Haymaking was the important activity in July and you saw the mower last month.

We prepare our hay using a Haybob machine to spread and turn the hay prior to baling.

 

After mowing in 1940 the hay was turned with this rake as this picture shows.

A surviving example is pictured here.

It is actually to be found at Graham’s farm "NORCROFT" where they use it as a “fence”.

It would have originally been horse drawn but has been converted to tractor.

This large hand rake would be what they used before the horse rake.

But this picture shows a NEW machine a hay turner.

This machine the “Blackstone Horse Turner” was the Haybob of its day and was a revolution with its ability to turn over a row of mowed hay.

The old rake was a bygone from the days when the grass was cut by hand. When dry it was loaded onto the trailer using a pitchfork.

Quite different to our baler and flat eight system I think.

Pitchforks unlike everything else are still made and sold today and can still be used for loading small bales if you only have a few to move.

Hard work though and funny to watch someone trying to lift a bale when they have never used a pitchfork before.

With nice weather the same result, a crop of well made hay in 2003 as in 1940, however as the saying goes “YOU CAN ONLY MAKE HAY WHEN THE SUN SHINES” Phil:-)

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