Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-07-10
garu' ano 5onstbolO.
he cen.cS EsJ Harvest,

lie Se1!eS EAJ Ga,|ss..
II is frequently said that farmers,
more than any other class OF workers.
cling closely TO the old traditions /,
and il any additional proof OF i, were
needed. we think ii would be at once
found in the methods still pursued in
cutting and curing grass for bay.
With all the Improvements in haying
machinery, every one OF which 10
calculated 10 lessen the lsoor. shorten
the period of doing the work. and
expedite every operation in the bust
ness, hsying is yet managed very
much as il was before the days OF
mowers and tedders. Farmers hest
tate to begin ST the right time, cling
TO the old idea that grsss must become
quite ripe and have lots OF heart" TO
it before il is cut, and then daily
along with the curing process, not un-
frequently burning the goodness GU,
Of the hay by overcoming before it 10
put into the NOW. 1t is surely time
that all this was changed.
Now if it were possible 70 have all
the grass on your farm cut and put
into the barn In three days time, you
could choose those three days at jus,
the period when the grass was in its
best condition, but this is hardly pos
sible. At any rate. even with the larg-
est crews OF workmen most farmers
can employ, and with the best facili-
ties ST command, the average having
period will reach over two full weeks.
Occasionally we hear of instances
where farmers are all through haying
in ten days, and every load harvested
without drop Of rain upon it. A
part Of this Of course depends upon the
season, = part upon the character OF
the man; but The man, more than
would at first appear. mskes good
weather more valuable, or in other
words, he SO expedites the business
in favorable dsys that unfavorable
days do him no injury. Supposing
the grass is just right 10 be cut q, the
beginning Of having, at the end OF
two weeks bali Of it has deprecated
fully twenty-five per cent. SO ihA, it 10
necessary, in order TO finish the work
before too great q loss takes place in
grass last cut, 10 commence q, what
may really seem two early a period.
But At close OF hay harves, We have
never seen q farmer who said he CON-
menced haying . week too soon.
Whosoever has closely watched the
character Of the seasons and weather
during the period Of the New England
hay harvest, has found that the las,
four days OF June and the first eiyh.
days Of July are very sure TO give Us
the best days Of real hay weather tia,
We get FOR the entire season. Al
most invariably after this comes heavy
clouds, rains, dog days. So that this
may be safe rule 10 insis, upon
that by the second Saturday OF July,
this very year, every load Of hay shall
be in the barn on every farm in New
England.
This, with the use Of labor-saving
implements, will give ample time for
everything to be well done. The
power Of . days good sunshine 70
make hay is immense it's power to
burn up and destroy and render o..
most worthless ;hs best grass is also
immense. More hay is injured BY
being over-cured than by being cured
or dried too little. Talk with all the
men keeping horses in the city Of
Boston, with every milk farmer and
dairyman in New England and they
Will tell you that hay cut in the morn.
ing thoroughly dried by being twlc.
thrown into the heated air o. q july
hay day. with the thermometer .,
sighty-fve degrees, by means of q
tedder, and hauled into the barn 4,
four O'Clock in the afternoon, il the
best hay TO feed out to horses or milct
COWS that was ever put upon a fork
Horses will work better upon it; COW,
will yield more milk upon it thar
upon double the quantity of lste-cu
hay, or of hay from which the life ha.
al been burnt out. Scientists maj
talk ali they will about the slight diff
ference in the value Of analysis b
tween early and lsts-cut hay, the 10
variable answer from practical met
everywhere, who are feeding out hay
? constantly and watching it, results
to the question. "Whst is The bes
hay for horses, for mich cows!" ie
"Fine, early-cut hay for COVE; .gooc
sariy-cut timothy for horses. no white
wssd hauled in tie same day it VA
est
During IL coming week ths hay