The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1859-07-14
From the Country Gentleman.


Of the Importance Of the hay, crop we
need scarcely remark-savo tbkt it's value
exceeds that Of any other prodh@ Of the
northern section Of our county. That
this value might be largely iSe Led
without extending the area devo.ed 20
grass, or giving more time to its manu-
facturc into hay, can scarcely be doubted J;
for the value of hay, as food for stock
accords with the care and judgment
bestowed on its making, and the differ.
ence between hay and straw is rot 50
much in the plants themselves, as in the
stage ofgrowth in which they are cut,
and the curi1g they receive. Ono farm
cr may keep his stock in thriving, fat
tening order through the winter, while
another, although he feeds the product
Of more acres Of meadow, shall find them
constantly failing in condition. The
first hay made in the best manner, and
"of such quality" that given quanti-
ty OF it will produce nearly as many
pounds of meat or milk, as the grass it
self would produce if eaten in q green
state.
In what stage of the growth Of grass
it shall be cut, and the manner in which
it snail be cured, have long been ack
nowlcdged questions important to the
practical farmer, though as yet no decision
in which all acquicscc, have made any
one practice the general one. Some
cut in the season of towering before tho
blossoms have fallen other not until the
seed has formed and others still, defer
the operation with some grasses } until
it is fully ripe. Some cure by exposure
to the sun, as rapidly as possible others
seek to perform the same process with
the smallest expenditure Of labor and
others still would keep the hay as fully
shaded as may be while drying. Each
class bring arguments to sustain their
methods Of pre- ccLure, both in cutting
and curing but to our mind chemistry
and practical analogy teach US valuable
lessons on the subject, which, in con-
dcnsed form, We shall attempt to present
to the reader. We may state that our
attention was first drawn particularly to;
the snbject, ten years since, by an article
in The Cultirator, giving extracts from a
scientific report made by Dr.. Thompson
for the British Royal Agricultural So
ciety.
Chemistry shows us that all plants
contain the largest amount Of matter
soluble in water, at the period Of flower
ing, and that the sugar and gluten Of
the grass, and few other soluble ingre-
dents, constitute it's chief value as food
for animals. These rapidly diminish as
the seed forms, changing into insoluble
woodyfbre, and the hay, which should
as for as may, be resemble grass in its
most perfect state, is worth much less if
not made until after that period.-There
are but few exceptions to this rule, but
we believe the Kentucky Blue grass, the
June grass, and some others which fur.
nish but light amount Of stem, and arc
most valuable for their leaves, which
continue growing through the summer
may stand past the towering stage with
out loss.
The advocates Of ripe hay bring as an
argument in their favor, tho fact that
such hay yields tho greatest amount Of
extract when boiled, and that therefore
it must contain most nutriment. It is
found, however, that boiling very imper-
fcctly initiates the process Of digestion
and experiments with the living animal
confirm with chemical analysis teaches
that the best hay is that cut and properly
cured at the period ofblussoming.
That process Of curing which shall
most perfectly retain the nutritive
properties present in the plant, is the
best process. We do not wish to change
or evaporate the juices Of the erase, but
only to dry out the water. In drying
herbs for medicinal aud culinary uses,
the experience Of many centuries teach
es that drying IN the shade is the only