Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-07-17
A G RIO ULTURAL.
Curing Hav.

their hay instead of drying it? It'll
doubtful whether they ever wilI-a-
least all of them. The whole sci
ence of hay-making consists in three
:. things: First, cut your grass wher
= IN blossom; second, dry it, not toe
much; third let it go through the
sweating process before it goes into
the barn. On these three things
depend your quality of hay. Hay
should be grass preserved. The
nearer to the fresh, tender, succu-
lent grass you get it, the better
= Could we have grass growing in
winter, how much better than hay.
. Well, hay is an attempt to do this as
near as you can. We dry apples
g and berries so that we can have
them in winter. We put fruit in
: bottles and exclude the air 30 as to
have it as near the fresh fruit of
summer as may be. But we can't
have it absolutely fresh. So we do
the best thing we can-"preserve"
it. So with grass-we preserve it,
and hay is the result. Gould we cut
our pastures when the grass is ten.
der and young, and save it in that
state, what an invention that would
be. Perhaps it will yet be done.-
What feed such grass makes (when
cured welD for milch COWS and
young stock. Horses will eat more
matured grass with nearly equal
relish. For horses then, grass, when
fully grown, will do. To turn dali
ry into meadow when the grass is
fit for the scythe, would not be so
well as to turn it in a fresh pasture
in June. But we cannot cut our
pastures. There would be too much
labor to harvest your grass three or
four times in a season; so economy
has something to do with hay-mak-
ing, Grass when in blossom, has its
full growth, excepting the seed. It
is yet tender In measure, and it has
one advantage which no other stage
of the grass possesses; it develops its
sugar then. Especially is this the
case with clover, whose head, when
in blossom, is a globe of sweetness.
It's large honey cells are evidently
enough. This comes with the peri
cd of blossoming, and with it passes
away. Glover, then, should be cut
when in blossom to secure the sugar,
as well as other properties equally
nutritious, which, ifthe grass Is kept
standing longer, vanishes. The best
farmers have, therefore, decid-
ed that the blossoming time is the
best time to cut the grasses, especi-
ally clover. When grass Is ripe
what is it good for? Certainly not
for pasture; and will it be better
when it is still farther dried and
made hard? The blossom finds it
still tender, with additional juices of
value, which, before and after, it
does not possess. Hence, 1 repeat.
the blosscming time is the best time
for cutting grass.
The next thing is, to save it as
near in this state as can be. To dry
it thoroughly, so that the tenderest
part becomes brittal and falls off in
the handling, will not do. The stock
will also become harsh and of a
woody nature. There is world of
such-we will not call it hay. What
then. must be done? Expose your
hay to the sun and dry air-better
dry air alone-till it is thoroughly
wilted. Then the moisture--mere
water-has pretty we'll escaped, and
the Juices holding in solution the
valuable qualities, are present and
in themselves not spoiled, out keep.
ing the hay soft and plant. Heat,
viii evaporate these,
and . rain or two. withan additional
heat to dry, will thoroughly remove
all the remains of the juices, or their
properties, for they are delicate and
evanescent, held lightly. The sun
is injurious. It bleaches and evapo-
rates too strongly. The best way is
to cure grass in the shade. Hence
the excellence of hay when cured in
the barn, scattered over the rails, as
is often done when a little grass is
cut before harvest has set in, and
spread out to dry in this way. 1t is
the greenest Of greens. This is
probably the best mode of curing
hay; but as it is not practicable only
to a small extent, so we must resort
to other means.
When well-wilted, which will take
from several hours to half a day,
rake your hay into winrows. Leave
there, or make into cocks; for clover,
small cocks; timothy, larger. Here
let it remain for about two days, or
two days and half. Then stir or
spread apart little; leave for few
hours, and then into the NOW with
it. As it then goes in, so it will
come out-as green almost as the
grass itself, with light yellow tinge
which the sweating operation i'm
parted, but did not injure. The hay
will feel heavy; and it is heavier
than when dried to death; but it
will not spoil, depend upon it, it is
cured. You have the same grass
lere which so recently was in full
blossom and so tender with juices.
And when you come to feed it out in
he winter, it is then that you will
zee the benefit of curing grass in
stead of bleaching it and drying it
nto straw. In market its superior
weight is an advantage-its color al
10, and its fragrance, for the fra
,rance of the early harvst field is
till there.
Such hay is worth making, and
here is no excuse for not making
t. We have the machinery to cure
t. If rain interferes, salt will save
7our hay. When there is the APP
,earance of rain, haul in your hay;
wen in the midst of the sweating
n