Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-24
A GRIG. ULT IRA L.
From the Carolina Planter
CURING AND STACKING FODDER.


Mr.. Editor: Until last year, was in the
habit of curing my fodder wholly in the sun
and putting it up in double stacks. This !
call the old plan. The objections to il are, in
The first place, that many OF the leaves dry,
crumble, and are lost, ere the stems and sue
culent portions are fit to be stacked. In the
second place, that intensely hot sun is hurtful
10 the fodder, that cured in the shade beng
always the most fragrant and nutritious. 1t
is the practice of the best English, French and
Flemish farmers, in curing their hay, 10 ex-
/ pose it as little as possible to the sun. 1t is
carried in dry, but If preserves its green color;
and you see hay two or three years old in
their market of so bright green color, that
we would scarcely conceive it 10 be cured !;
vet they are in the practice of preserving it for
wears, and value it more for its age Cured in
This way, scarcely leaf is wasted, and the
bay preserves its freshness and fragrance and
it is said that at least ten per cent. is gained
| in quantity, and as much in quality. A third
objection to the old plan is, that the fodder is
more liable to be seriously injured by dews
and rain and the fact is. in season like this,
when we have bad rains almost every day, If
| we are to depend upon curing our fodder
wholly in the sun, we shallnot have one good
stack in ten. If, therefore. we can fall upon
plan by which we can make better fodder
and with less sunshine, we shall of course,
| be running less risk. and stand better chance
of getting in that part of the crop. With this
view, | have the fodder which is pulled in the
forenoon stacked in the evening of the same
| day, provided there has been no rain about IT.
| If it is wet, allow it to become perfectly dry
before it is stacked and my plan of stacking
is simply this: A pole is placed in the ground,
at the spot where you intend to stack. -Four
other poles, or fence rails, if your stacks be
small, are placed around the centre pole about
foot or more from the bottom, and then all
| tied together at the top, with a grapevine or
anything handy, forming cone. Place some
brush or few rails at the bottom, so as to
raise the fodder little off the ground. Then
commence laying your fodder in single bum
dies around this cone. and when you have I'm
ished, it will be hollow stack. The air hay
ing free passage underneath the stack, will
| circulate in the hollow, and the fodder will
| finish curing in the shade and unexposed to the
weather. You may cure and stack pea vines
in the same way.
For this improvement, as conceive it 10 be,
/ am indebted to an old agricultural friend
who had all his life followed the good old
way" of curing and stacking fodder, until "a
bout two years ago, he happened TO learn from
an agricultural paper, not an " old negro"
that the best mode of curing hay, &C., was to
expose it but little to the sun, he conceived
his plan of stacking fodder so as 10 have it
cured partly in the shade. He has adopted
the plan for the last two years, and thinks he
makes better fodder by it, and certainly runs
less risk of weather. have also had my fod-
der stacked in the same way, and am much
pleased with the plan; and | now send ii to
you to make ' book knowledge" of it.
FGNUM.