Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-06-28
A Snort ClapIer on Hay.

MEssRs. EDIToRs.- That the great impOr
tance and value Vi The hay crop oI our country
Its known 10 every Intelligent larmer and stOoA
feeder, IL true. Doubtful. Ids But thai
farmers generally are not fully aware OF the
vast superiority OF bright, sweet hay over The
yellow musty SUIT winch SO frequently fills
their moWs, is VIGOROUSLY true, Ihat's a
fact. --EDs. Indeed; the mode OF m4AIng hay
that has generally been recommended o. wrl.
ters on this subject, is calculated, IN my hum
ole opinion, 10 read 10 an erroneous pracuce.-
Many III consequence ot their love ot novelty,
or IN their great hurry to arrive at perfection,
have discarded IN u measure the goou Old rule
OF making hay while the sun shines, and rec.
commend asystem of cutting the grass so green
and putting II up with 80 nLtle curing, LnaG /,
Value oil the hay. That good hay cannot b,
made by cutting the grass as green as 1t really
should be, and putting 1t up me same day, Ii
frequently set forth as conclusion deuuceL
from observation and experience. Hay that /,
stored away before 1t is properly cured, will III
Varlably heat 10 such q destee as will destroy
Its value in great measure. Any person Tia,
both makes aud leeds The same hay with hs
own hands, will soon notIce tue d,llereuce be
tween that which has been suthcl 5ntly cured,
and that which has not. tie VIII occasionally
lind some thai has tdrned to yellow colur,
and has strong musty scent, and by casting
his mind back tO the time 1t WAS made, he VIII
invariably recoect that II was put up greenel
and bt avler Lhaa the rest.
10 have The best quality OF hay, the grass
should certainly be cuI green--sooner tnan Is
customary with most tanners. Cut before the
seed rpens, IN all cases, else the stalk becomes
hardened, aud loses much OF It's nuLricien,
quality. When the grass Is in full bloom, 10
probably the best tlue " cut, as il Is done
growing, and It left standing Ionger the sGilR
becomes woody, and the blades Gle and dry up,
which dimnsH their value very much; aud II
cut sooner, the hay is leSse ned 10 qUanuty and
probably IN qualIty. Therefore my advice is
70 cut your grass while 10 full bluom, cure it
throughly, put 1t up neatly, aad store 1t away
plenLtuIly IN proportion " lhe stock you intend
70 winter, and my word for Il if IL comes ouL in
proper quantities, IL will be OF such q spa rkllng
quality as will make your Darnams literally
shed tears oil Joy.
Martlusburgh, May, 1865. KoKosISG.
kENARFs,-This is good as far as it goes;
but farmers should not only maze hay while
the sun shines, bul should cut hay while the
sun shines, aud not keep on moving through a
succession OF rainy days. Better let the hired
men sleep or go hshlng, than to be laying in a
mess OF aSomInable fodder in this way; il is
poor economy. Then in curing, have all the
nay raked and cooked at night. A heavy dew
Is destructive ofgood hay wnen spread over the
held. Ii the hay cannot be ,hrougblv dried
oeiore putting away, thick layer Oh dry straw
between every few feet of hay, will absorb
much of the moisture. and Of itself furnish
good fodder besides. As frierd of the poor
ofutes. we insist upon their having gooI
bright, sweet hay, and these are SONS OF III,
ways to get it.-EDs