Penybont and District History Group Notes

5^th June 2023

Main Topic: Haymaking Down the Ages – Shirley Morgan

Geraint opened the Meeting with our only rule: To start on time.

Our next meeting will be a ‘Walk on Wheels’ to Tudor Houses in the Llandegley area. We will start at the Thomas Shop at 10.00 a.m. and for those who arrive between 9.30 a.m. and the going off coffee will be available.

Geraint mentioned a wonderful video on Facebook of the Tractor Run that took place the day before. He could not work out exactly where they were. https://www.facebook.com/Penybonttractorrun/?locale=en_GB

It was Anthony’s birthday.

We had a ‘Linda’ for the first time. Linda is writing an article for the Radnorshire Society on Agriculture so Geraint was sure she would learn plenty from Shirley’s talk.

He welcomed Shirley as a star of the group, a jewel full of energy and efficiency.

Geraint went on to say, by way of introduction:

The importance of gathering fodder in times gone by was ‘survival’. The essence of survival carried by having a house cow and a horse for transport. These beasts could not get through the winter months without fodder. A sheep could get by but not the horse or cow. For many weeks each year the whole community would come together to bring in the hay. It was hard work:- a bit like cutting a lawn with a pair of scissors! It was time consuming, unlike today when huge fields can be done in a day. Haymaking was essential to the whole of the local economy.

Main Topic: Haymaking Down the Ages

Part 1: – Haymaking Everywhere

 Just as this picture does, haymaking evokes a variety of images in our minds – hard labour, fun, glorious sunny weather, and for us in the west of the country – frequent heavy down pours of rain. The picture from Ceredigion, 1880, is heavily posed, the women on top of the hay all have very elegant hats on and were probably more involved in domestic type activity. The squire certainly does not look as though he took part in any haymaking activity. The workers down below suggest a fairly forward-looking estate. There are no scythes here, so there may have already been an investment in mechanisation. Shirley was particularly impressed by the corrugated iron roof, which had only become available from about 1875.

Hay is one of the most basic products of human endeavour, a vital commodity all over the world. It was not invented but evolved from the hunting and gathering practices that had been important to human existence. It links us with the emerging farming from about 5000 years BC. Animals were vital for meat, milk and skins. Food was needed all year round and there became a realisation that the year could be divided into times of abundance and times of scarcity. Initially migration, following on from the hunter gatherers, was the solution, but then as a more sedentary existence seemed better, hay became the key to this new way of living and farming. Hay could provide the food for animals when it was a period of scarcity during the winter months. Agriculture was born. Not only was there hay for the animals but similar drying techniques could also be used to keep cereals and fruit into these difficult periods within the annual cycle. There is evidence that haymaking took place among the emerging farmers of Sumer in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC:

The Romans brought improved tools and methodology to haymaking. They introduced the scythe and in 70AD Calumella wrote detailed and accurate instructions informing farmers how to get the best hay.

During the Medieval Period the climate turned warmer leading to deforestation in Europe and cultivating hay meadows. As more and more hay could be harvested civilisation moved northwards across the Alps.  Towns and Cities started to emerge and the need to have fodder for horses in large towns and cities like London and Paris could be met by storing hay.

Many animals would be slaughtered in the Autumn for food, a long-established practice, but breeding stock needed to be managed though the winter, hence the need for even more hay.

In the seventeenth century there was another step forward when the scythe blades were now made from metal and these blades could be razor sharp. Rakes and Pitchforks were still, however, made from wood.

The Agricultural Revolution of the 18^th century introduced and encouraged crop rotation, planting clover, to fix nitrogen, and turnips, and led to much more

food throughout the winter months. The pictures of the time show animals that could not be real but probably made the point in bringing change to agricultural practice:

As we move into the Victorian era the Agricultural revolution continues into what was a golden age for agriculture which, in many ways prompted the Industrial Revolution. The mechanisation of the haymaking process led to rural depopulation. The cities expanded and there was a rapid growth in the need for horse drawn traffic. These horses needed hay and hay needed to made more efficiently with modern machines.

Things changed again radically around the time of the two World Wars. There was a need to increase food production and this saw the introduction of artificial fertilisers in order to double the crops and traditional hay meadows were ploughed up for arable farming. Reseeding with non-indigenous grasses and the use of artificial fertilisers produced higher yields and this was much more financially attractive.

As we move into the modern times many things have changed but the need for hay as the foundation diet for all grazing animals has not changed and the animals still provide food for people everywhere.

What is Hay Made from?

The best hay is made from meadow grasses. Hundreds of different species cohabit in a delicate balance, each bringing its own characteristic to the crop – differing in nutritional groups and even having medicinal qualities. Typical plants include: Clover, Cranesbill, Alfalfa, Buttercup, Scabious, and Ladies Mantle.

Traditional to the uplands of Wales was the ‘gwair rhos’ (moorland hay). This was short rough grass which grows wild, and although lacking the rich nutrition of the rich meadow grass, it was a useful addition in the area where every blade was precious.

There are 5 stages to the Haymaking process:

1. Mowing
2. Raking
3. Handling
4. Carting
5. Storing

1. Mowing

“Make Hay While the Sun Shines.” Is the common expression and in many ways, it sums up the process of haymaking.

The hay meadows were cleared of animals by May Day, and mowing would commence in late June into July. The grass needed to be cut early in the morning to allow maximum exposure to the heat of the sun.

Ideally, grass should be at an early vegetative stage when nutrition is high – ‘not too long in the butt!’

In ancient times the sickle was the tool that was used for cutting hay. Very early blades were ‘denticulated’.

They consist mainly of blades with different dimensions and more rarely of blade-like flakes. The most characteristic feature of these artefacts is the intentional denticulated retouch varying from fine and delicate to pronounced bifacial notches on the working edges.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320417522_Some_Examples_of_Technological_Change_in_Prehistoric_Bulgaria

During the Iron Age the sickle became used a blade that could now be sharpened, a trend that continued until they could be razor sharp. The Romans then adapted the sickle and, based on a bent sword, saw this develop into the scythe.

The blades were measured between 24” and 36”. The shaft on the scythe could be either straight or curved and they would have the two short handles inserted at right angles.

Scythes were always made for right-handed workers. Scything was a skilled activity and it required particular technique. This involved making a slicing action close to ground-level and twisting the body in both directions to make the cut. The grass would fall as a swathe on the left side of the mower, this meant that mowers working in a gang, to ensure the safety of the mowers, all had to be righted handed. Each man was expected to mow at least an acre in a day. Men worked adjacent to each other with an interval between so that the swinging arc of the blade would be a safe distance away. The song ‘One Man Went to Mow’ is supposed to denote the time interval.

The Victorian era was a horse driven economy so this meant that there was an insatiable demand for hay. Horse drawn mowing machines began to replace the scythe wielding mowers.

However, for years to come, scythes were still used to cut the first swathe as mechanical mowers could not operate close to the edge of fields.

Timing the cutting of hay with the weather was crucial. Ideally hay would dry in one day of sunshine.

• Raking

To get the hay to dry in the sun required turning the hay after 3 or 4 hours. Early rakes were made from wood, often using wood from naturally shaped branches. Later peg rakes were made by mounting a row of wooden teeth unto a horizontal bar.

Women were often employed to turn and break-up the hay constantly throughout the day. At dusk it would be piled into haycocks and raked out again next day.

Haycocks required careful construction – they had to be built in layers into a conical shape, then combed down with a rake or pitchfork to improve the ability of the haycock to shed water.

The haycocks served two purposes:

1. To prevent the hay becoming saturated by rain or dew
2. To gather hay into manageable bundles for pitching onto a cart

The Victorian invention of the mechanical horse rake speeded up the process. It was ridiculed and compared to a giant insect running along behind the horse throwing hay high into the air:

• Handling

Having got the hay dry this loose hay was pitchforked onto some form of transport and taken to the rickyard.

Early pitchforks would have been wooden:

But then the traditional pitchfork or Pikel became the instrument of choice:

The mode of transport differed according to the terrain and geographical features. In Radnorshire the gambo was ideal:

But sleds were more practical in the steep districts. The Montgomery Sled:

When tractors came into general use trailers with open sides were able to carry larger loads:

From the 1920’s to the late 50’s, the hayloader gained in popularity. This was towed behind the trailer, straddling the hay rows. The teeth of the loader went over the swathe pulling up the hay until it went up a chute and fell into the trailer:

Loose hay was made more manageable by baling. This was first devised in the 19^th century when hay was taken by barges to the horse dependent cities. Hay was high volume, low density, and hence bulky, so it became more cost effective if it was compacted into bales. This was first done using a hand press:

Then they developed a static steam powered baler:

By the 50’s and 60’s baler working in the hay field were commonplace on most farms:

• Carting

It was then relatively easy to load the bails onto a trailer:

• Storage

Farmers know by instinct if hay is suitable for storage. It should be stored with 15% – 18% moisture content for two important reasons:

1. Too much moisture promotes mould growth which is harmful to man and beast.
2. Hay with too high moisture content starts to heat and can then spontaneously combusts due to a chemical reaction that eventually reaches a danger zone between the gases and the hay. This was  a real danger in Welsh longhouses where hay would be stored in the tolant adjoining the house.

The problem was reduced with the introduction of open sided barns, ‘Dutch’ or ‘French’ Barns:

The alternative method of storage was the Hay Rick. The hay was unloaded and skillfully built into a house shaped structure which was then thatched to keep out the weather. These were notable features in the rural landscape:

• Food and Drink

Haymaking was hard work and Shirley then started to reminisce about the food and drink that accompanied this work. In particular Shirley remembered the cider which came in barrels from Herefordshire, there was Bulmers, Yeomans, Duggans cider from across the border as Radnorshire was not known for cider making. The first mower to arrive at the farm would get an extra flagon of cider. As a child working in the fields Shirley would be given cider, she had no idea that it was alcoholic! All of the children on the farm would quietly be swilling back this intoxicating liquid without a thought.

Rabbits had a tendency to freeze when they were frightened and the mowers would run over then. Rabbit stew was very popular.

Alongside the cider and the rabbit stew there would also be fruitcake, bread and cheese.

Part 2: –  Haymaking in the Local Area

 Having traced the development of haymaking generally Shirley turned her attention to what she had been able to find out about haymaking and people making hay locally.

She had found the Book: – The Valley by Elizabeth Clarke particularly interesting and helpful. It describes life on two farms in the Elan Valley, one farm, Hafod Farm, that was sticking to the old traditional methods of farming, and then Valley Farm that was investing in machinery that cut down on labour costs and spearheaded new ways of thinking about farming.

Bringing things to our own community Shirley asked Janet to read from “The Journal of Joseph Wilding, Cwmygaist. 1922”

July 7^th: Rainy day. There will be a fine mess on the hay wazed down in mowing it. Getting a serious time, the hay out and uncut generally so it looks dark on a great number.
July 26^th: A heavy cloudy morning, uncertain as to how it will turn out. Now in the midst of the harvest a fine sunshine is looked for. But the Almighty has the disposing of it and we dare not rebel against it.
August 21^st: Splendid growing time but any amount of hay is rotting.
September 7^th:  Cloudy and drizzle and heavy dew, hay making be delayed any how towards the midday. Mr Bound has broke 20 little cocks of hay. I fear unless the sun comes out it will have to be put up in heaps again.
September 19^th: A terrible rainy day and stormy very rough. A great disappointment to numbers they had prepared the previous day hay ready for hauling and it rained torrents.
September 28^th: A dark cloudy misty day getting very bad on any amount of hay out, rather serious on numbers. Will finish bad. Any amount of hay rotting on the ground.
November 19^th : Weather is turned fine at last but cold and frosty. I am in crucking at the fire very shaky. Some folk out hauling poor hay all black and spoilt against the winter. It will be a poor time for numbers.

This account highlights the vulnerability of the haymaking process which is so dependent on the weather conditions.

Then Jennifer read from the Dairies of Thomas Watkins in 1900

June 9^th: Ground rather wet. The grass is growing nice.
June 28^th: Walter cut the clover on the Crafren oak piece
July 7^th: Walter carried Rygrass of little piece on Crafren Ross.
July 9^th: Walter carrying clover off the oak piece on the Crafren Ross, beautiful day, clover nice and dry. “Dear Lord, how good Thou art to send this nice weather at the acceptable time..”
July 11^th: Walter carrying ryegrass off the crooked slag.
July 17^th: Beautiful hot day, people carrying clover and hay dry and nice. “Dear Lord, how good Thou art giving such beautiful harvest.”

July 20^th: Dear little Dick at Cowhedge starting to mow the hay. Machine there and Jim Lewis finished cutting the hay. “Thank Thee Dear Lord for such good sons. Oh I want to put them all under Thy tender care trusting only in Jesus Christ Thy only Son.”
July 23^rd: Been at Cowhedge and Llandegley seeing for Arthur to make hay, the hay is withering beautiful.
July 24^th: Harry at Cowhedge all day with the machine teading. Been cocking up a lot of hay.
July 26^th: Carried all hay all beautiful. Paid Jim Lewis for 3 days 14/- paid Arthur 9/- and my dear boys done all rest. Richard and Jo cut it, Walter’s men carried it. Been at Cowhedge rick pretty glad to see it all carried. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain tonight. “Thank Thee my Dear Lord it is all of Thy kindness.”

This reading was the other side of the coin, when the weather is good then it is time be glad and to thank the ‘Almighty’.

Shirley then finished with a wonderful set of photographs taken locally. The people in some of the Photographs are not known, so we would invite anyone who can add any names or places that you can add to our knowledge.

1. Not Known

• 2. Bank House and maybe Dilwyn

• 3. Neil?

• 4. Lovely to see Health and Safety in operation!

• 5. Not Known

Somebody must recognize the dog?

• 6. The Thomas family including Mary, John, Margaret May, and

• 7. Neil’s family

• 8. More of Neil and family

• 9. People who came to help annually

10. Neil’s Fordson, the tractor is now with Ralph Williams, the people are again seasonal helpers

1. 11. Annual Helpers from South Wales

1. 12. Sue’s Gran and Grampa 1952

1. 13. Not Known, but having a nice picnic

1. 14. Eric: No Footbrake!

1. 15. Geraint’s Tractor

1. 16. Not Known

1. 17. Ffaldau – John Abberley

1. 18. John Abberley picking his nose! (According to Geraint)

1. 19. Thomas Family

According to Mary they were wearing really itchy woollen clothes?

• 20. Thomas family again in similar uncomfortable clothes

• 21. Possibly harvesting Oats?

• 22. Somewhere in Dolau

• 23. Thatching a Rick

• 24. Charlie Reynolds

Questions and Comments:

The first question was about the book, The Valley by Elizabeth Clarke and was it in print. It is not in print but is available on-line and Peter has copies at Castle Books.

Judy remembers as a child helping with haymaking and being given cider as a child. She was quite drunk, but it was lovely cider. She also remembers the rabbits getting caught up in the machinery.

The word ‘sweepi’ for hay in rows swept up into large piles and then brought in.

The wheel cart was used for the slopes and was much safer than the gambo.

Memories of getting hay in during mid-August; but sometimes there was a wait to get the conditions right until September or even November.

When it was bad there would be grass growing out of the hay.

Weather forecasts gave the go ahead – high pressure was what was needed to get started.

John Abberley would say that if the rabbits were eating early then it was going to rain.

Another forecast for rain was being able to hear the engines shunting at Builth Road.

When the harvest was ready to go there would be queues outside Tom Price the Blacksmith as farmers needed to have their blades sharpened.

Finally

Mary congratulated Shirley on her thorough research leading to a well-rounded, entertaining talk which was very enjoyable.

Mary’s memory was the wicker basket holding pop and a picnic.

Our next meeting will be a ‘walk on wheels’ when we visit Tudor houses in the area. Geraint hopes to set off from the Thomas Shop at 10.00 a.m. Anyone wanting a coffee would need to be at the Thomas Shop by 9.30 a.m.