Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-06-09
farm, 6arasn& 4 9ollselaula.
MAKING HAY.

Mr. EDIToR Clover hay cut at the pc
riod oil inforeseence, and thoroughly made,
has been found BY repeated experiments, 10
lose about four-fifths of its weight in ma
king. When the flower has fallen, and the
stalks have lost some of their moisture the
loss IN drying is three quarters Of the weight
OF the crop when cut; probably fair aver
age where the grass is in the state of ad-
yancement last indicated, and the labor Of
making is performed with free exposure
to the san and AIR, one ilundred pounds will
be reduced to twenty two Clover, in all its
varieties, is a valuable product, and one of
the best grasses for hay, if mixed with the
latter kinds, we have for cattle 1t is sapid,
highly nutritive in its properties, and agrees
wen with all descriptions of animals. It's
value, however for feeding purposes de-
pends, in an eminent degree. upon the meth
cd of curing it Formerly it vas the practice
to NOV it in the morning and after repeat
ed turnings and shaking, to put it in
cock. The next day it was open, turned
two or three times, pitched into punches,
and finally, after the foliage and seeds
had been detached by the rough hand
ling to which it was thought necessary to
$, subject it, conveyed to the mows. The loss
attending this method was soon found to be
serious abstraction from the profit of the
crop, while the expense of making, to
say nothing of the moving, was scarcely re-
paid by what remained
Now, clover is cut as soon as the dew is
off, allowed to remain in the sward undis-
turbed by the fork or rake till toward night,
when if the weather is clear or not, it is care
fully turned, in order that a new surface
may be exposed to the night dews, and the
next afternoon pitched into grass cocks, =
each weighing abouteighty pounds, in which
condition it is suffered to remain until sufi-
ciently dry to 60 into NOW. Hay made in
this way, possesses the deep, rich green of
the natural plant before being cut and that
sweet aromatic odor so grateful to every
person capable of "appreciating sweet
smells We have seen the clover heads as
is bright in mid winter, in hay made in this
manner, as they were the moment they fell
before the sweep of the mowers seythe,
and for aught we could perceive to the con-
trary, as fragrant
All kinds Of grass made In this way, is
unquestionably much improved in quality !;
it also loses less by many pounds in hun
dred, while the expense is diminished nearly
or quite one-ffth. As hay made in grass
cock" is necessarily required to remain more
r. days in the field than where the old plan of
sun-drying is practiced, the provision of
number of caps should be attended to-
before commencing. These are cheap, and
are made of the size of ordinary bed-sheets
say two yards square, commonly of cheapest
muslin. They are provided with loops at
the corners through which, when the caps
ale paced in position, long pins are insert
ed, extending upward into the hay to pre-
vent their displacement by the wind They
are cheap, ndwith care viii last an age.
Here in New England and in many parts Of
New York they are used extensively and
much liked P.Pw.
Lymehfeld, Coma
ss Ge1manto,vn Telegraph.