The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-06-19
DALI IOURNAfl
AGRICULTURAL.
Curing Hay.

A farmer writing to the New Eng
land Farmer on the subject of haying,
says:
If I could have my hay made and
put into the barn In a perfectly salts
factory manner, / should desire a
good hay day, In which the dew would
dry off early IN the morning, and be-
fore It was entirely gone, say half
past seven o'clock, | would start the
moving machine and cut an acre an
hour till noon; then start the hay
tedder so as to stir all the grass cut
once before noon, then after dinner,
If 1t seemed desirable, stir with the
hay tedder again, but begin to rake
with the hors e-rake before the grass
Is dry enough to break badly; bearing
In mlne tn at the stirring, rakiDg aud
tumbling should be done lOkite the
hay IS dJ ying, and not after it is SO
dry that the leaves and heads will
break of and be lost.
AT about three or four o'clock the
hay that yields from one to two tons
pee acre of timothy, red-top and
clever will be dry in the hot sun and
ready to cart. and a smart gang OF
hands will, if the barns are eOnyen-
iently and centrally situated, pnt the
hay under cover. That hay, if dry,
will come out in the winter In good
shape.
In a poor hay day I would NOV,
shake and rake the same, getting all
the moisture out possible, and if 1t
was half dried and the weather
seemed likely to be unfavorable, /
would get it in, preferring to risk the
damage IN the NOW rather than the
effects of wettiBg.
The effect of a shower is very bad +;
much of the nutriment in grass being
very soluble, as is shown by the man
ner stockmen raise calves occasion
ally. Put handful of hay into a pail
and pour boiling water upon it; the
water soon turns eff a dark color and
is quite a nourishIng drink for calves,
and takes the place of milk.
Thus shower of rain In a warm
day upon hay must wash out the
soluble matter, and the soluble part
Is nutritious. The dew does not wash
the hay, but dilutes the sugar, so that
1t Is likely to turn to vinegar. Dew,
however, does not iBjure hay until il
Is wilted. When il willis it is dead,
aud unless dried decomposition com.
menees. If it is necessary to leave
in the field partially dried hay free
from water, IL keeps better Ia cocks
covered with hay caps.
The editor OF the Farmer remarks
on this subject:
a change of opinion has also taken
place among farmers, which we think
will result IN much good, and that is
In commencing to get the hay crop il
june. III haying is not commenced
until all the grass of the farm is il
suitable condition to be cut, a consid.
cradle portion of it must be so far ad
vaneed as to essentially reduce lis
value
All the stock like grass better thar
any other food; so that the nearer the
hay resembles grass, the better the
cattle viii like it, and the more valu
able it will prove fer them. 1t is q
common remark that good rowen IL
highly relished by COWS and causes an
unusual flow of milk. Why? Be.
cause it Is cut and cured when the
grass has attained only about one hal
its natural groWth-no seed is formed
eand it retains nearly all its gras!
quality. This quality is what we neeC
TO retain il all the hay crop. 1t MAJ
be secured by cutting the grass as sooI
as it comes into blossom, and cuFinl
1t without much exposure to the sun
If allowed to stand until the seed il
formed, a striking change would tax,
place in most of it, which would
greatly reduce its value. The sugal
and starch of the leaves and stems
would principally go to perfect thu
seed, leaving the plant almost dr.
aud tasteless woody fibre.
Many excellent farmers now com
menee their haying as early as thu
10th of June, and state that by so do
ing they not only get more fodder
but that of greatly superior quality
Most fields In good condition may b,
cut twice, and both crops are improv
ed by the early cutting.
WATER, charged with carbonic aciC
and oxygen, Is tne chief source in the
chemical changes. The more extens
i've aud rapid circulation of water il
the soil, the more mineral matter viii
be rendered soluble in a given time
and, other things being equal, tn
less will the soil be dependent OIL
manures to keep up its fertility.
Return to the soil, in the shape o
manUres, compensation for the rart
and precious minerals taken off will
the crop. Plow deep, puiverize thu
soil Well. and with thorough drain
age you can depend on grains to sell
and your farms will improve IN pro
duetiveness- in mind tha
different crops draw differently upO
the mineral resources, and that tn
rotation crops have tendency to ferti
lie the soil for instance, Glove
with its long roots, brings to the SUI
face the rare minerals, and natures
fine crop, whore wheat fails to pre-
duce, and in addition to that, theT
will be a residue of minerals rendere
available through the chemical actio
of the clover sufficient to maintain
good yield Of wheat or corn.