The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1870-08-13
AsriemIturaI.


Alta recent meeting of American Instl-
tute Farmers Club, H. L. Reade, Of
Hearth and Home, gave his ideas on this
timely topic, as follows:
The natural food of the three principal
classes of domesticated animals-hor
cattle, and sheep-is grass, not bay or
grain. When, therefore, civilization re-
moves them from a state of nature, the
artificial life to which they are intro-
duced should be as near the natural one
as possible. Six months in the year our
horses, eattle, and sheep lin the country
live on th ir natural food. Inproviding
for the ether six, we should prepare for
them something as near like their SUM
mer diet as possible. 1t should not,
therefore, be matured stalks dried, but
preserved grass. All grasses reach their
highest point of excellence, considered
as food, when they first come into blos=
som. The vital elements are then scat=
tered throughout the entire plant, which
in no part has suffered the exhaustion
and loss attending the complete or eyofi
partial development of the seed. Grass.
then, should be cut when the blossoms
first open. Practically, if the grass on
any given farm is mainly of one variety.
it is better to bcgih cutting before it
reaches even this state of maturity.-
Timothy and red-top head about the
same time. If we wait for the appear
ance of the blossoms before we begin.
we shall have the matured seed and the
weedy and almost worthless stalk be-
fore the end is reached. In the matter of
clover, if it stands erect, it is safe to wait
till one half the blossoms begin to turn:
never later. The other half will be so
perfected in growth that there win be no
loss in quantity or quality: If lodged it
should be cut ffiuch earlier, as the decay
at the root will more than counterbali
once any growth elsewhere.
In regard to grasses not specified, the
same general rule will apply, bearing I'M
mind that it Is always 3tter to cut con-
siderable before it reaches perfect ma
turity rather than considerable afters
ward. Next and most important. how
shall this grass be cured SO that it can
ini ha lacked in bulk and be kept without
iooo " sisab tisrl as II is needed ffs
properties2 The best way, as it seems
to me, is this = If there is unreasonable
promise of a fair day; the moving ma
chine should be started at o'clock the
night before, and again as soon as the
dew is off in the morning. By IL, all the
grass that can be handled will be CUT
Then transfer at once the horses from
the machine to the tedder, and go over
the field once before dinner. At one
o'clock, start the tedder second time:
AT two, attach one of the span to the
horse-rake, and by four o'clock the hay
cut in the morning should be pitched
(not rolled) into tall, well-trimmed
cocks, containing from eighty to one
hundred pounds each. Let these stand
until the first fine day following, and
then open and turn as is needed, until
ready for the barn, which, under ordi-
nary circumstances, will not require
more than one hour from the moment it
is evenly shaken out, to the time that
the transfer should be made to the load;
and from thence 10 the NOV. 1t will
thus be cured evenly, every portion get
ting nearly the same amount of SUM-
Tho juices will not be baked out of It:
but dried in it, and most of the natural
flavor; sweetness, instead of being ex-
hailed, will remain, to make the mass
palatable as well as nutritious.
Generally speaking, think that farms
ers err ON the side of over rather than
under drying. Grass cut when perfectly
free from dew, and getting thorough
and even wilt the first day, and then
cooking over night, if the weather is all
the time favorable, does not need much
sun the second time it is exposed; in
fact, if the air is hot and dry, the less
(usually) the better. The suggestion
made with regard to the mode of drying
apply 10 those meadows where the yield
is a ton and a half or moro to the acre.
Where the grass is thin and the tedder
not needed, 1 would advise that tile hay
he raked earlier in the afternoon and put
into cocks, to stand over right; eten
though the first days sun might fit il for
the NOW. Much of the must in the hay
c)mes of making the transfer from the
field to the barn, when the aris charged
with moisture, as in cloudy days and
near nightfall. "Cleanins up" there
fore. each day, has IFS unfavorable as
VIII as favorable side, and, as it seems
to me, is not to be ordinarily com nend-
ed, espec ally when the farmer has a
supply of cloth hay-c, ps, which ar. em-
inently worthy place in every hay.
field: In conclusion, urge the observ-
ance Of the following rules First. Cut
the grass as 1t is coming into blosson n,
earlier rather than later. Second. CT {
it when it Is as free as may be from al "
moisture except its own juices. Thru.
Have special care rot to over-dry, al d
be part cular TO dry evenly. -Four Ii.
Make the transfer of tho hay from the
field to the burn at OF near the middle of
the day, and when the airis dry and hot,
= Western Rural.
z MANGERs should be low, and stabl s