Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-07-16
ube g earm.
From the chi tivator for July.
Cutting Grass for Hay.

|
The stage at which it lis proper to cut gras.
for hay, undoubtedly varies with the dfferen
. species. Some kinds, as the orchard grass
D ( Dacty'as glomatra,) and the common "spir
grass, (poa prd'ensis,) make only a small weigh
comparatively in culms or seed stalks, but il
favorable soil throw up an abundance of long
0 rich leaves. Where heavy growth of sucl
grasses is produced, it is best to NOV then
twice or more in season--thc first time whei
they are in ilower,(or sooner ifthcy lodge down,
and at such times afterwards as they will aifor
a suitable burden. But if the land is not rich
there will be only a few socd-staks, and it ma
in many cases be better TO let it die and dry up
and permit the growth of the leaves TO continue
till the latter part of the season, or till goo'
crop has accumulated. 1t should be remember
ed however, that in all cases where there is
thick growth which lodges or falls down, i
should at once be cut otherwise the grass vii
spoil by fermentation, and the roots, also, vii
be more or less killed.
II is probable that timothy, the herds-grass o
New-E England, (Phleum Pra'cnse0 attains lis
maximum amount of nurlment at later stage
than most of the grasses commonly cultivated
here The common opinion is that ITS greatest
value is ut the time, or alter IT'S seed is ripe
Oar experience does not support this idea. We
of SINCLAIR, as given in the Hortns Gramine-
us IobcrncpsiS, the ripe stems of this grass af-
| fordcd twice the amount of nntrlment given by
the same quantity taken in the Towering stage.
This statement has probably had great nilu-
cncc in the minds of farmers i'll regard TO the
subject But further resources in chemistry,
have shown that the experiments of Sinclair
are not to be relied on for accuracy. His pro-
cess was described in the work just referred to,
page ,, as follows:
The grass, in a green or dry state, is sub
mitted to the action of hot water till all its solu
bic parts are taken up. The liquors. is then
separated from the woody fibre by means of
boting paper; it is then cvaporated to dryness
The product, or solid matter, is the nutrtive
matter of the grass"
Prof Johnston, in his lectures, remarks that
they have lost much of their value since it has
been satisfactorily asccrtained-
81. That the proportions Of soluble matter
yielded by any species of grass, when made in
to hay, varies not only with the age of the grass
when cut, but with the SOIL the climate, the
season, the rapidly of growth, the variety of
! the seed sown, and with many other circum-
stances which are susceptible OF constant vara-
ton.
90. Then the animals have the power of d.
costing greater or less portion of their food
which is insoubc in water. Even the woody
fibre ofthe hay is not entirely useless as an ar
tiCle OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. having shown
that the manure often contains less of the inso-
| lublc matter than was present in the food con-
sumcd
"3. That some of the substances which
are off the greatest importance in the nutrition of
| animals-such as vegetable ibrin, abumcn, ca
| sein, and legumin-are either wholly insoluble
| in water, or are more or less perfectly coagula-
ted and rendered insoluble by boiling water
Mr.. Sinclair, therefore, must have left behind
among the insoluble parts OF his hay, the grea-
ter proportion of these important substances
Hence the nature and weight OF the dry extracts
he obtained could not fairly represent either the
kind or quantity of the nutritve matters which
the hay is likely to yield when introduced into
the stomach of an animal"
1t is evident that even Mr.. Sinclair himsel
was by no means confident as TO the correctncs,
of his deductions, for in relation to the soluble
matter of the grasses being taken as denoing
accurately their value, he quotes Sir HUMPHREY
DAvY, as follows &c But still these quantities
, of soluble matter, cannot be regarded as ab
so7uteiy dcnoting their value ; albuminous o
rlutinous matters have the characters Of ANNA
substances: sugar is more nourisiing and cX
tractvc less nourshing than any other principle
composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
certain combinations of these substances, like
wise, may be more nourshing than Others"
Upon the whole, therefore, though we shout
be in favor ofallowing timothy to come nearc
to maturity than most other kinds OF grass, W
n would cut it for hay before much OF its seed
ripcned.
The stems Of timothy, where the growth
rank, are generally stiff and coarse, and tn
hay is frequently too hard and wiry to be relisl
by cattle. TO obyiatc this objection, it is we
10 give the hay agood smeating in cock. 500
after the grass is cut, or when it is fairly willie,
and the external moisture dried off, put it int
cocks which will make from fifty to sixty pound
(dry hay,) and let it remain in that situatio
for twenty-iour to forty-eight hours. The
shake the hay out lightly, in drying day, an
it will be found mnch more soft and more agre,
able to stock than if made in any other way
Time is also gained in the making in this wa
the hay drying much more rapidly after it h;
been sweated. Where it is intended to be pres
ed and baled, or exported the practice of dr.
ing it in swath may do, provided the grass
not cut until quite ripe but the hay will
harsh and not as good, especially for sheep al
cattle, as that made in the mode above d
n. scnbed.