A common mistake

“The bales that your correspondent recalls seeing in Fife fields in October on their way to university in the 1980s, as compared with seeing them now in September, would most likely be straw not hay, a common mistake amongst non-countryfolk,” says a regular reader.

“The grain harvest season is not significantly earlier now than then but fluctuates from year to year with the weather rather than as a result of climate change.

“In Courier country, the harvest traditionally started late August and was completed, if all went well, by late September. However, straw bales are often left in the field until harvest is over and time is available to store them.”