Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-07-20
agricultural.
CURING HAY.

MIR. Robert l.. Pell an extensive and sc'eh'lnc
farmer, of Pelham, N. Y, reports as follows =
81 report in as few words possible my process,
cor Tho heneft of those fond OF try ing expert
,ro,,s nd des,rous of getting in crop Ot nay al
nm expense of five shillings slxpence YORK cur
rencyi per ton. On Monday morning, July otn,
Mt half past 4 o'clock, l commenced cutting a
thirty acre field Of timothy grass, ana SATURDAY
evening. the I2th, att o'clock, the contents OF
,ho 6elJ seventy five tons, were slowed away in
nv barn, for winter consumption; and can as
sure YOU that it is in as perfect order as the sam
pie now before you, presenting to the eye the
same green appearance, which it will retain for
years il kept from the light, with all It's sacharlne
qualities unimpaired.
81 employed seven men and boy who nltern.
atcly moved, spread, loaded the wagon, drew IN,
slowed away, &c. Immediately after the grass
was cut, it was spread as thin as possible over
the field, and was turned once before noon. AZ
one n'clock il was raked into windows and
cooked and at two o'clock, the wagon com
menced drawing into the barn, where it was
hacked. and was sailed with from half bushel
to n bushel per ton. AT evening all tho grass
cut before three o'clock was drawn in and stow
ed, retaining all the nutritious qualities to form
flesh bone muscle, and to promote growth IN
the animal to be fed upon it, having lost only IA
per cent of water, which was partly replaced by
salt. In fact, therefore, my hay is nearly as
heavy as when it was standing in the field. The
salt draws out the water which passes off by Q.
vapora,ion, and takes possession Of the pores ad-
ding to the weight OF the hay, and curing u on
the same principle that it does beet or pork"
This corresponds in some measure with a
practice in some parts of Germany. Pits are
dug in the earth &c or - feet square, which are
lined with plank and puddled with clay. Into
this the green grass is put, just as it was cut
Four or five cwt. are thrown in at time ana
sprinkled with salt at the rate OF one pound each
cwt. It is then well trodden down and ramnled
as close as possible at the sides with wooden
hammers, and when filled, is covered closely 50
as to exclude the air. The grass speedily heats
and tcrments aud after few days has the APP
pearance of having been boiled, aud has sharp
acid taste. 1t is greedily eaten by cattle ind
said to be very nutritious. See Cultivator 1874,
page 226.
1t is proper to remark however, that the prac-
ticc of MIR. pel is objected to by some farmers
OH account Of its causing the cattle to eat too
much salt; and plan which seems TO be more
generally followed by many experienced farmers
in New York, is to cure the hay principally in
the cock The process is simply TO turn the hay
i'm the swath once and to throw 1t INTO small cocks
as soon as it it fairly wil,ed. Let it stand day
or two and then turn the cocks over partially o.
penng them, and let them be thus exposed to
the sun two or three hours IN the middle OF the
day, when it is ready 10 be removed to the barn,
and packed away with the addition OF four to SIX
quarts of salt per ton. This process is preferable
for all kinds OF hay, but particularly for clo-
yer, as the leaves remain pliable and the stems
do not become hard and wiry. If completely
dried by exposure TO the sun and frequent stir
ring, the leaves are crisped and rubbed off, and
frequently very little is left of clover, excep;