Some farmers, 

 in very precarious seasons, only cut enough to 

 make one of these cocks, and having secured this, 

 cut again for another. Should we be necessitated, 

 from the state of the weather, to let these parcels 

 remain long on the ground, or be a little dilatory, 

 which I believe we sometimes are, before they are 

 carried, or as we say, hawled (haled), the cocks 

 are apt to get a little warm, and only partially heat 

 in the mow, the hay cutting out streaky, and not 

 perhaps so bright or fragrant as when uniformly 

 heated in body: but I am acquainted with no 

 other disadvantage from this practice, and it is 

 assuredly the least expensive, and most ready way 

 of saving a crop in a moist and uncertain season. 



