62 NOTES. 



Whenever the greater proportion of the crop is fully ripe, no delay in cutting 

 it should take place, more especially if the season is advanced, or the corn is in 

 a high and exposed situation. In such circumstances, the green may never 

 ripen, and the ripe may be lost. 



] 75 An experienced farmer, the late Mr John Shirreff, recommended, that 

 all sorts of grain should be cut, whenever the straw immediately below the ears 

 is so dry, that on twisting it, no juice can be expressed ; for then the grain can- 

 not improve, as the circulation of the juices to the ear is stopped. It matters 

 not that the stalk below is green. Every hour that the grain stands uncut, 

 after passing this stage, is attended with loss. 



176 Paper from Mr John Shirreff, Comm. vol. iv. p. 172. 



177 Curwen's Report, p. 72. 



1 78 Sometimes the crop is pulled up by the roots, where long straw is much 

 wanted, as is the case in the western counties of England ; and beans are oc- 

 casionally pulled, where the pods are lowly situated. But these practices are 

 considered to be tedious and expensive. 



179 An improved implement for cutting corn, one half from the point hack- 

 ed like a sickle, and the remainder smooth and sharp, was invented by Mr 

 Joseph Hatton junior ; and effecting a great saving of corn, has had a consi- 

 derable sale. See Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. xxviii. p. 54 ; 

 Derbyshire Report, vol. ii. p. 122. 



182 Gentleman Farmer, p. 161. In Norfolk the corn is laid in swarth, it 

 is gathered up by hand, and loosely bound in sheaves or bundles, tied with one 

 band near the top, and set up in stocks or shocks, but not hooded. The ground 

 is all raked over, and the rakings put into the sheaves as the work proceeds. 

 Mown wheat is seldom much injured in the shock, by wet weather, for al- 

 though it is soon wet, it is also soon dry again. It stands so loose and open 

 in the sheaf and shock, that the sun and wind dries it thoroughly, inside and 

 out, in half the time required for drying close bound reaped corn under simi- 

 lar circumstances. The objections to mowing wheat are, That it has a slo- 

 venly appearance in the field, and is more liable to damage in unfavourable 

 weather. 



185 General Report of Scotland, vol. i. p. 384. 



184 General Report, vol. i. p. 386. A crop of oats, if abundant, takes 

 longer time to cut with a sickle, than a crop of wheat, if it is cut low j there 

 being more handfuls of oats than of wheat. 



185 Devon Report, p. 142. It is said, that in some parts of England, bar- 

 ley may be mown, at from Ss. 6d. to 5s. per acre ; but that is independent of 

 tying. 



186 Middlesex Report, p. 152. 



187 Surrey Report, p. 215. 



188 Communication from Mr John Hope, a native of East-Lothian, to the 

 Author. This shews the advantage of minute and extensive inquiries. One 

 would not have expected, that so perfect a system of reaping would be prac- 

 tised, by the natives of a remote and mountainous district, as that of Cardigan. 

 See also the Herefordshire Report, p. 49. 



189 Chap. II. p. llj. It was described as far back as the year 1763, in 

 the Gentleman's Magazine, p. 528. 



190 Marshall's Southern Counties, vol. ii. p. 25 and 28. 



191 Robert Browne, Esq. of Markle. 



192 In one year he erected 144 stacks in the field. Report, p. 74. 



1 93 The comparative advantages of using carts or waggons, for conveying 

 corn in harvest, has been already discussed. See Chap. 1 1. p. 1 23. 



194 Curwen's Report, p. 76. 



195 See a description of those at Woburn Abbey. Communications to tire 

 Board of Agriculture, vol. i. p. 72. When built with brick, the stacks are 

 kept down, and hold more corn in the same height than the other sorts j conse- 



