The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-07-19
M:ht EARN.
THE HAY HARVEST.
BY ALEXANDER HYDE.

BY ALEXANDER HYDE
The wide-extended and long-continu-
ed drouth is cutting short the hay crop,
and farmers are anxiously inquiring,
"How shall we make the most of our
scant allowance of grass ?" Some are
delaying the hay harvest for fear that
the scorching sun will SO dry the roots
that they will utterly perish. To these
we say that the damage from dry roots
is not so much to be feared as from dry
hay. The exhaustion of both soil and
roots is less when the grass is cut than
when it is allowed to ripen its seed,
True, the ground becomes more parch-
ed after the grass is cut, but roots have
great vital power, and can stand the
extremes of heat and cold, moisture
and drouth, better than is generally
supposed. The dubious roots, such as
onions and tulips, are often left exposed
to the direct rays of the sun for days
before being housed, and are kept for
months in perfectly dry state-in fact
keep all the better for being thoroughly
dry. Fibrous roots, of course, can not
endure the extreme drouth so well, still
they seldom die while in the ground.
We have seen closely-shaven lawns as
brown as brown-thresher in July, but
starting up and green with the first
rains of August, not root seemingly
having persisted To all, therefore, who
are delaying the hay harvest for fear of
damaging the aftermath or next years
crop, we say the delay is more danger
GUS than the harvest Grass cut in the
latter part of June or first of July is
worth twice as much for hay as that
cut in August.
Much hay is also damaged by being
overdried. Too long exposure to sun
and winds takes all the aroma out of
grass. Some farmers dry their hay till
there is no succulence left in it. They
are apparently ignorant of the fact that
the volatile OIL which exhales with the
juices, gives to hay stimulating quail
ity very similar to green tea. When
hay is made so dry that the leaves and
stems are brown and brittle the virtue
is gone out of it. Buyers of hay are
especially DESTROYS that it should be
dried thoroughly, so that they may not
purchase water, but if the greenness
and fexibility are gone they are in the
condition of those who purchase dry
wood, so long dried that no vitality is
left in it. We desire to have our hay
housed in such condition that it will
make strong decoction. Cattle fed
on early-cut and green-made hay will
make two-fold more milk and beef than
fed on late-cut and long dried article
Observing workers in hay need not be
told that the volatile oil which exhales
from the grass while drying is stimulat-
ing and strengthening and never does
man feel stronger than when pitching
hay that is cured just to the right limit.
Another suggestion as to hay harvest
is the storage of it in as compact and
close a space as possible We have
new barns with wide cracks on the
sides of the mows, left apparently for
the purpose of letting in air to the hay.
What would tea-dealer think of bor-
ing holes in the sides of his chest of
tea in order to air it thoroughly? The
same principles which govern the cur
ing and keeping of tea should govern
the hay-maker Cure it with as little
exposure to sun and air aspossible, and
when cured keep the air from it entire
ly. Next to these wide cracks in the
barn, the hay is brown and crisp, and
comparatively worthless. If we could
exclude air from hay entirely we could
put it into the barn with much less cur
ing than we do now In case hay is
put into the NOW insufficiently cured,
it is the top layer only which moulds.
If we dig down into the NOW eight or
ten inches, where the air does not pene-
trate, we shall find no mould The
microscope reveals this mould to con-
sist of small plants, fungi, growing from
the decomposing hay Now if hay
could be bottled up alright, the air
being previously excluded-there would
be no decomposition Of the hay and
comparatively no fungus growth.
1t is customary with some farmers,
when compelled to put in hay imper-
fectly cured, to place it on the scaffold,
where they expect the circulating air
will finish the curing process. This
air is much more likely to finish the
hay by decomposing it, unless it is
scattered very lightly. A better mode
is to place the poorly cured hay in the
centre of the NOW, tread it down tight
ly, and put other hay or straw over it.
In all cases we find the thorough tread
ing of hay to tend its good keeping and
good spending. The Chinese press
their tea into chests lined with metal,
that all the aroma may be preserved,
and if farmers pursued an analogous
course with their hay, they would find
it good economy.
The analogy between tea and hay
also holds good in the using, or "spend-
ing" as farmers call it. We remember
once going into the barn of friend at
the time of evening foddering. His
cattle had received their evening meal,
and he had their breakfast on the barn
floor, which he was forking over-shak-
ing the dust out, as he explained it, SO
that it might be ready for use in the
morning. We asked him what he would
think of his wife if she should take out
of her caddy in the evening the tea
from which she expected to make her
drawing in the morning. He scratched
his head for moment, and said II
understand your idea | should GER
tainly object to her shaking the tea to
get the dust out" This was the end
of his shaking hay A NOW of hay
will spend better if cut down with
faces six or eight feet apart. This
makes some work, but it exposes less
hay to the action of the air than does
feeding from the entire surface of the