The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-10
Haying.

Aoyh6s
With the first week of the present month
begins the harvest of the great crop of New
England. The week after the "Fourth'' is
the appointed time for the farmers of our
own state, and hardly until then may the
flash of the scythe and the music of the
moving machine be sail TO be general in
every town.
Although it is true as q general rule that
the bulk of the crop of grass is produced in
June, it is not always safe, even at the close
of the month, to predict results. We have
known it in season of early drouth to get
almost its entire growth in July; and even
when many fields have suffered from winter
killing, and have been checked by a back
ward spring, it will probably receive vigor-
Gus thickening up from the sunshine and
showers of the passing week. From present
appearances, however, the crop in Maine
will hardly equal that of last year.
While the acreage and the yield of this
crop have increased annually, the expendi-
ture OF labor has been diminished; and
although much is due to the. introduction of
labor-saving machines and implements, more
credit belongs to the general adoption of
common sense ideas with regard to certain
matters.
"Get Ready" should BE- the motto of
every man before he enters his fields of grass.
The successful, economical and comfortable
management of haying depends very much
upon the thoroughness of the previous work
of preparation. Nothing that can be done
in advance should be omitted. In the out
set, speciali regard should be had to the
health of man and beast; so far as may be
practicable all ailments and infrmities should
be removed by the use of vigorous remedial
agencies, as the weak and feeble body is sure
10 become more debilitated andless efficient as
the work progresses. Every needed tool ald
implement should be procured and proper pro-
vision made for the minor equipments which
may be subject to breakage or loss.
We believe in the mowing-machine, the ted
der, the horse-rake, the hay-loader and hay
coverings, and do not doubt that their wide
introduction would serve to lessen the labor
required, and improve the quality of the ar
ticle manufactured. While it may not be
advisable for every small farmer to purchase
the entire list of these improved implements,
1t is nevertheless true that there is no COM
munity or neighborhood so poor or so small
that it would not be benefited by forming
some kind ofcopartnership for the purpose of
procuring ample supplies of stores for the
house and barnard of the best quality
should be obtained before the work is begun
both for the saving of money and time We
notice that many practical men recommend
return to the simpler, and after all more sub
stantial fare of our Pilgrim and AngIo-Saxon
fathers-bread and cheese, bread and milk,
the fruits and berries OF the season with their
cooling and acid juices; occasionally SUBJ
stantial meal of salt rather than fresh meats,
iced or cool water with few spoonfuls of
oatmeal, are to be preferred to rum, cider,
tat meats and high seasoned dishes. As
cheese contains twice as much nutrition as
beef and as it is home product always ready
for use without the trouble or expense of
cooking, its use with bread is to be COM
mended not merely for luncheon as formerly,
but for full meal. In the matter Of cloth
ivg, not much is required for the body in Or
der that it may be kept in health and COM
fort-while for the feet. ones own experience
will alone decide what is the most suitable
covering. The head requires special protec-
ton and the thin, light hat which should al
ways be worn, should have within its crown
few green leaves, or a wet cloth to guard
against the ht1rn ~ = Io
OF some OF these simple precautions frequent
~ leads to the most serious consequences
Tue man who is fully equipped for work be.
fore he begins haying. need not dread the
undertaking; the worst is over for him ''Well
begun is half DONE"
Within few years farmers have been
rapidly learning that it is for their interest to
cut grass early-in the early blossom, before
the stalk becomes tough and hard. Hay
thus made is like the grass of June which
creates fat and flesh and milk so readily, and
is so easily digested. A second crop of the
same tender and nutritious character is also
obtained, weeds and their seeds are d e.
stroyed, the roots of grass are less exposed to
the frequent drouths of midsummer, and the
total yield is increased. From satisfactory
experiments abroad we are convinced that
grass would be still more valuable if even an
earlier. period was fixed for cutting it and
converting it into hay. For the present
however we shall be content to see the ma
jority of farmers satisfied not TO wait until
the grass seed begins to ripen.
The belief that, grass by proper manage
ment may he rapidly cured, is fast gaining
ground. Every year sees intelligent and
courageous men making ventures in this
direction, and while less labor is thus wasted
as in former times the quality and value of
the hay is increased. The present practice
among progressive farmers who use machines
Is to set them in motion in the latter part of
the afternoon-if the next day should prove
to be rainy the grass will remain uninjured-
II fair, as soon as may be it is thoroughly
stirred and shaken, and after this process has
been once or twice repeated it is carried to
the barn. Grass that is not quite cured will
receive the finishing touch by being loaded
and unloaded in the hot sun and air of mid
day-while that which may be in just the
the right condition will receive some injury
lift is not carted from the field until the APP.
proach of night. In order that grass may be
cured in short time every hour must be i'm
proved, and when it has been raked up on
the first day it requires early stirring the
next morning. On this point We append the
opinion of the editor of the n E.. Farmer,
who is a practical farmer:
Necessity is the mother of invention"
but no more so than the mother of discovery.
We are pretty apt to follow in beaten path
as long as there are no distractions in the
way of our progress. We have usually fol-
lowed the old practice of waiting till the dew
was off before beginning to open our hay on
the morning of the second day, but OCCASION
ally, having taken down an extra large
amount on the day previous and knowing
that hard days work was before US, we
have commenced opening the cocks earl in
the morning, in some cases an hour or more
before the dew was dried from the stubble.
1t seemed decidedly odd to be opening and
spreading hay that was nearly dry upon stub
BILE so wet with dew as to soak the shoes on
the feet, but knowing that if the hay was all