Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-07-26

The Hay Harvest.
ny ALEXANDER HYDE.


work the music Of the moving ma
chine is heard on all sides. Their,
has been magic in these late rainl
to bring forward the grass crop 81
rapidly, and We hail it as an auspi'
cious omen for the future of our ag
riculture that farmers are SO ready
to accept the theory Of an early hay
harvest and have so generally start
ed their machines. Whoever So
cures his hay in June will find his
gain not only in it's better quality,
but the chances are that he will
have another crop in August, the
quality of which will be superior to
the first. Grass that is cut just as
it is coming into blossom, starts up
again with great vigOr, apparently
determined to accomplish its great
mission of producing seed. The
second crop, however, has more
foliage and less stems, than the first,
and in this respect is better, for the
leaves contain more nutriment than
the stems. comparatively few
farmers have appreciated rowen
hay. Very many know nothing
about its value, as they have har.
vested their first crop 80 late that
the roots had little time and less
inclination to produce another.
There has also been a very general
impression that two crops exhaust
ed the land, and that it was better
to let the aftermath remain as a
protection to the roots of the grass
es, and as a fertilizer. The truth
is that two crops, cut before the
seed is formed, are less exhaustive
than one cut so late that the seed
is matured, and as for the fertilizing
effects of the aftermath, if the first
crop is cut in June, and the land is
in good condition, the second growth
will be 80 luxuriant that it's cutting
will he neuessity, as otherwise it
will smother the roots. We like a
good allowance of aftermath as a
protection to the roots, and especial
ly to elaborate some sap for their
inauguration, but if the first crop is
cut in June and the second in Au-
gust, the third growth will be ample
for these purposes.
This early harvesting of the hay
crop is likely to work revolution
in the management of moving lots.
The early harvest will necessitate
also a late second harvest, and both
together will necessitate more top
dressing, SO that when the custom
is we'll established of starting the
moving machine early, we look to
see twice as much grass cut and
twice as much stock carried on the
same amount OF land. A recent
article in the Rural New Yorker ex. I
presses our ideas on this point "In
the good old times, before moving L
machines, tedders, and horse-rakes, t
it would have been cruelty to talk c
about two or three hayings in one n
summer. But now that the hand Il
ling Of grass is reduced to 80 small p
an item, there is no difficulty about Il
it, if we can only raise the grass. b
Can we do it9 Is it all humbug to 81
talk about carrying herd of twenty. it
five cows on the feed of fifty acre fl
farmY We know practical dairy. d
man who keeps that number on d
twenty-five acres, but he soils in 81
stead of pasturing them. There are ty
thousands OF farms better suited to b'
dairying than his, yet we will not tt
frlghten our readers by proposing 81
to them to stock up al the same OF
rate, But we do think any of us ic
might be smart enough to make re
fifty acres carry herd of twenty in
five, if we would only make a study ga
of the subject. 1t will take manure 81
to do it, and knowledge and skill
as WE'LL" HI
To establish the custom of cutting W "
two crops ofhay each year, and then '. ".
leaving an aftermath sufficient for VI
the protection and inauguration of !.
the roots, it only requires few ~ =:
farmers in a town to '.
lead the van. The others will slow. -
". but surely. fall into line. They 90 90
may say some sharp things, may
talk about neighbor AIS verdancy -
in cutting green grass, and call =.
neighbor b. a blockhead, and neigh ~
Dor 9. calf, but there is nothing w
no successful as success, and when "
they see the barns of A., B. and G. va
overfowing with hay in the fall, ="
and their stock in the spring as fat 81
rs Pharoah's fat kline, they will be wv
stimulated to start the moving w
the next summer pretty Az
soon after they hear its click in the 'el
fields of their neighbOrs. The early VIZ
harvester. of hay need not say a -"
vOrd to his neighbors. If he only LILY
ets them good example, shows ~
hem increased crops and improved io'
took, there are few SO dull or stub 'ae
'orn that they will not appreciate 'n ~
he silent influence. en
Another good result which we an
nticipate from the early harvesting o"'
10, - L