The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-28
agricultural department.
co NOUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
CJJRyNC HAY.


Az in all kinds of farm work there arc
differences Of opinion as to how hay
should be cured in the best manner ,-that
which is most profitable to the grower
who consumes the bay on his own farm.
Many years since the practice was gener-
al to cut the hay just when the seed be.
gan TO harden, spread it out well to the
sun, dry thoroughly and then rake and
draw in The hay as fast as it could be done
from the windrow Hay made in this
style never heated in the NOW or stack,
coming out in the winter and spring as
bright and dry as when put into the barn
or stack. Such hay "spent well !" few
COWS would eat more than two tons Of it
during the winter, even after the mice
had taken all seed, 1t was no uucom-
mon circumstance, either, for farmer to
have one or two cows which had to be
tailed up" all the spring, or few
lambs pelts for sale to the tin poddlcr.
But times have changed men have
learned to profit from their fathers expe.
rience, and most farmers at the present
time would consider it severe stain on
their characters to be obliged to tail
up" dairy COW at the present time, at
least in an ordinary season, accidents
lone excepted. Hay is now cut as soon,
at least, as the first blossoms have fallen,
the hay is drawn iu before the good quail.
tiles aud aroma are all burned up and
svaporated by the hot rays Of the sun
and the moving machine and the tedder
have entirely reformed the oldtime prac.
tice. Hay "spends well now, but the
GOWN all frst-class dairies-eats more
than two tons of hay or its equivalent,
aud gets fat on her extra feed. The aim
now is to mako all kinds Of stock eat all
they can be induced to eat, on the para.
doxical principle that it costs less to keep
fat animal than poor one, as less is
really eaten, provided each has all that
it will eat If an animal is Kept thriving
from its birth until it is disposed Of, more
money is received for the outlay of feed
than if s,inted by too little, or too innu-
tritious feed These are axoms in the
experience Of every stock grower or feed.
er.
The question then ie---in reference to
our hay crop. which is the main reliance
of most farmers for winter feed for their
stock-wbat is the best mode of curing
hay, SO that all its value is preserved and
notbiug lost in the prccess2 Grass is
the natural food Of our domestic ami.
mails; they can subsist, grow and fatten
upon il alone, and the nearer it can be
made when dried, like the original grass,
the nearer it is to perfection. Reference
to back volumes Of the Country Gentle.
man shows much conflicting opinion as to
the question of preserving the aroma, all
the finer leaves and stems, and the pecu.
liar color Of perfect dried grass. Some
hold that it should be moved in the af.
ternoon, stirred constantly with the ted
der the next forenoon, and drawn into
the barn in the afternoon. Others prefer
to now in the morning as soon as the
dew is off. stir it well with the tedder du.
ring the middle of the day, and in the
afternoon, before the dew begins to fall,to
rake and put the hay into cocks, which
are left until the next day or the day af.
ter, then spread, dried and drawn in.
A correspondent Of the Germantown
Telegraph prefers to cure clover entirely
in the cock, except occasionally shaking
out the cocks if they do not dry quite as
quick as usual The same person prefers
timothy and orchard grass hay cured en-.
tirely by the use Of tho tcdder, and as
rapidly as possible, but not drying SO
much that the leaves break off or crum.
be Few farmers dry hay as much as
was formerly the practice. as it is found
to keep well and no waste occurs from
leaves breaking off or from blowing awa7
in high winds. Hay perfectly dried does
not load we'll lying up too loosely, rer.
dering it more difficult to get goDd fork
full when pitching and not packing vel
in the NOW or on the load.
When herbs are used in medicine or il
the arts, much care is nscd in drying ant
saving them in order to retain all thu
valuable properties of the plants. TIL,
almost invariable rule is to cut in bloom
or when just out Of bloom, and dry in tn,
shade. This last is considered impera
tive. If, then, in order to retain the full
medicinal properties of plant, it mus
be dried in the shade, why should no
grass be thus dried if we wish to retail
oil its valuable properties? Actual tria
has happily demonstrated this rule to hol
in this case. Farmers who have made
fair comparative trial Of both methods O
curing bay-frequent stirring in the sun
shine and in the cock-have found dc
eided gain in value Of hay, ordinarily,
cured in the cock-that is, in the shade
Many years personal experience has con
WINGED us that hay can be made faster, i
better condition. and in much greater ex
emption from loss by vicissitudes of tn
weather, if moved when the grass is dry
raked as soon as thoroughly wilted cooke
up in small cocks, left until cured through
even if it takes week, and then draw
directly from the cock, without openin
out. 1t takes no longer to rake the ha
with good horserake, and the time sper
in cooking up is saved in the more rapi
rate at which the hay can be land il
drawn in. When drawn directly fro,
the cock, the hay is pressed down in,
Hat layers. easily loaded, and readily an
rapidly pitched off; two men and teal
easily drawing double the number of loat
in a day from the cock that they wou
do from the winrow when as dry as ha
Is usually drawn. BY this method OF c.
ring hay, none is exposed to the bleachir
of the sunlight or dews, except just lor
enough to wilt the grass. No halfdri'
and nearly dried hay gets caught in
sudden shower, spelling the color and Il
quality and the farmer is always ,
with his work. In hot, dry weather su,
as often prevails at this season, the coo
will cure through in two or three day
while cool, showery weather will dell
the process to week or more. Dec
gsnaallxr loo 81 4.