Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-07-07


Hay MAKING. As this is the season for
the use of the scythe, the fork and the rake
we publish as appropriate and well timed
the following remarks on the process Of
hay making, from work entitled Cyclopc.
d'd Of agriculture, and hope our farmers
will put into practice the important and use.
fol suggestions 1t contains:
In haymaklng, the object of the farm
er is to preserve the hay for winter use
IN the condition most nearly resembling
the grass in lis perfect state. And in
order to accomplish this, it is necessary.
IN the first place, TO know when the grass
has reached that state; that we NAV
thus fix upon the proper time fo, mo,o-
ing
Chemistry informs US that, of the va
rlous ingredients which compose grass.
those portions which are immediately
soluble IN water are the most fitted for
purposes OF nutrition and therefore. IL
should be cut at that period when the
largest amount Of gluten, sugar, and
other matter soluble 10 water is contained
IN It, And that period is not, generally
speaking, when the plants have shot in
to seed for the principal substance is
then woody fibre, which is to,aly insol-
ubIe in water, and therefore unified for
being asslmllated in the stomach. II
has been shown that, when the grass
first springs above the surface of the
earth, the chief constituent of its early
blade is water the amount of solid mat
ter being comparatively trihing; as its
growth advances, the deposition of n
more indurated form of carbon gradually
becomes more considerable, the sugar
and soluble matter at first increasing.
then gradually diminishing, to give way
TO the deposition of woody substance >
the saccharlne juice being in the greatest
abundance when the grass is in full flow.
or, but before the seed as formed. Dur
ing all the latter part of the process of
qualification, the formation Of the seed.
&c, the sugar rapidly decreases in guam
uty, and when the seeds have arrived at
maturity the stem and leaves begin to
decay SO that if the grass is not cut
down when in flower, great amount Of
nutriment will be wasted. Many of the
natural pasture grasses, however, are ex-
cePtlons TO this rule some possessing a
greater nutrltive value when the seed is
ripe than at the time Of the towering
II is obvious, from the foregoing re-
marks, that nearly every species OF grass
no matter whether it contains most
nutrimeAt when Towering or when seed-
, ,ng-yields tue most profit, in hay and
5 lattermath, il it be cut when in the flow
: err. 1t has, indeed, been proved that
: plants of nearly all sorts, if cut ,ohen in
{ full uigoy, and afterwards carefully dried
wthoutany waste of their nutritlye luce.
: contain nearly double the quantity OF
) nuiritve matter which they do when al
lowed to attain their full growth, and
make some progress towards decay
, The proper season for moving the
grass, so as to secure the largest amount
OF nutrient properties within it, being
thus determined, the next consideration
ls--the preservation of these useful
qualities in the hay.
II is an essential point that the NOW
ers should be good workmen. and per-
form their work neatly and evenly. max
ing the sythe cut as near TO the ground
as possible, in order TO insure the great
est bulk OF hay, and facilitate the SPRING
ing up of the young shoots of the eddsh
or aftermath. They generally begin
work before sunrise, and remain until aE
ter sunset from one acre 10 an acre and
a half, according TO the bulk of the crop,
being a fair days work for a man. As
soon as the dew is of, the mowers should
be followed by men and boys with forks,
who shake aud spread the swaihs evenly
over the whole surface Of the meadow
or this may be most economically and
expediiIuusly done by means of tedd-
ing machine, drawn by horse, which
wall do the work of twelve or fifteen hay
makers, and distribute the grass more
thinly and evenly as it crosses the field.
And this must not be allowed to lie
long beneath the scorchlng heat OF the
sun without being turned for by thus
dong, the upper part becomes brown
and withered, whereas it is desirable to
keep 1t as green as possible. All the
grass which has been tended and turn
ed during the day, ought to be thrown
together the same evening in wind
rows, that is, long rows throughout the
field gathered together by. the hay-ma-
kers working III opposite directions, the
two outside men, or boys, using rakes,
the others forks; the hay gradually ac-
cumulatlng, whilst thus being sent on
from one 10 another, towards the place
OF the intended row, until il forms a
party on each side, double row, and
TWO men follow, putting these two into
one compact wlndrow,' about five feet
wide and three high. Or, the hay may
be put together into small heaps or
ioo,cocks ) the former method being
preferable for expedition. and afordlng
aufiipiaut nrotacftOn from, baaVu datvs