Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-08
Agricultural.
HAY.MAKING.

In the making or curing of hay, the
first things to be considered are the
proper periods for cutting the grass, an1
the length Of time and modes auop'eu
to cause it to dry. On these points,
practical men do not all agree; some
proCerr;no IN out when in flower, by
means Of which they say ley OBTAIN
more and better hay, and the crop is
less exbausting to the land while others
consider it best TO permit the grass TO
stand until the seed has just ripened
sufficiently to vegetate, which will be
more or less scattered for the benefit of
the succeeding crop, and the hay, it is
thought, is more nutrcious, and conse-
quently will afford more flesh and
strength.
Lucerne and clover, undoubtedly, af-
ford better and more hay when cut in
flower, and is better adapted for dairy
stock than when cut late but to avoid
loss in weight and quality, by heat or
fermentation, it is better TO salt them
down in the NOW or stack the same day
they are cut, after being exposed few
hours to hot sun. Two bushels of
salt, if uniformly scattered among the
hay, are sufficient to cure three tons.
Red top, timothy, and the more sub
stantal grasses, generally are not cut
before they have arrived at their full
growth, at about the time they begin
10 ripen their seeds. If cut when in
growing state, the unripe juices of the
plant are apt to bring on violent heat
and fermentation and thus deprive the
crop of much of its substance and nour-
ishment. The truth of this has been
confirmed by the observation of Mr..
Isaac Reeves, of Delaware, who is of
opinion that, by moving these grasses
before they are ripe, the roots bleed and
die out, and that this is the reason why
a second crop does not spring up for
long time after. 81 once" said he
purchased the fifth part of crop of
timothy on one Of the Islands in the
Delaware, with the intention of cutting
my lot at the time the other four pur-
chasers did theirs, but was called from
home, and it was not done until the
seeds would vegetate. | thought my
hay was spoiled but it was preferred to
all others for horse-feed and behold, the
next year, my lot of land yielded double
the crop Of the others, and at the end of
three years, it had increased TO two and
half tons to the acre, overgrowing all
the other grasses, having uniform crop
five feet in height, and preferred before
all others at the market. Since that,
have never cut timothy before the seeds
will Just vegetate and / would take
poor field, that shows only few spires
Of timothy growing in it, and by these
simple means, engage, in five years, to
cut two and half tons per acre, of su
peror hay, provided that the land be
suitable to the growth of the crop"
With regard to the best mode Of max
ing hay, there also prevail various opin-
ions. One class Of farmers never move
their hay out Of the swath on the day it !
il cut, but on the second day, shake all
that was cut on the day previous, by
giving it two turnings. If shaken the
day it is cut, they say the hay is reduc-
ed by the heat of the sun but by leav-
in it in the swath, it soaks its own sap,"
and will be reduced very little afterwards.
The more Of the natural juice or mois-
ture that can be left in the hay, the less
they say, will it suffer from that portion
of the loss which arises from the drying.
Another class contend the more quickly
the drying is affected, The less ertensioe
1cW be the change in the starch of the
plants; and consequently the hay will
retain more of its substance in a soluble
or digestible state. The last assertion
would seem correct, from observations
made in England some time since on
The two modes of drying hay. In the
dales of Yorkshire, where great attention
is paid to the frequent turning of the
hay, and the consequent increased rap
sdity Of drying it, the cattle can be fat
lened upon hay alone, which is said to
be rarely the case in Scotland, on the
Tweed, where the process is more slow,
occupying three or four days.
The plan generally adopted in the
United States, and the one which long
experience seems TO justify, is to NOW
during the early part of fair day, while
the dew is on the grass, say until nine,
ten or eleven O'Clock then spread and
turn the hay; towards evening rake it
up into cocks of about 100 pounds each /;
and if the weather be very dry and hot,
draw it to the barn or stack the same
day. But if the crop is very heavy and
green, it is suffered TO remain in the
cock overnight, and about eleven O'Clock
the next forenoon, it is opened or spread,
and four or five hours after is conveyed
to the stacks Am. .Agricullurist.