Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-12
Making Hay-Sheds for Hay.

A WRITER in the Prairie Farmer says:
The season is now at hand for making ana
securing hay This matter OF hay-maklng
appears to me to be of more Importance
than most persons show by their mode OF
curing and preserving it. The most COM
mon practice, SO far as I have observed. is
to cut all day, or right along, until the
whole field or meadow is down; OFTEN
times with not half force enough to rake
and cock the same day, that part that Is
dry enough. That part cut in the after
noon, often half dry, lies out over nlght,
flat, to be wet and whitened with the dew
Next day, if dry enough, it is raked and
cooked if not, it lies another night, to be
more whitened with another nights dew.
When cooked. it is often left in the cock
several days before stacking, or hauling to
the barns.
lived here twenty years without a barn.
In consequence, was compelled to stack
all my hay; but could never get any,
though, without being damaged, more or
less, by wet. even when the timothy stacks
had been topped with slough hay. Since
I got able and built my barn, NOW my
timothy, as near as I can when the first
in bloom is Just going out, and the later
Just in bloom, because then the stems are
full of Juice; and, well cured, it is verv
sweet and rich. When left for seed to be-
come matured, the sap has all gone into
the seed, or nearly so, and left the straw
hard, woody and dry; and by the time it
is moved, raked, cooked, pitched on and
off the load and again, when foddered out,
considerable of the seed is shelled OIL or
out, and wasted, leaving the straw or hay
not nearly equal to the former. My mode
now is to NOW in the forenoon, only what
I can get raked and cooked in the after
noon If not dry enough, it is spread
open next day, and attended to; and as
soon as dry enough, is carted into the barn,
raking and cooking all that was moved
the second day, and so on. Then | have
my hay secured bright and sweet, as fast
as moved down. In case OF showers In
the night, hay in the cock does not damage
nearly so much as when lying spread all
over the ground.
Finding my barn insufficient to hold my
hay, built shed go feet long and 81 feet
wide, with span roof, Is feet, boards, COM
mon, battened with fencing. l set posts
into the ground, and 10 feet above, making
10 feet mows or spaces. The two outside
tiers are IL feet above ground, and the
middle, 81 feet, making a good pitch; joists
fastened on top for states and ridge-pole ;
set of rafters over every set Of poles, with
girt for bearing half way from caves to
ridge, for middle bearing. Under this shed
roof l fill one NOW at time, and find it
nearly equal to barn for keeping hay;
Since I have used it, am not troubled
with weather beaten and mouldy hay.
Even in spring time, with an out-stack
partly cut down, hay gets wet and injured
before used up. Under the shed it is Sc
cure iu that respect. 1t costs but trif1e,
compared to the benefit derived from it,
and will last for number of years, and
pay any farmer large interest on the out
lay. Oftentimes we have old hay left over,
and here it will keep good for long time.
When left out in the open stack, it will be
ruined the second season. / would sug-
gest to all who have not barn room, to try
the she'd Any farmer can make it, and
once made, it will not be condemned,
will be willing to assure any lover of good,
sweet hay for his stock. VA.