The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1860-06-21
HAY MAKING.

| HAY MAklN0.
AS the season for making hay Is ap.
preaching, we vii! give few words Of
caution in advance. Don't dry your hoy
too much. Hay may Be dried until it i
as worthless as straw. As good coffee
maker would say, "Don't burn your
coffee but brown it J" SO We say, "Don'e
dry your hay, but cure it" Our good old
mothers, who relied upon herb tea in.
stead Of "'potecary medicine gathered
their herbs when in blossom cured them
in the shade. This is the philosophy o.
making good hay. Cut in the blossom
and cure in the shade. The sugar Of the
plant when it is in bloom, is in the stalk
ready to form the seeds. IF tie
plant is cut earlier, the sugar is net there
if later, the sugar has become converted
to woody matter.
Hay should be we'll wined in the sun,
aud cured in the cock. Better be little
too green than too dry. If, on putting
itinto the barn, thereis danger Of heat
ing in the now" put on some salt.
Cattle will like it none the less.
Heat, light and dry winds will soon
take the starch and sugar, which con,
stitues the goodness Of hay, out Of It;
and, with the adition Of q shower, render
it almost worthless. Grass cured With
the least exposure in the drying winds
and searching sunshine, is more nutri-
tious than if longer exposed, however
good the weather may be. IF ever cured
it contains more woody fibre and less
nu;ritivo matter.
The true art Of hay making, then, con-
sist Of cutting the grass when the starch
and sugar are most fully developed.
and before they are converted into seed
and woody fibre; aad curing it up to
the time when it will answer to put 10
the barn without heating and no more.
CUTTING TIMOTHY.
A practical farmer says: "The proper
time to cut Herds grass or Timothy, il
after the seed is forme and is full in tho
milk. It will then give about twenty
per cent, more weight than when it is
just coming into the blossom, aud tho
cattle will eat twenty per cont. less and
keep .on their flesh. And prefer al
50 to cut it at that stage Of its growth
on account Of the roots being better
able to Withstand the drought. Il
should be cut four inches from tho
ground, as most Of the Timothy is killed
by moving close and early before it has
come to maturity. | have kept Timothy
thick and strong in the land six years.
BY following this method. have noticed
that most Of it has dice out by once Or
twice close and early moving before
the grass has come to maturity; If it i
dry weather it is sure to die whom %
cut, lost whole field Of it by moving
too close aud early and I consider tho
four inches at the bottom Of coarse Tins
othy Of little value.
AN OLD FARMER gives the following
cure for bots ]: Many years ago I had =
fne horse taken i'll, aud from his actions
supposed to be from bots, resorted 70 >
remidy recommended some time beforeby ).
Maryland Farmer. This horse was
kept stabbed and well groomed. The.
remedy was to give the animal bottle
or more Of s,ceet milk, aud after tims
when he appeared to be relieved from
pain, dose Of spirits OF turpcntine. quan.s
!, ity not now remembered. The doctriss
is that when the bots is found il tho
stomach Of the horse, it Immediately a.
tacks the inner coat Of the stomach,
causing very great pain, and will soon
eat through if not destroyed. L will
immediatly leave the stomach to fesd On.
the milk, and when the turpentias u
applied it kills them vory soon. The !
remedy is very simple, and tho theory
quite plausible. Ny horse was oarsd. !.
| EXPERIENCE proves that whan cattle J
or horses arc fed an dry corn and hay.
they will consume from tvo to thrsss
ounces Of salt per day, if permitted trelei
access to it; and II fed on nsx hay sr