The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-06-27
agricultural department.
nonnncrrn ax ALBERT CHAPMAN
Securing the Hay Crop.

The time has arrived when grass is "a
gain to be harvested. The past season
there was a good chance to demonstrate
the advantages of early cutting; and this
has been done to u greater extent than
ever before-the stride was a long one in
the right direction. Never before has
stock come out of its winter quarters in
such good condition. 1t is true the quail
ity Of the hay, aside from its early Sc
curing, had something to do in the mat
ter. But we have had these drouthy
years before, with less effect favorably
upon stock than now. Our friend Smith
of Minden, AN ornament to the guild agri-
cultural, harvested the past year twenty
tons of pure clover hay. 1t was out so
early that it attracted unusual attention;
but John Smith" did it, and therefore it
was noticed, and drew forth less animrd-
version and more discussion. The crop
was harvested with the aid of the tedder.
1T 1.-THE tedder) was a benefit to me of at
east ten dollars day." said Mr.. Smith
to us. The hay was secured in fine order,
with the red blossoms still red, and the
stalk with the leaves still green. Pains
were taken, and this crop was thus early
secured. Where the weather is less IA
vorable the hay cap must be called in to
aid. 1t is now established that this is a
necessary adjunct to the farm and yet
how few possess it
Mr.. Smith tells me that the effect Of
this hay upon his stock has been great
surprising great" His sheep, fed upor
this alone, in the language Of Mr.. Smith
were "fat as pigs" His COWS were ii
high condition, and yielded immense guam
titles of milk, fall and spring. 1t is no
the clover alone that Mr.. S. thus secures
but all his grass intended for hay, tho
timothy coming properly after the clover
Then the after growth Of these fields /.
immense, enriching and protecting ant
affording feed. Filds cut in June will be
a protection from the sun in July anc
August the grass will sufficiently star
up to be protection, at least in part
aided by plaster. But what protection
is afforded the land dry and naked, whel
cut in the heat Of midsummer, the root
of the grass exposed to the burning in
fuence, the ground itself being hot ant
whitening? Nothing can well live here
And is not this the condition Of most o
our meadows in drouth ? Is it the cas'
where field is cut quite early? 1t Ger
tainly is to a less extent And this is o
importance. Good meadows have beer
killed outright, as We know, by cutting
late in drouth. 1t must be good soil
unusually favored, that will withstand
such treatment, much less come out will
a good heavy growth.
We are denuding our meadows; we arr
exposing them to the sudden, sharp inhu
ences of change from protection to opel
exposure, by late cutting in drouth.-
And the drouths are the rule; there i
scarcely season any more that has no
this influence to a greater or less extent
We must therefore prepare ourselves 10
drouths. And, if an evil to the gras
crop, it will be an ade in securing it; an,
to secure it with the effect Of singl
rain upon it, after it has been PARTIAL
dried, is loss that is but too little con
sidered, amounting to half,or nearly that
of the value of the crop. Thus is gath
cred say field of ten tons, worth five
but the labor is that of ten tons, and tn
place it occupies in storage the same
The land has yielded but half its product
stock is but half benefited by it. (Thi
loss might have been remedied as well a
not by the use of the hay cap.)
1t is no more an excuse that early cut
ting brings with it the difficulty of hal
vesting. The tedder, the hay cap, an
the prevalence of fair weather in genera
aided now, we may say, by the signal re
ports, the speed of securing the crop b
machinery,all go to aid us in securing til
tender growth. F. G.