The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-09-21

although the most laborious. The
curing, or drying and housing is Of
great Importance, and of this we
will say more i'll our next
RANDOM TnoUGuTs Anour HAY1NG.-
We stated in our Inst that grass Should
be cut when in blossom, rs the great
est quantity Of the matters necessary
for the nutrimcnt Of cattle was then
most generally throughout the plant.
BY cutting it at this time, the
changes which would have taken
place at successive stages OF it's growth
are arrested, and these matters pre-
served.
In order, however, to preserve them
in the best manner, the grass should
be dried, or in other words, the
cut grass should be exposed to heat
sufficiently long to cxpcl the wa
ter from it and leave the other sub
stances.
Hence it will appear very evident to
every one that it should not be ex-
posed to any moisture, such MS dews
or rains. Moisture will dissolve por-
tions of the sugar, gum or mucilngc,
which is contained in the plant, and
if soaked sufficiently long, ,rothing will
be left behind i'll the hay but vcgcta-
bic fibre.
1t would probably be better if
grass could be dried under cover, but
rs this is out Of the question the great
est care should be taken to keep of
dcws or rains after it begins to dry.
Hence the hay-caps, which are no
thing but pieces of cotton shceting pla-
ced upon the hay-cocks, answer an
admirable purpose in case Of storms
coming on before the hay is sufficient
ly dry to put into the barn. Snme
have thought if, after the grass has
been partially dried, it be cooked up
and these caps put on, they might
he suffered to stand, and the hay be
made in this way. Course grasses, like
coarse clover, for instance, may
be cured in this way; but when the
grass is fine and disposed to lay com
pact. there will be danger of its heat
ing and fermcntmg more or less, and
thus be injured. In the ordinary way
no better method can be adopted than,
the old rule, s'make ilay while the
sun Shines" A clear air and a
bright sun will dry it very fast, cs-
pccially if it be stirred up often so rs
to expose all parts to the influence of
these agents.
Some farmers are disposed to hur-
ry their hay into the barn as soon rs
it will any way do, and if appears to
be little green, to sprinkle salt ov-
er it rs they pack it away. The salt alb
serbs the surplus moisture and be-
comes dissolved, and thus prevents
any fermentation. Others prefer to
give their grass an ultra drying be-
fore they pack it away.
The late Joseph r. Abbot inform
ed us that he used to dry his at least
a day longer than most people be-
fore he put it into the barn, and that
as q consequence he never had
any dusty or smoky hay. How this
may be We do not know. The proper
way is to dry it just SO long as it will
require to be dried in order to cXpcl
the water TO such Il point as to prevent
any fermentation when slowed away
in the nov. When this is done, and
there has been no exposure to mois.
ture, the hay will be of good color,
elastic and nutrItivc. Such hay is
worth more than that cut late, after
the sugar, gum; SC, has become
changed, and the ripcncd seed has alb
sorbcd from the stalk most of it in
order to supply it with the materials
seed. Such hay, if judiciously fed out
to cattle and other stock, will make
them gain nearly as fast as they will
at grass. We do not pay attention
enough to these facts. We arc apt to
consider almost any dried grass as
good hay; and, without paying any
further attention to it, think we do
our duty to our cattle if we tic them
| fast by the head, and throw over to
them about such q quantity (as near as
we can guess Of dried grass, "Ait
| or miss"
Now, in nothing that We feed out to
cattle is there so wide difference as
in hay, and it is solemn duty for cv-
cry farmer, in the first place, to cul-
tivate those grasses which shall con
tain the greatest quantity of nutritivc
matter; in the next place to cut and
cure and house it in such manner as
to preserve these ingredients in the
best possible manner, and then to
feed it out so as to supply tho cat
tie with enough and have none wasted.
MEADOW UAy.-Mcadow hay, if
intended for winter food for stock of
any kind, should never be allowed to
stand until fully ripe. BY remaining
in the field till it becomes mature, it
acquires a hard and wirey character,
which ensures its being rejected by
most animals when not actually com
pclled by hunger; and is, indeed,
/ f,. IL IL