4G 
Agriculture of the Islands of 
season only, which appears to be its flowering' season, for masses 
resembling flowers come in with it; no other variety is more 
prized for its ashes than this. 
Towards the end of August the harvest becomes general. Oats 
and barley are first cut, then wheat. Grain of all descriptions 
is cut with the sickle, and is harvested very ripe ; it is not 
considered ready to reap before the ear curls downwards ; it is 
then cut within three or four inches of the ground, and packed 
up neatly in small sheaves. In the field the sheaves are made 
into small stacks, and left until carted into the stackyard. The 
mode of stacking on sfaddles is the same as in England. When 
the stacks are made, they are covered with small packs of 
reed ; each pack is tied at one end, and spread out like a fan 
at the other ; these are laid above each other like slates : if the 
stacks be in an exposed situation the covering is made fast by 
twisted bands of straw throv\Ti and fastened across the top. 
Wheat is threshed out across a bench made for the purpose. 
When a man has threshed out 400 sheaves in a day he is con- 
sidered to have worked well. Sheaves when threshed out are called 
sonbats ; these, if reed is required for thatching, are combed out 
and packed up ready for service; but if used for fodder or litter, 
they are threshed with flails and made up into bundles. For 
cleaning; wheat a winnowinsr-machine is used. These are made 
in the island, and work perfectly well. 
After the removal of the wheat, the young clover sown in it 
springs up at once, and becomes in a short time excellent pasture ; 
it is fed down closely before winter, else it would be apt to 
perish : great benefit would result from Tolling the ground heavily, 
for it has been observed that where the ground is hard in winter, 
the hay-crop will be good in the following summer. 
In September and October the tops of parsnips are cut and given 
to cattle ; they are found to impart great richness to milk, and 
cattle are very fond of them. The second crop of hay {i.e. 
clover) is generally cut and made in October. The late potatoes 
are also dug. The work is done as before explained ; when the 
piece is finished, it is harrowed and left. In taking up potatoes 
the small ones are put aside for pigs, and the saleable ones stored 
in a close room appropriated for that purpose. The principal 
markets for this produce are the mining districts of Wales, the 
Bristol Channel, Gibraltar, Malta, and other ports in the Medi- 
terranean ; to these different places potatoes are sent throughout 
the winter, but of late years they form but a small item in the 
list of exports compared with former times. 
In November and December mangolds (the tops having been 
cut and given to cattle) are taken up and stored in sheds. The 
same with carrots, parsnips, and Swedish turnips. Tankards, 
