The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-06-16

quality possible; because one stone Of hay OF an
exceeding fine quality, may probably 90 as far il
feeding beasts as four Of an inferior quality VII
do. Indeed, no hay, but that which is Of the
very best quality, viii fatten beasts at all and
there are very few places IN this Island &c. Brit
ain) where the farmers are at 30 much pains ia
making their hay, as to render it SO good as to be
fit for this purpose. So little attention is in gen
eral bestowed upon this subject, that few far
mers have an idea of the circumstances, that
chiefly tend either to improve the quality oftheir
hay, or to make it worse.
For the most part all that seems to be aimed
at, is to get the grass dried as quickly possible
so that it may admit of being kept when put IN
large mass together And as grass that is al
ready withered before it be cut, can be more ea-
silly dried, than that whichis very green and sue
culent, it is too general practice to allow il to
advance too far, before it be cut; in consequence
OF which the hay is rendered of quality much
inferior to what it might have becA. Some light
will be thrown on this branch of our subject. by
the following facts stated by Mr.. Davies in his
account. Of Wiltshire.
. The dairy Farmers'' he osberves, g in North
Wiltshire, and in particular the graziers are
much more attentive to the quality than the
quantity Of their hay. 1t has been already re-
marked, that they make point of hairing up
their meadows as early as possible in autumn,
and of course are able to NOW early in the sum-
mer''
" II j. not uncommon TO see grass lnown, not
only before it is i'll blossom but even before it is
all in ear; aud to this it's owing that it is more
common to fatten cattle with hay alone, in North
Wiltshire, than perhaps in any county in the
kingdom. a.s.f
And BY this the dairymen are able to keep up
the milks Of their cows, that calve early and
from which calves are fatted, which would other.
wise shrink before the springing of the grass and
never recover. And the advantage they get by
early attention after grass to late period
ia autumn, fully compensates for the loss Of
quantity IN their hay crops,n
These observations are judicious but they do
not 60 50 far as could be wished. Nothing il said
as to the mode adopted for making the hay, on
which its quality must greatly depend. 1t is ia
general understood, that ifhay can be made, SO
to retain some tinge of its green colour, it IS
better than if it were bleached white or rottedx
but precautions are seldom thought necessary to
be adopted to guard against the effects of scorchy
ing sunshine, which by quickly exhaling its nat
ural juices renders it site ky brittle and unpal-
atabie tc q certain degree and, what is Of still
more importance, the effects of rain, or even
dew, If abundant, ifthey be suffered to fan upon
the grass after it is cut and before it be made IN
to hay, are seldom adYerted to So that if any
weather come soon to exhale that wet while the
grass lies spread cut on the ground, the farmer
feels little anxiety about the consequences
though it is a certain fact, that no hay, that has
been in the least wetted during the process of
hay-makng, can ever be made to have that
sweet palatable taste, it would have had with
out it. Nor did | ever see it fail that beasts,
when allowed to choose between hay SO made,
and that which has been carefully guarded from
moisture, ever hesitate to make choice OF the
last, or commit mistake, even where myself
could not distinguish a perceptble difference.
BY precautions that / myself have adopted,
and which are mentioned ia the essay on hay
making, in the first volume Of these essays this
evil may be in great measure obviated but
even under that process, the surface Of the hay
cocks cannot be protected from dews or fain -
that if wet weather should come in duF.4g Ia
hay process, a verylarge ,propottion Of ths hay
must sustain damage, that greatly dininisaes
its value.
Farther extracts in our nert member.
30
From The York, (Psnn) GdssHe.
Receipt against cut worms, ants, BIRDS &c.