Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-06-28
WHEN SHOULD HAY BE CUT9

WHEN SHOULD HAY BE CUTg
Mr.. Ceilings, Of Craftsbury, VT,
one of the best farmers in that State,
recently made an address before the
State Board of Agriculture on the
availabeness of the nutriment in hay,
in connection with the question as to
the proper time of cutting grass for
hay, the substance of which remarks
seem to us to be very pertinent just
now. He said that repeated and care
full analysis Of different kinds ofgrass
and clover have been made, showing
that they contained the largest
amount of those substances necessary
to the sustenance and growth of ami
mails, at the period when they had
nearly reached maturity, or about the
time they are in blossom and conse-
quently it is recommended by nearly
all writer's that grass be cut at that
stage of its growth. Now although
this seems to be scientific and conse-
quently sound doctrine, Mr.. Collins
was fully persuaded, both by his own
experience and that of others, as well
as by the teachings Of nature, that it
is erroneous, and that, in fact, if we
would secure the best results and the
most value from the crop in feeding,
it should be cut at much earlier
stage Of it's growth.
The chemist may analyze the otfat,
both liquid and solid, that comes from
an animal. and may be able to tell OK
actly what clements of the food cons
suned have beer extracted and used
to build up the frame, or sustain the
life of the animal but he cannot tell
by any analytical test how economi-
cally these elements have been appro-
priated to the various uses OF the an
imal system. Suppose, for instance,
that two specimens Of hay Of equal
weight are Analysed and one is found
to contain ten per cent. more nutri-
mcnt than the other. Both are then
fed to the same animal and the offal
is analvzed, and it is found that in its
passage through the animal all the nu-
triment has been extracted from each
specimen; but it does not follow as a
sure thing that the animal has been
benefited ten per cent. more by the
specimen containing the greater a
mount ofnutriment. On the contrary
the chemically poorer article may have
proved to the most advantage to the
animal, on account CT the greater ease
with which it is digested or in other
words the less amount of vital force
required to appropriate the nutriment
to the uses Of the system. five vary
our conditions somewhat, and take in
to account tue fact that though the two
specimens are chemically of equal
value, one of them may he nearly per-
fectly digestible, while the other may
be so combined as to be nearly indi-
gestible,a large proportion of the nu-
triment contained in it passing off in
an undigested state in the eXcrement,
we see more clearly still the error we
are liable to fall into if we depend
alone upon an analysis of food for the
measure ofits economic value. Care
tul experiment must determine this
point, though the provisions OF nature
may give some strong hints.
Our domestic animals are sustained
during our long winters in an artificial
condition. In their natural state their
forage is Of a green, tender, succulent
nature, the same with which we supply
them in summer while at pasture.
Now no farmer need be told that an
animal will gain more in frame or flesh,
or that COW will give more milk
while feeding upon luxuriant growth
Of young, tender, sweet grass, than
when confined to diet Of dry hay
that was harvested after it had attain
cd its growth. All know this to be
fact, All know that their cows
give the most milk and produce the
most butter, that their young animals
make the most rapid growth, andwear
the glossiest coats, while they are
, luxurating upon "June feed. Were
, it otherwise, we might naturally con-
, clude that mistake had been made
in nature in providing their food in
( this condition. 1t seems reasonable
, then, to conclude that the nearer in
character and quality we make our
Young, tender grass, the better it will
be. Could we,without great expense,
cut and cure it for hay, when not more
than four to six inches had been at
tanned, continuing to do so with each
successive growth through the season,
we should, without question, have it
in its most valuable condition. But
this is impractible ; as it involves too
great expense. The question, then,
is, how near can we approach inns
proAtahly? This can be satisfactorily
answered only by careful experiment
-Pptrf0t,