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

ture, and SOW O little timothy an
clover, and in moist soils u it'll
red.t0p. 1t remains for US to In
prove on this practice, aud SOW a
least o half dozen, possibly doze
varieties. This ia the teaching {
the Great Husbandman, for on
square rod of an old pasture o
meadow there can generally b
found o score of different species q
grass growing together. An OF
serving acquaintance last summe
sat down on q cock of hay, and fror
his we'll cushioned seat selected
twenty.six varieties of grass, tn
product of about q square rod
These different grasses doubles
draw on the soil for different kind
of nutrimeDt and likewise furnish |
variety Of food for stock. TimOth
may make the best of hay-thougl
we doubt it-but ia it worth whil'
to restrict ones self to timothy wher
there are so many other kinds 0
grass evidently intended to grow to-
getherf Orchard grass will furnish
nearly twice as much hay, and o
better quality, certainly if with it il
sown q liberal allowance of Kentuc
ky blue, meadow fescue, perennial
rye, tall Oat and red clover. These
are the six varieties which Presi
dent Flint, of the Massachusetts
Agricultural College, recommends
to be sown together for all early
crop, as they are ready for harvest
ing about the same time, in June.
For a later crop he recommends
timothy, red.top, English bent, and
clover, and for permanent pasture
"a still greater variety, maturing at
different periods through the whole
season. If we SOW only two or three
varieties, nature, or, more properly,
Providence, supplements our neg
lect by slowly bringing in others,
but there is great gain in anticipat-
ing this natural increase.
Another quite common mistake
in harvesting hay is to expose it
too much to the sun and winds.
The old maxim, snake hay when
the sun Shines" is true, but if it is
implied that hay can be made in no
other time, the implication is not
true. There is such thing as dry
ng grass to death and letting the
Winds scatter all its volatile virtues
o the four quarters of the earth.
That hay is best which is partly |
Tried in cock. As soon as the dew
s evaporated and the grass is with
red, but while it is still flexible and
uicy, it can be put into small-based
all cocks, through which the air
will circulate and make hay that
will be green in color, but still we'll
'ured, being tender and pliable and
having the delightful and exhilarat-
ng aroma Of green tea. Hay that
has been dried in the sun and wind
ill it is as brown as an old hat, and
Try and brittle as straw, has not
lalf it's goodness. If the cocks are
arge and the grass quite green,
hree days may be required for the
uring, and possibly the cocks will
eed to be opened on the second or
lird day, or both, but the less ex-
osure to sun and wind in curing :.
ne better the hay. This principle .
as long been practiced in curing
over, and if farmers would extend
TO other kinds of grass they would
nd it to their advantage. In the
avs when our mothers were the "
octors of the family, and in the :
INNER stored away a large quanti-
Of mate,ia n,edica III the form of a
'neset, pennyroyal. sage, ETC., :. =,
ey never dried their herbs in the u
IN and wind, bnt spread them out .
the garnet floor, so that the med Is
inal virtues might be the better u
tanned. If this was good practice II
curing herbs, why should not the U
me principle be adopted in curing u
ass! "
There is still another point in the "
lrvesting of grass to which we 81
II the attention of farmers, and h
is is that when the hay is sufi- "
emily dry it should be slowed tt
way as compactly as possible. If 81
could be ''bottled mp" so that no 81
r could touch it, grass could be n
owed away quite green, on the b
me principle that vegetables and I'll
aits are preserved in cans. Fer a.
is nothing but slow COM "
lstion, and this cannot occur with al
t the aid of air. The fermenta. C
IN cheating, farmers call it, of q tt
ok or NOV Of hay is caused by the re
ygen of the air uniting with the al
rbon OF the hay, just as the oxy- CT
u unites with the carbon of the III
'od in stove, and as there can al
10 fire in the stove without the III
mission of air, so there can be no '"
mentation in u NOW of hay unless al
air comes in contact with it, ns
no ever saw any signs OF fer g