The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-08-04
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
How to Make Hay.

Ao - aopo "cCbLB NJ bll6 IN.
Y.) farmers club the question of cutting
grass and making hay was considered
A. II. Frost said: / am greatly in favor
of cutting grass while it is yet grass, be-
fore it reaches the woody stage. It
makes hay of sfar better quality,
especially for feeding 10 sheep. If it is
left standing too long sheep will eat only
the heads and a portion Of the leaves,
leaving the coarse, inputritious stalks as
waste, and it is impossible for them to
fatten on such feed as ripe timothy hay.
When / was boy it was common oc-
currence for sheep to die in wintering,
the loss being attributed to lack of care,
but I am we'll satisfiea that in many cases
there was suficient cause in the over
ripe timothy 4which..in those days was
made into hay. It is true we used to
have better meadows then, which think
may be attributed to the fact that the
leaf mold was not washed out of the
soil as it is now by long continued till
ing. We cut with scythe, too, leaving
more protection to tho roots, and besides
we did not pasture off closely in the fall,
as the custom now Is, fer we overstock
with cattle and sheep, and the result is
that we yield to the temptation of q nice
aftergrowth, which ought to be left as
stock to Craze it closely, so that the sod
is exposed to the bleak winds of winter,
naked and unprotected. On my farm
sheep are rarely put on the meadows to
Craze" i believe If tho aftergrowth is
not fed off at all the crop in tho next
season is moro than enough better to
compensate the apparent loss. If am
to define the exact time when timothy
may gathered with the greatest profit,
having regard to the quality of the hay
and the permanency of the sod, should
say, just at the time when the seed is
forming, before it is plumpFand full, in
fact, when it is plainly beginning to
form. I am considering this matter with
reference to sheep and COWS. If the hay
is to be used for horses it Will do to cut
the grass at later. stage. I believe
that one ton of hay made rom grass cut
at the stage have design6ted win go as
far in feeding sheep or COWS as a ton
anda quarter cut ut q later stage, say when
the seed is fully formed. One season I
cut a9portion of my grass, and having
barley ripe I attended to that before
finishing my ,haying, so that what re-
NAMED was Somewhat iover-ripe. 1t
seemed to me in the feeding that in
weight land LISTING qualities the early
which was Puffy and hight, the stock
having no relish for it. For making
milk there is: no doubt that ieally cut is
vastly superior to late cut grass. I have
never been able to cutgood grass ut
what l regard as the proper stage, and
draw it IN on the Same day. It is true I
have not used the tedder, but when tho
grass is succulent as it should be, it
seems impossible that it should be suf-
fciently cured in few hours of an after
noon to prevent heating and sweating in
the NOW and turning red, as it often
does after such heating. All this is
hurtful, even with timothy hay, 80 I
prefer more thorough curing in the
meadow. AS for clover, 1 have been
obliged in tolerably good weather to
leave it out two or three or even four
days, for would much prefer having it
cured IN the field to having it burn like
an oven in the barn. I do not want the
experience of President Hoffman or of
Secretary Armstrong (alluding to the
fact that each had a barn burn with the
contents, caused by storing green clover).
If can manage clover to suit cut il
the morning and get in'@cock toward
night. Then with O little opening out
and handling it will in two or three days,
want 1T much exposed to the sun so as to
get brown and brittle. I want the bright
clover blossoms to show their color in
the hay. One thing more I must add in
regard to hay making-it is a recon-
mendation for hay. caps. They are not
expensive, and q set once provided will
last many years, Spread over the cocks
they preserve the hay from wet even if
there should be unite ireavy rains. My
brother uses caps, and he has told me
that they would save his hay through a
week of rain. Cioyers needs such pro
lection more than timothy does.
scedipR 80 Grnss.
We lay down the following requisites
for successful seeding :. A smooth bed
Of mellow earth, Covering the seed by
this mellow surfaSe.E IF seeded with
winter grain, mellowing the surface
either in late autunn or in early spring
. by surface narrowing If seeded with
spring grain, and especially with oats,
sowing never more than half the usual
amount of gram. The grass crop will
be much increased by sowing large
amount of seed-say half O bushel or
more per acre. TO these requisites we
may add, that IL the surface of the
ground can be dressed with moderate
coat OF. light compost or short manure
before sowing, to be finely intermixed
with the soil by light, subsequent har-
rowing, it will not only tend to cause all
the grass seed to germinate, but its
growth will be greatly increased. A
carefaiSsnd thorough preparation will
prove more economical in the end, by
the heavy and reliable product which il