Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-07-28

nave just 0nlSneu reduluS youI pdp0i
of the present week, date July 2lst
inst, with which | have been highly
interested and entertained; and think
your numerous readers will cheerfully
submit to a delay of a few days in its
regular publication if they can be re-
warded in its future numbers, with
the amount of editorial, local and gen.
orally interesting matter contained in
this weeks issue.
must, however, be allowed TO dit
fer somewhat with your correspondent
in his article on "Hay Making" in
which he advances the idea that 4" 1t is
impossible to dry hay in the sun so
as to iniure its nutritious qualities
that it cannot be more than perfectly
dry" This, | am well aware was the
notion of farmers forty or fifty years
ago, when the men "swung the scythes"
and the boys followed close up to
their heels, with the two pronged
pitch-fork or crotched stick, and shook
the grass all over the ground, even
and carefully, and when all must turn
to, men and boys, just before dinner
and give the partially wilted grass a
good shaking up" and right after
dinner, go at it again, and "turn it
over" then strike out into windrows,
and stir it up again, and before the
dew began to fall, it must all be
cooked up and the cocks well trim
med up. The next day all must be
"opened" again, the process Of turn
ing over be gone through with, and
about two o'clock in the afternoon,
with the stoutest man to "pitch on"
and a lighter hand to "load," with two
boys, or sometimes a boy and girl,
to "rake after the cart" the hay would
be drawn to the barn, and ''mOloed
away' in condition | suppose to just
suit your correspondent.
Whew would it not have been hot
though, some Of those days last week,
with the mercury in the thermometer
up among the nineties, for that little
fellow up on the now, with his head
just rising above the dry tag, treading
it down to keep it from flying out
through the cracks in the sides, or
the swallow holes in the gable ends
of the barn No, no, this was all
wrong, in these days Of moving ma
chimes, horse rakes and patent pitch
ing forks. Hay can be dried too
much. 1t loses lis uutritiye qualities
and much weight by crumbling off its
tender leaves and stalks. Who has
not been led to exclaim, how sweet
the smell when passing by meadows
strewn with new made hay ? This
is the aroma, very important ele-
ment, which escaping from the hay,
fills the air with its delicious fragrance.
Every good housewife knows that tea
or coffee loses half its goodness by
being boiled until its odOr permeates
every room in the house. Why did
our good old grandmothers place the
herbs designed for medicines way up
under the roof in the garnet to dry
in the shade, if not to preserve their
wholesome properties d? Would it be
an Improvement to place hops out in
the scOrching sunshine to dry? We
remember that in our boyhood, hay
was often put into the barn half dried,
sprinkled with salt, and came out in
the spring green and sweet as rose.
We lately saw it stated that lime
was good for preserving hay when
got in green. What say you brother
farmers, am l right or wrong?
HAY MAKER OF 1868.
Hops IN MAINE.-A CORES pondent
writing US from West Bethel, under
date of June 10th, says: "There are
some two hundred acres of hops Sc
this spring in this town, in addition
to what was set before. Every mai
has hop field that has land enough
to set an acre or half an acre, SO if W
have a good crop, there must be
fearful decline in the price of hops
for everybody is in it throughout tn
country, as well as in the Wester
and Middle States. | can stand a
my window and see fifty acres o.
hops" We think it is well this ''ho
mania" does not become more genera
in. this State, and those who hav
started out in the business latcl
must not be disappointed to find e,
tremely low prices the present season
Maine Farmer.
MATURING APPLE TREEs.-A co
venient method of manuring old a
pie trees may be practiced by BORN
holes with a post auger at diStanC
from the tree and filling them vii
manure. This has the advantage &
not injuring the roots. The hol,
may be bored to the depth Of thrt
feet. On land free from stone v
would recommend a trial Of this met
Cd. The roOtIets will be sure to In
the manure and the trees will SOC
show its good effects.
For chapped hands and for the /
moyal Of pitch or the grim Of hal
work, and TO keep them clean al
soft, Mr.. j. F. Weston says, in t
Mirror and Farmer, that he has new
found anything equal to raw linse'
oil, bottle Of which he always kee
near his sink.
The editor of a French agricultl
al paper suggests that the school DO
should be sent out in the fields twi
a week to hunt after the insects
furious to the crops. 1t is estimat