The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-07-09
agtfcnlturdI.
HAY AND FODDER.

Great losses are annually sustained in some parts
of the United States in making hay, and in Others
in curing corn blades, commonly called fodder
Mine, in course of many years. have think a.
mounted to moiety Of the crops; and most of the
eXpGdients have resorted 10 for avoiding these
losses, have been bat partially beneficial. Grass
loses much both In quantity and substance, by an
exposure TO the sun in curing it, and fodder MORE
being thus exposed in small bundles. Both, and
particularly the last, suffer greatly by dews and
rains This year have made the most promising
experiment for remedying these evils. A large
meadow in bottom land, in Il grass called red top
or herds grass, cut in dry weather, and shock
ed in large shocks quite green, but dry-that is not
wet with either dew or ran--in the following mode
-Four sticks of five feet long, of the thickness of
mans wrist or more, were set up in n square of
two feet wide at bottom, and meeting at top in Il
pyramiGll form, where the shock was 10 stand
One at least of these sticks should be orked at top
TO keep them steady while the hay is putting round
them. A round log, about six inches in diameter,
was laid upon the ground, with one end reaching to
the centre of the two feet square, between the
sticks, and the othar raised upon fork about eight
cen inches for the purposes of enlarging the huo
presently mentioned, lest il should be closed by
the pressure of the hay, and that the log may be
more easily drawn out when the shock is finished
Around and over the sticks the shock was made,
its top reaching two or three feet above the top Of
the sticks. The purpose of the log was to make
flue for the admission of fresh air into the centre of
the shock, and the expulsion of the air heated BY
the fermentation Of the grass in curing, The lues
were made to face the point from which the wind
usually blows at the time of haymakng. Ifany
ilaes happened to be closed by the pressure of the
grass, they were easily opened by smaller and
pointed log or when the largeness of shock
threatened this Inconvenience, it was elIectuaIly
prevented by inserting into the ilue short, rorkcd
stick as soon as the log was removed, to hold up
the hay. As the logs are removed as soon r the
shock is finished, two or three nre sufficient for fol-
lowing dozen mowers. The hay thus made is
The best ever saw, and the efficacy of the mode
oil curing 1t was strongly supported by the growing
grass under the shocks having been unnured
whereas never left shocks SO long in one spot be-
FORE without its having been killed by the undssi-
pated fermentation of the nay in curing Corn
blades or fodder, sustain an immense loss, even in
dry weather, by two OF three days exposure to the
sun and dews and in wet they are nearly ruined.
For an experiment, | shocked them in the mode
just explained quite green and dry but ! chiefly
allowed them from four 10 eight hours sum- before
they were shocked. Thus was made the best lod-
have ever seem But the weather was favorable.
The ends of tho blades were laid oulwards. and
the shocks bound ut top by rope made of the
blades -irrGiDr, 1912