COUNTRY LIFE
Drought versus Drying The weather and the season are not altogether kind to those who are making a special effort to popularize the use of drying plants for English crops of hay and grain. The light and sweet hay crop is being carried almost as soon as it is cut, without any intermediate hay-making. It has dried before its greenness has been lost, so that the stacks almost resemble growing grass in colour. - Not all summers will resemble this ; and in general there is little doubt that within a short space the artificial drying of crops will be a standard farm operation, certainly for hay, probably for • grain too. The inventors have been busy for many years, both at Oxford and elsewher ; and several processes have had a fair measure of success. Several years ago I saw a heavy hay crop in Cheshire (on the property of Major Lyon) carried in a soaking state and converted rapidly into as " good hay, sweet hay " as even Bottom desired in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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