Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-07-14
TIME TO orr GRASS.

ting grass, was published some years ago in
the Country Gentleman:
John Johnson-The loss farmers sustain by
letting the hay get too ripe, is immense.
| would rather have four quarts Of meal per
day, with good green timothy hay, than to
have peck with ripe hay to fat steer with.
Cut grass or clover green, cure in swath or
cock, and it will make sheep or steers fat in
five months, without grain, il they are prop
erly attended to, but still it is more profta-
Bile TO feed part grain. | was raised in
country where grass was thought ready to
cut as soon as large enough and after came
here. followed the same practice, although
in opposition to the opinion and prac ice Of
my good neghbors. | followed the practice
sc lorg, and had so many opportunities to
prove it, that know to a certainty that my
practice is right. For some eight or ten years
past. have used timothy hay. Previous to
that | used more clover. Very often have
no, been able to get it all cut before hsrvestE
and having several cattle and sheep yards,
some one lot Of cattle had to eat the ripe hay,
aud l am perfectly sure that it is great loss
to let timothy hay get anything near ripe in
fact, whenever it begins to come in blossom,
il is time to begin cutting. II there is much
to cut, and not plenty Of hands, some will
then get too ripe. l would prefer good wheat
straw, cut before it is too ripe, to ripe timo-
thy for either sheep or cattle.
C. NJ. Bement-Was formerly in the habit
OF cutting his timothy quite late. because it
was easier cured after il got pretty ripe, but
be ascertained, from careful experiment in US
ing hay thus cut, that it wanted substance,
and that the best time for cutting hay was
when the grass was in blossom.
we're filled Just before the formation OF the
seed, with starchy or sscchatine substance.
In peifectng the seed, the stems we're ex-
hsusted Of this substance, it being consumed
in forming the seed. The plant should be
cut before the nutriment has passed from the
stems.
w. II. Sotham--W ould as soon have good
bright straw for cows or sheep, as timothy
hay cut after it has gone to seed. Cut all his
hay early. There was another great sdvan-
tage in cutting early--the roots retained their
| life and strength better, and the after feed
and future crop were more abundant.
j. Pfatt-Commence cutting his hay gem
orally before any one else thinks of it, or as
it begins to blossom, and gets help enough to
cut it all as soon-as possible. He has kept
dairy of sixty cows for nine years, and at
6ne healthy appearance of his other stock,
mainly to early cut hay.
CURISG BAY.-The New Bedford (Mass.)
Mercury publishes the following. 1t is the
system Of Gen. Thompson OF that place, who
was led to the practice by seeing how herbs
were dried for family use.
"On a good bay day he cuts his grass.
leaving off about 8 IL o'clock A. M. His
men then devote themselves to spreading,
turning and stirring up the hay, that the air
may pass through it, and all the external
moisture be thoroughly dried. After dinner
this Is done again, and continued till about
o'clock, when the hay is raked in windrows,
pitched on to a cart and stored in barn. OF
course, if the day is not good one, the hay
is cooked and left till the next good day
Nothing is done 10 prevent heating, though
salt, about four quarts to a ton, is thrown
over it, from The idea that cattle will better
relish the hay; often no salt is used, and the
General does not consider its use at all es-
sential. This is the simple process. There
suit is that in the Spring Of the year, we have
seen clover in his barn, cut the previous sum-
mer, the heads blushing as il just mown, and
breathing as delicious an aroma as when TAX
en- from the field OF course the grass is not
cut till it is fully developed-we do not mean
dried up. We have full faith in Gen Thomp-
sons method, because its excellence has been
thoroughly tested
| A GRAssHoPPER PLAGUE The Milwau-
kee (Wis.) Sentinel OF June l6 says:
( Gen. Sully, in private letter from ST.
oux City, gives the following interesting ac-
count Of the grasshopper plague which is
desolating the region of country he has trav-
ersed. He says: The only thing spoken
about here is the grasshopper. They actual
ly have eaten holes in my wagon covers, and
in the 'paulns that cover my stores. sol
der on his way here laid down to sleep in
the middle OF the day ON the prairie--the
troops had been marching all night. His
comrades noticed him covered with grasshop-
pers, and woke him. His throat and wrists
were bleeding from the bites of these insects.
This is no fiction, Last year, about fve days
march from the Yellow Stone. we met the
army Of the grasshoppers on their wsy east.
After that suffered greatly for grass, and
many Of my animals died. The grasshoppers
made general cleaning down to this place,
and here disappeared.
To DESTROY THE CuRouLIo.-A CORES
pondent of the Michigan Rural has for sever
al years past saved his fruit by simply hang
ing small bottles about half full Of sweeten-
ed water, from four to six in each tree as
soon as the plum is fairly set, putting in
fresh water as it is thickened. The curculio.
instead of singing the plum. will go into the
bottles and there drown.
TINE TO TRIM APPLE TREEs.-If the
limbs are small, they may be removed at any
time, but large wounds heal best in July
The place may be covered with grating wax
melted and put on with brush, or grating
clay. There is no better wash for the trunks,
than soft soap. thinued with water to work
with brush. Lime is Objectionable.
Geo, Il Robinson, the brave Maine soldier
who saved the life of Secretary Seward has