Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-06-19
agricultural.
From the New England Farmer.
St0riag Hay.

open OafuS. anu tlAt tnC hoANSA Az - ~
den down the better, so as to exclude the
sir. 1t seems strange to me that such
doctrine could meet with as popular
reception as ii has, but such Is the greed
with which we progressive farmers 60 for
new ideas, that we often accept theories
for facts, before they are proven by
practical test of the farm.
This doctrine Of partially dried hay
keeping better in a close barn, and the
harder il is trOdden down, and the quick
er 4 NOW is filed the better, has been
advocated by at least two members OF the
State Board Of Agriculture of MasSachu-
sets within few years, and has found In
that learned body no one to reiute the
error of such doctrine. At first, | was
inclined to believe in this theory, and, as
l believed in cutting hay early, and dry
ing it as little as possible to keep 1t bright
and sweet, tried getting the hay in quite
green and filling up NOW at time, as
quickly as possible, treading it solid, try
ing thereby to exclude the air, on the
principle Of canning fruit, but | found 1t
was folly to attempt to pack hay so sohd
in barn as to exclude the air entirely.
The advocates of this doctrine claim that
we can pack wilted hay so solid in a tight
barn as to exclude the air and thereby
prevent fermentation, as in a sealed fruit
can. And herein is the error Of this
theory we cannot possibly exclude all
the air, and enough will always remain IN
the hay to produce fermentation and heat
and, if it is packed close in tight barn.
it will not dry through before 1t has evOlv-
ed heat enough 10 turn the color, and
then it becomes brown and smoky all the
way up through the centre Of the nov,
while the side where it could dry off will
be bright and green, as when it was first
put into the barn. We should not be
deceived by the fact that the top Of the
NOW will be the poorest part Of all, Tor
the moisture which is driven out by the
heat always rises 10 the top and condenSes
over the centre Of the mow-mOst Of 1t
escapes at the top instead Of at the side
and close observation will show the
sides bright when the top is spoiled.
Every one who has had any experience
in canning fruit knows that, if the fruit
is not thoroughly cooked 50 as to drive
all the air out, and if the can is not per-
fectly air tight, it will spoil very quickly.
From this fact We should learn that, If We
would keep hay bright and sweet We must
dry il, or cook and seal it up air tight,
and then by putting green hay in a solid
NOW. in q tight barn, and keeping the
doors and windows shut We cannot exclude
the air so as TO prevent fermentation.
Grass, especially if nearly ripe, that is
sitter il has blosSomed, contains but very
little water and very much smaller per
cent. of the albuminOidS than it does earl
Ter in the season, while large part Of It
is woody fibre. and if cut when it Is dry,
and exposed 10 two or three hours hot
sun, il will keep almost anywhere, and 1t
matters not how solid It is trod or how
light it is left. But early cut hay, that
it. grass cut before it blossoms, or when
il first begins to blossom, requires very
different treatment Such hay contains
very much more moisture, and q very
much larger per cent. Of the albuminoids,
or aesh-forming elements consequently,
it will spoil very quick when packed so
solid as to generate much heat before 1t
dries through, and the closer it is packed,
the hotter it will be. Certainly, it can
not be packed solid in a close barn and
kept bright, unless sufficiently dry TO keep
anywhere, and one days drying Will sell
dom do it. But such hay may be put in
quite green and be spread around in the
barn, or left untrodden on a scafold with
an open floor, for few days, where 1t can
dry through and then be moved away,
when it will make the brightest Of hay.
This is an excellent plan, when one has
sufficient barn room. Grass dried by be-
ing exposed to the air in barn will
make brighter colored hay than if dried
in the sun. Partially dried hay may
also be cured By moving it away with
alternate layers Of old straw. In this
case, the straw, By Its excessive dryneSS,
will absorb the surplus moisture in the
hay, and keep it light and allow better
circulation Of air through the now
When hay has been moved away too
green, it often may be improved by pitch
ing it over and leaving it as light as pos
sible so as TO air it, and being ! little
warm, it will dry of very quick. When
the weather Is bad and We are obliged to
get hay in too green, it Is good plan to
let it stand il the cart over night, in a
draft Of air. Ii will heat little in the
centre and that will drive some Of the
moisture out and the air Will dry It of,
but care must be taken not to let II stand
long enough to heat much or the color
will be turned When | have moved
away hay too green, | have always found
it bright on the front side aud next the
boarding where there were cracks TO air
it, and the brownest and most smoky in
the centre, and where the man stood who
moved it away. If any Of the readers
of the FARMER have doubts as to the cor
rectnesS Of my position, all the proof they
need is to be found in any barn where hay
has been slowed away right from the field.
Ii the bay was sufficiently dry, it will be
bright, but if it was moved away too
green 1t will be brown and smoky in the
centre, and where it was trOdden the hard
est. but will be bright on the sides where
the air could dry it. For these reasons,