Ellsworth American., 1874-07-09
zarn. AMI xonseboln.
Good Hay and Poor Hay.

SSe1Oe"1a~
topic:-
Hay Is dried grass. Hay prime quail.
ty is made Of grass cut and properly cur
ed at that stage Of growth when the leaves
and stems contain the largest amount Of
available nourishment. Both theory and
the opinions derived from the experience
OF the great majority Of Intelligent and OBJ
serving farmers concur In fixing the true
period to cut gras, ''when In full blossom.
or while the bloom is falling" At this
period most grasses have, so far as can be
judged, obtained from the soil and from
the atmosphere the greatest amount which
which is OF value as food for animals.
These elements exist at this period in the
most valuable form. The changes which
take place subsequently are chiefly within
ee plant A part of the starch, sugar,
gum, albumen soon 60 to assist in the for
nation OF seed. and part 70 constitute
woody fibre, which is indigestible and Of
little value as fodder. Ofhay cut at lat
cI SlAkC CatilS Will CNk lCsS- SoLoC lubCG
from this that it will "spend better" but
the true reason why they eat less is, be-
cause the system can digest and Assimila,e
less. The actual benefit derived from hay
is in proportion to the available nutrment
contained in il All domestic animals that
subsist on fresh grass, will make more
growth, muscle and flesh when fed with
grass, than with any other food, which
showes conclusively that 1t abounds In
fibrin and other albumnous compounds.
which are of far more Importance than
starch, gum, etc, because flesh must be
formed, as the framework or substra-
tum OF the animal structure, before mere
fat is superadded. That grass contains
vegetable albumen, and its near relatives
or cosnates, which are transformed into
muscle and flesh by the process Of nutri-
ment, there can be no doubt. II thus be-
comes OF much importance how to retain
the most of the flesh elements of the grass
in the dried hay. The nearer prime hay
approximates fresh grass, the more milk
fat, flesh and bones given quantity Will
make.
Taking different view of this subject,
grass should be allowed TO become fully
ripe before it IS cut. The greatest desid-
eratum with many who buy and sell hay is
10 have il In such q condition that COW,
OK or horse will not consume one pound
of it until impelled by the cravings OF
hunger TO eat or starvs. Many proprie-
tors of hotels and those who keep stable,
where horses are boarded do not want hay
OF prime quality, for the reason that the
animals fed would consume several
pounds; whereas If the racks were suppli-
ed with inferior hay they would pick out
only few spears and go hungry until they
could reach some other stable, where they
would be supplied with respectable feed.
great many farmers aim TO keep their
live stock on the smallest possible allow.
ance of hay. They do not want prime hay
as their stock would consume the entire
supply for the winter before the fodderng
season was half passed. For such feeders
OF live stock the true time to cut grass Is
not aniil it is dead ripe.
But the man who desires to keep his live
stock growing during the foddering season
should have his grass cut before the bios
som has fallen. This practice Of cutting
grass at the period designated is unques-
tionably founded on a correct principle,
the object of the farmer being to secure his
hay SO As to make ii most like grass In its
perfect condition. The nutritive substance
OF grass are those which are. for the most
part, solubletn water, such as sugar, glu-
sen and o,hef compounds. Now if this is
50 it is evident that the grass should be cut
81 the time when it contains the largest
amount Of these principles. From its ear.
lest growth the sugar and other soluble
substances gradually increase, till they
reach their maximum percentage in the
blossom. or when the seed is fully formed
in the cell. Prom this period the ssceha-
rine matter constantly diminishes and the
woody hbre. perfectly insoluble in water
and innutritious. increases until after the
seeds have matured, when the plant begins
10 decay. OF course, if the plant is no,
cut in the flower, a great part of the nu,ri-
ment OF its stems and leaves is wasted.
That grass is sometimes mown too early
there is no doubt; but as general rule the
farmer had better err on the safe side and
commence haying early, If he has q large
harvest, even II he suffers some loss BY
shrinkage of the first mown. Ii gives him
better chance TO make hay while the
sun shines" for he has longer period TO
secure his crop before 1t is dead ripe
and sometimes saves hiring help when
labor is at its highest price and scarce at
that.
As soon as the moisture In the leaves
aud Stems is dried out, SO that there is no,
sufficient dampness to cause the hay to
heat IN the NOV or stack, the crop should
be secured. Ii Injuries grain to be allow ed
to heat while it is laying in a mass. When
hay is stored before it is properly cured
the nourishment contained in the leaves
and stems Will be damaged by being heated
II the NOW or stack
The COOLING MoTH.-Prof Beal. of the
Michigan Agricultural College, gives In the
Country Gentleman, some experime ents
tried last year in destroying the codling
moth. as follows:
About June 10. last year and the ear
before, the trunks and larger limbs of the
trees were scrsped and rubbed with soft
soap to kill the eggs and young of the
oorers- As soon as the apples were the
size OF quails' eggs, bands were put about
the bearing trees, made Of thick, coarse
paper Of two or three thieknesses, making
q strip about as wide Is the hand. These
were wrapped about the tree and secured
by carpet tack driven In half its length.
Some wooden cloth bands were used. which
l like best. They were taken Of and 81.
s0ined and the larva killed every week or
ten days. 1t costs us about seventy cents
in labor Of students to remove asd re place
the bands each time for I'll trees. II left