Book VI. MEADOW LANDS. 903 



sale of their hay in the London markets. It is the practice to turn over tlie dung that is brought from 

 London in a tolerable state of rottenness, once chopping it well down in the operation, so as to be in a 

 middling state of fineness when put upon the land. It is necessary, however, that it should be in a more 

 rotten and reduced state when applied in the spring, than when the autumn is chosen for that purpose, 

 (Dickson's Practical Agriculture., voL ii. p. 915.) 



5784. Some interesting experiments have been made ivith different kinds of manure, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining their effects, with regard to the quantity and quality of the produce on different kinds of land. 

 Fourteen lots, of half an acre each, were thus manured, and the grass was made into hay, all as nearly alike 

 as possible. The greatest weight of hay was taken from the lot manured with horse, cow, and slaughterhouse 

 dung, all mixed together, of each about an equal quantity. It lay in that state about two months ; and 

 was then turned over, and allowed to lie eight or ten days more, after which it was put on the land before 

 it had done fermenting, and spread immediately. To ascertain the quality of the produce of the different 

 lots, a small handful from each was laid down on a dry clean place, where there was little or no grass, and 

 six horses were turned out to them one after another. In selecting the lots, there seems to have been little 

 difference of taste among the horses ; and all of them agreed in rejecting two lots, one of which had been 

 manured with blubber mixed with soil, and the other with soot, in both instances laid on in the month of 

 April preceding. (Lancashire Report, p. 130. etseq.) 



5785. The proportion of manure that is necessary must, in a great measure, depend upon the circum- 

 stances of the land, and the facility of procuring it. In the district of London, where the manure is of a 

 very good and enriching quality, from its being produced in stables and other places where animals are 

 highly fed, the quantity is usually from four or five to six or seven loads on the acre, such as are drawn 

 by three or four horses, in their return from taking up the hay to town. (Dickson's Pract. Agr. vol. ii, 

 p. 916. 



5786. Manure is laid on at intervals of time more or less distant, according to the same circumstances 

 that determine the quantity of it. Though there are some instances of hay grounds bearing fair crops 

 every year during a length of years, without any manure or any advantage from pasturage, except what 

 the after-grass has afforded (Marshal's Review of Reports to the Board of Agriculture, p. 183. Western 

 Department) ; yet, in general, manure must either be allowed every third or fourth year, in the land 

 depastured one year, and mown the other; " or, what is better, depasture two years, and mow the 

 third." (Northumberland Report, p. 111.) A succession of hay crops without manure, or pasturage, on 

 meadows not irrigated, is justly condemned by all judicious farmers, as a sure means of impoverishing 

 the soil. 



5787. Bog meadows are the least valuable of any : they are of two kinds ; peat bogs, 

 and earthy bogs. 



5788. Peat bogs are situated in hollows or basins, which, from having no natural outlet for water, and 

 not being so deep or so plentifully supplied with that element as to constitute lakes, becomes filled up with 

 aquatic plants and mosses. By the decay of these after a certain time, and the drainage and culture of 

 art, a surface of mossy soil is formed on which some of the inferior grasses may be sown or will spring up 

 naturally. In warm moist climates, and where the mould of the bog is rich, fiorin or Timothy grass may 

 be found to answer ; but in general the woolly soft grass and cock's-foot are resorted to, unless indeed lime 

 be applied, or a coating of sand or earth, in which cases the clovers and better grasses will sometimes 

 answer. These bogs are in general too soft for pasturing any other animals than sheep. 



5789. Earthy bog meadows are situated either in hollows or on slopes. They are formed by an accumu- 

 lation of water in the subsoil, which not finding a free passage in any one point, spreads under and filtrates 

 upwards through a considerable extent of surface. The grasses on such meadows before they are drained 

 are chiefly of the sprot or Juncus kind ; but by draining the quality of these is improved, and better kinds 

 appear. Such meadows yield a considerable produce of coarse hayj they abound chiefly in cold hilly 

 districts devoted to breeding. 



5790. The culture and management of bog meadows diflfer in nothing essential from those of the river 

 kinds. A lighter roller is used in spring, the greatest care is taken in eating down the latter grass, 

 whether with small cattle or sheep ; and in some cases, in very dry weather in summer, the main drains 

 are dammed up for a few weeks in order to stagnate the water, and supply the soil with moisture. No 

 manure is ever given unless in the case of some cultivated peat bogs, which are dressed with earthy or 

 saline mixtures. 



5791. ^s branches of culture common to every description of hay lands may be men- 

 tioned, the hay-making, the application of the after-grass, and pasturage. 



5792. The making of natural or ineadow hay has been carried to greater perfection in 

 the neighbourhood of London than any where else ; and it may therefore, with great 

 propriety, be recommended as an example to the rest of the kingdom. The following 

 account of it is drawn from Middleton's Agricultural Survey of Middlesex : 



5793. When the grass is near It/ Jit for mowing, the Middlesex farmer endeavours to select the best 

 mowers, in number proportioned to the quantity of his grass and the length of time it would be advisable 

 to have it in hand ; which having done, he lets it out, either as piece-work, or to be mown by the acre. 

 In the latter way, each man mows from one acre and a half to an acre and three quarters per day ; some 

 there are who do two acres per day during the whole season. About the same time he provides five hay- 

 makers (men and women, including loaders, pitchers, stackers, and all others) to each mower. These 

 last are paid by the day, the men attending from six till six, but the women only from eight till six. 

 For an extra hour or two in the evening, when the business requires despatch, they receive a proportionate 

 allowance. 



5794. The mowers usually begin their work at three, four, or five o'clock in the morning, and continue to 

 labour till seven or eight at night ; resting an hour or two in the middle of the day. Every hay-maker 

 is expected to come provided with a fork and a rake of his own ; nevertheless, when the grass is ready, 

 and labourers scarce, the farmer is frequently obliged to provide both, but for the most part only the rake. 

 Every part of the operation is carried on with forks, except clearing the ground, which is done w^ith 

 rakes ; and loading the carts, which is done by hand, 



5795. First day. All the grass mown before nine o'clock in into what are called single windrows; and the last operation 

 the morning is tedded, in which great care is taken thoroughly of this day is to put it into grass-cocks. 



to loosen every lump, and to strew it evenly over all the ground. 5796. Seamd day. The business of this day commences with 



By this regular method of tedding grass for hay, the hay will tedding all the grass that was mown the first day after nine 



be of a more valuable quality, heat more equally in the stack, o'clock, and all that was mown this day before nine o'clock, 



and will consequently not be so liable to damage or fire ; will Next, the grass-cocks are to be well shaken out into sladdles (or 



better price ; for when the grass is suffered to lie a day or two should be so thin and light as to leave the spares between these 

 before it is tedded out of the swath, the upper surface is dried staddles rather large, such spaces must be immediately raked 

 by the sun and winds, and the interior part is not dried, but clean, and the rakings mixed with the other hay, in order to its 



withered, so that the herbs lose much, both as to quality and all drying of a uniform colour. The next business is to turn 



quantity, which are very niaterial circumstances. Soon after the staddles, and after that, to turn the grass that was tedded 



the tedding is finished, the hay is turned with the same degree in the first part of the morning, once or twice, in the manner 



of care and attention; and if, from the number of hands, they described for the first day. This should all be done before 



are able to turn the whole again, they do so, or at least as twelve or one o'clock, so that the whole may lie to dry while 



much of it as they can, till twelve or one o'clock, at which time the work-people are at dinner. After dinner, the first thing to 



they dine. The first thing to be done after dinner is to rake it be done is to rake the staddles into double wind-rows ; ntxt, to 



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