Nebraska advertiser., 1858-07-08
Farm and Garden.
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Frarn the Country Gentleman.
Resi- Mode Of Curing Hay.

Best MOue Vi CuEIUS u1JS
MEssRs EDIToRs-l notice that a con-
trOversy still goes on respecting the time
of cutting and manner of curing hay, es-
pecially timothy. now intend giving
my views at length, as it has BENNY
study for hall. my lifetime, to cut and cure
4at The iirls ADD ia lae manner most palat-
abe f slale. tstne post
tnulIlIIys. 1beliesls nOthing ot food klad
is nutriiive, rfiless has a good favor or
smell therefore il IS important, both for
our own interests and for the comfort of
the dumb animals under our care, that we
should have their winter food prepared
IN the best manner possible to retain a
good favor. will state my reasons for
| this opinion: l was informed long ago,
by one whom l supposed knew, that to
make the tobacco plant narcotic, it had
TO be gathered at a certain time, and
cured in a peculiar manner. If not gath
cred and SO cured, it would be insipid,
or loose It's narcotic quality, and would not
be used by man and that beautiful flow-
er, the fox-glove, required. to be gather
ed at a certain stage of its growth, and
cured IN a very peculiar manner, being
dried in The dark, and then called Digi-
tails, powerful medicine for both man
and beast So il is with other medicinal
I flowers and herbs; they need a certain
treatment. both in the lime Of gathering
and curing; otherwise they are worthless.
Such reading led me to try. and if posi-
BILE, find the best manner of curing hay
and doubt not, had hay been made for
man, that for centuies before the 18th, it
would have been a settled point by man,
or good housewives, as 10 which is the
best time Of cutting and curing it, to an
swer our tastes.
l viii now give my time Of cutting, and
also manner of curing when cut by
scythes, as also the manner which l think
indispensable when cut by machines.
As TO the time of cutting, l know that
every farmer will agree with me, that
nothing they ever fed to cattle, that are
fairly fed during the winter, will put on
as much fat or increase their weight near
as much in a given time, as rich pasture.
Therefore l argue that grass Should be
cut fUr hay, and not let it stand until il
becomes dried hay before it is cut. If
could cut all my hay in day or two or a
little longer, l would let timothy stand un-
til the seed was formed, bat still quite
soft, but as that cannot be accomplished
in the time mentioned, | begin when in
full flower.
When cut with the scythe, and the grass
heavy, | did all the curing in the swath.
I Grass will stand a good deal cf rain, il
left in the swath, without inlury, when cui
green. When intend to take il in, II
not thoroughly dry oa the lower side, il
wet from rain / turn the swalhs over be-
; fore raking, if even somewhat green on
the underside of ihe swalh; but if nc
rain has fallen, l raked it up and took il
into the barns. In that way it took q
sweat, if q heavy crop, In the swath, anc
another sweat N the NOW; and hold i
indispensable that hay, for either sheep ol
cattle, should have a sweat and it's equal
ly requisite as that tobacco or fox-glOvt
should have their peculiar modes Of cur
ing and time of cutting. If al'ght crop
cut with scylhe, as soon as Il little wllted
| raked up, put in good sized o. rathe1
large cocks, let it take a good sweat II
the cocks, and let them alone until DIR!
enough to take in. Timothy hay Gu
i Green and cooked in a green state, vii
stand much rain without much injury if le
alone. In this way l always made fin
favored hay, and my stock always dit
well upon it.
But since we all around here cut ou
: grass with machines drawn by horses
the mode Of curing must be somewhat diff
ferent to make fine favored nutriIre hay
The machine cuts and spreads it as even
" as it grows IN the ground; therefore
dries much more suddenly than a cut =
scvthes and the horserake out 10 be Starte'
: in a few hours-more or fewer, accord
, inc to the temperature-after the ma
chine is started, and the grass put i
cock. and not left until the machine ha
done days work, and until the de'
goes off next morning. II high ten
perature, your hay Will then be so DIR
that it will take no sweat; hence no fla
vor, and much less nutriment. The trou
- lie with those who make trial of cut
ting green, is that they dry it so much !
the hot sun that it cannot sweat in eithe
:, cock or NOW. have seen stacks of ha
in many places, the hay having been pi
M so dry, that if my arm had been Ion
. enough could have put my hand throug
them and that after they had stood fc
III months. and the hay had no more favo
Te except the little ripe seed left on, tha
brush from a dead tree. want to Sc
no stacks or hay mowS put up for me b.
u will in a week or ten days become so so
id that it is with difficulty you can pus
your hand into them one foot.
4. Now, Messrs. Editors, / have give
YOU, as lucidly as l can, my views ar
ng reasons for deviating from the rules la
l5s ,p down by far more learned men, as to t
time for cutting and manner of curir
timothy hay, and indeed all other kin,
of hay have had any experience wi
in this hot climate. Yet have no dou
but some of those men, possessed of 60,
talents, will criticise any mode not a Ii
- tie, bat all | ask is, that my brother wor
ing farmers will prove me and try m
T and see whether know anything of 4
i true principles of making and time
cutting hay, Let them fellow my pl
strictly, and then either approve or co