Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-06-25

Hay shonld be wen wiled IN the sun,
but amsd in the cock Better to be a lit
tie too green than too dry. If, on putting
il into the barn, there is danger of heat
ing in the now put on some salt. Cat
tie will like it none the less.
Heat. light, and dry winds viii soon
take starch and sugar, which constitute
the goodness of hay, oct of it; and the
addition of showers render it almost
worthless. Grass cured with the least
exposure to the drying-winds andscoreh-
ing sunshine, is more nutritious than IL
longer exposed, however good the wealth
er may be. If over cured, IT contains
more woody fibre and nutritise matter.
The true art of hay-lnaking. then, con-
sists in cutting the grass when the sugar
and starch are most fully developed, and
before they are converted into seed aud
woody fibre; and curing it 70 the point
when Il win answer 10 put into the barn
without heating, and no more
Awriter in the Maine Farmer. says
ebay should always be cut with all Its
Juices intact and before its seed Is ripe.
To 30 his effeetually, sweating ineock Is
better than too much exposure 10 the hot
sun and If the weather is showery, cloth
caps for the cocks viii sometimes pay
for themselves the first season in the quail
ity of the hay alone"
The above statements are true iueyery
particular. They have been verified in
Numerous instances. Fifteen years ago,
we purchased fifty caps at = cost of forty
cents each. They protected a crop of
grain the first year, during seven days
storm, andfully saved their cost tn that
single instance.
The following is from the Valley Far
mer. good authority -
The whole science OF haymaking con
siStS in three things; First, cut the grass
when in blossom second dry itnot much !;
third. let !, GO through sweating pro
cess before it goes into the barn. On
these three things depend the quality OF
hay. Hay should be grass preserved.
The nearerto the fresh, tender, succulent
grass YOU get it, the better, Could We
have grass growing in winter, how much
better than hay. Well hay is an attempt
TO do this rs near rs We can. Wedry APP
pies and berries so that we may have them
in winter. But we can't have them absol-
utely fresh. so with grass we preserve it,
and hay is the result.
Grass, when in blossom. has its full
growth, excepting the seed. 1t is vet
tender in measure, and it has one sdvan-
tage which no other stage OF the grass
possesses-it develops its sugar then.
Especially is this the case with clover,
whose head, when in blossom, is globe
ofswee.nesS.
The best farmers have decided that the
poisoning time is the best time to cut
the grasses. especially the clover When
grass is ripe. what is II good for Ger.
tsinly not for pasture and viii it be bet
ter when il J. still farther dried and made
hard:'
The object should Ire to save the grass
Is nearly as possible in this condition.
Exprsc it To the air AMI >Uu until i; j.
thoroughly w;llc3 81 thar time mos,
OF the moisture which IS mere water, has
escaped. and tn, juices, holding in solu-
ton the ruiritive properties, are retained
and in themselves no, spelling, Int keep
in the h.,y soft and plant
Continued heat viii eyarorate these,
and rains and devs viii soon remove
them and leay a dry, almost worthless
stalk. Th sun IS injurious Il lleaches
and cyaporates too strongly. The lest
WAY j. to cure in the shade IS much as
pose NE. and that Is ietter done in the
coct Curejin this way, il is fragrant,
nutritious. and greencSt of greens.
A, a discussion in New York State
Fair in September, 1865, the general sub
.iect was "GraS>-kind>, Quality. Prop
er time for cutting. and best method of
Curing for Hay" During the discussion,
some of the best farmers in the country
gave their opinions, and we believe they
all agreed on these two points. viz: that
early cut grass makes the best hay, and
that it is better dried mainly in the shade
Among the speakers were j. Stanton
Gould. skilful botanist and an eminent
" practical person. who said:
prof. Way, distinguished chemist,
found that grass moved just in the flow
er was the most nutritious. When grass
is allowed to ripcn it, seed, the straw is
converted into woody fibre, is indigesta-
bic, and lis nutricious value very much
leSSened Animals fed upon hay OF grass
cut in flower are more thrifty anal hearty,
and show a sleeker coat than when fed
upon hay made from grass matured before
beng cut When timothy is allowed TO
mature it, seed, its stems me mere dry
straw. the sugar and gum which they
contained having turned into woody fibre
The seeds do not open in the animal, but
are passed of. The best way 10 make
hay is 70 cut grass when the dew i, of,
and allow il 10 will, which. ia a hot sun
requires four hours, then, towards even.
ing. rake and cock, and next day If the
weather is fine, open, dry, and haul into
the barn.
Mr. Van AlStyne said he cut 100 10 l25