Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-07-01
AarifuItural Dfpartmer,t.
For.the Portage Sentinel.
Making HAY.

compile briefly the statement Oh process
Of hay-making recommended in Raymond's
Science of Agriculture. 1t has been OBJ
served, that hay made in very dry season,
hastily cured and put into the NOW, is
much more apt to suffer injury from over
heating, than in catching weather." or
somewhat rainy season. 1t has also been
noticed that hay in the stack, which has not
been heated, is often moldy, loses its natu-
rally green color, looks rusty and dead,and
parts with large amount of its nutriment.
To remedy these difficulties the following
process, the result of experience, is suggest
ed.
1t is we'll known that grass cut in rainy
weather, may lie unspread for several days
without injury; and many prefer to NOV
in lowery weather, that large quantity
may be cut down, and got into q similar
state of forwardness at the same time, so
that when stacking out becomes necessary,
a whole stack may be completed in one day,
when the weather has become fair The
swaths should be spread out when the wealth
er is fine and settled-and it should be care
fully and evenly spread. sWhen the upper
surface is dry, it should be turned over, and
then it should be raked and put into cocks
before night. The next day, whether the
weather be wet or fair, the cocks should re-
main unopened. But on the third day if
if the weather is fair, let them be spread.
otherwise remain untouched. When OPEN
ed, the hay should remain three or four
hours, and then be turned over, and the
whole again raked up and put into cocks
before night, and on the succeeding day,
which, if the weather has been fair, will be
the fourth day, the cocks should remain un-
opened as on the second day. On the next
or fifth day, the cocks having been opened
for an hour or two, will be fit for the stack
or NOW.
The peculiarities of this process is the
leaving the cocks unopened the second and
fourth days-and thus fermentation or
something takes place in the cock, which,
in the ordinary process must occur in, thcc
NOW Or 81, 81 4 ',- E,' this mode, the open
exposure Of the hay is shortennd, and the
color and quality preserved, for when the
color departs, portion of the nutritious
quality goes with it.
This process will appear, on the face of
it, to involve delay, and extra labor, but it
is believed, nevertheless, that those who
wish to have their work we'll and skillfully
done, will progress as rapidly as in any
other way, for it will be found, that in con-
sequence of the sweating which takes place
in the cock, the process of curing (proper
,uring) will be found to be in Us great a
state of forwardness on the fifth day, as if
he hay had been stirred every day. And
as to the amount of labor, whether by rea-
son ofthe weather, it take four OF eight
days, only three days labor are required.
am aware that our go-ahead farmers
can hardly be induced to stop and adopt a
mode, which may appear to them to be un-
reasonably prolix, and will stick to the old
motto, and snake hay while the sun Shines
another motto which is as appli-
cable to hay-making as to other things,
namely, shaste makes waste" 1t is diff
cult thing to persuade one to "hasten slow
ly," in fine weather, in the hay field, nev-
ertheless the foregoing process may merit
at least, an experiment on a small scale,
and if found to subserve the end of preserv.
ing the nutritious properties Of the hay, to
dispense with hasty and adopt more
careful process, may be found to be mat
ter of dollar-and-cent interest, for such hay
would notonly command higher price in
market, but would keep the stock of the
farm in better order, and leave larger
surplus for sale. PUBLICOLA.
FooT RoT IN SHEEP.--A subscriber in
Washington co. asks for remedy for this
4 l.