Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-07

A Mr.. Scott, of Craitsbury, VI, within
the past few years, has several times given,
through the agricultural papers, his method
Of managing his bay.crops He cuts his
grass early, commencing haying by the mid
die Of June and finishing early in July By
this method he usually obtains two crops Of
the choicest winter forage for his cattle. /
His statements have been SO frequently pub |
lished that most farmers in this section have
become familiar with his method Of treating |
his mowing-felds, and the favorable results /
he claims therefor
A few years ago Mr.. G. Flint, Secretary |
Of the Massachusetts Board Of Agriculture, |
visited number of the European countries.
The principal object Of his visit was to study
their agriculture. The results Of his obser.
vations are published in his annual report
Of the agriculture of Massachusetts, for 1862, |
IN which he says
To me, previous to seeing this fertile coun-
try Of Lombardy, made fertile wholly by It's
admirable system Of irrigation, the results
that | have frequently read of-seyen, eight
and nine cuttings in year-always appeared
chmerical but after travelling through the
length and breadth of the watered district, |
am prepared to believe that an enormous
quantity of grass can be cut from it. An.
other thing has impressed me strkingly here
and that is, that the Italians understand the
period at which grass should be cut to make
the most of it, better than We do. | no.
where saw grass allowed to stand even into
blossoming. 1t was cut in very green and
succulent state, when full Of its sweet young
Juices In hundreds of instances perhaps
thousands | saw men and women, more fire.
quently the latter, moving grass less than
six inches high, often less than four, and very
often, and in many countries, cutting grass
that our farmers would never think Of cut
ting. SO careful and so saving are they in
all parts Of the continent that grass is cut
very green, very often and very close to the
ground, almost universally But they often
apply dressing of liquid manure immedia-
iely after cutting and saw it in innumer-
able instances carried out on the backs Of wo-
men, and applied by the slowest possible pro-
cess distributed by hand, making an extreme
ly offensive smell, to be sure, when it was
first applied, but causing a wonderfully rapid
start and growth.
A Mr.. Horsiall, of England, who is cele-
brated for the quantity and quality Of the
butter obtained from given number Of cows
few years ago furnished a long paper on
the various kinds of feed given to his ex.
periments, &c He says Of his method Of
hay-making;
Till recently, deferred moving the grass
until il was in flower In the year 1856 |
cut it before the Towering time. Though
this early-cut grass shrinks more in the stack,
yet find it weighs proportionately heavier.
This method he has since pursued; but his
mowing.felds are in high state of cutiva-
ton. lie says the average weight Of the
first crop of hay grathered in June 1856,
was two and one.half tons AT that time hay
was worth twenty dollars ton, making the
two crops worth $50 an acre.
In 1856 Mr. Flint, Secretary Of the Massa
chusetts Board Of Agriculture, issued printe,
circulars to one or more farmers in that State
The circulars contained over twenty question
respecting the hay-crop in all its bearings
Question seventh was "At what stage o
growth do you prefer to cut grass to max
into English and into swale hay, and wha
is the reason for your preference" In answe
to this, one of the most intelligent farmer
of Middlesex county says
prefer to cut grass when in blossom; be
cause it will make more milk and more fla
and cattle prefer it to that standing later.
keeps them loose. | have no doubt hay
the same bulk weighs more if it stands in tn
field until the seed forms aud for this res
son some who sell most of their hay let
stand
A farmer Of Worcester county says
When designed for milch cows, store {
iattening animals, prefer to cut in the bo
som because it makes more milk, moi
growth and more beef.
The above reports are similar TO those of
great many other farmers in different par
of the State Mr. Flint says
These extracts, taken at random from
large number Of letters from practical farm
ers all over the state, indicate very clear
the prevailing practice. The replies fro
about 100 towns are that farmers prefer
cut the principal grasses timothy and re
top when in full blossom, red clover VIII,
about half the heads are in blossom, al
swale grass before it is ripe, and general
before blossoming if possible, so as to prove
il from becoming hard and wiry. This pra
tice is unquestionably founded on CORE
principle, the object Of the farmer being to 5
cure his hay SO as to make it most like gra
in its perfect condition. From its earle
growth, the sugar and other soluble substanc
increase until they reach their highest pc
centage in the blossom, or when the seed
fully formed in the cell. From this peri
the saccharine matter constantly diminish
and the woody fibre, perfectly insoluble
water, and innutritious, increases until ali
the seeds are matured when the plant begi
to decay. OF course, if the plant is not c
in flower, great part Of the nutriment of
stems and leaves is wasted.
As far as my observation extends, cat
and sheep prefer early-cut hay, and thr
better on il than on the same kinds not
until the seeds are fully matured. But
the past few years the scarcity and hi
price Of labor in hay-time has proven
many farmers from securing their hay-cl
10 season and it suffers great loss in
nutritiye value. Thousands of the old ial
in this State are at present oyerrun witt
short, innutritive grass, both pastures
mowing-ields. In this section it is generl
known by the name Of white-top;" in SC
others it is called wild-oat-grass. |
the danthornia spieata Of the botanists.
is an early-maturing grass and if it is
as soon as in blossom, cattle eat it free
but il soon ripens, assuming straw co
and cattle reject it, 1t is then worth
than cat or wheat-straw. When cattle
grszed in pastures where this grass is
principal growth cows and cattle do