Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-07-15
Hay and Fodder-Cutting and
Curing.

There are certain rules to be observed
in cutting and curing grass, as in all
things, TO attain the highest degree Of
perfection. Every kind of hay and fod-
der will be good, or good for nothing,
according TO the degree of attention 10
these rules. The grass should be allow
cd TO attain the highest degree of per-
lection before it is cut, and that degree
is found TO be at he time of FioUering
or blooming, Just before the seed begins
to form, IL being a heyJaceoUS plant,
the whole natural object of il is to make
seed, and all its juices are, AT the time
of Towering, in their richest state. This
is the time TO cut ii. If cut before this
time the juices are imperfect, and the
fibrous matter immature and if delayed
beyond this time, more or less of the
richness of these Juices is expended in
making the seed. If the seed is allowed
TO become ripe, the hay is comparatively
worthless. We never saw n load of hay
in the market for sale, that did moi ex-
hibit unequiyocal signs of having had a
very large portion of IFS rich qualities ex-
hausted, either before il was cut or in
curing. When it is understood that if
allowed to ripen perfectly, the grass loses
all lis rich juices, and becomes mere
dry straw-woody fibre, little slllciale
of potash, and trihIng quantity of veg
etahle extractiye matter, the importance
of cutting II at the right Time will be APP
parent.
And here il is proper 10 mention a.
mother error of almost, If not quite equal
importance. II is that of mixing differ
ent kinds of grass together. There are
scarcely any two grasses that flower at
the same time, exactly, and If two be
mixed that flower at different times, one
or the other will be greatly deteorated
by being cut too soon or too late. All
grasses should, therefore, be kept in dis
,Inct meadows.
The curing process is, however, OIL
much'the most importance. No matter
at what time the glass be cut, if il be moi
properly cured, the hay will be worth
less, in proportion to this lmperiectlon
Two tons Of hay shall be taken from the
same field, the one cured properly, the
other caielessl y-and the one shall be
worth twenty dollars, while the oiheI
will be dear at any price, except TO
mere straw. Let us decend TO parllcu
lars, for the subject is sufficiently mpor
tant to authorize il. Nearly the whole
nutritious properties of the hay are in {
fluid, or semi-fiuid state, highly suscep,
tible OF fermentation and if fermenta-
ton takes place, they will be immedi-
alelJ disspated in yapor. The Object
10 be attained is 10 cure the hay by evap-
Grating The aoatsr only of these Juices
leaving the saccaharine and other prin-
ciples in solid state in the body Of the
grass are allowed TO ferment, then al
these principles are rapidly changed anc
pass off with The vapor. The usua
method of curing hay, especially in The
Middle States, permits The green cut hal
10 lay in masses I'LL il gets more or les
heated, especially till The under portion
of II. This heat is produced by fer
mentatlon. We usually see hay in The
The swath till the next day, and il i,
merely turned over, and even that yer,
carefully. The under side will be found
TO be warm. Now all this is wrong.
The bay should be shaken lightly anc
loosely, SO that none of it will lay il
compact masses, aud that the air MAJ
pass freely through it. 1t should b,
gathered into winrows as late as possibl,
in the evening, and these should be wei