The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-07-16
From the New-England Farmer.
H.AY-N.AKIJNG.

From the New England Farmer
HAY-.H.4KL.VG.
There are various modes of making
hay, described by authors on husbandry,
some of which are too troublesome and
expensive to be adopted in this country,
where labour is scarce. We shall
state several methods, and leave it to
our readers either to take their choice
of those, or TO give the preference to
something different of their own inyen-
ton. The Farmers Assistant says,
"The best plan is, for the farmer to be
at his moving betimes in the morning !;
cut down as much as possible by nine
or ten o'clock, by which time the dew
will be off then spread the moved
grass evenly, and about twelve turn it
over where it lies thick; in the after
noon rake it into winrows, shake it up
lightly, that it may be the better expos
ed to the air; towards shutdown make it
into neat small cocks, and let it remain
so day or two. If it be not then suiii-
GENTLY dry, shake it out again on
small space of ground. and turn il over
till it is dried then cock it again, if
necessary, and as soon afterwards as
possible draw itin.
Z" But III order to save much trouble
in drying hay, the application of from
four TO eight quarts of salt to q ton is
recommended. 1t is found that hay, thus
sailed, can be well saved in a much
greener state, and at the same time the
benefit which the hay derives from the
salt is more than foui-fo lis value.''
The practice of the best English,
Flemish and French farmers, is to ex-
pose the hay as little as possible to the
sun. 1t is carried in dry, but preserves
its green colour; and hay of two or
three years old appears SO bright that
you would scarcely conceive it TO be
cured. Yet they preserve it for years,
and value it more for lis age. In Scot
land, s the best managers disapprove of
spreading out clover or rye-grass bay
The more the swaFth is kept unbroken,
the hay is the greener and more fra
grant"
When the grass is thin, and some
what dried before it is moved, it may
be cut in the forenoon. ard raked In
the afternoon of the same day, and by
standing two or three days in the cock,
will be sufficiently dry without any
further trouble. If rain fall in any
considerable quantity, these cocks viii
require to be opened and exposed TO
the sun for few hours. Ii small
quantity of rain has fallen, it may be
enough to pull out some of the hay
round the bottoms Of the cocks, or only
on that side which was to the wiudward
when the rain fell, and lay it on the
tops. If the cocks are so situated that
the water has run under their bottoms,
they should be turned bottom upwards,
and trimmed at least but it will most
commonly be necessary TO spread them
abroad. When hay becomes too dry, it
should be Carted either in the evening
or morning, and when the air is damp.
The real Hyson Tea plant.--Introduced
into the United States, and now culiivat-
ed 10 North Carolina.
A B n, an old traveller in the
Indies, and al present an inhabitant of
Moore county, N. c. swell acquainted
with the growth and cultivation of the
above tea plant in foreign as well as this
country, and also with the mode and
manner of curing its leaves; and gives
TO the publick the following communica-
ton respecting it,
As soon as the leaves arrive TO matu-
rity, they should be gathered in the
morning, while the dew is upon them,
after three or four days Of good sunshine
weather in succession previous to gath
ering, and clear from any rain falling in
the interim to wet them: then dry up
the dew on them as early as you can in
the shade, say in room where there is
as little wind or air stirring as possible
after which, put the leaves into stone
jar or jar, with as small mouths as can
be had, SO as to preclude the steam from
getting out, or the air or water within,
by tying cloths over them, and putting
on plates or small walters, with weight
thereon: then set the jar or jars into
large pot or kettle, with water up TO
their necks, and by no means let any get
into their mouths boil it slowly, until
the leaves are completely wilted; take
the jar or jars out, and set them away,
with their covers securely on, until
they and their contents are perfectly