Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-10
AGRICULTURAL.
RrGAEpIyG THE GRASS CEor.

As grass il the most valuable crop
crown in New England, how to harvest
and use it to the hest advantage are qucs-
tions of the highest Importance to every
farmer. The early settlers compelled
their cattle. during six CT seven months of
the wear to roam over the hills and gath
or their own grass to feed them the
other five or six months they cut and
dried low ground or meadow grass after
it was well ripcncd modern farmers do
not believe this to be the best way; for
some years they bavc been gradually
changing, by cntting their grass earlier,
by improving their moving lands, cut
ting more grass, and shortening the sea
son for pasturinG their ANIMALS, until, at
the present time, many farmers keep their
horses up the entire year, and mllch
cows, even if driven 10 pasture, are led at
the barn during most OF the summer, at
least one good meal day; considerable
Numbers Of farmers keep their cows up
the entire season, feeding them during
the warm season with green crops, grown
for the purpose believing that by SO
doing their cows do better, and that 1t
improves the condition Of the farm. 1t Is
A well known fact that horned cattle run ii
pasture ont very fast. while sheep improve
1t. If we could pasture our mlly and
rocky lands with sheep, and so improve
our moving and .illaGe lands that they
would finnish A:;ciant food for our other
stock. both summer and winter, the grass
crop would he Of much greater valne
than it now is. The moment the farmer
gets his farm in Il condition SO that he
can keep all Of his cattle yardcd, he has
arrived to that point where he can rapid
ly improve his farm, especially II, as
many do, he feeds cotton seed meal TO
his cows. But many farmers are So sltu-
ated that it is not convenient, IT 1t Is
profitable, to keep their cattle up the
wear round they may have abundant
feed in pasture half mile from home,
that even if at home would be i'll no con-
dition to be easily made into moving
land, while ut the same time the moving
land of the farm, even under the highest
state of cultivation, may not he sufficient
to furnish food for more than SIX months,
for the number of cattle that can be well
pasturcd on portions OF the farm too
rough to bring into moving land ; n far
mer SO situated will find it for his interest
to continue the old way of driving his
cows to pasture six months of the year;
but n farm, most of which can be easily
brought under cultivation. and seeded
down to grass, will keep more stock, and
keep it better by soil feeding, and at the
same time improve his firm more rapidly.
When the question is settled i'll favor OF
cutting grass to feed cattle. there are two
more to force themselves upon us and de
mand settlement. The first is the time
of cutting and the second the manner OF
curing. As to the time of cutting there is
but little difference of opinion, very
largo portion of the farmers being IN IA
vor of entting early as soon rs the grass
is in blossom but us to the best methods
of curing, or preserving. there are great
variety of opinions while one party be
lieves it best to spread and dry i'll the sun
for two days, another party believes 1t
should be cut after nine o'clock 4. m., and
put in the barn before three O'Clock, p.
M, the same day; and row 4 new party
has stepped tothe front, and declares that
grass and other green crops can be pre-
served the best if cut and packed down
entirely green. i'll 4 silo, without even
drying the wafer out after a shower, and
they prove their faith in ii hy their prac-
tice. While it is evident that grass can
be cured, or preserved in these various
ways, so that cattle Will readily eat it,
and thrive on it, il is not 81 clear as to
which way ia the best; this is to he re-
ercttcd, for i'll matter Of So much i'm
portancc, it is very desirable that We
should waste as little as possible, and set
tie down to the most economical and the
most reliable, as well us the best way.