The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-28
Early Having.

\ granger friend of The LEADER
sends the following extract from an
Agricultural Journal, which we COM
mend to the careful perusal of our
ranchmen:
We have frequently urged early cut
ting, not only because the hay was
better and more nutritious, but also
because such early cutting saved the
life of the plant, as evidenced by the
green meadows following; while if de-
ferred to q time when the seeds were
formed, we rarely had any aftermath.
In confederation of this, we have now,
in the Vermont agricultural report, an
account of the practice of Mr. Armaro
Scott, a merchant of Craftsbury, 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 com
n to shoot upward, the same
stalk that is cut off Will continue TO
grow, instead of starting Il new shoot
from the root, as is the case where the
cutting is delayed until the seed-stalk
is partially or fully developed. lie thus
secures an earlier growth for the sue
ceediDg CROP Ills small farm is in the
highest condition, and produces in fav-
orahle seasons three crops. Scales are
kept OF the place, and in conducting
his experiments he weighs his crops,
etc.
In favorable seasons he has cut as
high Us five tons per acre at the three
cuttings, 20 pounds of which, by actual
experiment, was the mount per day
required to keep a large COW in the
highest condition, and 80 pounds per
day, fed TO u pair of yearling steers,
without any other food, produced IN
average growth of over three pounds
per day during the entire Winter. In
the production of milk and butter, Mr..
Scott's experiments, here detailed, show
this early cutsigrass to be greatly sup
erior to ordinary hay, as it is also in
feeding young steers for the market.
A pair of steers, sold ut the age of "a
months, weighed 2,6l0 pounds, and
dressed 1880 pounds. Another pair,
half Shorthorn blood, at 23t months
old, weighed 2,6l0 pounds, aud had
made a gain during the preceding Il
months of no less than 100 pounds per
month, and an average growth from
birth of Ito pounds per month. All
these cattle were raised on skim milk,
with hay tea and dried grass; was COM
PEELED to feed common hay, and, tokeep
his cattle from growing poor, was
obliged to feed potatoes and meal, but
he says that during this very period his
cattle made the lowest growth.
These experiments and the deductions
of Nj. Scott are certainly worth the at
tention of intelligent farmers. Two
facts haveing an immediate bearing upon
tho St,IiaRr np6 Strnrr1v r~nrrnhnrafiN- a
of these deductions, must be re-
garded as unquestionable to wit: 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 q general rule, when
fed in the most liberal quantities, keep
stock from running down in condition
during the winter. The other fact is,
that while, as a general thing, our
eadow show Il diminished produc-
tlon from year to year, even on good
lands, on the same lands the pastures,
under proper management, are found
to improve 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 second
fact tends to prove that allowing the
grass to mature before cutting injur-
iously affects the future life OF the plant.
1t seems to us that curing grass cut so
early may be attended with difficulty;
but, MI. Scott says, he generally gets
it into cock the first day and into the
barn the second, with favorable wealth
er. At all events, we regard these ex-
periments as worthy of being repeated
by our farmers; and whatever may be
final conclusion, we are satisfied that it
will be found that we must cut earlier.