Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-07-04
AGRICULTURAL.
Having Time.

Ia the present month, begins the gre,
hay harvest This IS in many respects, III
most important in the whole year. A
though the crop does not Gil tire space
the public eye, as an article Of foreign ron
merce, which cotton does, it is vet Of grei
money value. Think of lis fundament.
use, the support Of all kinds of farm .stoc
for six or seven months of the whole yea
AS one Says 1t is, in fact, The basis of al
our farm operations, the keystone whicl
ssustains them and gives them all their sue
cess. The test Of farm is the number 9
cattle il feeds, and the cattle in turn fee
The SOIL" Let US, then, see to it that gu
crop this year is well and seasonably mad
and properly stored.
10 preparing for this annual campaign
be sure that all other pressing labor is on
of the way, This work is enough of itsel
TO occupy ones time and thoughts while i
lasts; to have other care superadded, har
RAISES and perplexes one so much as TO make
bis true and proper work ever disagree
able. Get all other matters well ahead Sc
as to feel at ease about them. Then, see
that the tools and implements are in com.
plete order--scythes, grindstone, moving
machines, hand-rakes, horse-rskes, pitch.
forks, wagon, rack, and hay-caps. The ex.
ira hired helps tina. engaged - enough
of it?-and of such sort as to be reliable
The best time to cut hay, is an impor-
tant matter to determine. The end sought
n gathering hay is, obviously, to cut il
when 1t contains its most nutritive proper
ties, viz; mucilage, starch, gluten an d sug-
ar, in the best state for their preservation.
Experience shows that period is when the
grass is just in full flower After this time,
the fibre becomes woody and indgestible.
The Cyclopwdia of Agriculture says. at
has been proved that plants of nearly all
sorts, if cut when in full vigor, afterwards
carefully dried without any waste of their
nutritive juices, contain nearly double the
nourishing matter which they do when al
bowed to attain their full growth, and make
some progress towards decay" Yet, some
good farmers hold that timothy should not
be cut until It passes the stage, and has
nearly repened its seed and this chiefly
for the reason that if cut early, the roots
are weakened and the meadows gradually
destroyed. Still as general rule, the pre-.
valent method of cutting grass "when in
the milk is the right one.
When hay is to be cut with scythes, the
work should begin early in the day: the
morning dew is great help to the mower.
There should be a liberal resting time at
midday, and then the work resumed and
carried on briskly till evening. A lunch
OF plain food, noistened with cold coffee or
home-brewed beer, may be brought into the
meadow in the middle Of each forenoon and
afternoon, Il The hands will BE- discontentedI
without It, but it Is a poor policy to keep
the hands and the stomach both at work all
the time, and three good meals are best for
any man, however hard his work. There
Is enough heat in haying time without the |
addition Of " fire-water." As to the ex-
pedience of using moving machines, we de-
clare decidedly in their favor, especially on
farms OF considerable extent. They save
time, labor, great deal of anxiety, and in
the long run, money.
+" Make hay while the sunshines," is a |
good rule, but it may be carried too far in
haying time. We want bright sunshine first
70 wilt the hay thoroughly; then let the dry
Ing process stop. Rake up the grass in high
cocks while still hot. IF rain threate ms.
put on the hay caps put them on by four
or five o'clock to keep off the heavy dews. |
The grass may lie in the cocks two DAYS or
less, as convenient for the farmer. On a
clear day, open the cocks, about the middle
OF the forenoon after the ground is warm,
Tor an airing, spreading the hay and turning
once or twice for two or three hours then
haul to the barn. The practice Of sailing
hay, at the time Of storing it, is quite COM
mon, and it is applied the more abundantly
when the hay is imperfectly cured. A lit
tie salt, say two or three quarts to the ton,
can wisely be applied. More than this does
little good, and the whole may be injurious.