SIR, – Seeing the picture of the Brielmaier Cutting Machine brings to mind the huge changes within the 70 something years of my life in that: bracken played quite an important role in Lakeland farming.
I remember at this time of year it being cut on the fells sides, either by horse and mowing machine or scythe (called a ley in the Lakeland dialect), dried and brought in, usually on a horse drawn sleigh, to be stored. 
It was then used throughout winter as cattle bedding, young stock on deep-litter, to be cleaned out in spring and stacked to make lovely crumbly friable compost for the fields.
I also remember being told of my grandmother, who raised and killed pigs, used clean bracken from the mow to cover the slate sconces in the back kitchen then the flitches of bacon and the hams were laid, salted etc and turned daily until the curing had taken place. 
The bracken was replaced as it became damp. 
When the hams where ready they where wrapped in greaseproof paper, sown into bleached linen cloths and sacks, labelled then put on the train to customers in London.
All skills and self sufficiency, now lost to commercialism, but memories that should be recorded. 
Who knows, we may need these skills again one day.


Christine Hudson
Rowanburn 
Canonbie