Nebraska advertiser., 1856-09-06
department.
CUTTING Hay BIZ MACHINERY.

Since the introduction of moving
machines as n Of the economies Of
the farm, a change has been wrought
IN the process of gathering the hay
crop; but, ike all great innovations,
which upset the original order OF
things, and before the best routine of
management has become determined
By experience, it has produced a
diversity Of modes, some of which
occasionally are productive of great
disaster. Thus, in numerous instances,
under the new mode, asfarmer cuts
down all his grass co1secutively and
then, after it IS dry, proceeds to gather
Tin as fast as possible. It not unfre-
quently happens that from ten to
twenty acres ethus Frustrated, before
a load Of cured hay is gathered into
the barn.
There are many arguments advanced
In defence Of this mode Of proceeding,
the principal one Of which is, that the
farmer who has his hay thus cut does
not " a machine, He either hires
a neighbor BY the r or the day to
do the work, who is unwilling to make
more than one Job Of it,-or he owns
a machine jointly with others, and
cannot so arrange matters as to have
his own and theirs cut in minute and
disconnected portions. AnotherreasOn,
even if he owns a machine, is, that.
more work can be performed, if it be
Of one kind for a considerable length
of time, than if it be broken in upon
byfrequent changes; hence, all moving
until the moving is done, then all
raking until the hay is gathered into
winroWs ready for the NOW or stack,
and then all pitching, carting and
moving away, finishes the Job In con-
secutiVe and homogeneous labors.
This would undoubtedly be a rapid
and easy method Of proceeding, could
favorable weather be depended upon;
but, under ordinary circumstances, it
is precarious, and not unfrequently at
tended With deteriorations and loss
Last year, during the prevalence Of
that remarkable and disastrous rain,
which, about the present time caused
so much injury to the harvest, many
farmers in this Eicinityha large fields
of hay cut under just such circumstan-
ces. One man came into our Office,
after several days continuance Of the
storm, and remarked, that he had Just
been examining twelve acres Of grass
which was partially cured when the
rain came on. cit 1ookedn he said,
'1ike water rotted fax, and was totally
unfit for any thing except manure. he
should make no effort to save it for
fodder, but should merely collect il
for the purpose of disencumbering his
fields, and allow it to be trodden into
the manure heap by the feet Of his
cattle. This farmers experience was
that of hundreds of others, during thai
season, and is the experience, sooner
or later, Of most men who adopt this
improYident method.
Therear r seasons when such a course
would be q safe one; but we cannoi
determine this in advance, and the
risk to be run is too great to meet The
approval of prudent men. Any one
who notices the vide range In oul
market quotations for hay; can appre
ciate The difference in value between
the FIRST and the poorest quality. ThiI
difference amounts to fully one hundret
per cent and is attributable more to ba,
i. curing, than to all other causes pu
together. Arain storm on green an,
fresh cut grass, is not disastrous; bu
the moment it commences whiting tn
case is changed, the wet becoming
more and more injurious the nears
dry the hay had previously become
The old-fashioned way of moving
during theforepart Of the day as muci
as can be gathered in before night,
the best methodof curing hay. If tn
grass is not sufficiently ripe (and !
ought not to BEL to cure the day it i
cut, let adayo or two intervene-gather
ing in, one afternoon, what had bee.
cut the day, or the second day before
as the case may be.
We know Of an excellent farmel
residing near the city line, whopursne
this method, cutting in the forenoo
and raking and carting in after dinner
He neUer has bIcochedh aw scarcely
load Of his suffered during all til
severe rains Of last season. A larg
portion of his was cut, cured, and ]
the barn, before the vet weather cam
on, and the balance was left standin
in the field until the ~protracted storl
was over, and Of course was lit
injured Grass ripens slowly durin
vet weather, and usually thickens u
attheb bottom withfr esh leaves suf6cieI
TO compensate for all d~eterioration-
AT all events, It is infinitely bette
standing than to be cut and expose
in the field.
A team ought not tobe worked1pC
q machine all day. It is one Of Il
seYerest tests Of endurance to Bhis
horses can be subjected, andhalf q ds
at a time is asmueh as any spans hou
he permitted to draw. Even if it b
@1oncaor- <5D <b6 @no-o~ g