The Past Agricultural Year. 
227 
was fertilised ; and even in the lighter crops the upper portion of the head 
was nothing but chaff. Cutting operations commenced about the first week of 
October, and upon this farm they proved to be most tedious work, owing 
to the twisted and laid condition of the crop, and the great bulk of straw. 
Upon one field of 20 acres the machines were entirely useless ; I therefore put 
on ten scythes. You may judge the nature of the work when I inform you 
that M'ith the utmost diligence a man could not get over above half an acre a 
day ; sometimes even less. When looking at the work being done — much of 
the straw useless and the corn rotten, and neither food for man nor beast — I felt 
that high farming might be carried too far. No less than 200 quarters of oats 
have been sold off this particular field upon a former occasion. This year the 
yield will not be 90 quarters. After much hand-labour the machines were 
driven through the remainder, the work not being at all satisfactorily done ; but 
time would not permit of delay. Before cutting was finished, on a fine breezj^ 
afternoon, the corn being in excellent order, all hands were set to " screw," that 
is to put the corn together in small stacks upon the field. The hands are 
divided into parties of four each, and each party take three rows of stocks ; 
one man, laying a foundation of about six feet in diameter, builds the rows 
as in ordinary stacking, the heads being drawn gradually in towards the 
summit — two loops of straw rope are laid across the top and tied down the side ; 
another man forks the corn, and the remaining two drag in the sheaves to them 
by grasping ei2;ht sheaves at a time. We finished 33 acres in this manner in 
five hours. Next day proved wet, and cutting was resumed, but in the after- 
j noon we got 40 acres put together ; and again on the Monday we got other 
j 30 finished in four hours, which made the half of the crop secure, as by this 
plan the crop is comparatively safe. We should, however, prefer carting direct 
from the stock, as we thereby save the loss by, the handling and shaking, 
and also much labour. Still in our climate but for this method in a late, 
season we should oftentimes lose the half of our crops. 
George Brown, Jun. 
Berwickshire. — Mungo's Walls, Dunsc. 
1st. As to the Live-stock of the Farm. — Horses, having had plenty of idle: 
time during seven months, are healthy and fresh. Feeding-cattle, having, 
plenty of litter and shelter, did well where turnips had been harvested. Those, 
that had to get frozen or muddy turnips all through, may, however, have left, 
more pay, simply by surviving until prices rose in May ! There is more some-' 
times made in buying and selling, than by feeding nostrums. Cows got-, 
less outdoor exercise than usual, but in other respects were well cared-for. 
On grass, however, they made little butter, although brought in to sheltered 
yards and straw every night. Grazing-cattle turned out fresh, lost flesh 
during the summer, and leaner purchases made little advance. Sheep suffered : 
most severely during winter, many being mere "objects" at the end of it, 
although getting liberal fare. Our ewes got the best of turnips, free from ^ 
frost, and hay every day, and came to the yeaning in good condition appa-- 
rently, bringing forth a good fall of firm and strong iambs ; and then all 
went wrong ! First, many ewes showed they had got a taint on the wet pastures • 
of November ; a good many of them died, and the rest were pretty well re- 
covered by cake and corn, which they should have had sooner, had we 
1 known. Heavy snow-storms and slush continuing all March, the young 
I things were too much confined, and to that we must attribute the invasion' 
of a most fatal disease, previously unknown to most shepherds, but verj' . 
general this year, among what we call "bred" lambs, and said to have 
Q 2 
