The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-27
Farm and Household.
HAYING.

1t is quite natural that the veteran farmer
who has swung his scythe for score or t. >o
years across his fields, should think t. ,,t !,
anyone is competent to give instruction in
the science and art of haying, he is the very
man.
Yet, not unfrequently it is the case that ,,,a
man OF practice and experience is ,.he o,,s
who stands most in need of light and kno,,,
edge, and perhaps the most relur tant r., ~
ceive instruction, especially ifit is laid down
down in the books OR contain ed in tho oo,
umns OF a paper. ~ WI
The great body of agricrAItrrists. nevertbe-
less, are slowly but surely giving IN tne;r ad
heslon to some Of the r.nodern ideas raI.,;nn
to the cutting and Gu fling of grass. It NAV
De wor.n whl'e 10 .emark, however, that the
0ieui' ior auVanc ,ement in this direction be-
longs largely U, scientific men and inventors.
iaIner than farmers themselves; improve
mehts AID inventions have been suggested
anu u 4ousht out in the study and shop more
'na Al on the farm-but to whomsoever thanks
LAY be due it is quite certain that the farm
er receives the larger gain.
The annual haying season no longer comes
to the farmer and the farmers wife like some
grim giant casting his dread shadow before
and leaving his heavy tracks behind, and
While the hours Of each days labor have been
lcssened, the season itself, formerly so long
drawn out, has been actually shortened al
though the average production of each acre
has been increased.
The early cutting of grass before the seed
has matured or entirely formed-the yigor-
Gus spreading and shaking and consequently
rapid drying-the final curing in the cock
and loading from il instead of the wiudrow-
the general use Of haycaps and wagon covers
the introduction Of the mower and teddnp-
OF the muscles of the horse for the muscles of
the man. all combined mark new era in
this important department of husbandry.
We think it can be satisfactorily demon
strated that the value of this great staple
product of the North has been, through these
several agencies, thus increased swhile the
cost of its manufacture, if we may use the
term, has been in like manner diminished,
Although we are well aware that farmers
have too much advice thrust upon them, yet
1t is one OF lite's great lessons, true in every
calling, that we are always learners, always
beginners, and till our work is done we need
line upon line and precept upon precept.,
We cannot do hntfar for o,,r uool..-
to give them the subjoined testimony of
some of our most practical as well a, scien-
tific asriculturists. In the July number of
the American Agriculturist Mr.. Waring
says: This number will reach its readers too
late for the beginning of the haying-too late
for the bulk of it, where farmers understand
their best interests-but there will still be
great breadth to be cut, and it is not too late
for the repetition of an oft-made suggestion,
which repeat, because my own experience
has convinced me of its great value. There
is but one best way of doing anything, and
the best way to make hay is the following, or
if it is not, pray let us have information as to
better one:
1. Start the moving machine after five
O'Clock in the afternoon, and do no cutting
after the dew is off of the grass in the morn
ing. 2. On the first clear morning after the
cutting, but not until the dew is well off,
start the hay-tedding machines-as many of
them as can be got hold of-and keen them
going without unnecessary intermission un-
til the last lock is hauled into the barn, or un-
til the dew begins to fall in the evening. The
more constantly the hay is stirred the better
it will cure. 8. Begin hauling early enongh
on this same day to get all that has been cut
safely into the barn or stack. By this process
the crop will be put in in the best possible
condition, and though it may look too green
it will be quite safe to keep (if it has been
well stirred) and will "spend'' better than if
made by any longer process. Should rain fol-
low the evening cutting, no harm will be
done, for the grass will not have its nutri-
tious parts leached out until it has first been
wiltcd. In late N. E. Farmer the editor
gives an interesting account of his own meth
cd of haymaking:
In good hay weather, we can make the
easiest work of it, and ''push things fastest,
by cutting all the hay in the afternoon, be-
tween four O'Clock and dark. Grass cuts
best, with machine, when the dew is off,
and at this time of day we do not like to be
carting or raking dry hay. That should all
be secured, if possible, before the dew falls.
By eating the grass at this time, we have
the whole of the next day till four O'Clock,
for making and cartng it, and, with tedder,
we have no difficulty in making it enough in
that time, if the weather is good. This
method saves all the cooking up and spread
ing out the next day, besides it prevents all
risk of bad weather on the day following.
Many people can hardly believe that one
day is enough for drying hay. The fact is,
they never tried it. They think they have,
but they are mistaken. They commence
moving as we have done many time, long
before sunrise, and lay down, while the dew
is on, as many acres as can be dried enough
for cooking before night. After 1t is all
moved, the swaths are spread as we'll as they
may be with pitchforks. This work is fin
ished, if there is dry hay to be opened, at
about ten o'clock in the forenoon. II there
is no hay out, as ON Monday, perhaps the
moving, and spreading swaths may continue
till noon. After dinner, raking is commenced,
and the hay is cooked as fast as possible, as it
would generally take about as long to rake
| and cock piece as'to NOW it. Now we have
been in the habit of thinking that our hay,
managed in this way, has been dried one day.
But is it so? Not at all. Grass moved with
a heavy dew on does not begin to dry till the
dew is off, and, unless it is handled very thor
oughly for this purpose, it will not all get off,
even on the first day, especially If moved.
| spread and raked by hand. If it isl cut with
| a machine, and the machine is not started
till the dew is off, it commences driving i'm
mediately; but II the machine runs ali the
rest of the forenoon, tie last that is cut GER
tainly does not have whole days sun on it
before cooking. In fact, it is often raked and
cooked within two hours after being cut; and
the next day it is carted in without having