Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-09-20
Dat Hay.


As the grass crop has turned out to be
very light one this season, so much so that
many farmers throughout the state will not
make half the quantity Of hay they did last
year, some of them will be obliged to sell off
a part Of their live stock this fall if some
can not be provided instead of
hay. 1t is to be hoped that the rains which
have occurred in almost all parts Of the state
within few weeks past will have the effect
to thicken up the late growing grasses and
increase the yield Of the meadows but low
ground and meadow hay does not make the
most substantial kind Of fodder to winter
stock upon, and is not considered of much
account for fatteniDg cattle, even with plenty
Of corn meal. 1t may do to keep young cat
tie alive through the cold weather, when they
will eat enough Of it to keep them warm by
keeping up the animal heat, and thus help to
keep the oxygen of the air they breathe from
consuming their previously stored up fat ;
but it affords but very little Of the albumi-
noids, or flesh forming elements SO if cattle
can have no other hay of better quality, or,
but little corn meal, they will come out in the
spring somewhat in the condition OF Pharaoh 5
lean kinc-so poor in flesh that it will take
all summer with good pasturage, to bring
them back to so good condition as they were
in the preceding fall, thereby causing los,
Of one years keeping
| Considering these circumstances, it may be
better for those who have a large guam
tity Of oats growing, to cut a part o
them while in a green and immature state anC
make them into hay. There have been mani
experiments tried with them for this purpose
and in all cases that | have read of, with tn
best results. In fact it has been found tina
if they are cut and well dried into hay jus
before the grain begins to harden-that is
''while it is in the milk" as it is called, al
kinds Of cattle relish it exceedingly and pre-
fer it to the best Of hay made from gras.
Horses, also, and especially young horses, ca
il greedly, the only trouble with them beinl
that they will eat too much if it is place
before them; so care must be taken in feed
ing them. Perhaps il the oats were cut be
fore they had got into the milk, or Will
in full bloom, it would make better ha
for young horses at any rate, they should b
cut before any Of the grain has become har
and fully ripened, as it is well known that
is not best to feed young horses but very lii
tie grain, or oats or any kind.
Some writers who have tried both ways {
feeding oats--that is, when oats were cut an
made into hay, and when allowed to ripen int
grain-assert that the oat.hay contains full
one fourth more nutrment for cattle OF horse
than the grain, with the straw cut up int
: halfinch lengths, with a straw-cutter, and ie
together in the old way.
If that is the case it must certainly be
great saving both Of food and labor to cut tn
oats while green and make them into hal
] Chemical analysis also shows that both graf
! and straw Of oats when cut green, are sup'
1 rior in their feeding value in so far as it d,
ponds on their flesh forming constituents Oh
straw when cut green, has been found to col
tain two and half per cent. more of the,
}. valuable constituents than when cut after Il
+. grain has become fully ripe. This diiferent
f is not enough, however, to explain the diiie
ence Of one over the other bu, il has bee
found by other analysis that oats cut gree
c contain more watery juices aud less indigest
bic woody fibre, than when allowed to becon
( fully ripe before being cut
In my own practice have found ouly on
objection to cutting and making hay of oats
that is, the mice are as fond Of the oats b
b fore they are fully ripe as after they becou
D SO, and the way they cut up the oat.hay
/ not very agreeable perhaps | have delay
e the cutting too long Perhaps if the GA
D were cut as early as when they were in fl
bloom there would be no oats for the mice
2 find perhaps too, the work of the mice CT
a be avoided in great measure by feeding Il
e oat.hny the first pant Of the winter 50 up'
! the whole, think it is good plan to NAL
: oats into hay, when grass'hay is likely to
forty dollars ton.