The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-07-11
MARCUS WATSON. rrin.sr.
a9ritulturul.r
Hay Making.

20 the world Is beyond calculation. "hen
we speak of the value Of hay we have refer
ence to its nutritive qualities for hay which
had lost these, would, ofeoarse beas value
less as straw. The more perfect the ele-
ments of nutrition in grass are preserved IN
hay, the more valuable and economical 1t Is
for fecding purposes,
The period at which hay is cut has much
to do with its nutritive value. While the
grass is growing, and especially during the
latter part OF growing, the stems and leaves
contain considerable quantities Of sugar and
gum, which arc transformed into woody
fibre mostly during tho ripcning process,
and into seeds. Therefore, when grass has
attained its growth. il gains nothing in
nutritive value by standing. The woody
fibre which is formed and exists in the ri
pened grass, is for the most part indigesti-
BILE, and every farmer knows that more than
half the seed usually skaters out when the
grass Is left to stand till ripe.
DIR. Thompson, in his {" Experimental re-
searches on the Food Of Animals" makes
some very judicious remarks. He says I;
" When grass first springs above tho sur
face of the earth, the principal constituent
of its early blades is water, the amount OF
solid matter being comparatively trilling;
as it rises higher into day, the deposition Of
more indurated form Of carbon gradually
becomes more considerable; the sugar and
soluble matter at frs, increasing, then grad
ually diminishing, to give way to the de-
position Of woody substance"
Ifthe sugar be an important element Of
the food Of animals, then it should be the
object of the farmer to cut gnss for hay
making, at that period when tho largest
amount OF matter soluble in water is con-
tained in IT, This Is assurcdly at an earlier
period of its growth than when it has shot
into seed, for il is then tina. woody matter
prelominates; a substance totally insoluble
in water, ami therefore less calculated to
serve as food to animals than substances
capable Of assuming soluble condition.
This is the Grst point for consideration in
the production OF hay, since thought to be
the object Of the farmer to preserve the hay
for winter use in tho condition most resem-
bling the grass in its highest state of per-
fection. The second consideration in hay
making is to dry the grass undor such cir
cumstanccs as to retain the soluble portion
in perfect integrity.
The great cause Of tho deterioration OF
hay is the water which may be present,
either from the incomplete ecmOyal Of the
natural amount of water in the grass by
drying, or by the absorption of this auid
from thcatmosphCrc. Water, when existing
in hay, from either OF those sources, will
inducp fsrmsntltion, a process by which one
OF the most importan, constituents of the
grass, viz, sugar will be destroyed. The
action necessary for decomposins the sugar
is induced by the albaminous matter OF the
grass the elements Of the sugar aro made
to react on each other in the moist state in
which they exist, in consequence Of the
presence Of the water and oil, and arc
converted into alcohol and carbonic acid.
The alcohol prolueed in q heated hay
stack in many cases may be detected by the
similarity of tho odor di,enSagcd to that
perccptiblc in brewery. We use this
comparison because II has more than once
been suggested TO us by agriculturists.
The amount OF soluble matter capable OF
being taken up from hay by cold water is
as much as Eve per cent, ora third OF the
whole soluble matter in hay. We may,
therefore, form some notion Of the injury
liable to b, produced By cvcry shower Of
rain, which drcnches the fields during hay
harvest. |, is not only, however, the loss
which it sus.ains, in regard to the sugar and
soluble saule, that readers hay 50 much
les acceptable than grass to the appetite OF
cattle. The bleaching which ID undergOes
in the sun, deprives il Of the only peeuliari-
ty which distinguishes the ono form Of fod-
der from the other; grs deprived Of it
greeu eoloring matter presents exactly the
appearance Of straw, so that such hay ought
20 b, termed graSSstaw. 1t isObyious that
tho operation of hay-making as usually
conducted, has tondaney to remove
rrca, portion Of the wax in the grass
IIay-makiny is really a very nice opera
tioa, though We are aware ID is nOtgcnerall,
REGARDED as such. The method Of eurin;
sin cock" has important aduantages II
making all kinds Of hay. Timosy an'
Rod.top hay Is as much supcrior cured II
cock to tha. exposed to the bleaching pro
r cess as Is red clover. The objccs should b
TO preserve the grcsn appearance OF tn
growing grass, Ifgrass Is exposed to tn
sun to cure, the color Is hos, in great meas
urc. Il Is tho practice Of X. l.. Pell, Esq.
Of Ulster county, n. y, to cut his gras
anu draw Immediately into tho barn, anC
spriaxle evenly upon each layer common
salt, in ths proporsioaof aboat one boshe
toa ton. nsnys, The s,ls prevents mo"
= burning, milling. &c. add the stock an
induced 70 ca, It as grsdily as they woal'
new rnown grsss, which IL neatly resenbls
az is most nutritious Juices are preserved
being dirassd through tho stem Of the en-
..stirs plant at thAtpcriodof its growth. i
len on the grouud till the seed ripcns, th'