Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-07-13


for the apOthecary shop, the hay crop will
be far more valuable as food for domestic
animals, than if the same grass were made
into hay in the usual way.
| Hay is dried grass. And the philosophy
of making hay consists simply in evaporat-
ing the water from the leaves and stems
Consequently, the grand aim should be
simply to expel the moisture and dry the
gum-the nourishment that exists in a semi
| fluid or in plastic state--in the stems and
green leaves of the grass or clover
The first important question is, when
should grass be cut? When do apotheca-
ries cut herbs? Before the blossoms have
appeared? or after the seed has matured ?
| When do our thoughtful housekeepers
gather their sage, mint catnip and other
similar herbs? All, by common consent, as
1t were, observe one period in the growth
and Development of the plants, namely,
when the blossoms are fully expanded
And why select that particular period in
the growth of plants? Every skillful ply
stefan and every intelligent housekeeper
will give one and the same reason, namely,
the leaves and stem at that stage of growth
will yield a larger percentage of aroma, or
medicinal qualities, than if the plants were
cut either before or after the complete de-
velOpement of the blossoms. These facts
are acknowledged by our best authorities,
| to be philosOphically correct. In practice
the rule, as to time, is always reliable; and
| it furnishes us an unerring guide to the
| best period in the growth of grass for cut
ting it, in order to secure the largest guam
| tity of prime hay from given amount of
grass.
! If the grass be cut before the stems and
| leaves are fully developed, it will make
prime hay but there will be loss in the
quantity, as very green grass will make less
nay, than if the same had not been cut I'M
til in full bloom On the other hand after
the blossoms have disappeared, there will
be more or less loss in the hay, as the long
er the grass is allowed to stand after the
blossoms have fully expanded, the lighter
will be the crop and the more inferior the
quantity of hay. Every intelligent person
will admit that the nearer hay resembles
fresh green grass, the greater the amount
OF nourishment a given quantity will yield
to the animals that eat it,
! Very few farmers, or hay makers, make
the mistake of cutting their grass too green.
On the contrary, the error is common one
i to allow grass to stand until its real hay
value has deprecated from twenty to fifty
per cent. 1t is true that much more labor
will be required to cure green grass than
That which is fully ripe And hay made
OF ripe grass will always go much further
in wintering stock than that which has
been made OF green grass, on the same
principle that a barrel of poor -four, when
made into bread, will stmuch longer than
the same quantity of excellent flour. There
is butlittle danger Of cutting grass 0ogreen.
In case one has many acres to NOW, a pOr-
ton must be cut before it is fully fit. or
there will be danger that not few acres
will stand too long.
When the moving has commenced, the
true way is to cut down no more at one
= time than can be properly cured and pro-
tected in case of a storm. Some farmers
when they commence moving, often lay
down in one day, more grass than they can
secure in three days The consequence is,
that large proportion of their crop will
T be seriously damaged by dtws and show
. ers.
Ifgrass be cut with scythes, the mowers
should work back and forth, on one side OF
the field, so as to have as much Of the hay
: as practicable lying together, that it may
, be cured uniformly. If for example, a
meadow of five or six acres is to be moved
|
lay down One-third of the grass. all in q
body, so that the whole will cure uniformly
rather than NOW around the field, so that
when the grass that was cut first would be
fit to rake, that cut last would be scarcely
half cured.
t The correct way t. make hay is to KEEP
0 the grass flying in the air. Those stems
, and leaves that appear on the surface vii
be dried through and through in one OF
t two hours. Then the mass should be stir
d red up, and other stems and leaves be bro
r. to the surface. As general rule, hay j
# not stirred sufficiently while the process o
curing is going on. The time of a lahore
{ is by no means lost. when he is shaking NJ
: the new mown hay. If one has but an acr
: or two of heavy grass, it will pay well t,
y keep the forks in motion, until every stem
is fit to rake
e If one is possessed of so valuable a labo
} saving implement as the American hay ted
1t der, let the moving machine stop, say a
+ ten or eleven o'clock Then start the ted
> der, and keep stirring up the hay until
y is time to hitch horse to the rake.
II Hay is often injured seriously by allow
a ing the grass on the surface to lie and hea
" in the burning sunshine, while the grea
- bulk of it is shaded Our best haymaker
- nave learned that it is an excellent praC
'r tice to keep the hay moving until it is a
a fit to put up in neat punches.
In many instances, one has ton or tw
only half cured, when heavy shower seem
about to fall If there is barn room, rattle
than allow it to be exposed to the damag
-, ing influences of rain and sunshine, let tn
= hay be hurried under cover and spread al
- Ound some on the NOW, some on the foo
- and some on poles or rails placed on tn
20 beams Of the building 1t will often b
- more economical to cart several loads t
- the barn before the hay is really cured, an
" then, after the storm is over, cart it out an
-, cure it, than to allow it to soak in the raj
r. and bleach afterwards in the sunshine
~ Hay should never be allowed to sweat, Z
4 sweating is a process that always injurC
- the entire mass that is affected by the fe
y mentation. Great care is exercised in GU
ing herbs, to spread them out 50 thin tn;
i the stems and leaves will dry out, withol
II expelling the moisture by the injuriol
80 process of fermentation. This is the co
A. rect way to cure hay.
= We all know how injurious it is to an
80 kind of grain that is not fully dry, if it
II allowed to heat in the bins only a little
- is just as injurious to hay to dry out by IL
- process of sweating, as for grain of an
~ kind, to become dry by heating Let tt
~ advocates for sweating hay, spread laye
- say one foot deep, on a scaffold, where
40 will dry out, as herbs do, without sweatir
and then compare the hay made in tn
n manner with that which has been heate
80 ~ The difference will be as marked as betwet
-, musty and mouldy wheat and that whiC
81 is sweet and Brightly Y Observer.
as The New England Farmer advises IL
Sc construction of cistern or tank of a capa
Ut ity- of from two to four hogsheads, to r
"a ceive the soap suds from the kitchen al
Is, laundry of each farm house.
nd The commissioner of Internal Reven1
he has decided that farmers who have the
grain manufactured into flour, and tn,
We sell the flour in any manner, must pay
g- license to the government.
" The test of an egg is to hold it to Il
vi light from dark plaee-in dark room
nu a candle, or in both hands, tunnel form,
the window by day-if it shows yolk CT
Ike or it is good; if opaque, throw it away.
ny Muck should not be taken to the fie
cir direct from the swamp. 1t should be e
Ike posed to the atmosphere, for six months
cir more, the longer the better, and compost
ow with lime or unleached ashes.
nd No artificial food can compete with gra
est its juices matured and sweetened by lyi