The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-07-11
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSE,
EARLY HAYINc.

We have frequently urged early cut
ting, not only because the hay was
better aud more nutritious, but also
because such early cutting saved the
life Of the plant, as evidenced by the
green meadows following; while, if
deferred to a time when the seeds
were formed, we rarely had any after
math. In corroboration of this, we
have now, in the Vermont agricultur-
al report, an account of the practice
of Mr.. Amaro Scott, merchant of
Crattsbury, in that State, who,, for
several years, has been in the habit of
having his grass cut and in the barn
before any heads appear; "his theory
being that, if the grass is cut before
the seed stalk commences to shoot
upward, the same stalk that is cut
Off will continue to grow, instead of
starting a new shoot from the root,
as in the case where the cutting is de-
layed until the seed stalk is partially
Or fully developed. He thus secures
an earlier growth for the succeeding
crop" His small farm is in the high
est condition, and produces in favora-
bic seasons three crops. Scales are
kept on the place, and in conducting
his experiments he weighs his crops.
In favorable seasons he has cut as
high as five tons per acre at the three
cuttings, twenty-five pounds Of which,
by actual experiment, was the amount
per day required to keep large COW
in the highest condition, and thirty
pounds per day, fed to a pair Of year
ling steers, without any other food,
produced an average growth of over
three pounds per day during the en-
tire winter. In the production of
milk and butter, Mr.. SCOTS expert
ments, here detailed, show this early
cut grass to be greatly superior to or
dinary hay, as it is also in feeding
young steers for the market. A pair
CT steers, sold at the age of twenty
four months, weighed 2,610 pounds,
and dressed 1 SEQ pounds. Another
pair, half short-horn blood, at % IA
months old weighed 2,740 pounds,
and had made a gain during the pre-
ceding twelve months of no less than
100 pounds per month, and and an
average growth from birth of 10
pounds per month. All these cattle
were raised on skim milk, with hay
tea and dried grass no grain of any
kind or roots were fed to any Of them,
except the last pair for while before
they were sold. The feeder, being
short of the did SIasS, was compel
led to feed common hay, and, TO Keep
his cattle from growing poor, was
obliged to feed potatoes and meal, but
he says that during this very period
his cattle made the slowest growth.
These experiments and the deduc-
tons of Mr.. Scott are certainly worth
the attention of intelligent farmers.
Two facts having an immediate bear
ing upon the subject, and strongly
COlIODOl dtlNC VI CllS0C UCtiuCllOuS,
must be regarded as unquestionable,
to w.t. First, that. green grass will
fatten stock and make the best of
beef and mutton; while the best of
hay, as generally cut and cured, does
not, as general rule, when fed in the
most liberal quantities, keep stock
from running down in condition dur
ing the winter. The other fact is that
while, as general thing, our mead
ows show a diminished production
from year to year, even on good lands,
on the same lands the pastures, under
proper management, are found to i'm
prove with age. The first fact tends
to prove that our hay is not cut early
enough to preserve the highest nutri-
tive value of the grass; and the Sec
ond fact tends to prove that allowing
the grass to mature before cutting in
juriously affects the future life of the
plant. It seems to us that curing
grass cut so early may be attended
with difficulty; but Mr.. Scott says he
generally gets it into cock the first
day, and into the barn the second,
with favorable weather. At all events
we regard these experiments as wor-
thy Of being repeated by our farmers
and whatever may be the final con
clusion, we are satisfied that it will be
found that grass must be but earlier
Exchange.