The Republican journal., 1881-06-09
How to Make the Best of the Grass Crop.

ldlllltl' nC Vdlly oClllClo ooIi pClCu tllcIl
cattle, during six or seven months of the
year, to roam over the hills and gather
their own grass; to feed them the other
five or six months, they cut and dried low
ground or meadow grass after it was we'll
rlpened; modern farmers do not believe
this to be the best way; for some years
they have been gradually changing, by
cutting their grass earlier, by improving
their moving lands, cutting more grass,
and shortening the season for pasturing
their animals, until, at the present time
many farmers keep their horses up the
entire year, and milch cows, even if
driven to pasture, are fed at the barn
during most of the summer, at least one
good meal q 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 50 doing their
COWS do better, and that it improves the
condition of the farm. Ii is a well known
fact that horned cattle run a pasture out
very fast, while sheep improve it. If we
could pasture our hilly and rocky lands
With sheep, and 50 improve our moving
and tillage lands that they would furnish
sufficient food for our other stock, both
summer and winter, the grass crop would
he Of much greater value than it now is.
The moment the farmer gets his farm in
a condition so that he can keep all OF his
cattle yMded. he has arrived tC that
point where ne can rapidly improve his
farm. especially if as many do, he feeds
cotton seed meal to his COWS. But many
farmers are so situated that it is not con-
yruieut. if it is profitable to keep their
cattle up the year round they may have
uDundant feed in a pasture a half mile
rom home. that even if at home would
.t i'm no condition to be easily made into
41Wng land, while at the same time the
u'Nng land OF the farm, even under the
-hest state OF cultivation, may not be
Efficient to furnish food for more than
~N months for the number of cattle that
'au be well pastured on portions Of the
lrm too rough to bring into moving land;
farmer So situated viii find it for his in
LrTcst tu continue the old way Of driving
his COWS topasturt sin months OF the year;
Dut farm, most OF which can be easily
brought under cultivation, and seeded
down 10 grass, Will keep more stock and
keep it better by soil feeding, and at the
tne time improve his farm more rapidly.
When the question is settled in favor
II cutting grass to feed cattle, there are
.s1 more that force themselves upon us
t demand settlement. The first is
.r time of cutting and the second the
3" inner Of curing. As to the time Of cut
ing there is but little difference of opin-
.aN, Il very large portion OF the farmers
"rng in favor Of cutting early, as soon as
'lc grass is IN blossom; but as to the
best methods of curing, or preserving,
slere are 4 great variety Of opinions
while one party believes it best to spread
md dry in the sun for two days, another
Hlty believes it should be cut after nine
atloek A NJ, and put in the barn before
aoeI0ck, 2, NJ the same day and now
new party has stepped to the front, and
..etare that grass and other green crops
clu he preserved the best ifcut and pack
cd down entirely green, in a silo, without
even drying the water out after a shower
agI they prove their faith in it by their
Practice. While it is evident that grass
eUn be cured, or preserved in these vari-
900, ways, So that cattle will readily eat
j, and thrive on it, it is not SO clear as
which way is the best: this is to be re
.ettcd, for in matter of so much I'M
l0rtance, it Is very desirable that we
should waste as little as possible and set
lie down to the most economical and the
ost reliable, as well As the best way.
Reliable chemists tell us thar grass
ID -I in the sun, without being wet, pre-
yes nearly, if not quite all Of its nutri-
Nelt. while il wet by a heavy shower it
SEES nearly one third Of its nutritious
a.ities they also tell us that when put
-H a >ilo green, it loses its sugar by fer
aeAtdti0n, though the loss in this way is
a.t us great as when wet by rain From
,-9 il would seem, if one was sure of fair
weather, be could keep more cattle on
4.- grass cured by sunshine than by pre-
tUjng in a silo, and that he could keep
more by packing in slo than if he
should get it caught in rain. Some
t.nIers succeed in getting the best hay
at making it in the cock; after giving it
few hours sun, it is raked up in heaps
about forty pounds each, and allowed
remain untouched the next day; but
the third day, if the weather remains fair,
rec0cked, and the fourth day the
7oras are turned over in the morning,
oad got in soon after dinner The OBJ
relon to this way is that it is too much
aor, and if there should be a storm it
ulres the outside, which would have to
spread and dried, but no common
STORM would iniure the inside, unless it
'-0uld come before it had been raked up
-Neiye hours. Glover hay, made in this
way, retains all Of It's leaves and is very
Ueet; the blossoms in the winter are
,try fragrant and hold their color re-
aaEkably well.
With the Improvements which We now
-1e, to cut, make and harvest our grass
Arrannot stop to practice the old meth
4, iu use before the introduc ton of ma
merry, even though our hay may not
te quite as good; but when we consider
-1T quick we can cut and spread five
pHe lot, and how easily and well it can
'e stirred and kept in the air to dry, and
Lldlly how easilyit can be raked, loaded,
and housed, it appears very evident that
"ijl little watching of the weather,
LAe!c is a better chance to get our grass
We'll cured than under the old system of
adud work.
The points which it now seems impor-
'ant to settle are, shall we cut grass for
cattle, or shall we make them cut
their own during six months of the year !;
and what we do cut, shall we preserve it
m silos, put it in the barn nearly green Or
thoroughly make it in the sun? On these
points we need more light, which can
only be obtained by careful investigation,
ronmg from a wide field Of experiments
under the direction of high intelligence,
Tree from all prejudice Massachusetts
hIoughman.
The Care of Young Colts
1t is very essential to always maintain
q very keen relish and nice appetite in
me Young animal (and always, too, there
alter,) and this can only be done by
1Ictlr Crnardinu aOainSt over -faedinu