American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-07-09
(From the Country Gentleman.)
BEST MODE OF CURING HAY.

ABOVE subject thus -
~ intend giving you my views at
length as it has been my study for half
any life time, to cut and cure hay at
the time and in the manner most pala-
table to animals, and at the same time
most nutritiyc. | believe nothing Of
food kind is nutritive, unless it has u
good flavor or smell; therefore it is
Important, both for our own interests
and for the comfort of the dumb ami
mails under our care, that we should
have their winter food prepared in the
best manner we can to retain good
flavor. will state my reasons for this
opinion was informed long ago, by
one who [ supposed knew, that to make
the tobacco plant Il narcotic, it had to be
gathered at a certain time, and cured in
peculiar manner. If not so gathered
and cured, it would be insipid, or lose
its narcotic quality, and would not be
used by man and that beautiful flow
err, the fox-gloyc, requires to be gather
cd at certain stage Of its growth. and
cured ia very peculiar manner, being
dried in the dark, and then called Digi-
tails, powerful medicine for both man
and beast. SO it is with other medici-
nal flowers and herbs +; they need n
certain treatment, both in the time Of
gathering and curing; otherwise they
are worthless. Such reading led me
to try,snd if possible find the best time
for cutting and matter of curing hay !;
and | doubt not, had hay been made for
man, that centuries before the 10Th,
1t would have been settled point by
man, or good housewives, US to which is
thc best time Of cutting and curing it,
to answer our tastes.
| will now give my time Of emitting,
and also manner Of cutting, and also
the manner of curing when cnt by
scythes, as also the manner which I
think indispensable when cut by ma
chimes.
As to the time Of cutting. | know
that every farmer will agree with me,
that nothing they ever fed to cattle,
chat arc fairly fed during the winter
will put on as much in a given time,
(say two months,) as rich posture..-
Therefore | argue that grass should be
cut for hay, and not let it stand until
it becomes dried hay before it is cut.
If | could cut all my hay in day or
two or little longer,I would let timo-
thy stand until the the seed was formed,
bat still soft ; but as that cannot be
accomplished in the time mentioned,
begin when in full flower.
When cut with the scythc, and the
grassh4 did all the curing in the swath.
Grass Will stand a good deal Of rain,
without injury, ifloft in thc Swath, when
cut green. When | intend to take it
in, if not thoroughly dry on the lower
sde,if wet from rain | turn the swaths
over before raking, if even somewhat
green on the undcrside Of the swath
but if no rain had fallen, l rakcd it up,
and took it into the barns. In that
way it took a sweat if heavy crop
in the swath, and another sweat in the
NOW; aud ! hold it indispensable that
hay, for either sheep or cattle should
have sweat, and it ID equally reQui-
site as that tobacco or fox, glove should
have their peculiar modes of curing and
time Of cutting. IF light crop cnt
with scythc, as socn as q little wiltcd,
rakcd mp, put in good sized or rather
large cocks, let it take good sweat in
the cocks, and let them alone until dry
enough to take in. (1'imothy hay cut
green and cock ed i'm a green stoao. will