Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-10

While the late grasses VIII yet require
more time for acquiring sufficient maturity
| for hay, the earlier varieties, such as orchard
grass, June grass, tall meadow oat grass and
meadow fescue, are maturing rapidly, espe-
| cally on the warmer, light soils Of particular
sections in New England. The recent rains,
now followed by the warm weather, will not
only produce q heavy crop Of grass but also
an early one, though not nearly so early as
that of last year. In the season Of 1880 the
early grasses were ready for the soythe by
the first Of June, while this year they will
not be ready for cutting before the middle OF
the month.
Every farmer should bear in mind the i'm
portant fact that these grasses only make the
best hay when cut in full bloom, or even just
before arriving in that condition. II allowed
TO stand longer the stalks become hard and
woody, and are much less nutritious when
made into hay than the product Of younger
grass. Even the leaves of late-cut grasses do
not contain the nutrition that is to be found
in those of the plants which are cut when just
bursting into bloom. We are aware that
New England experimenter of acknowledged
ability claims that timothy hay cut when the
seed was maturing produced more beef than
when cut in bloom, yet these deductions are
given as the result of only one experiment
From our own experience we are inclined to
demand more than one or two tests TO verify
the mistaken idea that late-cut hay is better
for any purpose than that which is cut early.
Individual experience, covering quite a
number of years, leads us TO declare most
emphatically for the early cutting Of hay, not
only for the dairy but also for beef and even
for working horses. 1t is true horse will
masticate more woody fibre than IL possible
for q COW, yet we do not think he secures
from it any greater percentage of nutriment.
In the case of clover and other early grasses,
we advise cutting them when in blossom. In
the management of those fields where the
ox-eyed daisy abounds, do not allow the
weed to mature its seed, but cut it while in
bloom. The timothy and redtop may not be
in blossom when it is most desirable to cut
the daisies, but the whole field had better be
cut little too early for the hay, if it is
deemed desirable to get rid of the white
weed. Though the oX-eyed daisy is not
nutritious plant, yet it is not rejected by cat
tie when cut early and before passing into
seed and becoming hard, tough and woody
| in its nature. Moving fields may be rid of
this pest If early cutting is systematically fol-
lowed for year or two, and re-seeding with
the weed seeds thus prevented.
The late season this year will necessitate
large breadth of June planted corn. The
warm, moist ground favors quick germina-
ton and rapid growth. There are those
i WIN AhNOI early phutnB, Clhlnlhb tnht COu-
| tinuous growth of corn, day and night, does
not produce the largest yield or the best
| grain. These theorists are the same who
favor root pruning, and who in the same line
| of reasoning claim that the slight checks
which the corn plant receives during the
| cool nights of early cultivation afford better
opportunities for manipulation of plant food
than where its growth is one continuous rush
from planting to harvesting. Our expert
ence favors late planting in backward sea-
sons, and continuous growth when nature
favors the crop with warm, moist weather.
On fallow land weeds have now got good
start, and where corn is to be planted it is
deemed advisable to defer blowing the land
within day or two of planting. When late
planting occurs the surface soil is warm, and
those weeds which have got good start are
| no longer pests but become valuable fertiliz
ing material, and when turned under with
the pillow rapidly decompose, and afford plant
food for the growing corn crop. If the far
mer has taken the wise precaution to soaH
his seed corn for twenty-four hours in a So
luton of copperas and chloride of lime, hC
may reasonably expect within one week from
the planting to see his plants out of the
ground, and of good, deep, rich color
while the growth will be continuous to ma
turity. 1t will be found that two or thre,
harrowings, cultivatings or hoeings hav,
been saved by this late blowing, and thu
method of turning in the weeds, rather thai
through the practice of early blowing by thu
first or even the middle of May. OF two lot
of corn, one planted May 10, soaked in tar
water, and the second planted June 2, soaket
in the copperas and lime solution as abov
mentioned, but little difference could be no
ticed at the first of September. Considera
BILE labor, however, was saved in the lat
planting by the destruction of weeds Final
ly the late planted crop yielded the best as t.
quantity, and was much freer from weeds q
harvesting than the early planted crop
CtitiUdtOr.