The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-06-16
Well Cured Hav.

Every man who has occasion to rear live
stock knows that much Of the hay sold in the
market Is nothing more nor less than dried
grass; sometimes grass that has died upon its
roots before being cut with the scythe. Cat
le and horses know the difference between
this 'fodder'-this grass straw-and real,
well'cured hay, just as well as an engineer on
tboard wood burning steamer or locomotive
knows the difference between wood that is
simply dead and dozy, and that which is sound
aud seasoned. The best wood is that which
Is cut green and is so seasoned as to retain all
the substance Of the fibre. So of hay; that
worthy the name is cut when the grass is
alive but still matured, and cured so as to pre-
serve all the nutritious elements contained in
the juices of the stock, the leaf and the
flower.
The3 New Bedford Mercury speaks of the
system adopted by Gen. Thompson OF that
city, and as its remarks are timely, aud may
afford valuable practical hints to some of our
farmer friends, we copy. them into our col
umns. "Gen. Thompson" says the Mercury
twas led to experiment, and finally to adopt
his system, by seeing how herbs are cured
for family use." Says that paper sroa S.
''On good hay day he cuts his grass, Ieav
ing off about IL o'clock, A. M. His men
then devote themselves to spreading, turnine
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 into winrows, pitched on to
cart and stored in the barn. OF course, if the
day is not good one, the hay is cooked and
left till the next good day. Nothing is done
TO prevent heating, though salt, about four
quarts to the ton, is sometimes thrown over it,
from The idea that cattle will better relish it.
Often no salt is used, and the General does
not consider its use at all essential. This is
the simple process the result is that in the
Spring of the year we have seen clover in his
Darn, cut the previous Summer, the heads
blushing as if just mown, and breathing as de-
licious an aroma as when taken from the field.
or course the grass is not cat till 1t is fully
developed-we do not mean dried up We
have full faith in Gen. Thompson method, be-
cause its excellence has been thoroughly
tested.v a
In note to the Boston Cultiudtor, attach
ed to the above extract, Gen. Thompson says
"As to the time Of cutting my grass, con
slider 1t fully developed when in full bloom,
and not till then. At that time the juice has
changed its character from a watery substance
to nutritious quality, and that am DESTROYS
of retaining in the hay, large portion OF
which is lost by our usual process Of drying.
l frequently cut two and a half tons to the
acre, and have no more trouble saving it with
one days making than with lighter grass, ex-
cept in such cases frequently remove pors
Lion OF the grass as soon as cut to an adjoin.
ing field for the purpose Of drying the exter
nal moisture, and giving more room for that
remaining in the feld.o 8tsga
The editor of the Boston Cultivatos, in al
luding to the same subject, says: 81
Seen. Thompson tells US that he has follow
ed the system given above for fifteen years,
and with perfect success, never having lost
pound Of hay by spelling in this length OF
time. trszrsss o
$40 further illustrate the advantages of his
system, in securing far greater amount OF
nutritious properties in hay, he says that he
has a pair OF carriage horses that have eaten
nothing but hay so cured, not spoonful OF
grain having been fed to them Tor two years,
and that they are in as good condition as
though fed with grain. ,bsasis1e 81 lllf "a
Gas another evidence of the increased nu-
tritious quality of hay SO cured, he states an
instance in which a neighbor got out of hay. !
and could not at that time conveniently pro 4
cure it elsewhere, and was supplied from the
Generals barn. The dairy woman soon be- n
gan to inquire as to what had been done to
the COWS that caused them to produce SO
much more milk than usual, and was put off
BY her helpmeet remaIking that it was only
her notion or misconception; bnt in a day or
two more, not only the quantity had increas- 4
ed, but the quality improved to such degree
that she prevailed upon her husband to ac-
company her to the milk room and see for
himself, when the mystery was explained to
the great admiration OF both, he having be
come convinced 0f what he had before con-
sidered almost unworthy Of belief"