The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-06-21
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Proper Time for Cutting Grass,

Il
Proper Time for Cutting Grass.
For more than thirty years i. has been
ascommon saying among farmers. that
timothy hay should not be cut until ripe
that is, until the heads were plump and
full Of seed / was raised in a. country
where grass was thought ready to cut as
soon as it was large enough; and after
came here, followed. through the same
practice, although in opposition to the
opinion and practice Of many of my good
natghbors. followed the practice so long,
and had, SO many opportunities to prove
it, that know to certainty that my prac.
tice is right. For some or 10 years
past, have used mostly timothy hay
Previous to that, used more clover
Very often | have not been able to get j,
all cut before harvest; and having several
cattle and sheep yards. some one lot OF
cattle had to eat the ripe hay, and am
perfectly sure that it is great loss to le,
timothy hay get anything near ripe; in
fact. whenever it begins to come in BIOS
som, ii is time to begin outing. If there
is much to cut. and not plenty of hands.
some will then get too ripe. would pre-
fer good wheat straw, cut before it is too
ripe, to ripe timothy for either sheep or
cattle.
A number of years ago, l built COW
house, and that season cut my timothy
hay earlier than usual. stabbed my cows
for the first time that year; fed them the
early cut timothy hay, and took every
possible care OF the cattle, but they be-
came poor, would eat but little of my green
hay, and by spring the COWS and young
cattle were overrun with lice, and poorer
by far than ever had cattle. concluded
| had cut my timothy hay too green. and
that my neighbors were partly right
| Next season | let it get nearly ripe, but
nv cows did no better, then concluded
it must be stabling. and took out my stalls,
and turned my stables into sheds. After
that my COWS got fat on green hay
After began. to :atten cattle extensively
found out that my COW stables were no,
thoroughly ventilated, and this was the
only reason they did not do well in their
stables.
The loss farmers sustain by letting their
hay get too ripe, is immense. would
rather have four quarts Of meal per day
with good green timothy hay, than to have
La peck with ripe hay, to tat steer with
Cut grass or clover g leen, cure in swath
or cock, and it will make either sheep oil
steers fat in five months without grain i
they are properly attended to, but still i
is more profitable to feed part grain.
4 have wintered this season about 2O(
sheep on wheat straw, with one bushel o
oil cake meal to the 100 sheep per day
and now they are fat, although but thir
when bought them. Yours truly, JOIN
JoHNsroN. New Geneva April 8, 1854
i We believe with our correspondent, tina
the loss sustained by our farmers, by too
, long delay in cutting their grass is i'm
mense. 1t is subject to which we have
, frequently called the attention of ou
readers for years past. Both science ant
experience demonstrate that the prope
! time for cutting grass is whenit is in bios
: som. A writer on the scientific principle
involved in the process OF hay making
, lays down the following rules:
l.. Grass must be fully developed be
! fore it is mown; il not, it will be found il
its early stages to contain SO much waite
as to be reduced, by drying, into so sma
"a compass, that it will in quantity muc
. lOiShppOtut tuo HdyW"keI.
Q e. It must not be permitted to stan
until its seeds are formed. much less ripe
Ian plants in arriving at maturity hav
their starch and sugar gum in large quan
titles converted into woody fibre-a wis
n provision OF Providence for enabling tn
,r stem to bear matured seeds-and as 8,
% gar, gum, and starch are nutritive ell,
ii ments, it is desirable that they should
l. preserved, and hence the point for SUI
J: cesslul grass-cutting is that between ii
full development Of the plant and befol
'r the formation of the seeds, in other wore
Is when they are in flower.
ie government report, published in Ii
!, Edinburgh Quar-. Jour. Of Agricultur
le on the chemical properties OF grass on
Of hay as food for cattle says-'lf as v
le1 have endeavored to show, the sugar is 9
is important element OF the food OF animal
d then it should be an object with the ia
> mer to cut grass for the purpose Of ha.
-e making at that period when the larg.
s. amount OF matter is contained it. Th
m lis assuredly at an earlier period of i
<. growth thah when it has shot into seed
a. for il is then that the woody matter pr
8, Dominates substance totally insolub
De in water, and therefore less calculated
u serve as food to animals than substance
g. capable Of assuming soluble condition
" 1t ought to be the object of the farmer
ID preserve his hay for winter use in the CO.
rt diiion most resembling the hay in
'g highest state Of perfection.
IS We add to the above, the testimony
no several careful and observing farmer
or heretofore published in the Cu7tiudtor. s
C. N. Bement-Was formerly in Il
habit of cutting his timothy quite late, b
cause il was easier cured after it got pret
en- ripe, but he ascertained, from careful g
an pertinent in using hay thus cut, that
m wanted substance, and that the best tin
i'm for cutting hay was when the grass W
,t. in blossom.
ot Sanford Howard-The stems OF grass
TO were filed just before the formation of 4
nix seed, with starchy or saccharine su
i'll stance. In perfecting the seed, the ster
were exhausted Of this substance, il
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