Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-12-17
Aarirulturul department.
Shelter VS. Waste.
CONTINUED.

S001L 0r vs. w dSOC.
CONTINUED.
The value of hay as food for animals dc
ponds in as large measure upon the method
in achich it is used, as upon the time when
it is cut, yet, says Secretary Goodale mot
withstanding the acknowledged Importance
of these points and the length of time which
the attention of thousands of interested
observers has been directed to them, ne
conclusions have been arrived at, which
command universal concurrence. If hay
was directly consumed by men and women
it semes altogether likely that there would
be, ere this, more general acquiescenee.
But, if it be true. uinety-fve per cent. OF
bread used, is made of wheat flour, out OF
which has been taken, by the process OF
grinding and boiling. all but about five per
cent, of its muscle making and lite-support
ing elements, SO that fifteen barrels are re-
auired to furnish as many of these elements
az one barrel of unbolted wheat meal. men
and women would not be prompted into
.acquiescence' by feeding them with hay.
Make hay while the sun Shines was
an injunction of the fathers. Here is IA
modern philosophy which says make hay
in shelter az we'll as in sun shine.
Water constitutes about three-fourths
of the weight of green hay. If, to deprive
the hay OF its water in the quickest and
easiest practical way was only devised
as the practice Of too many would seem to
say-obvieusly no better method could be
devised than to make hay while the sun
shines by insuring the greatest exposure
to his scorching rays. But, the progress
of observation has shown. that this custom
OF sun-drying. or SUI burning the hay was
doing much more than was expected or
even desired.
This exposure to the hungry winds and
greedy sun shine, was depriving the hay of
its flavor and aroma, as well as its water.
This exposure to solar heat was driving off
and drying out the nutritive juices in the
vegetable sap, or changing the soluble and
digestible nutrition into insolube and in
digsstible compounds.
Says Mr.. Goodale's Report for 1882
In grasses at the proper stage for cutting,
We find the nutrative juices to hold much
sugar, gum, vegetable albumen, &c, which
are capable of undergoing certain spsntan-
eous changes One Of these. is the process
of fermentation. 1t is well es tablishe(
fact that partial ssoeating of grass il
nesdful in the process of curing, III order il
develop and secure the best properties o
good hay-It is also important that thi
should not be violent, but gentle and grad
ual in it, progress, and that it be arrested
at tho proper stage. rs otherwise thu
changes attending 1t would result in dam,
age and loss. Ia such sweating, which il
a partial fermentation, there take place
many chemical changes
The starchy matter in the hay must be
converted into sugar before it can be ap
propriated to the wants of the body of tn,
animal. This change may be accomplish
ed in the process of digestion. or in the
process Of fermentation when curing til,
hay. But exposure to the sun arrests thi.
at once. During fermentation the sugar,
matter in the hay is changed into carboniC
acid, alcohol, and various others and es
senees. Says DR.. Dana. the fat. wax anc
the green drapery suffer change BY con
verting grass to hay. even in the mos
favorable weather.
Science has not yet fully developed shi,
process of fermentation. It's still some
what obscure, but, we are not in the darl
a. to its results. The Mriuine looks o.
animals wintered on hay cured by III,
sweating process, speak a language. more
potent than words, that there are two side,
70 the preverb of making hay while til,
sun Shines which while it may cure the
grass. does not cook it into hay.
Those who have given no thought, OF
research to this subject, can have any
adequate conception Of the losses sustained
in cutting grass before it has attained its
maximum, or after it has passed beyond its
minimum period ofnutrition, super, adding
the loss from an improper method of cur
ing To come at this loss, requires solu.
tionsof one of those intricate problems Of
which the Science of Agriculture is SO pro-
Iuse The farmer cannot compute the
loss in the hay field, he must wait for his
cattle to soive the problem during the win-
Ter. They will tell him to fraction. of
very ton, whether it contains 800
ounds ofnutritieus weight and 500 pounds
{ woody matter, or l.5O0 pounds which
,ould have gone to the paper-maker and
ut 500 pounds into the barn.