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superior crop indeed, and very seldom reaped. This weightis to be understood of new-made hay from the tramp-ricks ;as clover and rye grass hay, loses considerably in weight, bythe after operation of stacking, and by keeping through thewinter, perhaps from a quarter to a third part, according tocircumstances *.
The value of a hay crop must vary considerably, accordingto produce and demand. From 6d. to 8d. a stone, that is50s. to G6s. per ton, in years of ordinary abundance, up to 15,18, or even 24 pence, in years of extraordinary scarcity anddemand, or 125, 150, and 200 s. per ton. Hence the valueof an acre of hay may vary from L. 2, 10 s. to L. 30. It isto be observed, however, that it is only near towns of someconsiderable size, that hay is an article of farm produce inregular demand for sale. Besides, except near towns andvillages, whence manure can be purchased, and to which thecarriage of hay is convenient, the sale of hay from a farmought not to be permitted, as it deprives the land of a pro-portional part of its means of fertility. The application there-fore of the hay, growing upon farms at any considerable dis-tance from towns, is chiefly to the farm-horses in spring,when white straw has become dry and little nutritious as fod-der ; to cows about to calf or newly calved; and to the breed-ing flock of ewes, generally along with a moderate allowanceof turnips.
The latter-math or foggage of rye-grass and clover beinghardly ever made into hay, is usually devoted to pasture, orcut as a continuation of the soiling process. In those partsof the country, where an abundance of sea-weed, enables hus-bandmen to keep their land in constant fertility, the firstyear of rye-grass and clover is frequently cut three times forsoiling. In this case, the first cutting is generally early,when the land often gets an immediate top-dressing of sea-weed, which ensures an early and abundant second growth.