The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1862-06-19
AGRICULTURAL.
HAY AND HaY-MAKING,


need scarcely remark-save that its value
exceeds that of any other product of the
northern section of orr country. That thS
value might be largely increased without
extending the area devoted to grass, or Civ
ing more time to its manufacture into hay,
can scarcely be doubled; for the value of
hay, as food for stock, accor3s with the care
ard judgment bestowed on it's making. and
the difference between hav and straw is not
so much in the. plants themselves, as in the
stage of growth in which they are cut, and
the curing they receive. One farmer may
keep his stock in thriving fattening order
through the winter, while another, although
he feeds the products of more acres of mea-
dow. shall find them constantly failing in
condition. The first has hay made in the
best manner, aud "of such quality, that a
given quantity of it will produce nearly as
many pounds Of meat or milk as the grass
itself would have produced if eaten la
green state"
In what stage of the growth Of grass it
shall be cut. and the manner in which it
be cured, have long boen acknow leaged
questions important to the practical farmer.
though as vet no decisions in which all &C
quiesce, have made any one practice the
general one. Some cut in the season of
Towering before the blossoms have fallen;
Others 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 posi-
| bic; 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 las,
bring arguments TO sustain their met mods of
procedure, both in cutting aud curing; but
to our mind chemistry and practical analogy
teach us valuable lessons on the subject
which, in condensed form, we shall at
tempt to present TO the reader. We may
state that our attention was first drawn par
/ ticuiarly to the subject, ten years since, by
an article in The Ca7tivnt0r, giving extracts
from scientific report made by DR. Thomp
son for the British Royal AZ. Society.
Chemistry shows Us that all plants con-
tain the largest amount Of matter soluble in
water, at the period Of Towering, and that
the sugar. and gluten of the grass, and few
other soluble Ingredients, constitute its chief
value as food tor animals. These rapidly
diminish the seed forms, changing into
insoluble woody fibre, aud the hay. which
should far may be resemble grass u
its most perfect state, is worth much less if
not made until after at period. There are
but few exceptions to this rule, but be
lieve the Kentucky Blue grass, the June
grass, and some othe rs which furnish but a
sht amount of stem, and are most valuable
for their leaves, which continue grow ing
through the summer. may stand past the
Towering stage without less.
The Advocates of ripe hay bring as an
argument in their favor, the tact that such
hay yields the greatest amount or extract
when boiled, and that therefore il must con-
tain most nutriment. 1t Is found, however,
that boiling very imprrfectly initiates the
process OF digestion, and experiments with
the living animal confirm what chemical
analysis teaches, that the best hay is that
cut and property co'el at the period OF bios
soming.
That process of curing which shall mos
perfectly retain the putriiive properties pre-
SAINT 10 the plaut, is the best process We
do not wish to change or evaporate tb .
juices of the grass, bu, only to dry out the
watJr. IL drying herbs for medicinal and
culinary uses. the eXperleuce at Ia any cen
turtles teaches that tying IN tie siadc is the
, n..'. aeeainl.4-si. -i4s d.S...d object
IL making hay tbs cannot be- entirely &C
compll- bed but the plan $ inch most nearly
secures ,t-tha o. cnr,ug IN the svRth an
cock Is d good ana safe one; advantageous
also, as requiring less exposure to Injury
from rain IMAM any o her
CioNeI nay ahI codrsv EeriSSrlS eSpecIa
ly need TO be cured IN the SD ade as they
bear little hard ing while dry, without loss
of leaves aud blossoms When moved let
the grass get fairly wilted and all external
moisture dried OF while in the swath. with
perhaps slugle thorough shaking M aud
spreading, and then put into cocks, and II
Will be cured with very little loss OF
value. The partial termen tatiou or sweat
ing" which 1t sudergoes causes but Slight
change in its constituent parts-sive that it
separates the water therefrom-and after
standing thus for twenty four hours. it needs
little or no aiter-ten6iDg to prepare it for
storage, and has far less of that harsh and
strawy character than it would D ossess ii
cured in different manner. In curing Ly
this method, care shodld be exercised th at
the hay Is not put up before it is lily wilt
ed, and that the cocks be small and well
constructed, SO that the sweating process be-
not carried to an excess, and induce so grea;
a fermentation as to decompose the sugar OF
the hay, changing II TO alcohol and carbonic
acid. both OF which soon evaporate
The weather has great influence on the
value OF the hay crop, but this we Cannot
long foresee, or at all control. If it should
prove uniavora6le and constantly changing,
we have found that nay already cut had
best remain in the Notwithstanding its
value thus unstirred, much better than with
repeated dryings and wetings. Nothing so
: iuiu res has as washing by rain, and this, il
many times repeated, will totally destroy its
value as food for animals. The provision
of hay caps should not be neglected These
will often enable the farmer to secure hay
in good order, which would otherwise be
seriously injured, In getting in ay imper
fectly cured, If it Can be allowed to stand for
twelve or fifteen hours in the load, it will
become better fit fer storing. 1: will proba
bly, heat slightly in that time, which will be
arrested by the process of unloading, and