746 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



BOOK VIII. 



to harvest the crops now quickly enough to avoid great losses in any 

 but continuously fine harvest periods, which are of rare occurrence. 

 Indeed, it may be said that such settled periods of fine weather never 

 occur for the harvesting of crops in all parts of the United Kingdom, 

 as that work is usually spread over at least three months, and sometimes 

 over a longer period. 



Grass mowers have almost entirely taken the place of the scythe in 

 hay-making, and are now constructed on simple plans, and yet combine 

 great strength and durability. Messrs. Harrison, McGregor & Co.'s 

 Albion (fig. 307) is a good illustration of the modern mower ; but there 

 are many others. Indeed, the improvement of mowers has been so 

 general that nearly all makes are at least fairly satisfactory. Grass 

 mowers are often made so as to be readily converted into manual-delivery 



Fig. 308. Nicholson's Haymaker. 



corn reapers ; but although it is a great advantage in seasons when the 

 corn is much storm-broken and twisted to have at command a handy 

 machine to cut out the worst pieces, for the ordinary reaper is rather 

 too big to do this conveniently, a combined machine is not as well fitted 

 for corn cutting as a manual-delivery reaper. 



Hay-making machines are now considered absolutely necessary in 

 the hay-field, for they are able to get through a large amount of work 

 in a short time, thus doing away with the necessity of keeping on a 

 number of extra hands during showery weather, in order that they 

 may be available when the sun shines. These' machines also do the 

 work much more thoroughly than men can be got to do it. The 

 implement illustrated in fig. 308 is made by Messrs. Nicholson & Son, 

 Newark, and is fitted with two motions a forward one to toss the hay 

 completely over, and a backward one to ted it lightly. The hood is 



