The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-07-07
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From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture.
On Making Hay.
BY PATRICK MILLER, ESQ.,,

Making hay is universally allowed to be
one of the most important branches Of agri-
cultural pursuits, bnt the principle on
which it should be conducted is not at all
understood on this side of Tweed.
In England, however, the operation is
very differently performed, and with very
different results; for by their system, a
great deal of time is saved at critical peri
cd, and far superior article of food for
their animals is produced.
Besides the great and necessary despatch
which is used in England, much skill is
also employed to produce and maintain
requisite degree of heat or fermentation in
the stack when the hay is put up, in order
to convert the juice of the herbage to
saccharine state, which is found TO be both
more palateable, and likewise more nutri-
tious for all bestial that is fed upon it.
In Scotland, on the other hand, it would
almost seem as if diligence was employed
to unnecessarily procrastinate the work,
and subject it to the risk of unfavorable
changes of weather; and by the excessive
bleaching and drying Of the grass, which is
SO universally practised, it is deprived Of
the possibility Of assuming the saccharine
quality; and what sap permitted to remain
in ii is converted to starch, which is neither
so agreeable nor nourishing for horses as
hay made upon the principle which l am
anxious TO recommend, and from whence
arises, as is easily to be perceived, great
er waste ofhay in Scotch than in English
stables.
Having promised this much, proceed to
detail the practice which have pursued for
many by-gone year on my farm, which
being on limited scale, ahall therefore
confne my description to the narrow COM
pass of my own operations, but which of
course, easily admits of being extended to
larger field as circumstances may re-
quire.
When the hay season arrives and the
weather is favorable, and when | perceive
by the height of the column of mercury in
the barometer, and likewise from the ap-
pearance of the skies, that there is lkeli-
hood ofits continuing so | set couple of
mowers to work very early in the morning,
each attended by boy or girl about
twelve or thirteen years of age, and as
soon as the men have made half dozen
cuts of the scythe, the two boys or girls
take up the swath and shake it out as thin
as possible on the ground where it grew,
there lie and wither till after breakfast.
On the return of the mowers from their
breakfast, stout active women begins to
turn with a rake, IN the direction Of the
san, the grass which was first shaken out,
the men and the boys cutting down and
shaking out in the same way as in the
morning.
When the woman has finished turning
the early cut grass, she Immediately goes
to the spot where she began, and
shakes it out again as thin as she can, and
when finished, she commences turning by
large take fulls where the mowers resumed
their work after breakfast, and continues
her task in the same manner as when she
begnn in the morning, always turning as
already said, IN the direction Of The sun.
On the people returning to the field
from their dinner, the two boys immediate
Iy begin to shake out that partof the second
turned grass which had not been accom-
plished before going to dinner, and when
that is finished; they commence turning
what was last cut, and then shake it all out
again:
At this period, the two novels and the
woman proceed to rake the first cut bay
into what is called wnd-row, and one OF
the men commences with pitchfork to
put il into cocks of fabout $50 to 200 lbs.
weight, and between and feet in height,
but on no account is a foot permitted 10 go