The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-08
THE FARM-YARD CLUB OF LOTHIAN.
BY DR.. George B. Loring.

TREApING ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
Here the President reminded Mr.. Isley
that the rules Of tic Club required every
member to ronfine himself to the subject
under discussion, and he was especially
d sirous that disturbing questions of re-
gion, morals and politics should be kept
out of their deliberations. He expressed
his great obligations to Mr. Ilsley for the
practical remarks which he had made, and
hoped he would continue them, and ex-
cuse him for interrupting him in the cur
rent of his thoughts. For one he would
be glad TO hear more of the processes of
seeding grass lands, and he was partcu-
larry interested in the best mode of making
hay-a matter which had been much dis
cussed, and on which he did not donbt that
Mr.. Ilsley had had large experience, and
could present some useful and important
views.
But the thread of Peter Ilsley's discourse
was broken; he could not rally; he had
gathered so much strength as he went on
that when he was checked, sudden and
unexpected exhaustion followed. He only
remarked, therefore, when the president
closed his statement, that he must be ex-
SusSu AOi tiyluS W lnlldte tne WlS6 Ileu VI
TIE Club, much of whose talk belonged to
one text just as well as to another, in his
opinion, adding, "The old cock crows, and
the young one learns" Upon this he sat
down, and left the matter Tor others to dis
cuss.
'Mr. President" said John Thomas,
"my friend Ilsley has done we'll. lie
needn't have raked up the old quarrel about
fodder-corn, it is true, for l understood
what he was driving at just as we'll as he
did himself. He was talking about hay,
and was thinking about it; and. when Il
thing is settled with me, it is settled"
sob! don't harp upon that old matter,
any more" said 1lsley; 81 got at it by ac-
cident, just as half the great speakers do /;
and, when had padded in, padded out
again as quick as l could. But 1 don't be-
lieve John Thomas is in order under the
rules. Can't you bring him to, as you did
me, Mr.. PRESIDENT"
The President reminded Mr.. Thomas of
the rule, and enlarged somewhat on the
courtesies of debate and the weakness of
personality in all discussion. Upon which
the thrifty farmer of lothian resumed his
remarks
81 have noticed good deal of debate
lately about the best methods of making
hay, as well as of seeding the land and
cutting the grass. 1t seems to be the opin-
ion of many very sensible men and good
farmers, that grass had better be cut in the
morning, after the dew is off, and stacked
or stored in the barn the same day. do
not know how this ls-but / haYe my
doubts. Can any member of the Club
give an account of this new process?"
No one replied, until the school master,
who had been silent the whole evening, as
and who was always expected to know
something about every question which in
volved considerable book learning, rose and
said:
81 do not think, Mr. President, that the
plan to which Mr.. Thomas alludes has
been so generally adopted as to make it a
matter important enough for discussion or
for any special experiment. A kind of hay
known as black hay has long been known
in some parts of Europe; and of course its
existence there is enough to make it an
object of inquiry here. As near as / can
learn, the mode of preparation which re-
suits IN converting grass into black hay is
confined mainly to those sections of Eu-
rope where fine hay-day with clear air
and bright sun is not often found The
grass is cut, as Mr.. Johnson says. in the
morning as soon as the dew is off, and if
there is no rainfall during the midday, it is
hauled into the barns or stacked in the
Held as may be most convenient to the hay
maker. We are told that by this process
in which the grass is cured rather by being
cooked in packing than dried in the open
air a nutritious and palatable hay is pro-
duced; and that in this manner not only is
time saved, but the risks of the weather,
attendant on the usual long process of dry
ing, are avoided. 1t is usual in storing hay
in this green state, to be sure that it is free
from dew, and all external moisture caused
by rain, and to fill the NOW or complete the
stack in which the hay is to be placed, SO
as to avoid the necessity of giving them a
new supply on any following day. The
top of the NOW or stack is covered with a
foot or two of straw or refuse hay, and the
mass is left to dry and ripen. The steam
and heat rising from the mass, DESTROYS the
covering entirely, or converts it into a pile,
decayed and moldy; while the hay itself
goes through change which makes it
equal to the best hay prepared in the usual
way, in the most suspicious weather. This
plan, which is adopted perhaps from neces-
sity in the dim and hazy sunlight of North.
ern Europe, has many advocates in this
country. They are very earnest in defend
ing their custom, and assure us that their
hay is vastly superior to that of their neigh
bors and to their own which they cured in
the usual manner. / cannot learn, how
ever, that they have many followers, or that
the custom is very generally adopted And
! have been inclined to look upon the whole
thing as largely matter of experiment and
speculation; and to believe that, in describ-
ing the process, many of the concurrent
circumstances, such as the condition of the
grass, the amount yielded by the acre, the time
of year when it was cut, have been omitted
or lost sight Of That grass heavy enough
to make three tons of hay TO the acre can
be properly cured in this fashion doubt.
And have found but few farmers who
either for their own use or the market,
were willing to substitute hay cooked in the
NOW for that sweet-scented and nutritious
fodder which is made from good English
grass, cut when in good condition, and
dried under good hot American SUM-"
Dr Parker Nhn WAC nrpqpnt haI baan