The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-09-14
CURING HAY.

In our opinion there is great mistake ex.
stlng in the matter. II is an did adage,
i" Make hay while the sun shines, and many
seem TO think that the more sun they can
get on their hay the better. Here is the
mistake to which we alude:
BY this process Of over.drying in the sun.
a great many tons Of hay are lost. The in
iuence OF the sun is that oil dis,lllation. and
has the power not only to expel the watery
element, contained in plants. but the real
substance Of the plant itself. which goes 10
form fat snd muscular fibre OF all Illuminating
animals. Il is asserted by distIllets Of plants,
that to procure the most oil. they must not
be dried in the sun, as il hot only lessons
the quantity of oil, but also dimnishes the
flavor. Now. grass may be exposed to the
suns RAYS. until there remains but the woody
fibre, until there is no more nourishment in
il than there is in a pile Of who'd,
Thus. from one-t tenth 10 fuur.hfths Of the
nutritise part Of hay is lost by the maker 10
the process OF driving, or by what might be
more properly called process of distillation.
We have reason 10 believe that in Vermont
alone there is lost during one season. in this
way. more than FIVE thousand dollars worth
Of hay which Il it had been wisely retained
might have nnurished many hungry hucks
and herds. as nature designed it--instead Of
being resoised again into lis constituent ele.
ments, and wailed away by the winds.
When the hay.maker is DESTROYS Of nov
ing or stacking his hay little underdone,
he may do 50 With IMMUNITY. by adding lay
ers OF dry straw or old hay occasionally. TO
absorb the gases which would pass OF by
oyerheating, or in the field. under the iHau.
ence Of the sun aud air. Much Of value. in
this way, NAV be saved. as stock vii eat DE
A.,,i though u a.. ssy ess is he
80 that but one o. t4o Loads may be put TO
gether the same day. BY this gradual pro-
cess of storing the hay, it will be richer IN
quality ifnoi nerripe.
When tie Aay i not made enough to save
we'll BY storing IN large bo,lIes--it may be
cast on 10 an open seafinld ar remain IN the
load all nigh, 10 sweat. Al hay UNDERGONE.
shnulti be pressed as lightly a. possible IN
nov or stack, but when 0vercured or too
ripe. the more solid it is pressed IN unload
ing. the better. -,
10 make stack Of hay properly. IL should
be several DAYS ~ going up tbat YOU may
be able 70 retain its good virtnc, and give
the stack time io settle by degrees. Grass
should be milted, then. with dew OF wet. and
put up in cocks, not by Rolling. but BY put.
ting one forkfpI on top Of the other When
the grass guns the scyihe in cutting. u re.
auires little or no driving before going to the
barn, II stored with proper care. Hay may
heat in the NOV, TO a certain extent, aud not
be rejected by stock. anil Il !, not apt 70
mould or tlus, IN small bodies. II the water
i, thoroughly dried ~. When has i liable
to overhaul, il should be turned up to ar. or
a square pit cut gu, Of the centre 70 check
Ia.
A chimney Is sometimes formed by setting
bundles ii straw on cnd, one On top 81 the
other, commencing near the bottom q the
stack or nov, ending near the top. When
oyerdrird, as before stated. IL never becomes
solid in the muw. That ted from the solid
nov is more valuable. and will 20 farther.
pound Cor pound. than that fed out Of the
loose hay IN the bulk.
Every stack or NOV, divided BY the hay
knife, will Keep more stock, fed in this fresh
state, than from the larger surface. which =
constantly exposed TO the distillation OF the
air. s. ". JUt.n Conn.