Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-08-04
Sailing Hay.

Whether TO put salt on their hay as they
pack It down in the mow or to leave il with
out sailing, is question which many far
mers consider and which some are unable tC
answer in a satisfactory manner. Upon thil
subject, as upon all others, both opinion and
practice differ. One man is very sure that
hay ought to be salted, and he salts all that
he puts into the barn. lie would as soon
think Of packing his pork without salt, as
Of letting his hay be put into the barn un-
salted. But his neighbor does not believe il
either necessary or best to put salt on bis
hay, and so he lets it go into the NOV with.
out it. He is confident that bis way is the
best. These men represent two large
classes in almost every agricultural commu.
nifty. And there is still another class Of
farmers who are in doubt on the question
which their neighbors so readily decide.
They do not feel sure which is the best way.
They see objections to both methods and do
not know upon which side they are the
stronger On some accounts they like to
put salt on their hay, while on others they
very much prefer not to do it, [u practic o
they usually salt part Of it and leave part
OF it without sailing. Which is the best
method This We think will depend very
much upon circumstances. If man ge.s in
his hay very green, he will by adding little
salt when it is packed down in the NOW, do
something towards preserving it in a little
better order than it would otherwise be.
But we think the advantages of salt as an
agent for preserving hay are greatly over.
rated. Probably the larger part of all that
is applied settles at once towards the bot
tom of the NOW. And but very little Of it
does any good except to the very small
quantity Of hay which is near the floor.
This gets salted altogether too much, while
all the top and middle of the NOW retains
but very little of the salt and consequently
receives but little benefit. We think it is
very much better to get the hay dry enough
before it is put into the barn than it is to
get it in too green and then try to undo the
mischief by the very uncertain remedy of
applying salt. Again, if a man is in the
habit of sailing his cattle regularly there is
less need of sailing his hay, than there
would if he wholly neglected, as some far.
mers do, to supply them. For in one fern
or another cattle must have salt if they are
to remain healthy. If wholly deprived Of it
they cannot thrive. Therefore we must con.
slider it better to have the hay salted than it
is to keep the animals to which it is fed
wholly deprived of salt, but we think it bet.
ter to salt them regularly, or else keep a
supply where they can always get it, than
it is to put it on the hay. As we have al
ready said this putting salt on the hay when
it is packed down in the NOW is very uncer-
tain business. Most of the salt will newt.
ably gravitatc toward the bottom of the
NOW and while the larger part of the hay
will be salted but very little, part of it will
be extremely salt. Then, too, when salt is
given alone, cattle can eat it or not, as they
choose, but il it is worked into the hay, they
must while eating the hay also eat the salt
without regard to whether they want it or
not. This certainly cannot be considered
good way Of feeding salt If man will
salt bis cattle regularly and dry his hay
well before he puts it into the barn, there
will be no need Of sailing the hay. And
thus we think is much better to feed the salt
directly to the cattle, as they need and
want it, than it is to put it on the hay and run
the risk Of their gettisg it at suitable times
and in proper quantites.-NeaD ENGLAND
Homestead