Recent Improvements in Haymahinff. 
51 
been more or less before the public for the past fifty years ; yet 
even now we probably do not turn it to as much account as 
might profitably be done. Though many improvements have 
been m.ide, its principle still remains unchanged. As to the 
best mode of proceeding, wc are favoured Avith the following 
details, taken from his own practice, by one of the largest manu- 
facturers of this class of implements.* " Our mode of hay- 
making," he writes, " is to put the tedding-machine into opera- 
tion as soon as the scythes have got a fair start ahead, and to 
work the machine across the swathes ohlupichj — generally endea- 
vouring to work with the wind sideways to prevent the hay being 
blown on to the horse. If the crop is unusually heavy, so that 
the tines of the machine cannot get hold of it all at one turn, we 
recommend that the field be twice gone over, the revolvers being 
a little raised from the ground the first time, and then lowered 
for the second bout sufficiently to complete the spreading after 
the grass has been allowed to lie for a few hours ; the next ope- 
ration with the machine should be performed with the second or 
backward motion. After reversing the action of the machine, 
the tines should be lowered till they just touch the ground ; you 
will then turn over and lighten up the hay, without knocking it 
about as much as the first action does : we recommend that tbe 
use of the reverse action be continued until the hay is completely 
made. 
" In selecting machines for preparing hay, we do not consider 
there is anything saved by purchasing those at a low price. It 
is also very important to select a strongly-made machine, with 
the main driving-wheel separate from the road-wheel, so that, in 
case of accident, it can be easily replaced without loss of time. 
"It is generally acknowledged that hay made by machine is 
much better than that made by hand. As to the quantity of work, 
we consider our machine equal to twenty or thirty labourers ; 
and as there are two strong springs to each fork-bar, the scatter- 
ing is far more perfectly performed than it can possibly be by 
hand.*' 
Although a good hay-iedding machine can perform the work 
of a score of hands, it by no means follows that these hands can 
in all cases be dispensed with. On old park uplands, where 
trees are abundant, or on low meadows where open trenches 
prevail, the work not being straightforward, an equal amount of 
saving cannot be obtained. But under most circumstances, with 
crops either light or heavy, the tedding-machine has told most 
advantageously both on the quality of the hay and the economy 
* Messrs, Ashby and Co. 
E 2 
