Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-05-08
Grab Grass Hay.

road cars. and steamboats,. are burthened
with dry grass, gown 5000 miles dis
tant, by transportation, from the valleys
and meadows of New Eng gland, and sold
here at So 90 to. 800 for 100 lbs. to
f.,mers ind planters who live in the finest
hay secti9A in the world, where two crops
can be gathered the same year from the
same land. Now, | simply propose to
call the attention of my Southern broth
CT planters to the immense provender re.
sources which they have, and to give ger-
cral d;rec,iouS, and 10 make some prac-
iical remarks on the mode and manner of
g-owns and ttlng and sowing or curing
C.uL Gross Huy.
, Avoiding, purposely, all technical terms
about the grass, rs well as all theoretlc
propositions, or extraneous discussion, |
desire to present those facts known to be
true, With view to arouse and excite
our planters to the duty,as to the se!t-in-
teresi, of raising a plentiful supply of
provsudsr. Our Southern planters are,
notoriously, of all educated men of posi-
,ipn, the most ignorant class ON the face
of the earth, OF their profession. Like
Abscntces, they have entrusted their es-
tatcs to the management of others-to
ovcrseers and negroes, who only looked
to corn and cotton. But new order of
things is upon US. Ex-king Cotton is
the yassal of Central Government, and
we must obey the laws, live at home and
weather the storm.
Briefly, and to the subject matter.
Crop grass, or Crab Grass and CrowJoot
gruss abound in cur cultivated fields, and
are cultivated grass Land or soil, in Ger.
taia conditions, will produce definite and
particular crops or growth, whether the
seed is there or not: this is Gods law
impressed upon the earth. Fields cult
waited last yecr and not plowed after
wards, will produce hog aceeds bnt not
grass. Some fields, owing to the partic-
ular texture of the soil, and its poperty or
fertility, will yield the cror .toot and
others the crab gross. Either are excel
lent for Hay.
To make hay from these grasses, there
fore:-
lst. Turn over your fields, in the win
ter, with turnplows, and in April cross
plow. This is the general and best dtrec-
ton for the cultivation. But only one
good powing any time before The LIST of
July, will make one crop cf hay. Win
Ter blowing alone will not make hay. as Il
rule; but grass and weeds and briers in
many cases. If YOU break up your fields
in winter, bear in mind that Il spring
blowing is absolutely necessary to put
the land in that condition which will
not allow the growth of weeds, but only
the grasses.
I'd. After the Spring plowing, imme
dately harrow the field, or brush it over
after the Southern mode of covering tur
nip seed, to level the land. Do this, if
convenient. if not let it alone.
Sd. For plantation purposes, two acres
to each mule or horse, should be so put
in hay, which will yield bountitul sup
ply for all the mules and COWS, sc.
4th. When the grass. gets in full bloom.
it ia time to cut it, if the weather is fair and
dry, and you use proper care to sun it
and cure it. At this stage of its growth
it abounds in nuiricious properties. But
you may cut and cure it in the bloom,
the milk, the dough and the seed state.
All the grasses, before maturing seed,
contain sugar, starch and mucilage-the
formation of hard seed absorb, in ~ great
degree, these nutricious elements. This
is general, not universal rule. There
fore, cut and cure it from the bloom. to
the seeds---at any and all times.
5th. How to cut and save Hay. The
direction now give, is only for saving
hay for plantation use: on Il limited scale,
and not as business or crop culture, Tor
market. Get hay, moving, or grass
knives or blades-al the same in the
Hardware stores put handles to them /;
also get iron rakes, and you are ready for
the work. On fair or sunshiny day,
put your cutters to work. If the grass
is in the best condition to- make the best
hay. In this state, the mucilaginous Aaid,
made up of sugar and starch, abounds
Throughout the stems and leaves, and
therefore if cut in the bloom. it must be
raked up in windows. summed and turned
over. for the bottom to take summing in
the evening, and then be put up in hay
cocks, or round stacks the size of q cacon
hogsaead, before night. After The dew
is off the next morning, about or 10
o'clock, spread out the stack or hay cock,
sun it, turn it over in the evening, and
hay cock it at night. Keep this up for
fve days, aud your best hay, cut in the
bloom, will be sweet and fine. The ol-
der it gets the less care is required-the
less manipulation-the less attention. Grass
cut in cloudy day, Or late III the even
ing and mol wtlted, may be left on the
ground as cut until the next day. If
wilted, it must be hay-cocked before night
fall, to protect it against the night Jews
or ruins. Then follows the process given
for curing.
9th. After the fifth day, haul it up and
stack or house it. One gallon of salt to
the wagon load, sprinklcd over it, will
assist its preservation, and make it much
more palatable to stock.
If the land is turned over in winter,
and cross.plowed by the first of April,
two crops can be made on good land, with
favorable seasons; but in any event, as
sers, knowingly, that if proper plowing is
done, on or before tie lstof Jaiy, large
and remunerating crops of hay can b.
made. Last year | saved 100 stacks of
hay from 60 acres in commanding 20
bushels Of csrn to the aere-swamp land,