Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-01-24

The Best Time to Cut Grass.

Inc 66SL Time TO GuC GraSSa
There has been diversity of practice
among farmers az to the best time to cut
grass for hay. At the New York State
Fair, last fall, the subject was discussed at
a meeting of agriculturists held in the
evening. The Genesee Farmer gives the
following report of the discussion
Dir. J. Stanton Gould opened the dis
cussion. He took decided grounds against
allowing grass to get dead ripe before it
was cut Professor Ways experiments
showed that grass cut just as the plants
were going out of flower contained forty
per cent. more nutriment than when dead
ripe He was satisfied from his own expe-
rience that it was better TO cut grass early.
Timothy allowed to get ripe was no better
than rye straw. The seeds of hay do not
digest in the stomach Cows dry up when
fed on ripe hay. In regard to making hay,
he remarked that the object was to secure
as much of the nutriment of the grass as
possible. We could not secure the whole.
There was loss in curing, and from fer
CbS' ut OCSt Ho1 n6S W dAlOH
the grass to wilt as rapidly as possible, by
exposing it to the air and sunshine. Four
hours of good sunshine and it is ready to
cock. 1t should not be exposed to dew
while spread out. 1t washes out the nutri-
meDt
Mr. Van Alstine, of Columbia county,
cut his grass In the morning till IL o'clock
a flor A1pnor cko ~ fha b. oK,l A.
hay. 1t Was necessary, in the Valley of
the Hudson, to commence to cock early on
account of the dew. Allows the hay to
stand in the cock one day. Next day open
and draw in. la regard to the time OF
cutting hay, to be fed out on the farm,
there could be but one opinion. 1t should
be cut early. Barley straw is better than
over-ripe timothy. But for market it was
necessary to let it get ripper 1t sells bet
ter.
Mr. Brewer, Of Tomkins, raised consid
erable clover seed, and consequently cut
his clover hay early. Thought there was
a loss in weight, but gain in quality
Draws it in rather green. Has poles on
the bottom of his hay, so that there is
SAlSoioeAOhJ Puto INC nay III tOOcS duu II
cures nicely. If it is very green some
times mixes little straw with it in stack
ing. Timothy meadows moved early and
the rowen allowed to rot on the ground will
improve greatly.
MIR. Van Alstine, in reply to question,
said be puts four pounds of salt to ton of
hay when cut green. Thought ton of hay
if allowed to get ripe would give only
fifteen hundred weight if cut green. If
allowed to get over ripe, it would begin to
lose weight again.
DR.. Gill, of Poughkeepsie, cuts clover
very early, and cocks in an hour in small
cocks; draws in next day. Hay cooked
green is not hurt by shower as much as
hay cooked dry.
Several gentlemen spoke; all in favor of
cutting grass early.
Solon Robson, of New York, was asked
why it was that ripe hay was preferred in
the city. He said that the president of
the Third Avenue Railroad Company had
studied this subject carefully, and had made
experiments with different foods, and had
finally concluded that the best and most
economical daily ration for the horse was
sixteen pounds of corn meal and fourteen
pounds of ripe timothy hay The hay
was ehafed and moisted with water, and
the meal mixed with it. A little salt was
added.
In reply to question, Mr.. Robson said
that the timothy was SO ripe that the seeds
would grow. In feeding trotting horses
the hay is given them uncut In the sta
bles where the experiments were made to
which he alludes over one Thousand horses